ITV has unveiled highlights of the official listings for its Christmas and New Year schedules

Sunday, December 22 will see Coronation Street at 7pm, while Andrew Lloyd Webber will explore the Profumo sex scandal in Sex, Lies and a Very British Scapegoat at 10.30pm.

Emmerdale and Coronation Street will air on 7pm and 7.30pm on Monday, December 23, followed by Tales from Northumberland with Robson Green at 8pm, Coronation Street at 8.30pm and Gary Barlow: Journey to Afghanistan at 9pm.

Christmas Eve will feature both a Midsomer Murders festive special – The Christmas Haunting – at 8pm, while Christmas Carols on ITV will be broadcast from the Yorkshire Dales village of Kirkby Malham at 10.35pm

On Christmas Day, viewers looking for something before the Queen’s Speech can tune into River Deep Mountain High: James Nesbitt in New Zealand at 2pm, while Disney’s Tangled will air at 3.20pm.

Later, Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs at Christmas will air at 5.15pm, followed by soaps Emmerdale at 6.15pm and Coronation Street at 7.30pm. The much-anticipated Downton Abbey Christmas special will air at 8.30pm – pitting it against EastEnders on BBC One.

On Boxing Day, Emmerdale is back at 6.15pm.

Sunday, December 29 will feature festive editions of Catchphrase and All Star Family Fortunes at 7pm and 8pm respectively, while Agatha Christie’s Marple: Endless Night will follow at 9pm.

Soaps Emmerdale and Coronation Street will be broadcast on Monday, December 30 at 7pm and 7.30pm respectively, while New Year’s Eve will see comedian Jason Manford host Funny Old Year – a look back at 2013 – at 10.15pm.

On January 2, the return of Birds of a Feather at 8.30pm will precede the sixth series premiere of Benidorm at 9pm, while The Martin Lewis Money Show will be back for a new series on January 3 at 8pm to help viewers with cutting costs after the holidays.