Have a merry movie Christmas on TV with these top picks

You’ve done the shopping (well , some of it...), you’ve survived the party, and you’re braced for the visit by the relatives... now it’s time to spoil yourself with some quality time in front of the box.

So pull up a chair, plump up the cushions, pour yourself a glass of something naughty, and settle down for a couple of hours of movie heaven. Here’s our guide to the best films on your TV this festive season:

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19

The Muppets (2011) **** (BBC1, 1.55pm)

The Muppets make a hugely welcome return in this fun family comedy. Walter (voiced by Peter Linz) lives with his human brother Gary (Jason Segel), who is about to celebrate 10 years with his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams). The trio visits Los Angeles where Walter discovers that scheming oil man Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) plans to bulldoze the Muppet Theatre and drill for the black gold that lies beneath. The only way to thwart Richman is to rally the troops. So Walter galvanises Kermit (Steve Whitmire) and the gang into organising a televised appeal.

The Queen (2006) ***** (ITV3, 2.50pm)

Helen Mirren deservedly won an Oscar for her performance as Queen Elizabeth II in this touching film, set in the aftermath of Princess Diana’s tragic car accident in Paris, in August 1997. The Queen decides that it will be for the best if she and the family remain hidden from the public and the media in Balmoral Castle. But her subjects are heartbroken and demand that she addresses them, while the recently elected PM Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) also piles on the pressure.

Star Trek (2009) **** (Channel 4, 8.00pm)

Before he entered the Star Wars universe with The Force Awakens, director JJ Abrams brought new life into another much-loved sci-fi franchise with this hugely enjoyable, perfectly cast adventure. A sort-of prequel to the hit TV series, it sees the birth of James T Kirk (Chris Pine), his youth in Iowa, and eventual enlistment into Starfleet in an attempt to make sense of his life.

WolfCop (2014) *** (Film4, 11.25pm) Premiere

An unconventional lawmaker, who transforms into a crazed werewolf by night, attempts to eradicate crime using both sides of his shape-shifting personality in Lowell Dean’s comedy horror. Lou Garou (Leo Fafard) is a booze-sodden, womanizing police officer in the small blue-collar town of Woodhaven. His police chief, Tina (Amy Matysio), has been driven to distraction by his behaviour and his arrest record is pitiful. Investigating a disturbance on the outskirts of Woodhaven, Lou encounters members of the occult, who unleash the lycanthrope within. By the light of a full moon, Lou becomes a snarling beast and rampages through Woodhaven. In the run up to an eclipse, Lou joins forces with his good friend Willie (Jonathan Cherry) to unmask the lunatics, who transformed him into a monster.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20

Rise of the Guardians (2012) *** (BBC1, 1.15pm)

Based on The Guardians Of Childhood book series by William Joyce, Peter Ramsey’s entertaining family-oriented animation is a timely reminder that there are many things without rigorous scientific proof that still touch our hearts. At the North Pole, Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin) and his elves are hard at work when darkness flashes across his map of the Earth. It turns out that a sinister character named Pitch Black (Jude Law) is planning to harness the power of children’s dreams to take over the world. So, the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) and Sandman, along with new recruit Jack Frost (Chris Pine), join forces to defeat him.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) **** (ITV3, 1.55pm)

For the uninitiated, Roald Dahl’s classic story follows Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum), a poor youngster who finds a rare golden ticket in a special chocolate bar which enables him to take a trip to a magical confectionary factory. What he finds inside its doors are beyond his wildest imagination, but it turns out that it’s a dangerous place for children who don’t do as they’re told. There are bound to be comparisons with Tim Burton’s big-budget version, but while the sets may not be as lavish, this 1971 offering is the better film, thanks largely to Gene Wilder’s definitive performance as Willy Wonka.

Toy Story 3 (2010) ***** (BBC1, 3.05pm)

Andy (voiced by John Morris) prepares to leave for college by packing up his belongings and setting aside Woody (Tom Hanks) for life on campus, while the other toys are bound for the attic in a black bin liner. Unfortunately, Andy’s mother mistakes the bag for rubbish and donates the toys to Sunnyside day care centre, where Buzz (Tim Allen), Jessie the cowgirl (Joan Cusack) and the gang are warmly welcomed by Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear (Ned Beatty). Having said farewell to his buddies, Woody meets a stuffed hedgehog called Mr Pricklepants (Timothy Dalton) who reveals the truth.

Love Actually (2003) *** (ITV, 10.20pm)

Like a modern day Frank Capra, Richard Curtis’s directorial debut creates a tableau of modern-day London life in which people fall in and out of love to a smoochy soundtrack. The film stitches together ten separate stories of love, longing, camaraderie and failed relationships, among them Hugh Grant as a bachelor PM falling head over heels for a tea lady played by Martine McCutcheon. Ebbing and flowing between the various interlinked storylines, building up the characters as they edge towards a crossroads in their lives, Love Actually delivers both tear-jerking pathos and raucous one-liners.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 21

White Christmas (1954) ***** (Channel 4, 11.50am)

Michael Curtiz’s 1954 festive favourite stars Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye as talented song-and-dance men Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, who rise to fame in the notoriously cut-throat world of show business. As winter beckons, they join forces with sister act Betty and Judy Haynes (Rosemary Clooney, Vera Ellen) and head for Vermont, only to discover that their old army general runs their inn and the establishment is in dire financial straits. Perhaps Bob, Phil and their lady friends can cure the economic woes with Irving Berlin songs including Count Your Blessings Instead Of Sheep, Sisters and the iconic title track?

The Family Man (2000) *** (Channel 5, 3.30pm)

Wall Street golden boy Jack Campbell (Nicolas Cage) unwittingly stumbles into a hold-up in a grocery store and, in a moment of courage and madness, tries to reason with the agitated gun man (Don Cheadle). The next morning, he wakes to find himself in an alternate universe, one in which he sacrificed his career for the sake of his college sweetheart Kate (Tea Leoni). Spooked at first, Jack gradually acclimatises to his ‘other’ life but eventually he reaches a crossroads where he must choose between the wealth and success of his previous existence, and the romance of the new.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013) **** (BBC2, 10.30pm)

Much excitement surrounded the announcement of Steve Coogan’s return as the hapless Norwich-based DJ, and for once, the resulting movie more than lived up to the hype. The plot sees radio station North Norfolk Digital being taken over by new owners – and one of their first actions is to sack Alan’s fellow DJ Pat Farrell (Colm Meaney). Unfortunately, Pat responds to the news by storming into the studio with a shotgun, and taking hostages. When the police enlist then Alan as a negotiator, he sees a chance to turn the situation to his own advantage by using the resulting publicity to boost his career.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23

Toy Story OF TERROR! (2013) **** (Channel 4, 7.30pm)

The timing might be a tad awry for this Halloween-themed chapter featuring the loveable computer-animated characters from the Toy Story films, but there’s no denying the good cheer that radiates throughout this made-for-TV gem, in which plucky cowgirl Jessie (voiced by Joan Cusack) faces her worst nightmare.

The Purge (2013) *** (Film4, 9.00pm) Premiere

James DeMonaco’s brutal thriller is set in the year 2022, where US politicians have come up with a radical way of dealing with crime – for one night every year, citizens can vent any violent urges by taking up knives and guns to kill anyone they choose without legal reprisals, supposedly guaranteeing peace on the other 364 days. On the night of ‘the purge’, security salesman James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) returns home to his luxurious gated community and his wife Mary (Lena Headey) and children Zoey (Adelaide Kane) and Charlie (Max Burkholder). But the calm is shattered when teenager Charlie temporarily raises the shutters to allow a homeless man (Edwin Hodge) to escape from a heavily armed mob, an act of kindness that has terrifying consequences.

CHRISTMAS EVE

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) ***** (Channel 4, 2.15pm)

It just wouldn’t be Christmas without Frank Capra’s life affirming 1946 fable. James Stewart stars as suicidal family man George Bailey, who convinces himself that his beloved wife Mary (Donna Reed) and four children would be better off without him. Poised to jump off a bridge in Bedford Falls, New York, George is rescued by guardian angel Clarence (Henry Travers), who has been shown flashbacks of the father’s past. It’s A Wonderful Life is a perfect festive treat. Stewart, as the desperate father who is dragged back from the brink by an all-knowing, all-seeing angel, has never been better, and the direction and pacing throughout is virtually flawless.

Finding Nemo (2003) ***** (BBC1, 3.50pm)

Eye-popping visuals and a superb script, crammed to the gills with laugh-out-loud gags, combine to stunning effect in Pixar’s hugely entertaining and wildly inventive film, set beneath the ocean waves. Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) is a neurotic clownfish who has never recovered emotionally from a barracuda attack, which claimed the lives of his wife and all but one of his unborn children. When his one surviving son, Nemo (Alexander Gould), is plucked from his home in the Great Barrier Reef and re-housed in a fish tank in a dentist’s waiting room, Marlin embarks on an epic adventure to bring the youngster back home, aided by a friendly blue tang called Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), who suffers from short-term memory loss.

CHRISTMAS DAY

Brave (2012) **** (BBC1, 3.10pm) Premiere

Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman and Steve Purcell’s computer-animated story of female empowerment maintains the high standards we’ve come to expect from the digital wizards at Disney Pixar. Brave strikes a perfect balance between laughter and tears, conjuring excitement and heart-warming sentiment out of the ether as plucky clansman’s daughter Merida (Kelly Macdonald) defies her parents’ wishes to plough her own path. Merida’s fiery flowing locks deserve an Academy Award on their own, such is the exquisite detail of every windswept, animated fibre, and that’s before your eyes are wooed by the sweeping landscapes and colourful supporting characters.

The Wizard of Oz (1939) ***** (Channel 5, 3.10pm)

Judy Garland dons her iconic ruby slippers to magical effect in this evergreen 1939 MGM musical, based on the novel by L Frank Baum, which won two Oscars but lost the Best Picture statuette to Gone With The Wind. Which is ironic, as it tells the story of Dorothy, who is swept away from her beloved Kansas by a tornado only to land in the magical world of Oz.

BOXING DAY

Puss in Boots (2011) ***** (BBC1, 3.25pm)

The story begins with the young Puss (voiced by Antonio Banderas) being abandoned at an orphanage where kind Imelda (Constance Marie) raises the kitten as her own. Initially picked on by the boys, Puss learns to fight to survive and he helps protect fellow outcast Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis). Many years later, the surrogate brothers join forces with sexy pickpocket Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) to steal magic beans currently in the possession of murderous outlaws Jack (Billy Bob Thornton) and Jill (Amy Sedaris), as they try to find the Golden Goose. While it doesn’t quite live up to the Shrek movies that spawned it, this animated adventure does have charm all of its own. Banderas once again shows why he’s so perfectly cast as Puss, and Hayek and Galifianakis are great additions to the cast.

Kinky Boots (2005) *** (BBC2, 11.15pm)

The comedy from the creators of Calendar Girls is a life-affirming modern day fairy-tale about two very different men who discover that you can only succeed in life by putting your best foot forward... preferably in a stiletto. Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton) takes control of his family’s traditional shoe factory in Northampton, only to discover that business is far from booming. However, a chance encounter with cabaret performer Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor) suggests a whole new untapped market.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27

Hugo (2011) ***** (Channel 4, 3.35pm)

Twelve-year-old Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) is raised by his father (Jude Law), who has a passion for cinema and mechanical devices. The old man dies, leaving behind an intricate automaton, and Hugo is forced to live secretly in the station with his hard-drinking Uncle Claude (Ray Winstone), who maintains the clocks. When the bottle claims Claude’s life, Hugo continues to tend the clocks while stealing food from shopkeepers. Martin Scorsese’s elaborate fantasy indulges the Oscar-winning director’s passion for cinema, lovingly recreating films of the era and paying homage to the early pioneers, including the Lumiere brothers.