Channel 4 has announced its headline Christmas drama for 2025, a 75-minute special with the working title Dear Father Christmas. The festive film will star BAFTA TV Award winner Lenny Rush and James Buckley.
Rush will play Chris, a 16-year-old who maintains a strong belief in Father Christmas. His concerned father, played by Buckley, decides it is time to tell him the truth. Refusing to accept this, Chris embarks on a mission to prove his dad wrong, leading him into what the network calls a “Christmas conspiracy.”
The cast includes a number of well-known figures from comedy and science. Greg Davies, Asim Chaudhry, and Rochenda Sandall have supporting roles. Additionally, Stephen Fry, mathematician Hannah Fry, space scientist Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, and television personality Jason Fox will appear as experts who may have cracked the science behind Santa’s magical feats.
The special is written by Mark Chappell and produced by Big Talk Studios and South Shore Productions. Dear Father Christmas is scheduled to air on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2025 on Channel 4.
