The Christmas centrepiece is Cider With Rosie, an adaptation of the Laurie Lee novel, starring Juliet Stevenson.

Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Heartbeat and The Bill all mark Christmas with special editions.

Viewers will be able to see performers including Julie Walters, Big Breakfast presenter Denise Van Outen and comedian Paul Merton in the first ITV panto for years - Jack and the Beanstalk - scripted by Men Behaving Badly writer Simon Nye.

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Tara Fitzgerald and Anthony Delon feature in a Daphne du Maurier classic, Frenchman's Creek, while Niamh Cusack stars in the three-part Colour Blind, the first Dame Catherine Cookson adaptation since the best-selling author died earlier this year.

Chris Tarrant's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? returns for an hour-long special which could see one lucky viewer making a fortunate start to the New Year.

Michael Barrymore, Cilla Black, Des O'Connor and Freddie Starr are among the top entertainers with their own Christmas shows.

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The Record Of The Year, featuring Jonathan King, is a new pop awards show set to feature the hits of 1998 with live performances and a viewers' phone vote.

Spice Girls' fans will get the chance to see one of their summer Wembley concerts while tenor Jose Carreras heads the Christmas Eve concert Christmas Glory.

A special programme - Christmas From Omagh - marks August's bombing tragedy, while the documentary Surviving Lockerbie commemorates the aircraft disaster 10 years ago.

BBC One has already announced a comedy-filled Christmas package including specials of Men Behaving Badly and French And Saunders.

In line with recent years, neither network is likely to disclose its detailed schedules until the last minute as the ratings battle hots up.

Although the BBC is traditionally the winner in the Christmas ratings war, ITV Director of Programmes David Liddiment said: "This Christmas we have a huge portfolio of original British shows and are focusing on the best of our home-grown talent.