Christmas 2012: ‘Doctor Who,’ ‘Leverage’ and ‘Rizzoli & Isles’ finales top new TV

While there are surely going to be a number of people who why away from TV altogether on December 25, there are some other people who are either looking for something to watch with their loved ones or are looking to unwind after returning home from a holiday party. With that in mind, we wanted to at least share some of what you can expect in the way of new programming for the day … though there sadly is not going to be much. Networks know that most families are out for the day, so putting anything on is a massive risk since you will likely lose a chunk of your audience.

One exception to that? British TV. BBC America should be a go-to destination all day long, as it is actually a British tradition to watch TV with your family on the holiday. The network’s lineup culminates with one of the most-watched shows every year in the “Doctor Who” Christmas special, and this one (entitled “The Snowmen” is promising to be rather fantastic.

TNT is also going to be bringing a little bit of their classic drama to the night, as we will have both the season finale of “Rizzoli & Isles” and the just-announced series finale for “Leverage” starting at 9:00. Obviously, the network is banking on the fact that after folks eat Christmas dinner, they will be looking for something to do.

For those of you looking for something a little bit more traditional, TBS will of course be running “A Christmas Story” for 24 hours in a row on Christmas Day, and many major networks will be airing parades and Christmas movies. Sadly, Spike TV is not planning to air the “Star Wars” trilogy (the good one) on the holiday this year.

If you want to read a little bit more about the “Doctor Who” Christmas special, you can do so over at the link here.

Photo: BBC America