Greg Davies and Matt Lucas join Dr Who

...and other BBC Christmas highlights

Greg Davies and Matt Lucas are to appear in the Christmas episode of Doctor Who.

The Man Down star plays King Hydroflax – a ruler with an out-of-control robot bodyguard – in the storyline, which is set on Christmas Day.

The plot has Peter Capaldi’s Doctor hiding from Christmas carols and comedy antlers when a crashed spaceship calls on him for help, sparking a chase across the galaxy.

Lucas will play a character called Narodale, although nothing more is known of him except that he faces a fight for survival.

‘All will be revealed on a starliner full of galactic super-villains and a destination the Doctor has been avoiding for a very long time,’ the BBC says.

The news came as the Corporation announced highlights of its festive offerings, including confirming Christmas specials of Lee Mack’ Not Going Out, Mackenzie Crook’s Detectorists and Catherine Tate’s Nan.

Meanwhile Omid Djalili is to appear in a star-studded drama set in Charles Dickens’ fictional world, Lucy Porter will appear on University Challenge, and Ronnie Corbett will be the subject of an in-depth biography.

BBC One

David Walliams is to star in the sketch show Walliams & Friend, alongside Joanna Lumley. The cast also features Morgana Robinson and Mike Wozniak and was written by David Walliams and the Dawson Bros.

BBC One will also air the dramatisation of his children’s book Billionaire Boy, with a cast including Walliams himself. John Thomson, Rebecca Front, Warwick Davies and Catherine Tate.

Meanwhile, Tate’s Nan is returning for two half-hour episodes: Nanger Management, when she has to go to classes after a run-in with the police, and Knees Up Wilmott-Brown, in which the freehold on her block of flats in London’s East End is bought up by ruthless property developers

Harry Hill is also returning for The Further Adventures Of Professor Branestawm, co-starring Steve Pemberton as Professor Algebrain and Matt Berry as Professor Awfulshirt, among others.

Peter Kay, now making shows for the BBC after starting his TV career on Channel 4, is to be the subject of a documentary ‘celebrating his illustrious career in comedy’, while John Bishop and Michael McIntyre front live variety shows from London theatres. Bishop’s has Kylie Minogue, Sarah Millican and Danny Bhoy among the guests, although Mcintyre’s line-up is still under wraps.

Celebrity Mastermind will feature Ardal O’Hanlon, Rob Delaney, Nick Helm, Gary Delaney and John Shuttleworth creator Graham Fellows, as well as Boy Meets Girl star Rebecca Root.

Still Open All Hours is returning for a second series; while there are Christmas specials of Would I Lie To You?, Boomers, the sitcom about retired couples, Citizen Khan and a two-parter from Mrs Brown’s Boys

And Omid Djalili will appear as Mr Venus, the taxidermist from Our Mutual Friend, alongside the likes of Stephen Rea, Pauline Collins, Caroline Quentin and Peter Firth in the 20-part series Dickensian.

BBC Two

BBC Two will pay tribute to Ronnie Corbett in its flagship biography series, Many Faces.

The show will chart his early life from devout teenage organist to his first screen role in You’re Only Young Twice? and his firstTV break at the age of 36 on the groundbreaking Frost Report.

The film comes three years after the Many Faces strand featured his Two Ronnies co-star Ronnie Barker who, like John Cleese, was also introduced to TV via the Frost Report.

Of the shows already announced, BBC Two will air A Gert Lush Christmas, Russell Howard’s first comedy drama, which he co-wrote with fellow stand-up Steve Williams and which also features Neil Morrisey, Greg Davies and Howard’s sister Kerry, best known for starring in Him & Her.

Also confirmed is We’re Doomed: the dramatised story of how Jimmy Perry and David Croft overcame BBC management scepticism, focus groups and cast constipation to get Dad’s Army on air.

There are also Christmas specials of Charlie Brooker’s Wipe, QI (with Jenny Eclair, Johnny Vegas, Bill Bailey and Alan Davies), Mock The Week (featuring the best of the last series), Live At The Apollo (with Nina Conti, TanyaLee Davis, Hal Cruttenden and Josh Widdicombe) and Backchat with Jack and Michael Whitehall

And Lucy Porter is to represent Manchester University in a special season of University Challenge featuring institutions’ alumni, on a team that also boasts Peep Show co-writer Jesse Armstrong.