ABC Sizzling Summer Lineup

Summer is here and so too is the ABC's sizzling summer line-up, promising to keep audiences entertained over the holiday period with Christmas specials, premieres and events throughout December and January.

Immerse yourself in festive spirit as the ABC unwraps a bundle of Christmas specials. Kicking off the Yuletide season is The Book Club: 5 of the Best. As the series comes to an end, it's time to celebrate a year of great reads and look back at eleven years of banter and reviews. Costa and the Gardening Australia team celebrate the festive season with two one-hour specials, and famous Australians discuss what Christmas means to them in Tinsel, Tears and Turkeys: An Aussie Christmas Unwrapped. Join host Sandi Toksvig for the QI Christmas Special.

Doctor Who fans will witness Peter Capaldi's final magical journey in Doctor Who: Twice Upon A Time and then Rove McManus hosts a special Whovians panel straight afterwards to say goodbye to the Twelfth Doctor and hello to the very first female Doctor, Jodie Whittaker. ABC drama favourite returns with Call the Midwife: Christmas Special (2016), and young ones will be delighted with the Guess How Much I Love You Christmas Special, Peppa Pig Christmas special and a Sesame Street Christmas special.

Charlie Pickering returns with Tom Gleesen, Kitty Flanagan and Adam Briggs to rip open the year that was 2017 in The Yearly with Charlie Pickering. News buffs can get their fix with Summer Drum, hosted weeknights by Adam Spencer and Offsiders: Summer Edition with host Kelli Underwood. Foreign Correspondent continues to air Monday nights at 8.30pm, through Deecmber and January.

Cancel your plans for NYE and spend it with MC Charlie Pickering as he celebrates the final hours of the year with Countdown Live NYE 2017. Presented live (AEDT) from Sydney Opera House and jam packed full of family friendly entertainment, the evening features performances from Jimmy Barnes, Phil Jamieson, Marcia Hines John Paul Young, Montaigne, Casey Donovan, Ngaiire, Kate Ceberano, Isaiah Firebrace, Colin Hay, Mahalia Barnes and Prinnie Stevens, as well as full coverage of the Family Fireworks at 9pm, followed by the world-famous Sydney Midnight Fireworks.

ABC COMEDY will keep you laughing throughout summer, whatever the weather, wherever you are. Binge from bed or the beach with Australian comedy greats in the iview ABC COMEDY Binge. Highlights include A Moody Christmas, Get Krack!n, Rosehaven, The Ex-PM, and When TV Was Awesome. And the laughs continue on ABC COMEDY and iview with The Best of Fresh Blood hosted by Wil Anderson, new seasons of fan favourites Red Dwarf and Episodes, as well as brand new programs Asian Provocateur and Ill Behaviour. ABC COMEDY will also encore A Very Sexy Christmas with Steven Oliver which premieres on the ABC Indigenous Facebook page.

The hits keep coming in January with the world premiere of the complete series of  The New Legends of Monkey on the ABC ME app and iview, as well as the return of The Checkout, Catalyst and Shaun Micallef's Mad As Hell. Celebrate exceptional Australians with the Australian of the Year on January 25^th, and on Australia Day follow the Flag Raising and Citizenship Ceremony 2018. Enjoy the new hour-long format of Gardening Australia in its new timeslot Fridays at 7.30pm, followed by a special one hour of Back Roads.