Easter on iPlayer and BBC TV
Settle in for a feast of Easter fun for all ages across the Bank Holiday weekend
Looking for something to watch this Easter weekend?
Whether you’re seeking drama, entertainment or family fun, there’s something for everyone on iPlayer.
Here’s just a selection of the Easter delights...
Pilgrimage: The Road Through the Alps
Pilgrimage: The Road Through the Alps, follows celebrity pilgrims, as they take a personal journey along a revived medieval Catholic route, travelling from just outside Innsbruck on the Austrian Camino and finishing near Lake Zurich in Switzerland.
Taking part in this physical and spiritual journey are; agnostic Jay McGuiness, singer from boy band, The Wanted; actor and comedy legend Helen Lederer who is from a mixed heritage background, with a culturally Jewish father and a Protestant mother; practising Catholic, Harry Clark - The Traitors (series two) winner; standup comedian Daliso Chaponda, who grew up in a Christian family but is exploring the Baha’i faith; presenter Jeff Brazier, who went to Catholic schools but now is spiritual and meditates as part of his everyday life; retired Paralympian and practising Christian Stef Reid and journalist Nelufar Hedayat, who refers to herself as a modern Muslim.
Watch Pilgrimage: The Road Through the Alps on iPlayer and BBC Two from Sunday 20 April.
Gareth Malone’s Messiah
Gareth Malone coaches eight people with no experience of classical choral music to sing Handel’s Messiah, alongside the world-class BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Chorus of Wales, at Cardiff’s Llandaff Cathedral, in aid of BBC Children in Need.
In the series he whittles down hundreds of applications to the chosen eight - Foo Seng, Nia, Harry, Rosie, Aaron, Ami-Louise, Naomi, and Richard. All eight have their own personal stories and motivations, including Naomi, who has been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer, and Richard, who recently lost his wife to the disease.
Interwoven with the singing, the series sees Gareth dig deeper into the history of Messiah, its religious meaning and its place in British culture over many generations. He visits Halifax Choral Society which has performed the work annually for 206 consecutive years and meets early music expert Dr Hannah French at Handel’s home in London’s Mayfair. He also spends time with Cardiff vicar, Father Jarel Robinson-Brown, looking at artworks that help explain the theme of Handel’s Messiah: the life of Christ.
The two one-hour documentaries will broadcast on BBC One and BBC One Wales on the mornings of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The two-hour broadcast of the performance will be shown on the evening of Easter Sunday on BBC Two and BBC Two Wales.
All three episodes of Gareth Malone’s Messiah will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Easter Sunday Service
A joyful celebration for Easter Sunday, broadcast live from the glorious setting of St Mary Redcliffe Church in Bristol.
Led by the Rev Laura Verrall-Kelly, the traditional service features beautiful choral music and much-loved congregational hymns, including Jesus Christ Is Risen Today. The church choir is directed by Joe Cryan, and Canon Dan Tyndall gives the sermon.
It’s followed by Urbi et Orbi, live from Rome at 11am. On the 12th Easter of his pontificate, the Pope’s Easter message and blessing is delivered live to the city and to the world. Petroc Trelawny sets the scene.
Watch on iPlayer and BBC One from 10am on Sunday 20 April
Doctor Who
The Doctor’s quest to get Belinda home takes the Tardis to Miami in 1952, where an abandoned cinema is hiding a terrifying secret.
Can the Doctor uncover Lux’s power?
Watch Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer and BBC One on Saturday 19 April
- Watch Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
- More: Doctor Who season 2 - Everything you need to know
Our Changing Planet
Our Changing Planet is an ambitious natural history series exploring the issues facing the planet’s most threatened ecosystems and meeting the scientists and local conservationists fighting to make a difference.
This year, we follow efforts to protect and revive our dying rivers. Two ambitious river restoration projects are aiming to bring life back to the Klamath in northern California and the Seine in Paris, France.
- Watch Our Changing Planet on BBC iPlayer with new episodes from Sunday 20 April
- Read more: Liz Bonnin and Ade Adepitan discuss Restoring Our Rivers
Bluey: The Sign
Bluey’s longest ever episode The Sign launches on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer on Good Friday (18 April). Even more families across the UK will have the opportunity to enjoy this warm, heartfelt and extra-long episode of Bluey over the Easter weekend.
In the extended episode, the Heeler family home is up for sale and Bluey’s unhappy. But Bluey’s comforted when Calypso tells her a proverb about a farmer who trusts everything will turn out the way it’s meant to be. The next day, the Heeler home is prepping for Frisky’s wedding, but when it’s revealed Rad is planning a move out west after the wedding, Frisky runs away. Now Bluey has to experience her own farmer’s proverb.
Bluey: The Sign is available on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer from Friday 18 April
Super Happy Magic Forest
On Bank Holiday Monday, brand new episodes of fun-filled comedy quest adventure series Super Happy Magic Forest launch on CBBC and BBC iPlayer. The all-star voice cast are back, including Judi Love (Loose Women, Taskmaster), Julian Barrett (The Mighty Boosh, Moominvalley), Greg McHugh (Fresh Meat, Gary: Tank Commander), Spencer Jones (Ted Lasso), Jules De Jongh (Thomas & Friends, Lilybuds) and Oliver Chris (Rivals, The Crown). The series features five heroes united by their mutual love of questing, picnics and frolicking!
From Monday 21 April new episodes will be available on CBBC and BBC iPlayer. The series also enjoys success beyond the screen, with four CBBC web games, including physics game Picnic Puzzler, and on Roblox with its own platform game as part of BBC’s Wonder Chase experience.
CBeebies Bedtime Stories
CBeebies Bedtime Stories will be making sure that you and your little ones can’t wait for bedtime over the bank holiday weekend, with an egg-citing line-up of celebrities reading some cracking new stories!
CBeebies Bedtime Stories favourite Tom Hardy leads the Easter weekend fun on Friday 18 April with a reading of Milo’s Monster: A Big Bright Feelings Book written and illustrated by Tom Percival.
Singer and YouTuber Talia Mar will then read Nature’s Toy Box by Wenda Shurety and illustrated by Harriet Hobday on Saturday.
BBC Radio 2’s Good Morning Sunday co-presenter, Rev. Kate Bottley, has a bunny-tastic adventure in store for family audiences, with a reading of The Hot Cross Bunny written by Carys Bexington and illustrated by Mark A. Chambers on Easter Sunday.
Then rounding off the weekend of fun, comedian Mo Gilligan reads Oh No, George! written and illustrated by Chris Haughton on Monday 21 April.
Snooker World Championship
The biggest event in the snooker calendar is back, as the 2025 World Snooker Championship takes centre stage at the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 19 April to 5 May. Reigning World Champion Kyren Wilson will be out to retain his crown, but with fierce competition, the battle for the title is set to be tough as the steel city itself.
BBC Sport will once again provide extensive coverage of the World Championship ensuring fans won’t miss a moment of the action. Watch live coverage on BBC One, BBC Two, iPlayer and evening sessions on BBC Four.
Matches will be shown in full from the opening round to the final, with every ball potted shown on iPlayer and the BBC Sport website/app.
Women’s Six Nations
You can follow live coverage of the Women’s Six Nations across the BBC over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
On Saturday, Italy faces France in Parma on BBC iPlayer while England hosts Scotland on BBC Two and iPlayer, with Gabby Logan and guests Simon Middleton, Deborah McCormack, Heather Lockhart and Katy Daley-McLean.
On Sunday, Catrin Heledd is joined by former Wales captain Siwan Lillicrap and Sioned Harries as Wales welcome Ireland to Rodney Parade on BBC One Wales and BBC iPlayer.
Movies on iPlayer
If you’re eager for an Easter movie night you won’t be short of films for all ages. From family fun with Lightyear, Peter Rabbit, Dumbo and more (Shrek 1, 2 and 3, anyone?) to Classic Films and Musicals including Easter Parade and new arrivals like Priscilla (from Sunday 20 April), there’s something for everyone.
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