If there’s one thing guaranteed to get the family together with their feet up and their belts loosened after the big Christmas meal, it’s a festive TV special. Over the years, these shows have featured the cream of light entertainment and they regularly top the Christmas ratings. But which ones are enduring classics? The RTÉ Guide’s entertainment team has chosen their favourite shows (and one Christmas film) that have really hit the festive mark
1 Morecambe and Wise Christmas Special (1973)
What would Christmas telly past have been without Morecambe and Wise? Younger viewers might be unaware of these two: suffice it to say that Eric and Ernie were a legendary double act whose Christmas specials were the highest-rated TV events of the year, regularly drawing 28 million viewers in Britain (half the population) and most of the viewing audience over here, too. The 1973 Christmas classic is the one most fondly remembered, as it features appearances from The New Seekers, Yehudi Menuhin, Vanessa Redgrave (that Napoleon & Josephine sketch) and Andrew Preview (i.e. André Previn!). Timeless. (Michael Doherty)
2 Steptoe and Son Christmas Special (1974)
Arguably (and they’ll get no argument from me) the greatest sitcom ever made, Steptoe and Son ran in two batches between 1962 and 1974 and chronicled the antics of the father-and-son, rag-and-bone combo of Harry H. Corbett (’arold) and our own Wilfrid Brambell (Albert). At its peak, the show pulled in 30 million viewers, who marvelled as much at the Beckettian pathos of the situation as they did the comic interplay between The Dirty Old Man and his Dreamer Son. The 1974 Christmas special was actually the last-ever episode of the show and it was a gem. Harold hopes to get away to Switzerland for Christmas but the old man is keen to go back to Bognor. It all becomes immaterial when Harold finds the old man’s passport . . . (MD)
3 Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988)
Trust Ben Elton and Richard Curtis to invert the Christmas message. In this cracking stroll down Dickensian lane, Ebenezer Blackadder begins the story as a kindly old gent only to find himself getting more bitter and miserly as the spirits appear. All the old favourites are here – Baldrick, Melchett, Queen Elizabeth I and the Prince Regent – though sadly there’s no appearance by Rik Mayall’s Lord Flashheart. The scene-stealing this time is perpetrated by Miriam Margoyles and Jim Broadbent as Victoria and Albert: not that their Royal status cuts much ice with Blackadder: “Unless I'm very much mistaken, you're the winner of the ‘Round Britain Shortest Fattest Dumpiest Woman Competition’. And for her to be accompanied by the winner of this year's ‘Stupidest Accent Award’ is really quite overwhelming.” (MD)
4 A Bachelor’s Walk Christmas (2006)
As the Christmas special begins, several years have passed since Raymond (Don Wycherley) sold the house on Bachelor’s Walk and the lads gone their separate ways. Ray lives alone in a modern city apartment, still plugging away at his writing career. Michael Quinn (Simon Delaney) is living at home with his parents. And Barry Boland (Keith McErlean) is working in London. When Barry calls up out of the blue and announces that he has landed in Dublin, the lads get together for a long overdue reunion. In spite of the brave, merry poses the lads strike initially, during the course of the special, Michael hits rock bottom before being rescued by a festive angel, Barry winds up doing jail time, and Raymond gets jilted. (MD)
5 The Two Ronnies Christmas Special (1987)
Messrs Barker and Corbett produced many Christmas specials between 1971 and 1987, with the ones after 1977 (when Morecambe and Wise stopped taking all the limelight) doing particularly well in the ratings. The Christmas shows were pretty much extended versions of the weekly show, thus there would be news items, guest singers, a musical routine features the two boys and some slick verbal exchanges. The final episode in 1987 was a ratings-topper and featured such sketches as ‘Pub Chat’, ‘The Wedding Party’ and ‘Christmas at the Klondyke Saloon’. Elton John was the musical guest that year, delivering his most famous ballad, Candle in the Wind. (MD)
6 Stanley Baxter (1973-2008)
Over the years, and under a variety of titles, Scottish funnyman Stanley Baxter staked his claim as one of those performers who became associated with Christmas TV specials. Famous for his impressions – particularly of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II – his shows rivalled the annual Morecambe and Wise specials for their sheer entertainment and high production values. Amongst the festive specials he hosted were The Stanley Baxter Big Picture Show (1973), Stanley Baxter’s Christmas Box (1976) and The Stanley Baxter Hour (1982). Baxter retired in 1990, but returned for a one-off Christmas 2008 special mixing archived and new material, with celebrity comedians commenting on his influence. (John Byrne)
7 The Den Christmas Special (1996-2008)
One of the great festive TV staples for kids of all ages, The Den Christmas Special never failed to pull out all the stops to get everyone very excited about Santa’s imminent arrival. Shown on Christmas Eve, it usually involved a trip to Lapland and an effort (always successful) to save Christmas or rescue Santa. Probably the most memorable adventure involved the evil Podge (who later reformed and became a chat show host with brother Rodge), who locked Santa in a wooden cabinet. Over the years, Zig ’n’ Zag, Dustin and later Soky all did their bit to ensure that Christmas prevailed. (JB)
8 Robbie the Reindeer (1999-2007)
Voiced by Ardal O’Hanlon, Robbie has so far featured in three animated Christmas specials for the BBC. The son of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Robbie has many of his father’s attributes, although his nose doesn’t shine so bright. In the first adventure, Hooves of Fire (1999), Robbie finds a rival in Blitzen, who was also his father’s enemy. Legend of the Lost Tribe (2002) saw Robbie once more up against Blitzen, who had the reindeer working at his theme park. The most recent special, Close Encounters of the Herd Kind (2007), had Robbie and Donner's wedding interrupted when Donner got kidnapped by aliens. (JB)
9 Seinfeld (1997)
Given that the basic theme of this magnificent American sitcom was the antithesis of ‘peace and goodwill to all men’, Christmas didn’t figure large. But in the Christmas 1997 episode called ‘The Strike’, Jerry’s idiosyncratic neighbour Kramer promotes Festivus, a secular holiday (created for real by American writer Dan O'Keefe), celebrated on December 23. After being on strike for 12 years, Kramer returns to work at a bagel shop, but resumes the strike when he’s not allowed off for Festivus. Celebrants of the holiday – an obvious snub at Christmas and all that goes with it – refer to it as ‘Festivus for the rest of us’. (JB)
10 Wallace and Gromit (1989-2008)
These days, Nick Park’s inspirational Plasticine pair host their own TV series (Wallace and Gromit’s World of Invention) and have released a full-length movie (2005’s The Curse of the Were-Rabbit), but they became household names thanks to an occasional series of 30-minute specials that became Christmas regulars and very welcome repeats. Their debut, A Grand Day Out (1989), was actually screened in June on the Beeb and went out that Christmas on US TV, but their subsequent specials – The Wrong Trousers (1993), A Close Shave (1995) and A Matter of Loaf and Death (2008) – all made their debuts at Christmas. (JB)
11 Killinaskully Christmas Special (2008)
There was a touch of Dad’s Army about this Christmas special as Pat Shortt took Dan Clancy and the boys back to Christmas 1944 and The Emergency. The precious Faggart power station was in the hands of the Killinaskully Local Defence Force, but a surprise visit from de Valera found the troops AWOL and the Defence Committee, er, tired and emotional. Killinaskully had to mobilise its entire village in order to get back in the Taoiseach’s good books. This two-part special proved to be a ratings-topper. (MD)
12 It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Director Frank Capra is noted for his sentimental tales that chronicle the triumph of the human spirit. In this regard, James Stewart is perfectly cast as the small-town Joe Public who contemplates suicide because he feels his life is unrewarding, only to be convinced otherwise by a wingless guardian angel (second class) who shows him how his life has in fact profoundly affected those around him. It’s a deeply moving tale, speckled with moments of comedy and pathos, and filled with tremendous performances, not least from the divine Donna Reed. It’s a Wonderful Life is not just for Christmas, it’s for life. (MD)
13 A Christmassy Ted (1996)
Not Father Ted’s finest hour (even if it was the show’s only hour) but this special from 1996 is set to be a highlight of Christmases yet to come if only for the scene with the posse of mortified priests getting lost in the lingerie section. For leading his men out of temptation Ted wins the coveted Golden Cleric but who is the mysterious Father Ted Unctious? ‘A Christmassy Ted’ featured cameo appearances by Ballykissangel stars Dervla Kirwan and Stephen Tompkinson as well as yours truly as the hippy priest who exits stage right during Ted’s never-ending acceptance speech. (Donal O’Donoghue)
14 Only Fools and Horses (1981-2002)
For more than two decades (with time off for good behaviour in the late ’90s), Christmas wasn’t complete without unlikely brothers Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter and Rodney. The show’s wide boy antics were the perfect antidote to festive cheer, where instead of Willy Wonka you got ‘You Plonker’. No surprise then that the 1996 Christmas special, Time On Our Hands (slated to be the show’s farewell) attracted a record audience of 24.3 million. The two final specials (2001 and 2002) were flogging a dead horse, but in its heyday, nothing could touch the boys from Nelson Mandela House. Luvely jubbly. (DO’D)
15 Billy Smart’s Circus (1960s to 1983)
Billy Smart’s Circus always coincided with the madness of Christmas dinner (what was so smart about that?). ‘Oh look, a one-legged man balancing three women on a tall pointy stick!’ we might cry over steaming plates of sprouts and turkey. Or later we’d wonder whether the trio of grumpy lions would have their whip-wielding tormentor for tea as we finished off the trifle. Exotic, entertaining and honest, such shows have long since been replaced by the circus of reality TV and the freak-show capers of low-wattage celebrities. (DO’D)
16 Soaps at Christmas (various)
It’s tradition in almost every home across the country to crack open the tin of Roses after Christmas dinner and settle down on the couch for a marathon evening of our favourite soaps. The four big ones – Fair City, Coronation Street, EastEnders and Emmerdale – will all have at least one, if not two episodes and even if you are not a regular soap watcher you will more than likely find yourself tuning in to see the murders, marriages, explosions, births and kissing under the mistletoe that are a staple of Christmas Day in Soapland. Classic Christmas moments include when Fair City’s Gina was killed by a drink-driving Annette in 2008, Dirty Den serving Angie Watts with divorce papers in 1986 on the Square, Cilla Battersby blowing up the Street’s chippy in 2006 and the freak storm that hit the Dales in 2003 destroying the Woolpack and killing Tricia Dingle. (Suzanne Byrne)
17 The Office Christmas special (2003)
The Office may have begun as a cult mockumentary about a group of (literally) paper pushing drones in Slough (come friendly bombs and all that) but it truly entered our consciousness when this Christmas special aired in 2003 and tied up some tantalising loose ends. We meet the workers of Wernham Hogg on the night of their grim Christmas social; disgraced former boss David Brent is now a failed comedian but the possible love of a good woman just might redeem him. However, that was a mere sideshow to the romance (finally!) between the hugely likeable Tim and Dawn. Poignant and brilliantly written, our last visit to The Office proved that Christmas really is a time of goodwill to all men. Well, except maybe Finchy. (Alan Corr)
18 Friends (The One With the Holiday Armadillo, 2000)
The world’s most successful sitcom (ever!) had to do Christmas and when it did, the writers gave the episode a truly freaky title. In The One With the Holiday Armadillo, Ross is anxious to put a spiritual spin on the season and tell his kid Ben the story of Hanukah. However, the predictably adorable Ben just wants to see Santa. A desperate Ross makes a visit to the costume store but they’re plum out of Santas so he’s reduced to hiring a very strange armadillo suit and passing himself off as Santa’s ‘delegate in all the southern states and Mexico’. Then Chandler arrives in a Santa costume and Joey appears dressed as Superman. It’s cute, it’s got an anti-commercial message and – a real miracle this – Phoebe actually says something funny: ‘Okay, I understand why Superman is here, but why is there a porcupine at the Easter Bunny’s funeral?’ (AC)
19 Doctor Who (2005-)
A relatively new custom this but the Beeb has blasted all comers into a galaxy far, far away by screening a Doctor Who special at Christmas. The adventures of a time-travelling eccentric may not seem like typical Yuletide fare but turning Father Christmas into Father Time has proved a winner with all the family. Given that Who has been reborn as high end quality drama with a budget, it makes sense to gather round the hearth after a feed. The Christmas edition has always attracted big name guest stars including Kylie Minogue and this year, Michael Gambon. In fact, in a few weeks we’ll see the Doctor put a spin on Dickens’ Christmas Carol and you can’t get more festive than that. (AC)
20 Top of the Pops (1964-2006, 2008-)
The Christmas No.1 used to be an event on every pop picker’s calendar, a time for healthy rivalry and playing favourites. That was before Simon Cowell made the crimbo No.1 a foregone conclusion with the aid of a hit TV show and a public behaving like a million-strong flock of sheep. Last year, an admirable Facebook campaign meant X didn’t mark the No.1 spot and Rage Against The Machine did with their festive ditty Killing in The Name Of. This year John Cage’s 4’33” (that’s four minutes and thirty three seconds of complete silence) is in the running for the renegade No.1 and it’s certainly an apt idea for Ireland, a country ending the year with mouth agape in disbelief. However, back in happier times, the sight of Jimmy Saville in a Santa suit covered in bling or Noel Edmonds in another ghastly sweater counting down the end of year chart was a true Christmas tradition. The Beeb axed TOTP in 2006 but revived it for Christmas and New Year specials in 2008 and wouldn’t it be a treat to ‘hear’ Mr Cage’s composition falling as soft as snow this Christmas Day? (AC)
21 The Royle Family Christmas special 1999
Writers Craig Cash and Caroline Aherne’s knack of capturing the nuances of character and dialogue made the sitting room of the Royles a must-see. Viewers simply dropped into this Northern family’s conversations and watched them channel-hop and discuss various everyday subjects. This Christmas episode really summed up what the whole show’s about – the action radically moves from the sitting room to the bathroom as Denise prepares to go into labour and Jim brings the nation’s hankies out as he remembers the first time he saw Denise as a baby. (JBu)
22 The Snowman (1982)
Nearly 30 years after it was first shown on Channel 4, Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman is still a must see every Christmas. It’s a simple tale, told with no dialogue, of a boy who builds a snowman that comes to life and takes him on an airborne voyage across the snow-blanketed countryside and up to the North Pole itself. It’s a beautiful, dreamy experience and Briggs’ simple animation and the voice of Aled Jones signing Walking in The Air sum up the wonder of childhood Christmas like nothing else. (AC)
