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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

British TV 'one offs'

31 replies

AbstractDot · 16/12/2021 21:35

I found Click and Collect on Netflix last night, thoroughly enjoyed the British-ness of it. I noticed it was a BBC special in 2018. Can anyone recommend any others in the same type of genre?

I'd say Christmas Lights, Northern Lights and Clash of the Santa's which were an annual series starring Robson Green and Mark Benton for Christmas would be another excellent example of what I'm looking for - christmas themed stories independent of regular TV shows.

Much appreciated!

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MrsLeclerc · 16/12/2021 22:38

I loved The Flint Street Nativity. It was on years ago but I have it on DVD. Huge cast of British comedy actors playing kids taking part in their school nativity play. The second half is them playing grown up relatives mingling afterwards.

We watched Click & Collect last night and loved it!

MrsLeclerc · 16/12/2021 22:48

Also not really a one off but if you enjoy British comedy, The Goes Wrong Show has a Christmas special episode and a one off version of A Christmas Carol. Fantastically funny and a bit silly.

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 16/12/2021 22:57

There was one with Dervla Kirwan were here and her kids were secretly living in a shop over Christmas that was good.

There was one with Gina Mckee were she was an alcoholic and her kids locked her in the basement over Christmas to dry her out. The child actors were great

There was one with Alan Cumming and Lenny Henry called Bernard and The Genie and it used to be on quite regularly at Christmas and then was never seen again which makes me wonder if there was a terribly UnPC aspect to it. Acceptable in the 80s, etc

IWouldBeSuperb · 17/12/2021 05:45

So glad someone else remembers Bernard and the Genie, @EineReiseDurchDieZeit !

Every year I tell people about it and end up thinking it must have been some weird dream I once had! Grin

I'd love to see it again but have lost hope of tracking it down... I wonder why it's disappeared?

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 17/12/2021 05:52

I loved The Flint Street Nativity. It was on years ago but I have it on DVD. Huge cast of British comedy actors playing kids taking part in their school nativity play. The second half is them playing grown up relatives mingling afterwards.

Id forgotten that! Niel Morrisey climbing up to a massive chair.

dementedma · 17/12/2021 05:53

My friends watch Bernard and The Genie every Christmas.

niki26 · 17/12/2021 06:00

We watched Click and Collect last night too - we enjoyed it too!

CrackersDontMatter · 17/12/2021 06:05

@MrsLeclerc

I loved The Flint Street Nativity. It was on years ago but I have it on DVD. Huge cast of British comedy actors playing kids taking part in their school nativity play. The second half is them playing grown up relatives mingling afterwards.

We watched Click & Collect last night and loved it!

I came to say Flint Street Nativity. It's brilliant. Also - not a one off but Merry Christmas Mr Bean. It's so beautifully dated and just reminds me of being 6 and Christmas shopping after dark in Woolworths with my mum.
EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 17/12/2021 10:25

@IWouldBeSuperb

I know its REALLY odd it was once a BBC Christmas staple and I can only conclude that it has what Disney Plus euphemistically calls "outdated cultural depictions" or similar for it to vanish without trace.

MrsLeclerc · 17/12/2021 16:07

@CrackersDontMatter love Mr Bean, our 3yo DS laughs every time he starts playing with the nativity scene in Harrods Grin

Foolsrule · 17/12/2021 19:36

Get Santa is quite good?

Badabingbadatinselbum · 17/12/2021 19:40

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pgr8x

A Childs Christmases in Wales with Ruth Jones. Funny and lovely.

Gingernaut · 17/12/2021 19:45

The Greatest Store in the World starring Peter Capaldi, Brian Blessed, Sean Hughes, Ricky Tomlinson and Dervla Kirwan with a cameo by S Club 7.

From the 90s, when the UK threw insane talent at one off dramas

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 17/12/2021 21:45

Thought of another - grumpy old women at christmas. I think it was the first ever grumpy old women.

Bloodypunkrockers · 17/12/2021 21:51

@Gingernaut

The Greatest Store in the World starring Peter Capaldi, Brian Blessed, Sean Hughes, Ricky Tomlinson and Dervla Kirwan with a cameo by S Club 7.

From the 90s, when the UK threw insane talent at one off dramas

I'd forgotten that

I wish they'd show it again

Twinstudy · 17/12/2021 22:01

I used to love Bernard and the genie! My brother and I had it on VCR and watched it numerous times a year. Looking back tho there's a LOT wrong with it!

AbstractDot · 17/12/2021 23:49

@CrackersDontMatter
Good shout with Mr Bean, that's a definite childhood memory one for me!

We watched Flint Street and Greatest Store this evening (Both on YouTube in full), going to work through the others too if I can source them, around our American Xmas movies which I love but find British shows more cosy and nostalgic as a Brit, just depends what the soul needs!!!

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cherrytree63 · 18/12/2021 00:00

I watched Click and Collect today and thought it was great!

FruityPolos · 18/12/2021 00:07

Glad a Child's Christmas in Wales was mentioned, I caught that randomly one year and loved it.

I would say AC/BC, I am not sure if it's available to stream anywhere, we have it on DVD. It's a comedy one off, a musical rock opera of the Christmas story, stars Matt Berry, Richard Ayoade and loads of comedy people from the late 2000s

Couldntmissthisonethisyear · 18/12/2021 13:34

Love this thread. I watched click and collect when it aired and loved it, they then showed it again the following year but not last year so I'm glad to see it's on netflix.
I looked in the Xmas tv mag to see if anything similar was made for this year but there's nothing on Hmm
Does anyone know where I can watch last year's motherland Xmas special as I loved that too.
I'll watch Gavin & Stacey Xmas special as that's one of my favourites.

AbstractDot · 18/12/2021 14:23

As other people are benefitting from this list, I'll also add Vicar of Dibley Xmas specials are a must in my house too! Particularly 'The Christmas Lunch Incident'! All are currently on BBC iPlayer for free! I'm looking forward to The Larkins Christmas Special.

The only thing I noticed vaguely fitting to this thread last year was the Tom Hardy Scrooge episode but that was not very engaging and more dark than Xmassy if I recall.

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mogschristmascalamity · 18/12/2021 14:26

Lost Christmas is brill and very sad

I love the flint st nativity so funny. Havent seen it for years.

Doubleraspberry · 18/12/2021 14:28

Bernard and the Genie is on BritBox right now. I think quite a lot is but I haven’t had a good look yet.

boredofisolating · 18/12/2021 15:14

Just watched click and collect after seeing this thread, loved it !

Bloodypunkrockers · 18/12/2021 17:31

I'm going to watch that tomorrow then