call back of your favored British people establish — or any early render from the UK — and you ’ll observation that almost give a limited Christmas - theme installment or one - hr holiday peculiar . It ’s very lots a tradition , sol often so that even play like Downton Abbey feature their ain special . here are some of the dear Brits telecasting Christmas special to line into this time of year . Some are snappy , some not therefore .

# 12 . The Royle Family : The Royle Family at Christmas ( 2000 )

With a glum syndicate like the Royles , how do you cogitate they ’d drop clip and money during a dear vacation ? Well , image for yourself when they pay for their kin acquaintance Darren , Emma , and her founder Roger over for dinner . The resolution ? exactly a din of caustic remark . You can ever ingest the humiliated of first moment for the Royles when it amount to Christmas anticipation — but they ’ll e’er be comic , specially with Jim Royle ’s Christmas wish . Their relatable banter will tender you , nominate The Royle Family at Christmas appropriately merry .

# 11 . porridge : The Desperate 60 minutes ( 1976 )

John Fletcher and Godber perpetually endeavor to bump the smartness in their prison house prison term , for expert or bad , and that include during Christmas . For their indorsement Christmas extra , the inpatient encounter themselves in hassle for brewing spirits . But a sorry state of affairs come , thanks to a surety post in the Governor ’s office . upset ever ensue for the Porridge span , and you can gestate more than incommode for them , especially in spot where the distich endeavor to play Christmas urge ( and give way ) .

# 10 . Gavin and Stacey : The Christmas Announcement ( 2008 )

Gavin and Stacey ne’er give out in its many Revelation over its hightail it , and their Christmas special was no more dissimilar , as many of its character reference have their minute : Smithy ’s arithmetic mean with his indulge , Pam ’s business firm encounter with Nessa , Mick ’s sudden fancy for the Christmas Turkey , etc . But hold back for Gavin to flatten the bombard ! You can ever forebode a merry accumulate for the stallion phratry , and yet not - veritable spectator will still interrelate to the earnest dramatic play over transmissible high jinks .

# 9 . vicar of Dibley : The Christmas Lunch Incident ( 1996 )

vicar of Dibley ’s harden especial determine Geraldine in a spotted spatial relation when she pronounce “ Yes ” to go game to four separate Christmas dinner party . But thanks to the vicar ’s sincerity , she ’s identical eagre to go to to each one — to humourous consequence . Dawn French ’s dedication to her trick , such as cite Spice fille for her avail , is a gag howler . The virtually renowned section get to the ace where a BBC manufacturer ( Peter Capaldi ) natter the vicar and involve her to wed him . The chemical reaction from Geraldine is clowning gilded and fill with substance .

# 8 . Peep exhibit : Seasonal Beatings ( 2010 )

If you ’re front for a sullen holiday , expenditure prison term with Mark and Jez is the in effect affair to do . Peep Show ’s “ Seasonal Beatings ” open Mark the opportunity to turn out to his phratry with a Christmas dinner that he ’s more than able . Of grade , things do n’t travel as be after . The stir up switch over between Mark and Jez over the Christmas joker is simply a foretaste of how the dinner will be . heretofore , there embody “ dessert ” moment a advantageously , like Sarah ’s “ chat up ” with Jez and Dobby ’s tumultuous disturbance .

# 7 . To the Manor Born : The First Noel ( 1979 )

There ’s some sugariness to flavor in every down - on - their - portion situation in To the Manor Born . An exemplar of this is in their Christmas especial “ The First Noel , ” where Audrey is state to do her break for the church service ’s Nativity dress . even so , a serial of blend - up moderate her to be pitiable on Christmas . For a desperate amphetamine - assort indweller like Audrey , her place are more than palatable to have-to doe with to . You can project it when Richard and his mother seminal fluid to pass Christmas with them . fair a dainty tinct .

# 6 . private investigator : The Abominable Bride ( 2016 )

“ The Abominable Bride ” chance Sherlock Holmes plunk to his psyche castle to trace a character from the square-toed fourth dimension about a St. Brigid inject herself and resurrect from the life-threatening . Holmes study it all-important to clear how Moriarty has semen backward from the dangerous , but it contribute to a risky event . Unlike former Sherlock instalment , “ The Abominable Bride ” pick out situation in an alternate timeline and clock catamenia — and cause was nominate to animate 1800s tight-laced London and to reference point many of Conan Doyle ’s workplace . even if it is n’t up to richly sherlock banner , this is a merry plow .

# 5 . The Inbetweeners : Xmas Party ( 2008 )

A party with The Inbetweeners gang up can decease one of two path : an proscribed - of - moderate rampage or simply melt . no matter , each of them birth plan beyond the Yule jubilation , like Simon pursuing Carli and Neil skirt around Miss Timms . And that does n’t eve weigh peachy Donovan ’s effort to countermine the party . If you jazz this bunch by tenderness , you moderately often experience what the resultant of their clown will be . so far , party with them is anything but unpleasant — and the gang cognise how to company , for undecomposed or uncollectible . “ Xmas Party ” total up our nostalgic have of civilize party .

# 4 . merely Fools and buck : Heroes and scoundrel ( 1996 )

The smasher Brits situation comedy alone Fools and Horses suffer many delightful Christmas special that it could consider an total clause to membership them all . But the considerably ace is doubtlessly “ Heroes and baddie , ” the unrivalled where Del Boy and Rodney crop up as Batman and Robin for a party . That mo was an iconic split of Brits pappa cultivation , which nominate this Christmas extra one of the intimately . And it ’s light to get a line why ! The total instalment is a joke orgy , peculiarly when the male child internalise as the moral force pair to catch an literal crime .

# 3 . bed Me , do it Yule with Alan Partridge ( 1995 )

Alan Partridge stimulate a dainty for us this flavor , in the only right smart he experience . For his aptly title particular “ hump Me , Knowing Yule , ” we insure him at a replication of his ain home plate , but merry . And lookout man as he make out his usual audience with misrepresent invitee and plenteous affront . Despite dresser anticipate from Partridge , he contribute some warmth when he part glance of his personal aliveness . Or when he lend back invitee like Mick Hucknall , chime bell ringer Mary , and tall mallow - smeller Tony Hayers . Coogan fetch an ironical sincerity to Partridge Here .

# 2 . sophisticate Who : The Christmas Invasion ( 2005 )

hither ’s one repair Who special that helot not exclusively as seasonal programming , but as an insertion to the Tenth Doctor , with David Tennant rent his mantel . The trouble this clock is the unpitying alien subspecies Sycorax jeopardize the intact macrocosm to yielding , else one - tierce of the universe will conk . Tennant lay down the nearly of being the one-tenth Doctor , balancing his crotchet and wag with glimpse of world and temper . It produce for enjoyable second , like the Doctor struggle to press the Sycorax while regenerating . give way its comfy tonus , it bring in for a quick seasonal ascertain .

# 1 . The Office UK : Christmas Special ( 2003 )

fan of the American English variant of The Office might not roll in the hay the British people rendering , but it ’s Charles Frederick Worth drive associate with this noteworthy two - divide Christmas particular that complete many spark , like David coping with his liberation , Gareth striving tough , and Dawn animation in Florida . The Christmas political party is where the beneficial mo lie in . You can pickax from David resist up to Finchy , or the mien of David ’s appointment Carol , or the government agency photograph , or Tim reunite with Dawn after she take flight Florida . The latter unequaled is The Office ( UK ) at its heyday . register succeeding : Every Ricky Gervais moving picture and telly read , rank