You’ve got enough on your plate right now. Wishing you’d kept a list of people who sent cards last year and frantically looking for addresses; hunting out musty old Christmas jumpers; practising your ‘not disappointed by this terrible present’ face and generally running around trying to get everything tidied up and sorted in these last few days…and that’s before the real stress kicks in.
How can we help? Well, you’ll need cheering up and you’ll definitely need some things to watch as a family in between all the low level bickering and secretly flicking the ‘v’s under the table at each other.
We go all out with comedy at the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ at Christmas because as Dickens himself said “The gift of laughter is the greatest gift mankind has ever known”. He didn’t really, but I look forward to that appearing on his Wikipedia page soon. Here are our Christmas gifts to you, made by the most talented comedy people in the land.
Set your recording links or circle your viewing guides now and make sure you get your laugh rations lined up.
In order of transmission:
Citizen Khan: It’s a Khanderful Life (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One 23rd at 8.30pm)
Walliams & Friend – Miranda Richardson (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One 23rd at 9.30pm)
Peter Kay’s Christmas Comedy Shuffle (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One 24th at 22.05pm) with a sprinkling of new and exclusive Car Share moments
Mrs Brown’s Boys: Mammy’s Forest (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One Christmas Day at 10.30) - 11.5m people watched the live special this year. This is the first of 2 new specials.
The Best of Tracey Ullman’s Show (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One Christmas Day at 11.00pm). Hosted by her version of Clare Balding and ahead of Tracey’s series return in February.
Still Open All Hours: Christmas Special (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One 26th at 8.30pm) which runs in to a brand new series.
Bob Monkhouse: The Last Stand (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Four 26th at 9.00pm)
The Entire Universe (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two 26th at 9.30pm)
Outnumbered (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One 26th at 10.00pm)
Inside Number 9: The Devil of Christmas (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two 27th at 10.00pm)
Walliams & Friend: Xmas Special with Hugh Bonneville (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One 27th at 10.00pm)
Jonathan Creek: Daemon’s Roost (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One 28th at 9.00pm)
Charlie Brooker’s 2016 Wipe (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two 29th at 9.00pm).
Cunk On Christmas (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two 29th at 10.00pm)
2016: A Year in the Life of a Year (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Four 30th at 10.00pm)
Still Game: The Party (2006 Hogmanay Special) – (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One 30th at 11pm)
Peter Pan Goes Wrong (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One 31at 6.20pm)
Dawn French Live: 30 Million Minutes (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Four 31st at 9.00pm)
Mrs Browns Boys: New Year’s Special (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One 1st Jan at 10.00pm)
If you’re up for a funny binge then go to Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer and Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Three has a range of box sets on offer: Fleabag, People Just Do Nothing, Josh, Cuckoo, Sunny D, Witless.
The new series of Uncle launches in January ‘17.
Hopefully with all this new comedy on offer we’re allowed to mention a few notable repeats given how well loved and long lasting great comedy can be:
The Royle Family: The Queen of Sheba (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One Thurs 22nd December at 9.00pm). A chance to see Caroline Aherne in her prime with a very poignant and moving episode from one of the greatest comedy writer/performers this country has ever produced. She is very deeply missed.
Upstart Crow: What Bloody Man Is That? (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two Tues 20th at 10.45pm). The new series is back in 2017 and this Macbeth related episode shows Ben Elton’s terrific grasp of language and comedy to full effect.
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Four Friday 30th at 9.00pm) This was done for our Sitcom Season in summer and celebrates the legacy of comedy down the years and how it’s always held a very important place at the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ.
We’re already working on Christmas 2017 and all the shows for next year too. Not Going Out returns on the 13th January complete with 3 kids and a move to the suburbs.
Wishing you much merriment and a funny end to the year.