From a baby and dog road trip to the North Pole to a double act who continue to pull in festive audiences decades after they last walked onto a sound stage, our second volume of box set binge recommendations is dedicated to Christmas TV treats.
1. A GHOST STORY FOR CHRISTMAS: THE SIGNALMAN
Ghost stories have long formed a part of our shared festive celebrations; from Shelley’s Frankenstein to Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Henry James’ Turn of the Screw, Christmas is as much a time for scares as Halloween. M.R. James had sat at the heart of the BBC’s “A Ghost Story for Christmas” tradition since 1968. However, in 1976, the BBC turned to Charles Dickens’ lesser-known short story about a haunted section of a railway for its festive scares, after years of adaptations of Henry James. The result was one of the finest TV ghost stories ever made, The Signalman, starring Denholm Elliot. The Signalman creatively used sound and cinematography, as its taut, spine-tingling atmosphere sent a shiver through the audience.
2. THE MORECAMBE AND WISE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 1971
The 1970s were the glory days of light entertainment on the BBC, and one double act sat at the top of the light entertainment tree: Morecambe and Wise. Their BBC festive shows have become the stuff of legend since they were first broadcast from BBC TV Centre, but their fabulous, funny and utterly brilliant 1971 special tops the tree. Eric and Ernie are joined by Shirley Bassey, Los Zafiros, and Glenda Jackson in this tinsel-adorned treat, but their sketch with André Previn is the cream on the delicious, tiered cake. With a double act like no other, the comic timing of Morecambe and Wise is legendary, and their act feels as fresh today as it did over forty years ago.
Box Set Binge (Volume 2)
3. THE VICAR OF DIBLEY: THE CHRISTMAS LUNCH INCIDENT
Good Christmas comedies are a rare commodity in the landscape of TV specials, with many ageing badly, much like a corked bottle of wine, as tastes in humour change. However, the first Christmas outing for The Vicar of Dibley is one of the best! Its devoutly silly humour is wrapped in a timeless story of companionship and Christmas dinner as Geraldine (Dawn French) gets far more than she bargained for on her first Christmas in Dibley. When multiple dinner invitations arrive, Geraldine finds herself trying to please everyone as she forces a year’s supply of Brussels sprouts into her mouth while attempting to maintain a festive smile.
4. THE SIMPSONS: MARGE BE NOT PROUD
There are so many delightfully sharp, wickedly funny, festive treats from The Simpsons that picking just one is challenging. But Marge Be Not Proud has to be my favourite of the lot. If we think back to our childhood, no matter how long ago it was, most of us can remember wanting something our parents couldn’t afford. For some, like Kevin in The Wonder Years, it was a colour TV; for others, it was a pair of trainers; and for me, it was the Dagobah playset from Star Wars. For Bart, it’s a video game, and the urge is so strong that he turns to crime and shoplifts the precious item.
When she discovers Bart’s crime, Marge is angry and disappointed and decides to exclude Bart from the planned Christmas celebrations as punishment. This tender tale of a mother/son relationship on the rocks during what should be the happiest time of the year is beautifully written and performed. Marge Be Not Proud isn’t just the best Christmas outing for America’s most loved animated family; it is one of the best episodes of the entire show.
5. THE WONDER YEARS: CHRISTMAS
It’s Christmas 1968, and the colour TV is just beginning its march across America. However, everything remains very black-and-white in the Arnold household as Kevin and his older brother, Wayne, start a Christmas campaign to buy a new colour TV. But their dad, Jack, isn’t playing ball, no matter how much they grovel and nag. Over six seasons, from 1988 to 1992, the Arnold family became our neighbours as we watched the 1960s morph into the 1970s.
The Wonder Years gave us five festive specials during its run, each exploring various social issues and family pressures. However, while each Christmas outing is unique in its own right, it’s the first that holds a place in my heart, simply titled “Christmas”. This episode, from December 1988, perfectly explores Kevin’s festive transition from childhood wonder to teenage anxiety, while delicately unpicking the growing festive consumerism of the late 1960s and 1970s.
Box Set Binge (Volume 2)
6. MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE: CHRISTMAS
Malcolm in the Middle would offer us three dedicated Christmas episodes throughout its seven-season run, joyously unpacking the Wilkerson family’s Christmas. For me, it’s the first Christmas outing that stands head and shoulders above the rest. Here, we see Lois threatening to cancel Christmas because of the boys’ bad behaviour, and Francis visiting his confrontational, chain-smoking grandmother.
The show’s willingness to explore that Christmas isn’t perfect elevates this Malcolm in the Middle Christmas episode, highlighting how stressful, tense, and often disappointing it can be as families strive for a vision of perfection that never really existed.
7. DOCTOR WHO: A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Since its rebirth in 2005, the Doctor Who Christmas special has formed a central part of the BBC festive schedule, initially holding a prestigious Christmas Day slot before moving to New Year’s Day under Jodie Whittaker’s stewardship. Over the years, Doctor Who has offered us a mixed bag of Christmas outings, some stunning in vision and scale, while others melted faster than a snowman in July.
Following David Tennant was never going to be an easy task. Still, on entering the Tardis in early 2010, Matt Smith quickly made the role his own, with an energetic, child-like Doctor who bathed in delightful eccentricity, humour and wonder. His first season was bold, brilliant, and distinct from the Tennant era, and it also delivered the best Christmas special ever produced. Bathed in Dickensian spirit, Doctor Who’s A Christmas Carol feels like a return to the foundations of the complex character we have come to love over fifty glorious years. This is writer and showrunner Steven Moffat at his most powerful, ingenious, and fun, as we are offered an emotional, festive, and exquisite time travel adventure that only the Doctor could deliver.
8. MY SO-CALLED LIFE: SO-CALLED ANGELS
For many LGBTQ+ teens, Christmas can be a challenging time as they are expected to hide who they are from their families. Out of all the episodes of Winnie Holzman’s stunning and groundbreaking teen drama, “So-Called Angels” is the bravest, considering the year of its broadcast. Back in 1994, the landscape of support and advice for LGBTQ+ teens was patchy, and homophobia was still rife and unchallenged in most schools and colleges.
For Rickie Vasquez (Wilson Cruz), the holidays begin with him stumbling in the snow, blood oozing from his lips, and his face scarred and bruised. He has just run from his abusive uncle into the freezing night, with nothing but the clothes on his back, as Angela (Claire Danes) begins to worry about his lack of communication. Tackling themes of youth homelessness, abuse and homophobia head-on, “So-Called Angels” isn’t just one of the most emotional slices of young adult drama ever made; it is a defiant scream for change for every kid who ever felt alienated, different, scared and alone at Christmas.
Box Set Binge (Volume 2)
9. THE SNOWMAN
On 26 December 1982, Channel 4 aired a speechless animated film scored by Howard Blake that would become an enduring Christmas classic. Based on Raymond Briggs’ children’s book, the pure magic of Dianne Jackson’s film lies in its simplicity, as the book’s pages come to life on screen, accompanied by a delicate and unforgettable score.
The Snowman is a celebration of childhood imagination, a love letter to the magic of Christmas, and a salute to the power of traditional animation and music to convey emotion and escapism without words. Exquisitely crafted, beautifully realised, and always emotional, The Snowman has rightly earned its place as a classic Christmas TV film for multiple generations, and long may it continue to do so.
10. A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS
Looking at this 1965 Christmas gem now, many view A Charlie Brown Christmas as a gentle, quaint and endearing slice of mid-sixties TV. However, when it aired, it was a game-changing feature-length story that played to the changing landscape of 1960s culture, TV, and animation.
With its outstanding jazz score, kids voicing the characters, and discussions of child psychology, A Charlie Brown Christmas brought the Peanuts gang to a whole new generation and cemented its status as a festive TV gem.
CBS may not have been convinced, but audiences across the world quickly brushed away any misgivings as Charlie and friends, including Snoopy and Woodstock, brought the Christmas message home that it’s not the presents under the tree or the size of its branches that matter; what matters is friendship, love and a feeling of togetherness.
11. THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN: YULE NEVER LEAVE
The League of Gentlemen took gothic-inspired horror comedy to new heights with its 1999 premiere, giving birth to a set of characters that still shine with originality. However, nobody sitting in front of their TV on the 27th of December 2000 could have anticipated just how deep and dark the show’s only festive outing would be.
We are offered four festive tales woven into one outstanding slice of TV that plays with a range of Dickensian themes. Yule Never Leave is Pemberton, Gatiss, Shearsmith and Dyson off the leash as we visit a vindictive vicar, a downtrodden wife, and a potential gay vampire who feeds on choir boys. So, if you fancy delving into one of the darkest Christmas specials ever made, look no further than Yule Never Leave.
12. FAMILY GUY: ROAD TO THE NORTH POLE
Christmas wouldn’t be without an Elf or two, whether sitting on your shelf causing trouble or struggling to survive hordes of killer reindeer in the smog-shrouded North Pole. In 2010, Family Guy offered one of its finest Christmas TV specials, a sublimely silly, incredibly dark, and delightfully bonkers adventure. At just 44 minutes, the Road to the North Pole is the perfect antidote to all the glossy festive merriment; its intelligent adult humour joyfully subverts the classic Christmas tale in a story that will see your Grandma spit out her sherry in sheer disgust.
Box Set Binge (Volume 2)
13. LET IT SNOW
Okay, okay, I know I am cheating here slightly with a straight streaming movie, but hear me out. Let It Snow’s tinsel-dressed rom-com offers us something slightly different from the normal festive love-in; at its core, it is a coming-of-age comedy/drama reflecting a group of teenagers on the verge of change with some Christmas love thrown in for good measure. With a cracking ensemble cast, Let It Snow ripples with youthful energy and diversity, reflecting the complexity of teenage relationships and the painful end of adolescence. The result is a surprisingly warm and tender film that may not be perfect, but offers us an entertaining and festive story that carries a sleigh full of Christmas cheer.
14. THE LEGO STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL
By Christmas 1978, Star Wars had become the only topic on many a child’s lips. However, while Santa found himself inundated with requests for shiny new Kenner toys from a galaxy far, far away, there was a notable lack of visual stimuli; after all, this was pre-VHS. Therefore, developing a Star Wars TV special must have seemed like a logical way to quench consumer demand.
For one night only, CBS would bump Wonder Woman and The Incredible Hulk for The Star Wars Holiday Special, and the show started pretty well, with Han and Chewie escaping Star Destroyers to reach the planet of Kashyyyk for ‘Life Day’ celebrations with Chewie’s family. However, ‘Life Day’ celebrations soon descended into what can only be described as a psychedelic mess, a Star Wars-inspired LSD trip, if you will.
Since then, there hasn’t been another Star Wars Holiday Special until this one! However, this time, it comes courtesy of the Lego Star Wars team at Disney+, and the result is a tongue-in-cheek take on the 1978 Christmas outing and the Skywalker legacy. Appealing to kids and adults is tough, but here it’s achieved by having the Lego team place the Star Wars universe into a gigantic intergalactic blender.
15. GAVIN AND STACEY
BBC Three has offered us some of the BBC’s most memorable shows over the years, but it’s James Corden and Ruth Jones’ Gavin & Stacey that takes the crown for longevity and love. Like many shows that began their life on BBC Three, Gavin and Stacey would transition to BBC Two and then BBC One as its popularity grew. Despite starting in 2007 and ending in 2024, only 22 episodes were produced, including several Christmas specials.
Those 22 expertly written and beautifully crafted episodes found an eternal place in the hearts of the British public as we followed Essex boy Gavin (Mathew Horne) and his love, Welsh girl Stacey (Joanna Page). But the ‘Will They, Won’t They’ highs and lows of Smithy (James Corden) and Nessa (Ruth Jones) cemented this sitcom’s place as one of the most fantastic slices of British comedy ever made.
Every character in Gavin and Stacey’s orbit is beautifully realised, from Uncle Bryn (Rob Brydon) to Pam (Alison Steadman) and Dawn (Julia Davis), creating a sitcom where every individual could easily carry their own show. In a word, Gavin and Stacey is lush, and each Christmas special is an unmissable festive treat.
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