TV Weekly: From Great Christmas comedy moments to the music of Doctor Who

Telly picks for Christmas week 2024…

In this definitive poll, run in association with The Mail Online, this countdown reveals the UK’s favourite funny moment from some of the UK’s best-loved sitcom Christmas specials.

Join Channel 5 as they celebrate characters and remember moments from Christmases’ past.

Among the featured moments: Vicar of Dibley – Geraldine eats four Christmas Dinners, Only Fools and Horses, the Batman and Robin scene along with the moment that Delboy and Rodney finally become millionaires.

There are Christmas presents courtesy of The Royle Family, chaotic nativities from Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, merry mishaps from Victor Meldrew with his One Foot In The Grave, calamitous Christmas trees from Mrs Brown’s Boys, and mistletoe worthy romantic moments from The Office, Miranda, Gavin and Stacey and Dinner Ladies. There’s even a rare sighting in sitcom land of a major pop superstar, courtesy of Extras.

Other shows featured include Men Behaving Badly, Outnumbered, Rising Damp, Dad’s Army, Porridge, Motherland, The Windsors, The Good Life, Keeping up Appearances, Father Ted, The Inbetweeners, Mr Bean and many others.

The stars of the shows share their secrets. Leslie Ash remembers the health and safety nightmare that came with an incinerated turkey in the Men Behaving Badly special. Lesley Joseph shares the less than glamorous location that doubled for Morocco during the Birds of a Feather special, Harriet Thorpe describes the joy of working on Absolutely Fabulous, and we learn the difficulties of bringing that show to the screen.

Andrew Dunn talks about the joy of working with the late great Victoria Wood in Dinner Ladies. John Thomson shares memories of his good friend Caroline Aherne – who gave us the fantastic Royle Family.

“Throughout the two hours, we’ll show these moments alongside recollections from the stars involved, and comments from celebrity fans as we work our way through these hysterical sitcom moments to finally reveal what the readers of Mail online and sitcom fans have voted the greatest ever Christmas sitcom moments.” – Channel 5

Featuring contributions from Andrew Dunn, Christopher Biggins, Brendan O’Carroll, Lesley Joseph, Leslie Ash, John Thomson, Rustie Lee, Nina Wadia, John Sergeant, Sherrie Hewson, Sheree Murphy, Stephen Bailey, Darren Harriet, and many others.

Channel 5, Sunday 22nd December, 9pm

It’s the week before Christmas and Stockport home security expert, Neil (Lee Mack) has a problem with his neighbour.

Scott (Chris McCausland) swaps their bins, complains about Neil’s ‘project’ car on his drive and has had his Christmas lights up all year, shining into Neil’s home office. Basically, he’s a git. He’s also blind, and the rest of the street thinks he’s great.

When they try to make Scott the new head of Neighbourhood Watch, Neil can stand it no more.

He questions Scott’s suitability for the role “It’s Neighbourhood Watch! I mean, hello?” and, in the tit for tat row which ensues, Neil ends up blowing the power. For the whole street. On Christmas Eve. Everyone, including Neil’s wife and teenage daughter, is forced to take their Christmas plans elsewhere, leaving Neil and Scott alone and on guard.

When infamous local crime family The Brennans decide to rob the entire street in one night “It’s like Santa in reverse”, the odd couple must team up to stop them. They’ve got no lights, no cameras, no alarms, but one of them is blind, which might be an advantage…

SKY Max, there are several screenings across this week, but we’ve selected the offering on Tuesday, Christmas Eve, 7.30pm

Climb onboard for a Christmas treat on one of the world’s most picturesque train journeys: the illustrious Bernina Express.

Hugh Bonneville narrates this seasonal special journey from Chur – Switzerland’s oldest town – through some of Europe’s steepest and most spectacular and stunning Alpine landscapes, to the beautiful town of Tirano in Italy.

Channel 4 experience the majesty of the Morteratsch Glacier, the architectural wonder of the Landwasser Viaduct, the frozen beauty of Lago Bianco, and the sheer scale of both the Swiss and Italian Alps. Snow-covered peaks and mountainous regions give way to picture postcard villages, and the show meet people who live and work with the Alps as their backdrop, including an artisan cheesemaker who uses only local produce and a chocolatier who runs a family business making dainty, luxurious Swiss chocolates.

The documentary also meets a toymaker who makes the most traditional Christmas toys in Switzerland and a multi-generational farming – and music-making – family.

Channel 4, Sunday 22nd, December, 7pm

Comedian and actress Catherine Tate presents a concert of music, monsters and mayhem featuring soundtracks from the long-running sci-fi series and a host of scary aliens as they thrill a packed audience at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

In a concert like no other in time and space, the much-loved music, performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, is accompanied by specially edited sequences from the series. Monsters old and new make dramatic appearances in the hall with fans getting the fright of their lives as they confront them face to face.

Doctor Who at the Proms 2024 features a never-before-seen short film by the series’ showrunner Russell T Davies, Pantheon of Discord, featuring Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor, Nicholas Briggs as the voice of The Vlinx and Jinkx Monsoon as the god of music, Maestro. Mrs Flood, played by Anita Dobson, makes a surprise guest appearance, and everything is wrapped up in spectacular lighting and special effects.

The concert showcases Murray Gold’s epic music, including his new themes for the Fifteenth Doctor and companion Ruby Sunday played by Millie Gibson. Alongside the new music, fan favourites such as I am the Doctor, written for Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor and A Good Man, which perfectly captured Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor also feature. There are also stunning performances of Abigail’s Song and Vale Decem featuring acclaimed Soprano Aida Garifullina, and composer Segun Akinola’s The Thirteenth Doctor written for Jodie Whittaker’s spin as the time-traveller.

No Doctor Who Prom would be complete without a special performance of the show’s iconic theme tune, heard in a new arrangement. Doctor Who makes its much-anticipated return to the Proms, the fourth time it’s delighted audiences as part of the eight-week festival of music.

BBC Two, Tuesday, Christmas Eve, 4.10pm

Written and directed by the show’s creators, Guy Jenkin and Andy Hamilton, the Brockmans are back with this festive offering following the chaos of the family in the downsized home of Pete and Sue Brockman, as they grapple with the challenges of parenting kids who are now adults, with their own lives to lead.

The stars of the original comedy series are returning for the special including Hugh Dennis as dad Pete, Claire Skinner as mum Sue, Tyger Drew-Honey as eldest son Jake, Daniel Roche as the middle child Ben, and Ramona Marquez as daughter, Karen.

In a moment of adversity, Sue and Pete gather all their offspring – including one grandchild – to try and celebrate a traditional family Christmas and share some unwelcome news with their children. But fate, neighbours, hyenas and bus replacement services get in their way.

BBC One, Thursday, Boxing Day, 9.40pm