Best Christmas Episode Ever

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the 2008 special is probably one of if not the best Christmas specials, nay best episodes of British TV ever made.

It is the pinnacle of an already great show, taking all the best best pieces of it and creating an hour of perfect tv. It’s an episode that couldn’t exist without the previous 13 episodes but exists as a perfect story in its own right.

The extra length works so much better, letting all the gags and emotional beats have time to breathe. This is a series that nails the quirks and foibles of real families and the Christmas special manages to perfectly capture the season in all its humorous reality.

Every character is on note perfect form, every gag big or small a winner. Not just that but the whole familiarity with these characters makes this a warm hug of a special culminating in genuine moments of heartfelt pathos that prove that James Cordon was actually good once.

It’s a nailed on Christmas classic but also the perfect example of how, when TV is given the chance to develop, it can be all the more rewarding.