Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without the special edition of your favourtie comedy show to fill the gap between the staggeringly huge Christmas dinner and the Queen's speech, and Network have rolled 21 Christmas's into one with their latest DVD set of ITV comedy. With almost ten hours of classic, festive merriment featuring some of the channel's most memorable Christmas specials the whole family can relive the joys of Christmas past. Included in the set are:
| The Dustbinmen Christmas Special (1969) |
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| Christmas in the Refuse Depot "local"....the dustbinmen are celebrating. Not that there is much to celebrate this year. Knocking at doors and wishing compliments of the season in Beowulf Terrace, Gethsemane Street and Falstaff Gardens has yielded no more than: Two bars of scented soap, countless buckets of water, one Jewish diary for the year before last, five razor blades, a copy of War Cry…But the drama and true meaning of Christmas has a way of catching up on the Dustbinmen when they least expect it. |
| Please Sir! - Peace in our Time (1970) |
| As 5C break up for the last time they prepare to take life by the throat, the shirt, the vest or anything else they can lay their hands on. They will return - at Christmas for a special event. |
| On The Buses - Christmas Duty (1970) |
| Stan and Jack discover, much to their annoyance, that they have been lumbered with Christmas Day duty in the Depot, supervised by the Inspector. Say Stan: "I've heard of Christmas Day in the workplace, but this year it's Christmas Day in the Depot." |
| All This and Christmas, Too (1971) |
| A one-off festive situation comedy staring Sid James, Kenneth Connor, Joe Gladwin and Janet Webb. |
| Nearest & Dearest - Cindermellie (1972) |
| Eli invests the Christmas Club money collected at the Pickle factory in a local pantomime; the cast walk out and Nellie and Eli and company undertake to perforrn the show themselves. |
| Billy Liar - The Gift of the Magi (1973) |
| Christmas is approaching and Mr Fisher issues stern instructions to Billy that he is to spend his savings on Christmas presents for his family. But Billy is more tempted by a pair of yellow trousers he sees in a shop window on the way to work. On arrival, he has no money left and can't get a penny out of Mr Shadrack. Left wondering how he can get Christmas presents for his family and avoid a major row at home, a scheme is soon hatched, but whether it works or not is a different story entirely... |
| Two's Comany - A Loving Christmas (1976) |
| Dorothy and her butler Robert are planning to be away from each other this Christmas, but at home to someone special… |
| Stanley Baxter's Christmas Box (1976) |
| With Miriam Margolyes, Moray Watson, The Norman Maen Dancers and The Tony Mansell singers. Stanley Baxter's Christmas Box explodes to give us a seasonal send-up with all the trimmings. Among the gift-wrapped contents are the Cinderella characters invading the laconic Phillip Marlowe's office, a Kosher newscast, a tantalising glimpse of the Bruce Fosdyke show, a Christmas appeal on behalf of the Morally Inhibited, Noel Coward's view of the whole proceedings, Jacques Cousteau's view of the British at the seaside and Colonic Pictures 1940's musical extravaganza, Girl on the Cover. |
| The Rag Trade - the Christmas Rush (1977) |
| It may be Christmas but will the running conflict between Harold and Paddy at Fenner Fashions put a damper on the Christmas spirit? Starring Peter Jones, Miriam Karlin and Chritopher Beeny. |
| Bless Me Father - The Season of Good Will (1979) |
| Father Duddleswell is consumed with the Christmas spirit. As housekeeper Mrs Pring comments: "When he's bad he's hard enough to live with, but when he's good he's awful." |
| The Army Game - Bootserella (1960) |
| The Army Game cast do a special Christmas panto. |
| George and The Dragon - Merry Christmas (1966) |
| George and Gabrielle have ideas about Christmas but things don¹t go to plan. |
| You'e Only young Twice - Christmas at Paradise Lodge (1979) |
| Preparations for the festive season do not run smoothly at Paradise Lodge, home for retired gentlefolk, despite all Flora's efforts..... |
| My Husband and I - No Place Like Home (1987) |
| Nora Powers (Mollie Sugden) and her husband George (William Moore) are all set to pack their bags for sunny Spain in a 30-minute Christmas Special "No Place Like Home". |
| Only When I Laugh - Christmas Special(1981) |
| A special Christmas edition of the popular hospital sitcom starring James Bolam, Peter Bowles and Christopher Strauli. |
| That's My Boy - Cold Turkey (1983) |
| Starring Mollie Sugden and Christopher Blake . Ida's looking forward to a nice quiet Christmas with Robert and Angie. It's a shame that Robert isn't - 'Christmas Day is like any other day'. Her mood soon changes though when Robert announces that he has invited his boss to Christmas dinner. Then a christmas card arrives from Robert's adopted mum saying that she'll be coming down on Christmas Day. Could it get any worse for Ida? |
| Hallelujah - A Goose for Mrs Scratchit (1984) |
| Captain Ridley (Thora Hird) attempts to explain to a group of children what Christmas used to be like. She tells them the story of Ebenezer Dickinson, a mean old man whose only enjoyment in life is money and making other peoples lives misery. The final straw comes when he sacks Mr Scratchett on Christmas Eve, meaning the Scratchett family can't afford a goose for Christmas dinner. In the night Ebenezer receives a visit from a ghost who shows him what it will be like when he dies. But does Ebenezer care? |
| Duty Free - A Duty Free Christmas (1986) |
| In spite of her initial protests, David manages to persuade Amy to spend a Christmas holiday in Spain. By an extraordinary stroke of coincidence Linda and Robert have also booked in the same hotel. David continues his amorous pursuit of Linda with hilarious results. |
| You're Only Young Twice - Twas the Night Before Christmas (1980) |
| Paradise Lodge is 'a superior residence for retired gentlefolk.' However life is far from gentle under the supreme reign of resident Flora Petty, who is not above scheming to get her own way. Her sidekick Cissie Lupin is a more timid creature, the proverbial underdog - but she has a surprising knack of coming out on top! |
| Home To Roost - Family Ties (1987) |
| There's a full menu of seasonal farce in store for the special Christmas edition of ' Home to Roost'. Henry is planning an intimate Yuletide break for two with his girlfriend Cynthia at a posh hotel. But then all of his children arrive unexpectedly on the doorstep wanting Christmas to be a real family affair... |
| Watching - Seasoning (1987) |
| Brenda, Pamela and Malcolm set out to get a Christmas tree. Malcolm is invited to spend Christmas at the flat with Brenda, but Mrs Stoneway insists he spends it at home. Malcolm and Brenda decide to have a pretend Christmas day at the flat and have just exchanged presents when they are unexpectedly joined by Pamela. |
The Classic ITV Christmas Comedy is already available with an RRP of £24.99 and a total running time of 580 minutes, but if you don't want to dig into your hard earned cash, Network have given me two copies of this 4 discs set to give away. All I need to know for you to be in with a chance of winning is the answer to the following question.
Mollie Sugden is the two shows included in the set, That's My Boy and My Husband and I, but she also appeared in a BBC space sitcom from Croft and Lloyd - what was it called?
Answers should be sent here with ITV CHRISTMAS in the header. Note that if this is missing the enrty will be lost to the spam filters. The competition closes on the 18th December (so I can hopefully get the prizes out before Christmas) and no correspondance will be entered into. There is no cash alternative and multiple entries will be disqualified. The judges decision is final.