The 23rd day of the Meery Christmas Advent Calendar treats us to the dubious realm of the Christmas Special!

So, we’re settled on the sofa, ready to enjoy the classic Christmas Special of our favourite TV show, but will it be any good?!

The mileage of the Christmas Special can vary. Sometimes they extend the life of a given TV show, long after its original finale (Only Fools and Horses is a prime example of this). On other occasions they are a key component in a storyline, and sometimes provide a dramatic new beginning or conclusion to a show. Doctor Who has used Christmas Specials to introduce the latest incarnation of the Doctor, and also used them as a means of saying goodbye to the out-going version of the Time Lord. As such, Doctor Who’s Christmas Specials are often big, eagerly anticipated events.

Christmas TV isn’t just about one-off episodes of popular shows. It’s a time when soap operas take their usual insanity and ramp it up a notch. Christmas in Eastenders and Coronation Street (along with the others) is often filled with murder, and other drama, taking shows that I already cannot take seriously to a whole new level of crazy. I’m grateful that my wife has no interest in the soaps!

There are other forms of Christmas Specials. Now that my daughter is a teenager she is not interested in them, but the quaint little children’s books like Room on the Broom tend to air as short cartoons, and younger kids beam with delight as their favourite stories are brought to life. Sometimes quiz shows run charity specials around Christmas time, and entertainers sometimes put on festive editions of their shows.

Then there’s the TV movies, which I won’t go near!

In short, there’s plenty to watch around Christmas time. Whether it’s any good….