Sometimes, a premise that doesn’t really interest me on paper can be made into something that I enjoy thanks to every element perfectly working in tandem. Mortimer and Whitehouse Gone Fishing is one such show, where comedians Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse go fishing across the UK (and in this special Christmas episode, Norway) and… Read more

Much like with Fargo, I had an embarrassment of options when it came to picking a Doctor Who Christmas favourite, especially given that the show has had several specialised Christmas specials. My pick lands with its fairly loose adaptation of ‘A Christmas Carol’, where showrunner Steven Moffat’s take on the Charles Dickens classic comes with… Read more

Because of the nature of Fargo‘s snowy setting, I knew I would have a few options for the holiday episode selection from this show, but Season 3’s ‘The Law of Inevitability’, while not my favourite of the season, is certainly the one with Christmas most at the forefront. The unhinged opening where David Thewlis’s V.M.… Read more

What is more important to a comedic performance than a ludicrously expressive face? Not much, as proven by the brilliant Kris Marshall (above) in his greatest role as eldest son Nick in My Family. Though Robert Lindsay and Zoe Wanamaker are great as the two leads of the show, most viewers will know if an… Read more

The Royle Family‘s greatest strength was always its almost eerily relatable presentation of the daily northern English household. It makes sense then that some of the most well-observed moments and exchanges come in its first – and best – Christmas special, where the entire family are all brought together, not that this particular family spend… Read more

The wait between the US and UK releases of The Bear‘s second season was excruciating. The final frame of the first season where Carmy smiles, seeing his deceased brother Michael as he and his colleagues finally have a moment of hope and bonding was embedded into my head for weeks afterwards. The wait became even… Read more