Our take
A Christmas Day special that leans hard on the formula: another dangerous Christmas tree, carol singers and a family row over an old flame. Radio Times found it ramshackle but endearing, and that is about right. The cameo from Noddy Holder is the treat for anyone who grew up on Merry Xmas Everybody. Expect the usual corpsing and fourth-wall nudges, plus a decent quota of slapstick around the tree.
What happens
Agnes Brown is determined to have a safe and peaceful Christmas at home this year. It does not go to plan. Mark and Betty are rowing over the reappearance of his first love, Bubbles, carol singers plague Agnes, and Buster installs yet another new Christmas tree, this one with a very unusual feature that Radio Times called preposterous and life-threatening. Agnes is also preoccupied with Winnie's bucket list and with the family's plan to ship Winnie off to Canada. Along the way there are visual gags, a trumping Grandad and a swearing vicar, and Slade's Noddy Holder turns up in a brief cameo as himself.
Can the kids watch it?
Rated 15 by the BBFC for strong language; the swearing and near-the-knuckle innuendo run all the way through, so it is for 15 and over, not a family watch.
Cast and crew
Starring
- Brendan O'Carroll as Agnes Brown
- Jennifer Gibney as Cathy Brown
- Eilish O'Carroll as Winnie McGoogan
- Danny O'Carroll as Buster Brady
- Rory Cowan as Rory Brown
Guest stars
- Gary Hollywood as Dino Doyle
- Amanda Woods as Betty Brown
- Ciara O'Callaghan as Bubbles McCarthy
- Jamie O'Carroll as Bono Brown
- Noddy Holder as Himself
Writer
- Brendan O'Carroll
Director
- Ben Kellett