Our take
An hour-long special that plays like two great episodes stacked together: dueling office parties on one side, a disastrous lunch-hour rebound on the other. Harold Ramis directs with a light touch and the ensemble is at its peak. Michael's behaviour with his dates has dated badly, and the BBFC noticed, but the karaoke ending still lands and the whole hour moves at a terrific clip.
What happens
On the day of the Christmas party, Carol breaks up with Michael after he sends out her family Christmas card with his own face pasted over her ex-husband's in a ski-trip photo. Back at the office, Angela throws Karen off the Party Planning Committee, so Pam and Karen set up a rival committee and a rival party, leaving the office with two Christmas celebrations competing for guests. To lift Michael's spirits, Andy takes him and some of the men out to lunch at Benihana, where Michael and Andy pick up two waitresses and bring them back to the office as their dates. Meanwhile the two parties fight for the staff, until they finally merge into one and the evening ends with everyone at karaoke, Angela included.
Can the kids watch it?
Rated 12 on the UK DVD (one half for moderate sex references, the other PG for mild racist attitudes); better for teenagers than younger children.