Our take
The first Christmas episode of the American version sets the template for every party that follows: a gift exchange, a boss who cannot leave it alone, and a quiet romance in the corner. Michael's Yankee Swap is the comic engine, but the teapot and the note Jim keeps to himself are what people remember, and the episode is short, sharp and still very watchable.
What happens
It is the day of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton Christmas party, and the staff have drawn names for a Secret Santa. Michael, who has spent far more than the agreed limit on an iPod for Ryan, is disappointed by the hand-knitted mittens Phyllis made him, so he scraps the Secret Santa and turns the exchange into a Yankee Swap, where presents can be stolen. The office scrambles for the most valuable gift and feelings are hurt all round. Jim had bought Pam a teapot with a card tucked inside, but in the confusion of the swap he quietly takes the card back before she can read it. With the mood at rock bottom, Michael tries to rescue the afternoon by buying a stack of vodka, against company rules, and the party lurches back to life. Along the way Phyllis's new boyfriend, Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration across the hall, makes his first appearance.
Can the kids watch it?
Rated PG on the UK DVD for mild language and implied nudity; fine for most children of about ten and up, though much of the humour is workplace awkwardness that goes over younger heads.