From chaotic to classic: Christmas specials worth the (re)watch

Everyone loves the Christmas Special – the seasonal spin-off of all your favourite shows. But with countless options out there, and some that feel more like money-making ploys, how do you choose your viewing wisely this December? Here’s my unapologetically personal list of the Christmas special episodes guaranteed to leave you feeling festive. You should watch them if you haven’t, and you should rewatch them if you have.   

Friends (S3E10), ‘The One Where Rachel Quits’  

‘The One With the Holiday Armadillo’ might be the sitcom’s best-known seasonal special, but let me explain why ‘The One Where Rachel Quits’ is an underappreciated Christmas classic.  

This episode is pure early Friends magic: the characters sport their best ‘90s hairstyles, and Rachel still works as a barista at Central Perk – until Joey and Chandler encourage her to quit her ‘temporary’ (now two-year) job. Following the stress of countless application letters and one incredibly disheartening job interview, the Friends pitch in to help. They lick letters, stick stamps, and encourage her to focus on what really matters: her dream of working in fashion.  

The spirit of the season – and of the show – shines through

Meanwhile, Phoebe urges Joey to quit his side-hustle lugging Christmas trees, horrified they’re being cut down to decorate New York homes. Even if the Friends don’t share Phoebe’s ethics, they support her and band together to save the old trees destined for the chipper, surprising her in a sweet final scene. 

Ross’s story, however, is by far the most memorable: after injuring a ‘Brown Bird’ selling cookies, he continues fundraising to win her the prize of a ticket to space camp. The bond he forms with the young girl is heart-warming, as is his, Chandler’s, and Joey’s DIY space camp: featuring a spinning tinfoil-covered ‘space chair’, a floating football moon, and alien sound effects. 

In many ways, Christmas is just a backdrop to this episode, but the spirit of the season – and of the show – shines through.  

Ted Lasso (S2E4), ‘Carol of the Bells’  

Standing alone from the rest of the show, very little plot development happens in ‘Carol of the Bells’. Rather, Christmas takes centre stage.  

It’s filled to the brim with feel-good festive cheer

The episode starts with the characters sharing their Christmas afternoon plans, which, like most best-laid plans, soon go awry. Keeley and Roy’s ‘Sexy Christmas’ is interrupted by Roy’s niece, who’s struggling with a mean classmate; Ted loses his son’s attention to a toy drone during his virtual Christmas; and, one by one, footballers arrive at Higgins’ quiet family dinner.  

But, in classic Ted Lasso style, they try to make the most of their derailed plans. Keeley and Roy go door-knocking to help Roy’s niece, and Ted’s lonely afternoon is interrupted by Rebecca outside his window – with a sack of presents and a plan. It’s a sweet moment and a reminder to turn up for your friends during the holidays, even when (especially when) they don’t ask you to.   

The most wholesome, lasting image is of Higgins’ crowded dinner table: the team’s Jollof rice, Mexican punch, foie gras, and French wine joining his roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings. As he quips, Christmas is about celebrating with “the family we’re born with, and the family we make along the way.”  

It’s not subtle, but it’s filled to the brim with feel-good festive cheer.   

Gavin and Stacey’s Christmas Special (2019)  

An honourable mention goes out to the 2024 Gavin and Stacey Christmas episode and finale, but the 2019 special will always steal my vote.   

This episode is packed with good fun

Following our favourite British couple and their families 10 years after they left our screens, it’s got all of our favourite formulas from the original seasons. From Smithy and Gavin’s juvenile banter to Pam’s micromanaging, to Bryn flapping about family organisation, there’s plenty of nostalgia to enjoy.  

But there’s also plenty new to keep us engaged. The characters have more grey hairs, Gavin and Stacey have three children, and Smithy is set to introduce his mysterious new girlfriend on Christmas Day. It’s entertaining to watch the couple navigate parenthood and mid-stage marriage (are new kitchen cupboards really an appropriate Christmas gift?), against a very modern backdrop – gone is the bridge toll to come into Wales, for one.  

Above all, this episode is packed with good fun. There’s the incredible karaoke rendition of ‘Fairytale of New York’, with Nessa channelling Shane MacGowan and Bryn’s best Kirsty MacColl impression; the final clues about the decades-long mystery of what really happened on that fishing trip; and, of course, that unforgettable ending. It isn’t often that a cliffhanger has my family, like many others, shouting at the screen in disbelief when the final credits rolled.   

An episode that achieves that deserves a spot among not only the best Christmas specials, but the best episodes of all time.   

With this viewing list, you’re ready to ‘step into Christmas’ – fluffy socks on, fairy lights twinkling, hot chocolate in hand.