Quote: Robert D @ October 27 2009, 11:50 PM BSTSuch revulsion towards such a innocuous series.
That's not revulsion, Rob! 
It's well-intentioned mockery. 
My Family 2009 Christmas Special Page 2
Quote: My Family Online @ November 20 2009, 20:00 PM GMTA 2009 Christmas Special entitled "The Fight Before Christmas", written by Tom Anderson, will air on 24th December 2009 (time to be confirmed) and will be 30-minutes in length.
A 2009 New Years Special entitled "2039: A Christmas Oddity", written by David Cantor, will air on 31st December 2009 (time to be confirmed), and will be 30-minutes in length.
It should be noted that these two specials may be merged into one 60-minute special to be broadcast on 24th December under the title of "The Fight Before Christmas", but at present the information stated above is believed to be the current broadcast plan.
Latest news on the 2009 Christmas specials as reported by My Family Online.
Also, according to said site, there is going to be a new character in Series 10: a friend of Michael's called Scott Marsh.
That is correct. 
Quote: BBC Press Office @ November 23 2009, 7:03 PM GMTIt's December 2039 and the Harpers gather together to celebrate Christmas. Thirty years in the future, the family's appearance may have changed somewhat but their love/hate relationships are still very much alive.
Ben is in now in his eighties, a little slower than he used to be but still as grumpy as ever and causing grief for Susan – who, thanks to "a little moisturiser", hasn't aged a bit. To say that Janey has gained a little weight is an understatement, as she now weighs in at a whopping 20 stone. Michael, meanwhile, is doing a very bad job of hiding his baldness with an unconvincing wig and, following a disastrous trip to the zoo, Roger is now merely a head in a glass dome.
Susan is put out by the fact that grandson Kenzo, now 38 years old, hasn't come to visit the family for Christmas Day. Ben is quick to point out that the Harpers have had some of the worst Christmases ever, and the family are reminded of some of their Christmas disasters.
Two years stand out in particular – back when they were all a lot younger, and Janey was a lot lighter, the usual arguments over presents were exacerbated by Susan's fun, new game – the Greed Gift Exchange. But, when Kenzo finally arrives, he points out that the year Uncle Richard came to stay was just as traumatic for him.
Ben is played by Robert Lindsay, Susan by Zoë Wanamaker, Janey by Daniella Denby-Ashe, Michael by Gabriel Thomson, Roger by Keiron Self, older Kenzo by Pascal Langdale and Uncle Richard by Nathaniel Parker.
The official Christmas episode has been announced!
It sounds a bit odd, this special.
They're going to cram a lot into one half hour.
No, they're going to air the two specials as one like last year. One 60 minute special.
Quote: Robert D @ November 24 2009, 7:57 PM GMTNo, they're going to air the two specials as one like last year. One 60 minute special.
I thought last year's felt a bit knitted together.
It wasn't very good. The first episode was particularly woeful, but I think it picked up when the Nathanial Parker character turned up. And that woman from Not Going Out probably kept that show's fans happy (if they were watching instead of calling Careline).
The flashforward segments reminded me of the film Click. And not in a good way.
Yep, it wasn't very good... at all. 
I thought it started badly: using flashbacks to establish that they're remembering 'past' Christmases rather than just all action 'today' is fine, but they left it linger too long with the feeling that it was going to be another bloody clip show. But it picked up relatively well. I particularly enjoyed the food fight scene; lots of laughs there for me. Some good bits and pieces through the rest. Overall, a fair episode - not really that good, but certainly not 'bad'.
It had it moments I agree. The giant snowman was a laugh, as was the food and school play fights. They could have done better by dropping the 2039 nonsense and just airing it as a normal, 'present day' episode. Tonight's episode also confirmed to me that the character of Roger needs sorting... I don't know how but he wasn't needed at all.
Roger's never been that great a character though, really. As a simple foil to Ben he's adequate, but there's not much beyond that, I don't think.
Not good I'm afraid.
Even Mrs Bigfella said "It was a bit crap." and she really likes My Family.
The future stuff was awful. The present day stuff a little better and would agree the big snowman was the only laugh really.
As a script writer, I felt the "2039" stuff was only really there for the sake of introducing the flashbacks, and the 2039 stuff was rather weak anyway... in fact, didn't the flackbacks get more screentime than the "future" stuff?
I'll give it another go though, hope I enjoy it alot more next time...
As a viewer, the "2039" stuff could have worked but they were lazy with their ideas. The whole episode could have been so much better if it was given more "soul".