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Christmas Special - Christmas

Boomers. Image shows from L to R: John (Russ Abbot), Maureen (Stephanie Beacham), Alan (Philip Jackson), Joyce (Alison Steadman), Carol (Paula Wilcox), Trevor (James Smith). Copyright: Hat Trick Productions
It's Christmas Eve, and the three couples have reached the Eurotunnel in Calais, returning from a long weekend visiting the Christmas markets in Cologne.

Preview clips

Further details

It's Christmas Eve, and the three couples have reached the Eurotunnel in Calais, returning from a long weekend visiting the Christmas markets in Cologne. Everyone is laden with gifts - a gingerbread house for the grandchildren, rude novelty Santas for the boys at the golf club and plenty of duty-free wine.

Disaster strikes when they realise they have read the departure times wrong on their tickets and have missed their train. There is only one more before the French strike for the holiday season, which would be fine, except Alan got his and Joyce's tickets on a voucher deal online and they are not flexible.

While they wait to see if they can switch tickets, John and Alan have their preconceptions about Germans challenged by striking up unlikely alliances in the departure hall. Meanwhile, Carol goes AWOL, and Joyce and Maureen have to track her down.

Broadcast details

Date
Wednesday 23rd December 2015
Time
9:30pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
30 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Wednesday 23rd December 2015 11:25pm BBC1 Wales
Tuesday 29th December 2015 11:40pm BBC1
Wednesday 30th December 2015 12:40am BBC1 Scot
Tuesday 5th December 2017 8:00pm Gold
Wednesday 6th December 2017 6:00pm Gold
Saturday 23rd December 2017 8:05am Gold
Sunday 24th December 2017 7:30am Gold
Thursday 6th December 2018 7:50am Gold
Thursday 6th December 2018 12:25pm Gold
Tuesday 11th December 2018 10:50pm Gold
Wednesday 12th December 2018 3:10am Gold
Monday 17th December 2018 11:00am Gold
Tuesday 18th December 2018 1:25am Gold
Saturday 22nd December 2018 7:20am Gold

Cast & crew

Cast
Alison Steadman Joyce
Philip Jackson Alan
Russ Abbot John
Stephanie Beacham Maureen
James Smith Trevor
Paula Wilcox Carol
Guest cast
Fiona Mollison German Maureen
Stephen Frost German John
Rob Jarvis Lorry Driver
Kate Bowes Renna Customs Officer
Mark Flitton Security Guard
Laila Alj Laure
Writing team
Richard Pinto Writer
Sarah Cartwright Script Editor
Oriane Messina Writer (Additional Material)
Fay Rusling Writer (Additional Material)
Production team
Adam Miller Director
Paul Schlesinger Producer
Jimmy Mulville Executive Producer
Gregor Sharp Executive Producer
Mark Williams Editor
Jonathan Paul Green Production Designer
Ian Masterson Composer

Videos

The Dangers Of Calais

Whilst Joyce is a little stuck, the ladies discuss the dangers of travelling through Calais.

Featuring: Alison Steadman (Joyce), Stephanie Beacham (Maureen) & Paula Wilcox (Carol).

Carol On The Run

The ladies are looking for Carol, who's had a funny turn and is seemingly on the run from Trevor and a boring Christmas.

Featuring: Alison Steadman (Joyce), Stephanie Beacham (Maureen) & Paula Wilcox (Carol).

Press

The wry sitcom about three couples entering their winter years returns with an episode set in Calais following a shopping trip to Cologne's Christmas markets. The French are about to go on strike, making it imperative to catch the train. Disaster hits, creating space for one-liners from The Big Book of Sitcom Jokes - a lorry driver on why one of the show's leads should drive away with him: "I've been to Norfolk, she's better off in Dresden" - and a good football-with-the-Germans-in-no-man's land gag.

Jonathan Wright, The Guardian, 23rd December 2015

Boomers, TV review

This "special" sitcom was farcical for farce's sake and unbearable to watch, says Amy Burns.

Amy Burns, The Independent, 23rd December 2015

Boomers Christmas Special, BBC One, review

Sometimes the point of Christmas telly is to bond with family. But sometimes the point of Christmas telly is to escape them. So surely the last thing anyone spending their festive break with middle-aged relatives wanted to watch was the Boomers Christmas Special (BBC One)?

Isabel Mohan, The Telegraph, 23rd December 2015

Radio Times review

If you enjoyed BBC Four's series about retired folk in Dorset, Close to the Edge, here's the sitcom equivalent. The idea is that three 60-something couples (including Alison Steadman as uptight Joyce) are striding into retirement, keeping creaking marriages afloat and leaning on old friendships - the working title was "Grey Mates".

We rejoin them at the Calais Eurotunnel terminal, returning from a trip to a Christmas market. There are surly asides about Germans, gingerbread and saucy Santa toys, while Alan (Philip Jackson) wrestles with a voice-recognition phone line: "Didn't understand me, wouldn't let me finish," he sighs. "It's the computerised ticket line version of Joyce."

David Butcher, Radio Times, 16th December 2015

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