Horrible Histories. Image shows from L to R: Gemma Whelan, Ryan Sampson, Tom Stourton
Horrible Histories

Horrible Histories

  • TV sketch show
  • CBBC / BBC One
  • 2009 - 2024
  • 140 episodes (10 series)

Hit sketch show based on surprising facts from world history, inspired by the hit children's book series. Stars Jim Howick, Simon Farnaby, Ben Willbond, Mathew Baynton, Martha Howe-Douglas and more.

Episode menu

Horrible Christmas

Farting jesters, Christmas cards full of bacon, and having the festive meal confiscated by Oliver Cromwell... welcome to Christmas, Horrible Histories style.

Further details

Horrible Histories. Image shows from L to R: Martha Howe-Douglas, Mathew Baynton, Jim Howick, Ben Willbond. Copyright: Lion Television / Citrus Television

Christmas is a time for charity, hope, and goodwill to all men... or if it's the Horrible Histories Christmas Special it's a time for farting jesters, Christmas cards full of bacon, and having the festive meal confiscated by Oliver Cromwell.

This one-off Christmas Special dives headlong into showcasing bizarre Yuletide absurdities over the centuries with the programme's unique blend of sketches, pastiches and song.

Find out how William the Conqueror was crowned on Christmas Day 1066, but when the congregation cheered his soldiers thought it was a riot and burned down Westminster Abbey.

Gasp at the tale of King Henry II's famous medieval jester, Roland the Farter, the man whose sole job was to fart on Christmas Day.

And learn how Victorian Christmas cards could be really weird. Some included a slice of bacon, an extracted tooth, a luggage label or even a dead mouse.

Horrible Histories Christmas Special reveals all this and more in a foul festive treat - the smelliest, silliest, goriest stories about everyone's favourite time of year.

Broadcast details

Date
Friday 17th December 2010
Time
5pm
Channel
CBBC
Length
30 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Friday 24th December 2010 9:00am BBC1
Tuesday 20th December 2011 11:00am CBBC
Tuesday 20th December 2011 5:30pm CBBC
Saturday 24th December 2011 8:15am BBC2
Sunday 25th December 2011 7:35am CBBC
Sunday 25th December 2011 5:30pm CBBC
Friday 21st December 2012 4:30pm CBBC
Sunday 23rd December 2012 4:00pm BBC HD
Monday 24th December 2012 8:10am CBBC
Tuesday 25th December 2012 8:00am BBC2
Friday 13th December 2013 5:30pm CBBC
Sunday 15th December 2013 8:55am CBBC
Sunday 22nd December 2013 11:55am CBBC
Wednesday 25th December 2013 1:25pm CBBC
Thursday 11th December 2014 5:00pm CBBC
Thursday 18th December 2014 6:00pm CBBC
Wednesday 16th December 2015 4:30pm CBBC
Friday 25th December 2015 5:30pm CBBC
Saturday 26th December 2015 8:20am CBBC
Monday 12th December 2016 8:30pm CBBC
Thursday 15th December 2016 5:30pm CBBC
Sunday 25th December 2016 3:45pm CBBC
Sunday 25th December 2016 8:30pm CBBC
Wednesday 13th December 2017 4:30pm CBBC
Friday 15th December 2017 7:00pm CBBC
Saturday 16th December 2017 2:40pm CBBC
Sunday 17th December 2017 10:05am CBBC
Monday 25th December 2017 4:00pm CBBC
Tuesday 26th December 2017 7:10pm CBBC
Wednesday 19th December 2018 4:30pm CBBC
Friday 21st December 2018 7:00pm CBBC
Tuesday 25th December 2018 1:45pm CBBC
Wednesday 26th December 2018 1:25pm CBBC
Thursday 19th December 2019 7:00pm CBBC
Sunday 22nd December 2019 11:25am CBBC
Monday 23rd December 2019 6:35pm CBBC
Wednesday 25th December 2019 7:30pm CBBC
Thursday 26th December 2019 8:20pm CBBC
Friday 27th December 2019 4:55pm CBBC
Monday 7th December 2020 5:30pm CBBC
Monday 7th December 2020 7:30pm CBBC
Thursday 17th December 2020 9:00am CBBC
Thursday 17th December 2020 6:45pm CBBC
Tuesday 22nd December 2020 7:00pm CBBC
Thursday 24th December 2020 8:30pm CBBC
Friday 25th December 2020 6:10pm CBBC
Saturday 26th December 2020 8:45am CBBC
Wednesday 1st December 2021 10:00am CBBC
Friday 10th December 2021 8:30pm CBBC
Sunday 12th December 2021 1:30pm CBBC
Sunday 12th December 2021 6:00pm CBBC
Monday 13th December 2021 6:20pm CBBC
Thursday 16th December 2021 9:25am CBBC
Thursday 23rd December 2021 5:00pm CBBC
Saturday 25th December 2021 9:20am CBBC
Saturday 25th December 2021 5:00pm CBBC
Sunday 26th December 2021 9:05am CBBC
Friday 2nd December 2022 5:30pm CBBC
Tuesday 20th December 2022 6:00pm CBBC
Sunday 25th December 2022 11:40am CBBC
Friday 8th December 2023 10:30am CBBC
Wednesday 13th December 2023 6:00pm CBBC
Wednesday 20th December 2023 1:55pm CBBC
Sunday 24th December 2023 3:55pm CBBC

Cast & crew

Cast
Jim Howick Various
Simon Farnaby Various
Ben Willbond Various
Mathew Baynton Various
Martha Howe-Douglas Various
Laurence Rickard Various
Alice Lowe Ensemble Actor
Lawry Lewin Ensemble Actor
John Eccleston Rattus Rattus
Guest cast
David Baddiel Vincenzo Larfoff
Writing team
Lucy Clarke Writer
Laurence Rickard Writer
Gerard Foster Writer
Giles Pilbrow Writer
Jon Holmes Writer
Production team
Steve Connelly Director
Dominic Brigstocke Director
Chloe Thomas Director
Caroline Norris Series Producer
Giles Pilbrow Producer
Imogen Cooper Producer
Richard Bradley Executive Producer
Alison Gregory Executive Producer
Nigel Williams Editor
Mike Holliday Editor
Miranda Jones Production Designer
Richie Webb Composer

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