Christmas Special - It's A Don-Derful Life
Further details
It's December in the Danbury household but there's nothing festive about Don's state of mind: the house is freezing because the boiler keeps breaking down; the toilet doesn't work; Mrs Treacher's losing the plot (and control of her bowels); Don's got a dead end job in a shoe shop and his friendship with Sam is no closer to becoming the romance he yearns for.
Things suddenly take a turn for the better when he receives news he has finally paid off his gran's debts and is free to sell the house. However, rather than winning Sam's heart it only drives them further apart as he impulsively sells to a property developer who plans to knock it down and Eddie has to put Treacher into an old people's home.
Just when Don thinks things couldn't get worse a rival man secures an invite to spend Christmas with Sam and her mum. Contemplating another lonely festive season by himself, without the woman he loves, Don manages to persuade Eddie and Treacher to help him film a music video for a song he has specially written for Sam and drop it off at her Mum's.
And along the way he encounters a lusty dwarf; a violent Santa and an OAP orgy all rounded off with an epic musical finale.
Which makes for a nailbiting and feelgood climax to three series of Don's attempts to grow up and find love.
Broadcast details
- Date
- Thursday 22nd December 2011
- Time
- 9pm
- Channel
- BBC Three
- Length
- 60 minutes
Repeats
Cast & crew
| Regular cast | |
|---|---|
| Dan Clark | Don Danbury |
| David Armand | Eddie |
| Sinead Moynihan | Abby Jones |
| Leila Hoffman | Mrs Treacher |
| Laura Haddock | Samantha |
| Daniel Lawrence Taylor | Jason |
| Guest cast | |
|---|---|
| Alex Carter | Blake (Shoe Shop Manager) |
| Julia Davis | Anne Yeaman |
| Laura Fedorowycz | Louise (Don's One-night Stand) |
| Oliver Maltman | Derek Yeaman |
| Tom Meeten | Graham Length (Property Developer) |
| Fiona Mollison | Sam's Mum |
| Joanna Neary (as Jo Neary) | Care Worker |
| Sharon Young | Actor |
| Writing team | |
|---|---|
| Dan Clark | Writer |
| Drew Pearce | Script Editor |
| Production team | |
|---|---|
| Sam Leifer | Director |
| Gary Reich | Producer |
| Dan Clark | Producer |
| Kristian Smith | Executive Producer |
| Andy Linton | Editor |
| Iain McDonald | Production Designer |
| Ben Parker | Composer |
Video
Christmas Special - Trailer
It's Christmas time in the Danbury household and Don is finally starting to grow up. A trailer for the final special of How Not To Live Your Life.
Featuring: Dan Clark (Don Danbury), David Armand (Eddie), Leila Hoffman (Mrs Treacher), Laura Haddock (Samantha), Daniel Lawrence Taylor (Jason).
Supporters and subscribers get more
Additional content and tools are available across the site for Supporters and BCG Pro subscribers. On this page you can:
- Broadcast details of 3 past repeats of this episode
Already a donor or Pro user? Sign in