The Goes Wrong Show
- TV sitcom
- BBC One
- 2019 - 2021
- 12 episodes (2 series)
BBC One comedy series starring the original founding Mischief Theatre members. Stars Henry Shields, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Nancy Zamit, Charlie Russell and more.
Episode menu
Series 1, Episode 1 - The Spirit Of Christmas
Further details
A joyful Christmas tale, as The Cornley Drama Society present the story of Santa and his elves trying to bring festive happiness to a sad little girl and her constantly-fighting parents.
Can the magical toy machine restore her Christmas cheer? Or perhaps Mr Snowman and his enchanting dance will raise her spirits? We'll never know, as an already surly Santa indulges in too much Christmas sherry and contrives to ruin everything. Crackers explode, an elf is trapped in a confined space for the duration of the show, and the toy machine attempts to eat the snowman alive. Also, there are songs, and these don't go well.
Broadcast details
- Date
- Monday 23rd December 2019
- Time
- 7:30pm
- Channel
- BBC One
- Length
- 30 minutes
Cast & crew
| Henry Shields | Chris |
| Henry Lewis | Robert |
| Jonathan Sayer | Dennis |
| Nancy Zamit | Annie |
| Charlie Russell | Sandra |
| Dave Hearn | Max |
| Bryony Corrigan | Vanessa |
| Greg Tannahill | Jonathan |
| Chris Leask | Trevor |
| Ava Clancy | Daniella |
| Lila Newby | Grace |
| Silas Zaw | Kevin |
| Will Oldfield | Bobby |
| Tommy Blaize | Singer |
| Henry Lewis | Writer |
| Jonathan Sayer | Writer |
| Henry Shields | Writer |
| Martin Dennis | Director |
| Jim Poyser | Producer |
| Hilary Strong | Executive Producer |
| Kenton Allen | Executive Producer |
| Kenny Wax | Executive Producer |
| Saurabh Kakkar | Executive Producer |
| Matthew Justice | Executive Producer |
| Adrian Pegg | Line Producer |
| Mark Lawrence | Editor |
| Dennis De Groot | Production Designer |
| Roberto Surace | Costume Designer |
| Carli Mather | Make-up Designer |
| Martin Kempton | Lighting Designer |
| Steve Brown | Composer |
| Adele Firth | Make-up Designer |
| Kate Daughton | Commissioning Editor |
Video
The Christmas show that went wrong
The Christmas play isn't entirely going to plan...
Featuring: Henry Lewis (Robert), Henry Shields (Chris), Charlie Russell (Sandra), Bryony Corrigan (Vanessa), Greg Tannahill (Jonathan) & Chris Leask (Trevor).
Press
Thank goodness for the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society and The Goes Wrong Show (BBC1) for their genuinely original take on festive comedy.
In 2016, they staged their catastrophic pantomime Peter Pan, in which several of the cast were maimed and others were not so lucky.
The following year they upped the stakes, roping in venerable luvvies Derek Jacobi and Diana Rigg for a Christmas Carol that ended in arson, shootings and carnage.
Now they return for a series of six half-hours, and wisely avoid the temptation to stage even bigger calamities.
Let's face it, unless you have got an ocean liner and an iceberg handy, there is a limit to how spectacular disasters can be.
Instead, they increased the pace of the comedy, hurling jokes by the sackful at the live audience. Some delivered explosive laughs, other went with a more modest 'pop', but there was fun for any age.
From the moment the first Christmas stocking fell into a fireplace and a stagehand rushed on with an extinguisher, the pace did not let up.
My favourite was the drunken Santa, railing against Amazon for stealing his business: 'They have drones now . . . tiny dystopian sleighs.' Ho ho ho indeed.
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail, 24th December 2019The canned laughter comes thick and fast in this six-part series from the founders of the Mischief Theatre Company (the makers of Peter Pan Goes Wrong, The Play That Goes Wrong, Magic Goes Wrong - you get the idea). Here, the team unleashes its planned chaos on a Christmas tale of a drunken Santa and his elves trying to restore some festive cheer to a girl beset by her arguing parents. Of course, disaster ensues. Saccharine family fun for the Mrs Brown's Boys fans.
Ammar Kalia, The Guardian, 23rd December 2019The Goes Wrong Show - The Spirit of Christmas review
Mischief Theatre kick off their new BBC series with a disaster-filled Christmas cracker.
Huw Fullerton, Radio Times, 23rd December 2019Review: The Goes Wrong Show
With two shows running in London and now this TV series, which kicks off with a festive instalment tonight, the Mischief Theatre Company behind the Goes Wrong franchise have proved the enduring success of slapstick.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 23rd December 2019The Goes Wrong Show review
This Christmas special from the team behind The Play That Goes Wrong is brimming with bedlam, from awful-on-purpose props to a sozzled Santa.
Tim Dowling, The Guardian, 23rd December 2019The Goes Wrong Show: The Spirit of Christmas, review
With a dreadful script and OTT performances, it really did go wrong.
Rupert Hawksley, i Newspaper, 23rd December 2019The Goes Wrong Show, review: funnier than Mrs Brown
"Typical BBC audience," snarled drunken Father Christmas straight down the camera in The Goes Wrong Show (BBC One). "Sitting around with nothing better to do than write in and complain." Steady on, Santa. You'll get put on your own naughty list.
Michael Hogan, The Telegraph, 23rd December 2019The Goes Wrong Show: When TV festive frolics go awry
The phenomenally successful franchise that began with The Play That Goes Wrong seven years ago in a small north London pub is coming to a living room near you.
Emma Saunders, BBC, 20th December 2019