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.

The 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.

The Goes Wrong Show - The Spirit of Christmas review

Mischief Theatre kick off their new BBC series with a disaster-filled Christmas cracker.

Review: 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.

The 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.

The Goes Wrong Show: The Spirit of Christmas, review

With a dreadful script and OTT performances, it really did go wrong.

The 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.

The 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.