7. My Family Ding Dong Merrily (BBC One, 2002)
Christmas is anything but merry for the Harpers as Janey returns home from university with a little surprise: shes pregnant. While Susan obsesses over the identity of the father, Ben has to cope with Nick filling the living room with Christmas trees that he doesnt plan to sell until next Christmas, and Susans turkey coated with chocolate and raisins makes vegetarianism a popular option. Although its frequently derided as cheap and unfunny and is a fixture on most lists of bad sitcoms, in its early years before Kris Marshall (Nick) left,
My Family was an excellent programme with some great situations and sharp dialogue. And this episode is one of the best. Christmas takes a bit of a backseat role as Janeys pregnancy becomes the most prominent plot point but that actually works quite well since it lets us see the more paternal side of the permanently cynical Ben as he does his best to stop Susan pressuring Janey about who the father is. It also includes a great guest role from
The Vicar Of Dibleys Trevor Peacock as Mr Bradley, a elderly man Nick invites over for Christmas who ends up stealing all of the furniture while the Harpers are at the pub. Overall, its just fun and undemanding viewing with a good mix of verbal, physical, and sight gags.
Best Moment: Ben discovering that Nick has filled the living room with Christmas trees and then pursuing him through the trees.