Father Ted: A Christmassy Ted

Father Ted: A Christmassy Ted (1996) — why this festive episode or special deserves a place in a Christmas television marathon.

The priests' lingerie-department escape alone would earn this a place in Christmas television history.

Year

1996

Best for

Irish/British sitcom Christmas

Why watch it at Christmas?

The best seasonal television does more than hang tinsel on an ordinary episode. It uses Christmas pressure—family, expectation, loneliness, food, gifts or forced togetherness—to make the characters more themselves than usual.

Christmas-night verdict

This one earns a place in the annual rotation. Pair it with one or two other short specials rather than letting an algorithm choose the entire evening.

Filed under: Christmas TV · Irish/British sitcom Christmas · 1996