Friday 03 / May / 2024
'Tis the season to be jolly, and for this very special Christmas edition of Hi Magazine, we’ve got four great shows to curl up and watch as you get yourself into the holiday spirt with hot chocolate, gingerbread cookies, and candy canes. Even if you aren’t celebrating the winter holidays, these special episodes are classics in their own rights and are sure to entertain.
Merry Christmas, Mr Bean
Few comics have captured the minds of adults and children alike in the manner that Mr Bean has. A creation of award-winning British actor Rowan Atkinson, the lead in the Johnny English series films, and the man who voiced Zazu in Disney’s The Lion King, Mr Bean has been described as a child in a man’s body. Going about having a memorable Christmas in typical Mr Bean-style, it isn’t long before our character bumbles his way into a series of comedic kerfuffles, from stealing a shopping mall Christmas tree to winning a turkey to buying a gift for his teddy bear before spoiling his Christmas dinner.
One of 17 hilarious episodes, Merry Christmas, Mr Bean is one that will have the entire family in stitches.
Genre: Comedy
IMDB Rating: 9/10
Where to Download: Youtube.com
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Blackadder’s Christmas Carol
A modern-day twist on the Charles Dickens children’s classic, British acting legend Rowan Atkinson plays Ebenezer Blackadder, a naive, optimistic do-gooder, until the ghost of Christmas past accidentally drops in on him, having mistaken him for someone else he should be haunting. The ghost shows him the Blackadder ancestors, who were all rude men, but fabulously wealthy and street smart, and Ebenezer wakes up a different man.
The first person to see this new man? Her Majesty, The Queen, who was about to award him £50,000 and the title of Baron Blackadder for being the nicest man in all of England. With all the favourites from the original Blackadder series, including Tony Robinson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Tim McInnerny, Blackadder’s Christmas Carol is a brilliant reimagining of this classic Christmas story.
Genre: Fiction/Comedy
IMDB Rating: 8/10
Where to Download: Netflix, Youtube.com
Top Gear Specials
From Myanmar to Munich, New Delhi to the North Pole, Japan to Jerusalem, there are few places in the world Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond have not traversed as they go in search of adrenaline and adventure in their cars. Top Gear Specials traditionally aired every Christmas and featured the famed trio taking on a number of daredevil challenges abroad, from crossing the Kalahari Desert in second-hand cars, to braving the exclusion zone around Chernobyl in the Ukraine. The terrific trio are always on the lookout for their next destiny with danger, especially for their holiday special episodes.
Although they may have now moved on to bigger and better things, the holiday season is a great time to reminisce and join Clarkson, Hammond, and May on their crazy adventures.
Genre: Motoring
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
Where to Download: Netflix
Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire
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In the very first of what has now become a hallowed television tradition, Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire set the tone for the show’s wildly popular, annual holiday episode. With Homer having spent all of the family’s Christmas gift money on getting Bart’s tattoo removed, he decides to make a few quick bucks by going to the dog track and betting on a competitor with a particularly festive name.
A truly heart-warming episode, complete with the perfect Christmas miracle, the first ever Simpsons’ Christmas Special truly delivers and is well worth watching over and over and over again.
Genre: Anime/Comedy
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
Where to download: Netflix
What is your favourite show’s holiday special? Comment on this story on Hi Weekly’s Facebook page for a chance to win a Times of Oman mug (which is perfect for hot cider).
