The Funny Side Of Christmas – 1982
The Funny Side Of Christmas was a one off BBC Christmas offering broadcast in 1982, presented by Frank Muir and featuring mini episodes/sketches of some popular BBC comedies, namely: Only Fools And Horses, Yes Minister, Last Of The Summer Wine, The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin and Open All Hours and Butterflies.
Summary And Details
The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin
It’s Christmas Day, and no sooner than Reggie has settled in to relax with his wife Elizabeth, they are inundated by entreating houseguests.
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Cast
Leonard Rossiter – Reginald Perrin
Pauline Yates – Elizabeth Perrin
Sue Nicholls – Joan Greengross
John Barron – CJ
Trevor Adams – Tony Webster
Bruce Bould – David Harris-Jones
John Horsley – Doc Morrissey
Geofrey Palmer – Jimmy Anderson
Michael Ripper – the tramp
The Les Dawson Show
A special sketch featuring Cissie and Ada
Details
Written By: David Nobbs
Only Fools And Horses – Christmas Trees
Despite knocking the price down to a mere £6, Del Boy cannot seem to sell his telescopic Christmas trees. He has only 149 more to sell to make a tidy profit.
Stuck for a solution, the Trotters head off to Sid’s burger van for something to eat. Del’s conscience seems to get the better of him, and he tells Rodney and Grandad what a shame it is that the market traders cannot afford to donate a tree to the local church this year, especially the little orphans.
Left to guard the trees, Rodney takes one to the church. The vicar quickly debunks Del’s story, and Rodney realises the tale was a scam to get an endorsement from the Church of England.
Cast
David Jason – Del Boy
Nicholas Lyndhurst – Rodney
Lennard Pearce – Grandad
Jim Pennington – Vicar
Roy Heather – Sid
Details
Produced and Directed By: Ray Butt
Last Of The Summer Wine
The terrible trio have decided to do something a little different for Christmas – not celebrate it. Foggy and Clegg are all set for a day like any other, but will Compo keep his side of the agreement ?
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Cast
Bill Owen – Compo
Peter Sallis – Clegg
Brian Wilde – Foggy
Details
Written By: Roy Clarke
Three Of A Kind
A special take on Christmas from the Three Of A Kind team
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Cast
Lenny Henry
Tracey Ullman
David Copperfield
Details
Written By: Various
Yes Minister
Parliament is about to break for Christmas and Sir Humphrey has something he wishes to say to The Minister in a way that only Sir Humphrey can.
Cast
Jim Hacker – Paul Eddington
Sir Humphrey Appleby – Nigel Hawthorne
Bernard Woolley – Derek Fowlds
Details
Written By: Anthony Jay and Jonathan Lynn
Open All Hours
On Christmas morning, Granville is looking forward to dinner at Nurse Gladys’s, but Arkwright is annoyed that her mother is still alive. Granville also reveals he is having tea later with the newly separated ‘Wavy Mavis’. In the typical closing thought, Arkwright bemoans the fact that Jesus was born on a Bank Holiday, resulting in him having to close the shop.
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Cast
Ronnie Barker
David Jason
Linda Barron
Details
Written By: Roy Clarke
Sorry
It’s Christmas in the Lumsden household and the Christmas lunch seems to be a struggle, even the birds are not interested. When Timothy has a suggestion for the never ending turkey he’s surprised that his Mother agrees. However no sooner has she agreed than there’s an unwelcome surprise.
Cast
Ronnie Corbett
Barbara Lott
William Moore
Details
Written By: Ian Davidson and Peter Vincent
Butterflies
Christmas dinner is over, and Ria’s sons are about to leave for a party. A desperate Leonard has been gazing at their house from his car. Later, he phones the house just as Ria and her husband Ben are kissing under the mistletoe.
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Cast
Wendy Craig
Nicholas Lyndhurst
Geoffrey Palmer
Andrew Hall
Bruce Montague
Michael Ripper
Details
Written By: Carla Lane
Smith and Jones
Hospital sketch with Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones.
Starring
Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones
Details
Written By: Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones
Channel: BBC1
The Funny Side Of Christmas was originally transmitted: 27th December 1982, with links presented By: Frank Muir