The Funny Side of Christmas

1982 British TV series or programme The Funny Side of ChristmasWritten by Roy Clarke Ian Davidson David Dixon Antony Jay Carla Lane Jonathan Lynn Chris Miller Helen Murry David Nobbs Mike Radford Terry Ravenscroft Griff Rhys Jones Jamie Rix Bob Sinfield Mel Smith John Sullivan Peter Vincent Nick Wilton Directed byRobin Nash(presentation segments)Presented byFrank MuirCountry of originUnited KingdomOriginal languageEnglishProductionProducerRobin NashRunning time80 minutesOriginal releaseNetworkBBC1Release27 December 1982 (1982-12-27)RelatedSee text The Funny Side of Christmas is a Christmas special broadcast by BBC1 on 27 December 1982. Presented by Frank Muir, it comprised one comedy sketch each from 10 contemporaneous BBC comedy series: Butterflies, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, Last of the Summer Wine, The Les Dawson Show, Only Fools and Horses, Open All Hours, Smith and Jones, Sorry!, Three of a Kind, and Yes Minister.

[edit] The sketches below are listed in the order in which they appear in the programme.

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin[edit] It's Christmas Day, and no sooner than Reggie has settled in to relax with his wife Elizabeth, they are inundated by entreating houseguests. Written by David Nobbs. Cast: Leonard Rossiter as Reggie Perrin, Pauline Yates as Elizabeth Perrin, Sue Nicholls as Joan Greengross, John Barron as CJ, Trevor Adams as Tony Webster, Bruce Bould as David Harris-Jones, John Horsley as Doc Morrissey, Geoffrey Palmer as Jimmy Anderson, and Michael Ripper as the tramp.

The Les Dawson Show[edit] Cast: Les Dawson and Roy Barraclough as Cissie and Ada. Directed by Ernest Maxin; produced by Robin Nash.

Yes Minister[edit] Humphrey wishes the Minister a happy Christmas in civil servant style. Written by Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay; directed by Sydney Lotterby. Cast: Nigel Hawthorne as Sir Humphrey Appleby, Paul Eddington as Jim Hacker, and Derek Fowlds as Bernard Woolley

Only Fools and Horses[edit] Del Boy hawks his wares to passers-by in the "Christmas Trees" sketch. "Christmas Trees" is the title of this vignette, in which Del Boy is determined to sell 149 telescopic Christmas trees. Maybe an endorsement from the Church of England would help? "Christmas Trees" was written by John Sullivan, and directed and produced by Ray Butt. Cast: David Jason as Derek Trotter, Nicholas Lyndhurst as Rodney Trotter, Lennard Pearce as Grandad Trotter, John Pennington as the vicar, and Roy Heather as Sid

Three of a Kind[edit] Cast: Tracey Ullman, Lenny Henry, and David Copperfield

Last of the Summer Wine[edit] Norman, Foggy, and Compo get together on Christmas Day, but Norman is determined to keep Christmas at bay. Written by Roy Clarke; directed by Alan J. W. Bell. Cast: Peter Sallis as Norman Clegg, Brian Wilde as Foggy, and Bill Owen as Compo

Sorry![edit] Written by Ian Davidson and Peter Vincent; directed by David Askey. Cast: Ronnie Corbett as Timothy, Barbara Lott as Mother, and William Moore as Father

Butterflies[edit] 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. Written by Carla Lane. Cast: Wendy Craig as Ria, Geoffrey Palmer as Ben, Andrew Hall as Russell, Nicholas Lyndhurst as Adam, Bruce Montague as Leonard, and as Michael Ripper as Thomas

[edit] While the film has not been released as a stand alone film on DVD, a few of the comedy sketches have been released as bonus features on a few DVDs. The comedy sketch of The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin is included on a Region 2 DVD release of The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin: Complete Box Set. The comedy sketch of Last of the Summer Wine is included on the Region 1 DVD release of Last of the Summer Wine - Vintage 1995.

The special is a time capsule of British sitcoms at the height of their popularity. By stitching together a single sketch from ten different series, it gave viewers a rapid‑fire tour of the comedy landscape – from the gentle absurdity of "Last of the Summer Wine" to the razor‑sharp politicking of "Yes Minister". For fans of any of those shows, the programme feels like a nostalgic mixtape, reminding us how the BBC used Christmas slots to showcase its strongest writing talent and to keep audiences glued to the channel during the holiday lull.

Although the original broadcast aired on BBC1 in December 1982, the sketch collection is now most easily found on the BBC iPlayer archive or via classic TV DVD anthologies. Set aside an hour, pop a cuppa, and watch each sketch in succession – the rapid change of tone keeps the experience fresh. If you’re introducing younger relatives to British comedy, pause after each segment to explain the show's premise; the contrast between the slapstick of "The Les Dawson Show" and the political satire of "Yes Minister" makes for great conversation about how humour reflects societal concerns.

Christmas TV in the UK has long been a blend of the sentimental and the rib‑tickling. "The Funny Side of Christmas" embodies the latter, offering a communal laugh without the sentimentality that can make holiday viewing feel heavy. Its format – a quick carousel of familiar characters – mirrors today’s streaming playlists, making it surprisingly modern. Re‑watching it during the festive season reminds us that humour, especially when it draws from shared cultural touchstones, is a key ingredient in keeping the holidays lively and inclusive.