The Lima News HolidayTV | What’sA on TV very EnglishNovember 25, 2018 1 holiday HolidayTV Courtesy of neal street productions 2017 Celebrate the holidays with beloved characters from British television as a variety of lavish Christmas specials make their way across the pond this season. Fan favorites such as “Call the Midwife,” “Doctor Who,” “Victoria,” “The Office” and “Downton Abbey” offer viewers stand-alone Christmas stories. 2 November 25, 2018 HolidayTV | British Holiday Specials The Lima News Happy Christmas from across the pond British holiday specials are gifts for all By Kyla Brewer the very beginning. TV Media PBS executive Beth Hoppe expressed appreciation for the popular series in an official TV fans are a lucky lot during release about the 2016 holiday the holidays. Watching festive special when it was scheduled to television specials and holiday- air on the network. themed episodes of beloved shows “The series has been praised is a time-honored tradition in for its compassionate and bold many households, and fans of approach to issues, including British TV are particularly fortu- stillbirth, mental health, abor- nate. tion, homosexuality, race and Across the pond, broadcasters disability,” Hoppe said of “Call the often gift viewers with lavish Midwife.” extended editions of their favor- When the show began, Vanessa ite programs, and many of them Redgrave (“Julia,” 1977) narrated Courtesy of BBC will make their way into North the story as nurse Jenny Lee American homes this season. On (Jessica Raine, “Line of Duty”) as Kylie Minogue and David Tennant as seen in “Doctor Who” this side of the Atlantic, broad- she worked alongside her fellow casters sometimes feature holiday midwives and the nuns of Non- audiences with the saga of the special on Christmas Day in 2015, themes in regular TV episodes, natus House, a nursing convent. aristocratic Crawley family and a bittersweet holiday treat for but British broadcasters have a Raine left the show after season their domestic servants at their viewers. Like so may other British propensity for producing longer, 3, but many of the core cast have Yorkshire country estate known specials, the Yuletide editions of stand-alone Christmas specials, remained. Jenny Agutter (“The as Downton Abbey. “Downton Abbey” feature stories which often air outside a series’ Avengers,” 2012), Judy Parfitt Oscar winner Julian Fellowes of romance, tragedy and scandal. regular run. Shows such as “Call (“Dolores Claiborne,” 1995), Helen (“Gosford Park,” 2001) created the Each one wraps up significant mo- the Midwife,” “Doctor Who,” “Vic- George (“Strictly Come Dancing”) program, which features a very ments in the Crawleys’ lives, from toria,” “Downton Abbey” and “The and Miranda Hart (“Miranda”) large cast of talented performers, the births of children to the deaths Office” have been highly praised also appear in the series. including Hugh Bonneville (“Pad- of loved ones. for their special holiday editions. Over the years, “Call the Mid- dington,” 2014) as Robert Crawley, Those hoping for a glimpse in- The U.K. film and television wife” Christmas specials have Earl of Grantham, and Elizabeth side a Royal Christmas may want industry has earned a reputation dealt with such topics as mental McGovern (“The Handmaid’s to look out for the holiday edition for superior period dramas, and illness, teenage pregnancy and Tale,” 1990) as his wife, Cora, the of “Victoria.” Created by Daisy “Call the Midwife” has a long- adoption. Fans will be happy to Countess of Grantham. Michelle Goodwin (“Jamie’s Kitchen”), the standing track record for top- know that another Christmas spe- Dockery (“Good Behavior”), Laura show is a fictional retelling of the notch Christmas specials. Inspired cial is in the works to premiere Carmichael (“Marcella”) and Jes- days of Queen Victoria, played by by the memoirs of British nurse before the new season begins in sica Brown Findlay (“Albatross,” Jenna Coleman (“Doctor Who”). Jennifer Worth, the show follows 2019. 2011) portray their daughters, On this side of the pond, the the lives of nurse midwives work- Perhaps the most popular pe- Mary, Edith and Sybil. program airs under PBS’s “Mas- ing in London’s poverty-stricken riod drama to emerge from Brit- The show chronicled their terpiece Theatre” banner, and it’s East End in the late 1950s and ish television lately is “Downton tumultuous lives from 1912 to 1925 earned considerable acclaim from early 1960s. The show premiered Abbey,” and it, too, has gifted fans over the course of its six-season North American audiences. in 2012 to widespread acclaim and with several Christmas-themed run, which included five Christmas has aired a stand-alone holiday specials. Since its premiere in specials. In fact, the final episode special between each season since 2010, the show has captivated of the series aired as a Christmas The Lima News HolidayTV | British Holiday Specials November 25, 2018 3 In the show’s two-hour Christmas special set in 1846, Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert (Tom Hughes, “The Game”), hopes to recreate the Christmastime joy of his youth. For her part, Victoria tries to make an African girl named Sarah (Zaris-Angel Hator, “Black Earth Rising”) feel welcome within the palace. Tensions are high between the Royal couple, but the holiday spirit has a habit of bringing people together. “Victoria” is expected to return to ITV in early 2019 with eight episodes set in 1848, a turbulent time for the monarch. Those hop- ing for another Christmas special may be out of luck, however. No plans for another holi- day edition have been announced, but at least fans can revel watching Coleman and Hughes in the 2017 special. Of course, the U.K. is known for much more than just period dramas, and so is Coleman. Fans of the iconic television series “Doctor Who” may remember the actress as Clara Oswald, who served as the companion of both the 11th and 12th incarnations of the alien time-traveler known as The Doctor. A Time Lord, The Doctor traverses the universe in the TARDIS, a time-traveling space ship that looks like a blue British police box. The quirky science fiction show first aired on the BBC from 1963 to 1989, and was revived in 2005. Over the years, 13 actors have taken on the coveted role of The Doctor, who regenerates when it’s time. Past Doctors include William Hartnell (“The Army Game”), Peter Davison (“Campion”), David Tennant (“Broadchurch”) and Peter Capaldi (“The Thick of It”). This year marked a big change for the series with its first female Doctor as Jodie Whittaker Hallie Woodhall, Tom Hughes and Jenna Coleman star in “Victoria” (“Black Mirror”) took the reigns from Capaldi in the 2017 Christmas special in front of nearly eight million viewers. Believe it or not, feature proper Christmas specials, the new pointed fans with a two-part Christmas special. “Doctor Who” Christmas specials have peaked “Doctor Who” has included a holiday treat The holiday program revisited the char- even higher in the ratings over the years. The every year since it was revived in 2005, and acters from the comedy, including Gervais top-rated Yule-themed “Doctor Who” special this year will be no different. At this year’s San as David Brent, who was once the general featured Tennant’s Doctor alongside Kylie Diego Comic-Con, showrunner Chris Chibnall manager of the branch of a paper company Minogue (“Neighbours”) as Astrid, a waitress confirmed that the new season would feature where the other characters worked. Martin on an intersteller replica of the Titanic who Whittaker’s Doctor in a Christmas special in Freeman (“Fargo”) appeared as witty Tim helps the hero prevent the space liner from addition to the 10 regular episodes. It remains Canterbury, the antithesis to kiss-up Gareth crashing into Earth. The program drew more to be seen whether Whittaker’s holiday offer- Keenan (Mackenzie Cook, “Game of Thrones”), than 13 million viewers when it aired on ing will entice as many diehard fans as past and Lucy Davis (“Wonder Woman,” 2017) por- Christmas Day in 2007. Christmas specials trayed office receptionist Dawn Tinsley. The Coleman’s first appearance as Clara is actu- In addition to sweeping dramas and legend- special wrapped up the agonizing will-they- ally in the Christmas special “The Snowmen,” ary science fiction, British television is known won’t-they storyline between Dawn and Tim which premiered on Christmas Day in 2012. for comedy, and one of the most memorable in a bow for fans of the series. In it, she enlists The Doctor’s help to stop an holiday specials of the modern television era Christmas specials run the gamut from entity known as the Great Intelligence from was the official finale of the BBC Two mocku- drama to science fiction, and even comedy, creating an army of ice people. Other holiday mentary “The Office.” After creators Ricky Ger- so there is truly something for everyone this editions have featured everything from robot vais (“Extras”) and Stephen Merchant (“Extras”) holiday season. Check local listings for a full Santas, alien spiders and wooden humanoids. announced they wouldn’t be writing another list of British Christmas programs to celebrate While the original run of the series didn’t season of the hit series, they appeased disap- the season. 4 November 25, 2018 HolidayTV | What’s on TV The Lima News Thursday, November 29 (USA) Movie “A Madea Christmas” (2013) Madea gets roped 4 p.m. (HALL) Movie “Christmas at Holly Lodge” (2017) So- into helping a friend surprise her daughter with a visit to phie inherits the Evergreen Inn and Ski Lodge and spends the country. every holiday there. Saturday, Dec. 1, on TBS 9:15 p.m.