Our Friend Victoria
- TV documentary
- BBC One
- 2017
- 7 episodes (1 series)
A series dedicated to the body of work from Victoria Wood. Also features Julie Walters, Richard E. Grant, Michael Ball, Maxine Peake, Daniel Rigby and more.
Episode menu
Christmas Special - Our Friend Victoria At Christmas
Further details
This extended episode of Our Friend Victoria, which celebrates Victoria Wood's huge back-catalogue, looks at all things festive!
This episode is hosted by one of Victoria's long-term collaborators, Anne Reid. Victoria had a huge impact on Anne's career, taking her from serious drama to comedy - Anne reveals how she spotted her knack for comedy and for that she is eternally grateful.
Anne has known Victoria since the late 70s when her late husband, Peter Eckersley, spotted Victoria performing in her self-written play Talent at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre. He asked her to recreate it for television - this was Victoria's big break and from there she never looked back.
The episode kicks off with some classic stand-up from Victoria perfectly summing up the downsides of Christmas - over spending, over indulgence and all too tiring. But Victoria's close friends, including Julie Walters and Daniel Rigby reveal how the opposite was in fact true. Their best friend absolutely adored Christmas!
Also in this episode, Victoria's friends - including memories from Celia Imrie, Richard E. Grant and Reece Shearsmith - look back at their favourite sketches chosen from all of her Christmas episodes.
As ever the show finishes with a song. Ted Robbins and sister Kate, reminisce about the huge production values and time taken to pull off this particular Christmas musical spectacular. While former Shadow Home Secretary, Ann Widdecombe, recalls the conversations she had with Victoria prior to production of this spoof show stopper entitled, Ann Widdecombe. She also reveals her thoughts on watching it for the first time.
Broadcast details
- Date
- Saturday 23rd December 2017
- Time
- 9:30pm
- Channel
- BBC One
- Length
- 40 minutes
Cast & crew
| Thelma Barlow | Self |
| Celia Imrie | Self |
| Ted Robbins | Self |
| Shobna Gulati | Self |
| Victoria Wood | Self (Archive Material) |
| Anne Reid | Host / Presenter |
| Kate Robbins | Self |
| Andrew Dunn | Self |
| Michael Ball | Self |
| Julie Walters | Self |
| Richard E. Grant | Self |
| Steve Pemberton | Self |
| Mark Gatiss | Self |
| Reece Shearsmith | Self |
| Ann Widdecombe | Self |
| Jo Brand | Self |
| Richard Dean | Series Director |
| Richard Dean | Series Producer |
| Jessika Barcynski | Producer |
| Lucy Ansbro | Executive Producer |
| Lindsay Jex | Executive Producer |
| Ian Wilson | Editor |
| Victoria Wood | Composer |
| Rachel Ashdown | Commissioning Editor |
Video
Ann Widdecombe on The Ann Widdecombe Song
Ann Widdecombe recalls when Victoria Wood rang her up to ask if she minded being parodied in a Christmas song.
Featuring: Victoria Wood & Ann Widdecombe.
Press
Festive instalment of the series that ran earlier this year, commemorating the life of the late Victoria Wood. Hosted by Anne Reid, this one focuses, reasonably enough, on Wood's Christmas specials, and includes reflections from participants in some of them, including Celia Imrie, Julie Walters and Richard E Grant. Ann Widdecombe also explains what it felt like to find herself on the receiving end of Wood's gently biting mockery.
Andrew Mueller, The Guardian, 23rd December 2017