Two Doors Down
- TV sitcom
- BBC Two / BBC One
- 2013 - 2023
- 47 episodes (7 series)
Comedy focused on Latimer Crescent residents Eric and Beth Baird, plus their neighbours and immediate family. Stars Arabella Weir, Alex Norton, Doon Mackichan, Jonathan Watson, Elaine C. Smith and more.
- Christmas Special repeated Thursday 19th December at 10:30pm on BBC Scotland
Streaming rank this week: 2,590
Episode menu
Christmas Special
Further details
It's Christmas Day. Beth and Eric Baird's dreams of a peaceful holiday are thwarted by the antics of their demanding neighbours. They are planning to open presents with their son Ian and his new boyfriend Gordon, before enjoying a quiet dinner for two.
Neighbour Christine is babysitting her granddaughter Madison, who can't wait for her Mummy Sophie to arrive back from Eurodisney. Meanwhile their other neighbours, Cathy and Colin, are anticipating a glamourous skiing holiday in the French Alps - until Air Traffic Control goes on strike and all flights in or out of France are cancelled for two days, which Cathy doesn't take well.
Neither does Christine, since Sophie is now stranded on the other side of the channel - and she is left holding the baby. In true Christmas spirit Beth invites them over to dinner. Eric worries the turkey crown is too small for five, but Beth is upbeat - they'll make do. Even when Ian asks if he and Gordon can stay, making it dinner for seven.
Eric decides to help make wee Madison's Christmas by digging out the old Santa costume, and Beth brightly delivers the dinner - in tiny portions.
Broadcast details
- Date
- Tuesday 26th December 2017
- Time
- 10:30pm
- Channel
- BBC Two
- Length
- 30 minutes
Upcoming repeats
- Thursday 19th December 2024 at 10:30pm on BBC Scotland
Cast & crew
| Arabella Weir | Beth |
| Alex Norton | Eric |
| Doon Mackichan | Cathy |
| Jonathan Watson | Colin |
| Elaine C. Smith | Christine |
| Jamie Quinn | Ian |
| Kieran Hodgson | Gordon |
| Simon Carlyle | Writer |
| Gregor Sharp | Writer |
| Sasha Ransome | Director |
| Margot Gavan Duffy | Producer |
| Steven Canny | Executive Producer |
| Chris Sussman | Executive Producer |
| Simon Carlyle | Associate Producer |
| Gregor Sharp | Associate Producer |
| Angela Murray | Line Producer |
| Pete Drinkwater | Editor |
| Jo Sutherland | Production Designer |
| Carole K. Fraser (as Carole Fraser) | Costume Designer |
| Sarah Bartles-Smith | Director of Photography |
| Maxine Dallas | Make-up Designer |
| Morris Milne | 1st Assistant Director |
| Kate Daughton | Commissioning Editor |
| Ewan Angus | Commissioning Editor |
Video
Christine spoils the surprise
Christine turns a bit Mystic Meg when the Baird family open their Christmas presents.
Featuring: Alex Norton (Eric), Arabella Weir (Beth), Elaine C. Smith (Christine), Jamie Quinn (Ian) & Kieran Hodgson (Gordon).
Press
Two Doors Down canters ahead of most sitcoms by virtue of being well acted, sharply scripted, featuring (some) great one-liners and overall being, generally, on the cusp of humour rather than the cusp of, say, forcing oneself to rip out one's own carotid artery with a rusty potato-peeler. For that you still need Mrs Brown's Boys, that's still yer man.
Euan Ferguson, The Guardian, 2nd January 2018As ever, a pleasing mix of traditional and contemporary is delivered by this Scottish comedy. Never mind us viewers, surely by now not even Beth and Eric themselves can be surprised that their plans for a peaceful Christmas - just the two of them - will be ruined, with amusing consequences. This year, a strike by French air traffic controllers brings them unexpected guests. Their turkey crown is stretched as far as Eric's patience.
John Robinson, The Guardian, 26th December 2017