A survey conducted by Great British Bingo has revealed that the nation’s favourite Christmas TV Special is the Only Fools and Horses episode If They Could See Us Now.
The survey asked ‘What is the best British Christmas TV special?’ to over 2300 participants. Only Fools and Horses gained the majority of the votes (289) for the Christmas special If They Could See Us Now. The episode aired in 2001 and was part of a Christmas trilogy, as well as being the sixteenth Christmas special in the series.
The second favourite Christmas special with 203 votes is the Mrs. Brown’s Boys episode Mammy’s Tickled Pink/Mammy’s Gamble that aired last Christmas. The Irish-British sitcom Mrs. Brown’s Boys was created by and stars Irish writer and performer Brendan O'Carroll.
Taking the top spot position for the UK’s favourite Christmas TV special is the Doctor Who episode The Christmas Invasion with 191 votes. This was the first Doctor Who episode that was specially produced for Christmas. The Christmas Invasion aired in 2005 and featured the Tenth Doctor played by David Tennant.
These are the UK’s top three Christmas TV specials, to find out what other episodes made it onto the list, take a look at the top results below:
The Top Results
| Christmas Special | Votes |
| Only Fools and Horses: If They Could See Us Now (2001) | 289 |
| Mrs. Brown’s Boys: Mammy’s Tickled Pink/Mammy’s Gamble (2014) | 203 |
| Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion (2005) | 191 |
| The Snowman (1982) | 189 |
| Downton Abbey: Christmas at Downton Abbey (2011) | 150 |
| Only Fools and Horses: Time on Our Hands (1996) | 139 |
| Call the Midwife: Christmas Special (2014) | 125 |
| Downton Abbey: The London Season (2013) | 109 |
| The Vicar of Dibley: The Handsome Stranger/The Vicar in White (2006) | 104 |
| Blackadder: Blackadder’s Christmas Carol (1988) | 100 |
| Gavin & Stacey: Christmas Special (2008) | 94 |
| Miranda: I Do, But to Who?/The Final Curtain (2014) | 90 |
| Shameless: Christmas Special (2004) | 89 |
| The Royle Family: The Queen Of Sheba (2006) | 84 |
| Father Ted: A Christmassy Ted (1996) | 65 |
| Mr. Bean: Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean (1992) | 63 |
| The Catherine Tate Show: Christmas Special (2005) | 54 |
| The Office: The Christmas Specials (2003) | 46 |
| The Snowman and the Snowdog (2012) | 38 |
| Open All Hours: Still Open All Hours (2013) | 35 |
| Outnumbered: The Robbers (2009) | 31 |
| Father Christmas (1991) | 26 |
| Alan Partridge: Knowing Me Knowing Yule (1995) | 17 |
