ITV Christmas Comedy

Captain Ridley (Thora Hird) attempts to explain to a group of children what Christmas used to be like. She tells them the story of Ebenezer Dickinson, a mean old man whose only enjoyment in life is money and making other peoples lives misery. The final straw comes when he sacks Mr Scratchett on Christmas Eve, meaning the Scratchett family can't afford a goose for Christmas dinner. In the night Ebenezer receives a visit from a ghost who shows him what it will be like when he dies. But does Ebenezer care?

Eli invests the Christmas Club money collected at the Pickle factory in a local pantomime; the cast walk out and Nellie and Eli and company undertake to perforrn the show themselves.

On Christmas Eve the ward gets a new patient, eight year old elected mute Danny, whose parents are abroad and is a known arsonist. Figgis dresses up as Santa Claus to steal presents for him from the children's ward but is rumbled and has to escape, getting the benefits of kisses from nurses who mistake him for the hospital's other Santa, Dr Thorpe. Eventually Dr Thorpe brings Danny some Christmas cheer and accidentally gets him talking again.

With Miriam Margolyes, Moray Watson, The Norman Maen Dancers and The Tony Mansell singers. Stanley Baxter's Christmas Box explodes to give us a seasonal send-up with all the trimmings. Among the gift-wrapped contents are the Cinderella characters invading the laconic Phillip Marlowe's office, a Kosher newscast, a tantalising glimpse of the Bruce Fosdyke show, a Christmas appeal on behalf of the Morally Inhibited, Noel Coward's view of the whole proceedings, Jacques Cousteau's view of the British at the seaside and Colonic Pictures 1940's musical extravaganza, Girl on the Cover.

Baron Stonybroke hopes to finally marry off the ugliest of his daughters, Prince Charming arranges a dance to find himself a rich heiress, and a fairy godfather visits to make sure that Bootserella can go to the ball.

Dorothy and her butler Robert are planning to be away from each other this Christmas, but at home to someone special…