I didn't watch this one-off one-hour Christmas special when it was broadcast on Christmas Eve, I watched a couple days after Christmas, but thank goodness I did, I would have missed out on something likeable, directed by Ben Palmer (Bo! Selecta, Star Stories, The Inbetweeners, The Inbetweeners Movie). Basically Andrew Bennett (Stephen Merchant) is an uptight man who fails to buy the main Christmas present for his daughter Emily (Darcey Ewart), the highly popular Sparklehoof the Unicorn Princess, after he refuses to pay the extra amount added to the price. Andrew's wife Claire (Sophia Di Martino) is frustrated with him, as she had reserved the item, they will all be sold out, and he has chosen a ridiculous chemistry set as a replacement present. Andrew meanwhile is frustrated with his over-friendly Christmas-loving neighbour Dev D'Cruz (Asim Chaudhry, best known as Chabuddy G), who has decorated the front of his house with Christmas lights that keep him awake at night, and cause cars driving by to honk their horns, Andrew also tells Dev about the toy situation. Andrew writes a strongly worded letter to Dev, and the next day, Christmas Eve, Andrew fakes a phone call to the council that they want him to take down the lights, Dev is disappointed. Dev comes to the rescue, he has found one of the last unicorn toys left in the country, he has reserved it with Click and Collect, all he has to do is go and pick it up. Only problem is, it is located at a toy store in Carlisle, which is 4 and a half hours away, and Dev has reserved the item using his card, Claire insists that Andrew joins Dev to go and get the toy, as she has all the preparations for Christmas dinner to do. Andrew reluctantly agrees as it will save his daughter's Christmas, and redeem him as a father, and they begin the 270-mile journey cross-country road trip. As expected, Dev cannot help but constantly annoy Andrew with his constant talking about Christmas and other uninteresting things, his inability to keep still or quiet during the drive and giving incorrect directions when refusing to follow the SatNav. Along the way they drive a stretch of water too deep for the car, Andrew has his clothes soaked and is forced to change into an elf costume, the only thing in his size, and Dev accidentally fills the car with the wrong type of fuel. Borrowing a slow-moving loading vehicle, they continue going, and stop at the services for food, Dev tells a Burger Bar Worker (Emily Aston) about what they are up to. Finally, after the many mishaps along the way, the reach the toy store in Carlisle, Dev gives his card that he reserved the toy with, but it does not work. It is at this moment Dev and Andrew realise it is not his card, the bar worker switched Dev's card with her own to collect the unicorn and steal it for herself. They try to chase after the bar worker but lose her due to the slow speed of the vehicle, but Dev improvises and talks to another worker at the burger bar to get the woman's address. At the woman's house, they find a hidden key and go inside the steal the unicorn toy back, they are forced to hide when the woman returns home, but when they realise her daughter is a very sick little girl, they decide it is best to leave the toy behind for her Christmas. Andrew and Dev return to the services glum that they have failed to get the toy and save Christmas, but they know that they did the right thing. But then they see a toy grabber machine with a Sparklehoof the Unicorn Princess to win inside, they see this as their chance to save Christmas. After several attempts to grab the toy, they run out of money, but a Homeless Man (Steven Wickham), who resembles Father Christmas, they helped earlier comes along, he gives them with his last coin and they are overjoyed to win the toy. They celebrate singing many Christmas songs on the journey back home, Dev looks for more sweets in his coat pocket, then his heart sinks when he finds a letter written by Andrew, in his earlier frustrated state, saying that they are not friends. Dev returns home feeling gloomy, and Andrew feels guilty and equally sullen, having made what he would consider a real friend, and ruined it. The next day, Christmas Day, Andrew makes up for it, he turns all the Christmas lights back on, and invites Dev to join his family for Christmas, Emily is delighted with her unicorn toy, and the friendship between Andrew and Dev is restored, they even appear on The One Show together with Matt Baker and Alex Jones. Also starring Tala Gouveia as Toy Shop Assistant, Daniel Hoffmann-Gill as Maintenance Man and Grant McIntyre as Superstore Assistant. Merchant is great being the easily irritated father who has failed previous Christmases and wants to prove himself, and Chaudhry steals the show as the loveably over-excited, clumsy and bothersome neighbour enthusiastic about everything Christmassy. It is a nice and simple story, a father wants to make his daughter's dream come true, someone annoying can help him, and many chaotic and embarrassing incidents happen on the way, it satirises Christmas shopping and last-minute buying, it is a great odd-couple buddy and road movie, it makes you laugh a lot, and it does get you into the festive mood, an entertaining seasonal comedy. Very good!
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