The Extras Christmas special (most probably the last ever episode of the series) is on BBC1 Thursday, December 27.

I watched it on preview disc last night – and kind of enjoyed it. Worry not, interested parties, I shan’t spoil plot details. However, it is overlong, too keen to grab at pathos (Maggie’s circumstances dramatically reduced – cue lots of shots of her cleaning urinals for a living) and culminates in a very odd speech from Andy Millman/Ricky Gervais about the nature of celebrity, which brought to mind – shudder! – Jimmy Corkhill/Phil Redmond’s 10-minute rant in the final Brookside… should that comparison mean anything to anyone.

Two other niggles. As we all know, David Tennant gets a look-in, with a Doctor Who spoof. This is decidedly odd, treating the show as it was still perceived 25 years ago (ie. shit monsters and technobabble dialogue). And, The Ivy really, really doesn’t look like that.

Nonetheless, some bits are very funny (The Birdie Song in particular, you’ll know it when you see it) and there’s a nice cameo when the action moves to The Carphone Warehouse. But the ending just isn’t going to steal Christmas in the way Dawn ‘n’ Tim did in 2003.