BBC Two Doors Down confirms Christmas Special on the way with new cast photo
The BBC has confirmed that a Two Doors Down Christmas Special is on the way, just a couple of months after one of the stars teased its shock comeback. The Scottish comedy favourite is poised for a festive return this year.
The news comes after the tragic passing of the programme's creator, Simon Carlyle, at just 48 years old. The programme was axed in 2023 following Simon's death, but rumours had been swirling about a revisit.
Simon's writing partner Gregor Sharp initially said he felt unable to continue the series without Simon's creative contribution. However, both the cast and devoted viewers were delighted when whispers surfaced suggesting Gregor had reconsidered and was penning a Christmas episode.
Today, Thursday, July 17, BBC Scotland confirmed the return to Latimer Street by posting a photo of the much-loved cast including Elaine C Smith, Alex Norton, Jonathan Watson, and Arabella Weir reuniting for a festive episode.
Kieran Hodgson, 37, who portrays Gordon, previously told the Record: "The first day on set without Simon will be tough for everyone. He was such an integral part of the filming let alone the writing. He was there every day all day.
"He was our friend. He was giving us notes. He was supervising it and guiding it.
"Not to have him there will be really ghostly and I can imagine there will be some tears and some moments of silence."
Two Doors Down began as a standalone Hogmanay pilot in 2013, before taking three years to reach its first complete series on BBC2 in 2016.
The narrative revolves around Alex Norton and Arabella Weir as Eric and Beth Baird, their son Ian (Jamie Quinn) with his partner Gordon, portrayed by Kieran, and their eclectic Latimer Crescent neighbours.
This includes the forthright Christine (Elaine C Smith), the tempestuous Cathy and Colin (Doon Mackichan and Jonathan Watson), and the semi-newcomers Alan and Michelle, played by Grado and Joy McAvoy.
The series, which featured six seasons and four Christmas specials on BBC2, finally struck gold when BBC bosses decided to move it to BBC1 in 2022 for a festive special.
Tragically, Simon passed away in August 2023, just before the seventh series, which he had filmed, aired that November, missing the show's triumphant transition to prime time.
"It's lovely that Gregor feels he can write it now," Gordon added. "I'm sure it'll be just as brilliant as it ever was."
With the comeback official, anticipation is growing among viewers as to what adventures await the group when they reunite to shoot the Christmas Special . Some have already taken to social media to share their predictions.
But don't worry, we don't believe in any potential spoilers.
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Fake Or Fortune guest speechless as 'painting by Sir Winston Churchill' worth huge sum
A man who paid a fraction of that could make a life-changing amount if the picture of Clemintine Churchill is proved to have been painted by the revered wartime Prime Minister An amateur art collector who claims he has found a lost painting by Sir Winston Churchill is told it could be worth more than £600,000. Barry James appears on the BBC1 show Fake Or Fortune tonight (MON) with his intriguing picture. He tells presenter Fiona Bruce and international art dealer Phil Mould that he picked it up for just £140 in an antiques market in Ardingly near Gatwick, three years ago because he liked 'the colours and composition'. But it was only later when it took it out of the frame that he found a mysterious inscription on the back which read: 'This painting of Mrs Winston Churchill on wall of sunken garden at Hurstmonceux (CORR) Castle, Sussex, by The Right Hon. Winston S Churchill. June 1916.' It shows what is thought to be Sir Winston's wife Clementine perched on a wall reading a book in the pink flowered gardens of the castle. Barry, from West Sussex, hopes the BBC series, returning for its 13th run, can validate it. In the BBC show, shocked Barry is told that paintings by Churchill – who was British PM from 1940-45 and 1951-55 - can fetch millions of pounds. In 2021 Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie sold one - The Tower Of The Koutoubia Mosque, painted in Marrakesh during WWII - for a record £7million. And Barry is informed that if his picture is found to be an original then at auction it could make more than £600,000. The TV duo embark on a search to find out if the artist really was war leader Churchill. Records show how he took up painting in 1915 - in water colours to begin with and later in oils - after he had completed his military service during WW1 and narrowly escaped death. He looked on his new hobby as something that took him away from the stress of his high powered life and it became a source of relaxation. Fiona, 61, delves into a book written by his friend Violet Bonham Carter called Winston Churchill As I Knew Him, in which she mentions that the politician stayed at the castle with his paints and brushes. The author even writes that he was there as a guest in 1916 – but she mentions August rather than June. Undeterred, Fiona visits the castle to locate the exact spot where Clementine would have sat on the wall in the garden to be painted. Meanwhile art dealer Phil does some digging to check that it is not stolen – and gets the all clear. A further mystery is uncovered when the artwork is x-rayed and another painting is discovered underneath. Experts believe it looks like a painting of a castle – possibly the very one where Winston and his wife stayed. This news is not unwelcome as the statesman was well-known for re-using canvases. But some doubt is thrown into the mix when it is discovered that the handwriting on the back is not Churchill's but that of Conservative politician Colonel Claude Lowther, who bought Herstmonceux and restored it – and invited his friend to stay there in 1916. Barry, who is married and is a carer with a disabled son, admits: 'If the painting is real, I'd probably end up reluctantly selling it, obviously for the family. We have always wanted to go to Niagara Falls. Our son is disabled and I think he'd enjoy something like that.' Viewers can find out if the painting is real on the new series of Fake Or Fortune, tonight at 9pm.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Jeremy Clarkson left completely confused over farm issue as he reveals 'most difficult thing'
Clarkson's Farm star Jeremy Clarkson has turned his countryside escapades into a hit TV series - but he has confessed he is still very clueless about some agricultural practices Jeremy Clarkson may be reaching new levels of fame thanks to his hit documentary series about his Oxfordshire farm - but he has admitted there are aspects of farming that he is still completely clueless about, despite working the land for years. The 65-year-old TV star previously enjoyed fame as a host of Top Gear on the BBC - before departing the show under a cloud of shame after he punched a producer behind-the-scenes. He then launched rival car show The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime - however this success has been eclipsed by his hugely popular agricultural series, Clarkson's Farm. The show follows Jeremy as he endures trials and triumphs as he tries to make a living from his farm - which he named Diddly Squat as he has struggled to make sizeable sales from his crops. But the star appears to be enjoying his challenges - and has even become a spokesperson of British farming, and has turned on the current Labour government over changes to tax rules that risk decimating the UK farming industry. Jezza has been learning as he goes - and admits there are still many aspects of farming he cannot understand. In a recent column, he explained that he can be confused by the industry - including how animals are turned into food after they are sent to the slaughterhouse. He writes in the Sunday Times Magazine:"It's nigh on impossible to deduce which bits are used to make steaks and which are for mincing and whether that bulbous-looking thing is incredibly tasty or a bowel." He continued: "But by far and away the most difficult thing would be turning my wheat into bread. This is something that has fascinated me for years because how on earth did anyone figure it out?" As well as running his farm, Jeremy has opened his Diddly Squat Farm Shop where he sells his home-grown products to the public. And more recently he opened a pub called The Farmer's Dog - which is a short trip from his farmland. Clarkson's Farm has been on the air since 2021 and has proved to be a surprise hit for Amazon. The show, now in it's fourth season and with a fifth on the way, has won over TV fans who have admitted they have become unexpectedly emotional while watching the show. The r/ClarksonsFarm Reddit page has swelled in contributors since the show began - with many fans heading there to review episodes online. And fans have not shied away from confessing they have been moved to tears by the show. One poster admitted: "I have, like many others, only known Jeremy from Top Gear and Grand Tour, and I've always perceived him as this cocky character whom I also find funny of course. "I expected him to be the same way when I started watching Clarkson's Farm. But I am more than surprised with how big his heart is!" The fan went on to share their favourite moment from the show, a scene which many have praised as one of Clarkson's Farm's very best parts. The fan adds: "He is so interested and humble (to a certain degree with Kaleb). He cares so much for the animals and even though it's sad, I love seeing how deeply it hurts for both him and Lisa when they send them to the butchers or they die. "He sees farming from such a wide perspective and he uses his screen time well to enlighten us non-farmers about the unknown reality of this hardcore profession in an interactive manner. I just love watching it! I just saw the episode of season three where Kaleb gets frustrated over the bad crops and how much work that goes into it. I must admit I teared up a bit." A sixth season is also expected to be filmed following the release of season six - although Jeremy has previously hinted the crew behind the cameras will take a long break after the fifth season before filming the sixth.
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Ellen DeGeneres would 'love' UK talk show as she moves on from bullying scandal
Ellen DeGeneres has said she'd 'love' to host a talk show in the UK after moving over from the US. However, there's one problem. The American comedian, 67, moved to Britain with her wife, Portia de Rossi, 52, in November last year, deciding to set up a new life here after Donald Trump was re-elected. While she tends to keep a low profile these days, this weekend, Ellen made her first public appearance since relocating, joining a conversation with Richard Bacon at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham. She reflected on the bullying scandal that rocked her hit talk show in the States, ultimately leading to a decline in popularity and its full cancellation in 2022. After fronting over 3,000 episodes, Ellen hosted her final episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show in May of that year, having been engulfed by accusations of a toxic workplace and at the centre of a wider investigation. Despite it leading to a decline in viewership, Ellen has remained defiant in the face of the allegations, now saying she'd jump at the chance to replicate some success in the UK. But while she misses her old chat show 'a lot', she isn't sure its format would work anymore, as she explained tonight in quotes obtained by BBC. 'I mean, I wish it did, because I would do the same thing here. I would love to do that again,' she admitted. 'But I just feel like people are watching on their phones, or people aren't really paying attention as much to televisions, because we're so inundated with information and entertainment.' Ellen confessed to having no plans for what she wants to do next, but she'll be planning her future career moves 'very carefully'. 'I just don't know what that is yet,' she stated, declaring that she does want to have 'fun' after growing 'bored' in recent months, now that she's not in front of the bright lights and cameras. Ellen, who now lives in a sprawling Cotswolds mansion, previously spoke about being 'cancelled' by the internet when she was accused of being 'mean' to staff behind the scenes. She once called the accusations of toxicity behind the cameras of her show 'orchestrated' and 'misogynistic', later telling her 2024 tour crowd that she struggled with knowing how to confront the matter. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'No matter what, any article that came up, it was like, 'She's mean,' and it's like, how do I deal with this without sounding like a victim or 'poor me' or complaining? But I wanted to address it,' she said in the accompanying Netflix stand-up special. 'It's as simple as I'm a direct person, and I'm very blunt, and I guess sometimes that means that… I'm mean?' The accusations against Ellen and her talk show gained widespread media attention when the complainants came forward in 2020. The host was said to have enabled not only the 'toxic' atmosphere but also 'racism, fear, and intimidation'. Furthermore, Ellen was accused of failing to address higher-ups sexually harassing female employees and directing 'racist micro-aggressions and abuse' towards employees of colour. Other accusations included staff members being fired for taking medical and bereavement leave. After the internal probe into the show's culture, three producers were sacked for alleged misconduct, with Ellen giving an on-air apology in her final show opening. Ellen, who had also vowed to retreat from showbiz for good after fulfilling her contractual commitments, now admits that life is 'just better' in the UK, having splashed out on a blissful 43-acre property in the countryside. Speaking tonight about her big move, she revealed she and former actress wife Portia, whom she wed in 2008, originally wanted it to be a 'part-time house'. They had planned to spend three or four months a year in the UK, but she now confirms it's true that the last US election swayed her decision. More Trending 'We got here the day before the election and woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis, and I was like, 'He got in',' she recalled. 'And we're like, 'We're staying here'.' Ellen and Portia—who was present in the audience along with several other family members and celebs when Ellen's show ended—first met at a party in 2000. In their first joint interview in 2009, Portia confessed to Oprah Winfrey that she knew she loved Ellen the moment she laid eyes on her. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: Yellowstone star, 54, marries weather presenter fiancée, 34, in Vatican wedding MORE: Stranger Things fans 'figure out who's going to die' after season 5 trailer MORE: Emily Atack announces engagement to boyfriend Dr Alistair Garner with romantic holiday snap
