1. Episode One

It's Howard's first festive season with the in-laws, a terrifying ordeal for most people, but a particularly scary one for poor Howard. When he turns up at his office Christmas party it's apparent from the word go that it's going to be a disastrous evening. He's drunkenly propositioned, electrocuted while doing a spot of karaoke and then vomited on by his drunken boss!

Meanwhile a blissfully unaware Mel packs up baby Emily and turns up at her parents' house earlier than expected. Angela and Dick are excitedly preparing for their grand-daughter's first Christmas, when the doorbell rings to reveal Howard drunk and dressed solely in a nappy made out of a black bin bag! After a flurry of explanations, Howard dashes for a pee in the downstairs loo - but it's not the downstairs loo it's the pantry and, as the lights come back on, the whole family witness him doing something unspeakable. Then a false alarm leads to Howard telling Mel's family that Dick has died, and somehow Howard is already spending Mel's inheritance money on a car they most definitely can't afford...

First broadcast: 19th Dec 2006

2. Episode Two

Howard's festive spirit is beginning to wear thin. He has accidentally annihilated the dolls' house Dick has been painstakingly restoring for baby Emily and must somehow prevent Dick from finding out. Things start to unravel when a concerned family friend turns up to mourn a very much alive Dick... and Howard manages to give her prize stud corgi some unintentional surgery while trying out the garden strimmers set aside for Dick's Christmas present. Howard and Mel escape the increasingly tense atmosphere with a spot of last minute Christmas shopping, but this is short-lived as Howard is involved in an almighty fight with a belligerent Santa!

First broadcast: 21st Dec 2006

3. Episode Three

With the whole family attending Midnight Mass, Howard protects himself from Eve's insane ex boyfriend Mitch, by bludgeoning him with the Virgin Mary from the Nativity display. Despite this, things for once are just starting to look up for him when the next morning Mel admits she is strangely turned on by his macho behaviour - surely not a good idea when your in-laws are downstairs!

When Fraser convinces himself that Howard has stolen his bagpipes and Eve becomes dangerously suicidal, Howard's chances of a relaxing Christmas Day with his family start to recede alarmingly. At least nothing terrible will happen to the Christmas presents... or will it?

First broadcast: 22nd Dec 2006