IAN HYLAND on the weekend’s telly

Jane McDonald & Friends: Christmas Spectacular, C5: ★★★★★

According to Wakefield’s finest daughter: “At Christmas, there are certain things that go together.”

Too right. Christmas would not be Christmas without the dream pairing of Jane McDonald and Channel 5. (Ditto

New Year.) It would also not be Christmas without the sight of Jane pulling out some gold envelopes and giving free cruise holidays to fans who have had a tough year.

Well, Jane does so much for the cruising industry it’s only fair that it gives something back.

There’s more to this show

than freebies, though. It’s proper old-fashioned Christmas entertainment. Of course, it’s easy to be sniffy about Jane performing a medley of carols or Aled Jones and Russell Watson plugging their latest album. However, it sometimes feels like Channel 5 is the only channel doing Christmas right.

I knew they were on to something when they started reshowing old festive specials from Chas & Dave.

Jane’s shows are a continuation of that.

A safe entertainment

space where a rude joke about a snowman’s carrot can sit happily alongside schoolkids in Christmas jumpers singing Away in a Manger.

“Star and Executive Producer” Jane also pulls off enough sparkly costume changes to put a diva such as Mariah Carey to shame.

My favourite part, though, is the end credits, which features out-takes of Jane stumbling over the words in her script.

Speaking of her getting tongue-tied, next year I’d love to hear her read those credits out loud.

Especially if Barry Punt and Adam Huckett are still working on the show.