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Two Doors Down in surprise return with Christmas special

BBC Eight people gathered around a sofa in a living room. Some of them are carrying a selection of mugs, sandwiches and cakes. Two people are on the sofa, two on the arms of the sofa and four are standing behind with two of them reaching out to the plates of foodBBC
The Christmas special sees the return of all the regular characters

Scottish sitcom Two Doors Down is to make a surprise return to the BBC the end of the year with a Christmas special.

It has been two years since the last series aired following the death of its creator Simon Carlyle in August 2023.

The award-winning comedy was first broadcast as a one-off in 2013, with seven series and three Christmas specials since.

Co-creator Gregor Sharp, who wrote the new episode, said it was "really exciting" to be returning to Latimer Crescent with all the regular cast.

The Christmas episode sees the neighbours congregate at the house of Beth and Eric, played by Arabella Weir and Alex Norton.

Also returning to the cast are Elaine C Smith, Doon Mackichan, Jonathan Watson, Graeme Stevely, Joy McAvoy, Jamie Quinn and Kieran Hodgson.

Simon Carlyle is looking straight into the camera and smiling. He has short, grey hair. There is a man that looks like someone from the Salvation Army behind him holding a brass instrument. The man is blurred.
Two Doors Down creator Simon Carlyle died in August 2023

BBC director of Comedy Jon Petrie adds: "There's something comforting about having the neighbours round for Christmas, even if they bring minor chaos.

"Gregor and the gang bring the warm laughs, sly digs and brilliantly petty moments that make Two Doors Down such a cracking comedy.

"Expect it to sparkle on BBC iPlayer and BBC One faster than Cathy can pop a prosecco."

Carlyle and Sharp originally wrote the show as a one-off special before it was commissioned in 2016.

They went on to write more than 40 episodes together.

The first series drew an audience of 1.3 million when it began on BBC Two in 2016. This grew to 2.8 million for the last series on BBC One.

The programme won an RTS Scotland Award for Best Comedy in 2017 and 2024, and Bafta Scotland Best Actress awards for Smith in 2018 and Mackichan in 2024.

In a 2019 interview with The Scottish Sun, Carlyle said Arabella Weir's character Beth was inspired by his own mum Dorothy, and that Beth's son Ian - played by Jamie Quinn - drew on his experience of coming out as gay while growing up in Ayr.

He said Ian's character was treated like many gay men were in the 80s and 90s.

"You'd have parents who are accepting of it and don't want to throw you out the family, but are equally not comfortable enough to ask about your boyfriend," he said.

"We tried to reflect the truth of that middle ground, the same as we did with a normal Scottish street."