MOTHERLAND RETURNS FOR CHRISTMAS SPECIAL ON BBC ONE

School’s out for the festive season so the mums, and Kevin (Paul Ready), are busy prepping for the ultimate in blended Christmas celebrations.

It’s a full house at Julia’s (Anna Maxwell Martin) with an influx of grandparents demanding endless cups of tea, as they play with a VR headset Paul bought “for the kids”.

Julia has invited Kevin along too after learning that his alternative was dining on turkey crisps from the hotel vending machine in the company of the other divorced dads. Kevin excitedly offers to whip up a full-on Persian feast. Liz (Diane Morgan) also turns up when her ex cancels following a massive Christmas Eve bender, letting her down on his first ever offer to host.

Meanwhile, Amanda (Lucy Punch) is spending Christmas Day with Johnny (Terry Mynott), the kids and Johnny’s new wife Tamara (Louise Delamere). Which is fine. Really fine. It’s fine. Amanda’s mother Felicity (Joanna Lumley) has been invited too and jumps at the chance to revel in the awkward atmosphere.

The contrast with Christmas at Anne’s (Philippa Dunne) house couldn’t be starker; Anne is hosting her mammy (Maggie McCarthy) and the cousins – all 29 of them - and is beside herself with excitement.

Despite their enduring love-match, Meg’s (Tanya Moodie) husband Bill buys her a present so dire that it has her questioning whether he really knows her at all. She gets stuck into the plentiful supply of booze she’s bought for the day but regrets the drunken results when something really shocking happens over the road at Julia’s.

Motherland is written by Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe, Divorce, Pulling), Holly Walsh (Dead Boss, The Other One), Helen Serafinowicz (Motherland), and Barunka O'Shaughnessy (Timewasters).

Previous episodes of Motherland are available on BBC iPlayer.