Review: A Very Brassic Christmas (Sky Max) - crude Christmas special manages to still have a heart of gold

I’ve long been a fan of Joseph Gilgun ever since watching his performance in Shane Meadows’ “This Is England” - his charm, or “rizz” as I believe the kids call it these days, comes from being a little bit of a deviant but ultimately with a moral compass. A sometimes left-of-centre moral compass, but a set of morals nonetheless.

As Vinnie in the Christmas special of Sky’s popular comedy series “Brassic,” it is those moral values that see the character not only try and resurrect a Christmas nativity for his son, Tyler, who he shares with Erin (played by Michelle Keegan) alongside keeping an eye on the aunt of his doctor, Chris Coxley (played by “The Crown” actor Dominic West.) The premise could have easily ended up becoming a sitcom trope of trying to be in two places at the same time - instead, it manages to balance both story arcs and eventually even bring them together.

The aunt in question, Edie, is played by Imelda Staunton, who brilliantly portrays a character who at first impression seems like a curmudgeon, but the more that Vinnie spends time with her, the more she opens up about the reasons for her sour demeanour. It’s a typical family drama involving words spoken that were said in anger leading to a fracture in relationships between Staunton’s character and her two sons and while her end game seems formulaic (spoiler: they do - it’s Christmas) in terms of plot it is a satisfying ending to a character that I hope will revisit “Brassic” during it’s final season.

Our other storyline involving Vinnie salvaging his son’s Christmas Nativity brings in the show’s other guest star, Greg Davies. Davies plays Dick Dolphin, the owner of “Winter Wonderland,” the foremost Christmas experience in the “Brassic” world this year. It also happens to house the very materials required to help Vinnie put on a proper bobby dazzler of a Christmas Nativity. As it happens, Edie happened to teach Dolphin during her time as a teacher - but a moment when Edie forgot to take Dolphin to an audition is a grudge that he has kept throughout his life and ultimate successes. 

So when Dolphin rudely rejects their request, Vinnie’s moral compass takes that deviation - they decide to rob Winter Wonderland. But in true Robin Hood fashion, his crimes are ultimately for a good cause - and Dick Dophin acted very much like his first name would indicate. Cue a heist, a revelation behind why Edie missed taking Dick to the audition and a happy ending for everyone. 

On paper, it might seem like a somewhat tired concept for a Christmas special, the age-old redemption arc, but it’s the charisma of the acting talent involved that makes the material fantastic. Gilgun as Vinnie is the lovable rogue that every friend should have or at least know, and once again the delivery of the dialogue feels authentic, especially when everyone at some stage chimes in with comments in the background, like the hubbub you sometimes would find yourself in when looking to undertake a morally questionable deed.

When is “A Very Brassic Christmas” on TV?

“A Very Brassic Christmas” airs on Sky Max on Thursday December 21 at 10pm, and is available on demand through NOW TV.