Victoria Wood: With All the Trimmings

Ok, I admit, I'm a life long fan of all things Victoria Wood. She captured my imagination through my school years and has just stuck with me ever since. As one of Britains best loved female comediennes though at least I'm not alone.

This show aired over Xmas 2000 and really took me by surprise. Usually only the Simpsons manages to deliver a continual stream of laugh after laugh but Victoria Wood manages to pull it off fantastically and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.

Naturally the addition of the wonderful Julie Walters assists no ends, with the best clip having to be their mutual portrayal of two war time women. Julie Walters line regarding the death of her husband has to be the funniest thing I've heard in years ;)

Highly recommended.

On the strength of this I'm almost inclined to think that this format is the one Victoria does best. This format, originally done by her in 'Victoria Wood As seen on TV' allows Vic. to play to almost all of her strengths, (of which she has many)

Television parody, musical parody, movie parody, all this is very very good, and the BBCs Christmas budget made for an all star cast. And thank goodness its on DVD for us to cherish and cherish again. If I was running the BBC I'd have Victoria producing 13 of these every year from now till forever.

The only thing missing, (in my role as BBC boss I'd give Vic a second budget for this) is more in the style of 'Pat and Margaret'

By the year 2000. Victoria wood was so award laden and critically acclaimed. She managed to attract all manner of guest stars for this Christmas special.

It begins with a pastiche of 1960s spy movies. With an eye raising cameo from Roger Moore.

The framing is Victoria Wood making a Christmas show for the BBC, now awashed with digital channels. Following her is a documentary crew, about the making of her Christmas special.

Only Victoria's finale has the input of all kinds of BBC managers. All with the results of BBC focus groups as to what should be in the finale.

Although made in 2000. Victoria Wood managed to glimpse the future of broadcasting. Various digital channels, most with zero viewers. Reality television, I guess Jane McDonald is not a fan of the cruise pastiche.

Then there are politicians who turn into celebrities. The finale has Victoria impersonating former Tory Home Office minister, Ann Widdecombe.

Instead of being lambasted for her antiquated views. Television companies saw her as the next big thing. Even appearing on Strictly Come Dancing. Victoria foresaw that with a quip she make here, something about an Ann Widdecombe on ice special. This show was made years before Strictly started.

The highlight of Christmas 2020 television was this, a repeat from twenty years ago, a sign of the times, how bad TV comedy is now, and just how incredibly amazing Victoria Wood and co were at the time.

It's an incredibly polished show, the format pokes fun at the huge growth in reality TV that assaulted our screens in 2000, the humour is as relevant and funny now as it was then, it simply hasn't dated.

Favourite scenes include the opening, Victoria and Julie as the old crones, but the piece de resistence, remains the finale where Wood takes on the role of Anne Widdecombe.

It makes me so incredibly sad to think that Victoria passed away at such a young age. This shows just how awesome she was.

Awesome, 10/10.

This outstandingly written show was repeated again on BBC this Christmas. Hilarious in 2000 and fun to re-watch a year or two ago when last repeated but putting it on again for Christmas 2011? Can't they commission her to do something new for us?

Victoria's talent is sadly underrated here on IMDb with a score that should be at least an 8 or 9 out of 10. She's such a talented artist and writer who deserves much more appreciation.

The BBC should definitely pay her for a new Christmas special after ten years!

Come back Victoria, we need you. There are plenty more people and things just waiting to be lampooned and we've never needed a good laugh more.