Trailer Park Boys: Xmas Special

This is a must see for any fan of the Trailer Park Boys. Of course, I may be a little biased, as I love what is in my opinion, the only truly great show produced locally, but this prequel was entertaining from start to finish. It was particularly amusing to see J Roc before he became "leader of the Roc Pile", and how his decline into rapper culture came about. There's plenty of laughs, and if you're a fan of the series, you will appreciate the humour (though I understand that it's not for everyone).

When I first saw this, I was under the misunderstanding that this was the original movie on which the series was based, as the plot, era etc all seemed to fit, but the fact that it was written after gave the writers the benefit of foresight, and many amusing plot devices to tie into "future" episodes, and explain the way many things are. I still have yet to see the original movie, but if it's half as good as this, it will be well worth watching.

Having just been exposed to TPB on a recent visit to Montreal, I brought back seasons 1-4 on DVD and just got the Xmas special in the mail. Why this hasn't made it to the States is beyond mysterious to me. Too rough? Too white trash? Nope, just too damn funny and it's a crime HBO or Showtime haven't picked this up. There's a whole country full of people like this here... The comments on the boards are right: This one answers all kinds of questions about how and why these characters are who they are. Hilariously sick, this episode is also extremely touching (won't give it away!). Believe it or not, you'll actually learn something about the true meaning of Christmas from Julian, Ricky, and Bubbles. If you're a fan, you know you need this. If you're new to the show, it's better to watch the episodes from the beginning and watch this after series 4. Bring on the movie, boys!

Releasing shortly after the finale of the fourth season, the Trailer Park Boys Xmas Special is a 45 minute long prequel to the TV series. Taking place in December of 1997 this Christmas special sees the boys up to their old ways, with Ricky being bailed out of jail at the start as to help Julien with his Christmas scheme. However most interestingly the audience is treated to seeing Jaime before he became J-Roc as well as, Jim and Barbra Lahey still being married with Lahey and Randy formally meeting each other as Barb takes him in over Christmas. The special plays out like an elongated episode, which is definitely not a bad thing unless you're not a fan of the Trailer Park Boys formula. For me this special mostly worked, it featured subpar writing and some goofy jokes although outside of its Christmas theme I did not find it all too special. I liked Ricky's epiphany near the end but the most enjoyable aspect for me came from the aforementioned setup of some seeing characters in positions that are different from their circumstances in the series. It was charming to hear some characters talk about their plans for the future when we know as the audience how it will play out. It should be noted though that I do not recommend this special for first-time viewers; similar to a film like Rogue One, the Trailer Park Boys Xmas Special you will get the most out of this special if you've been a viewer of the TV show and have some recollection of the events/characters in the show. I am sure most people who view this special are already Trailer Park Boys fans, however, there probably are some outliers who will check out the special without having any context of who some of the characters are and it will hurt their experience. I doubt it's a story that will pull in any new viewers, it is a perfectly fine special that I'm sure will please even the most casual of Trailer Park Boys fan and for that reason, I am giving the Trailer Park Boys Xmas Special a 6/10. I do recommend this short for anyone who is a fan of the series and I possibly see myself getting some rewatches out of it during the holiday season.

I thought that this was a pretty good prequel but I did think that it answered to many questions that didn't need answers. I thought that the idea of the special taking place in 1997, before the series started was a great idea. My problem was that there was too much information given and we were told about the reason for almost everything that takes place in the park. I don't think that we needed to know why everything happens and how each detail of park life began.

I was very amused by the way that the park brings Christmas to life and the way that the park looks in the winter. The boys slipping and sliding in the snow and having problems driving in winter was great. I live in a place that has very long winters and I was very happy that the show was very true to how it really is to live in winter.

Poor Bubbles was probably my favorite part of the show, for those of you who haven't seen this show, I recommend that you see it for Bubbles if for no other reason.

I am a very committed TPB fan and own the first 4 seasons on DVD and as such I think that I am qualified to give you all my opinion.

I have to say once again that it was a great special but my intelligence was insulted slightly.

Thank you for listening.

Ignore the 2 negative reviews. how anyone could not find this 46 mins. of the best TPB ever, is beyond me. great fun to see the origins of some TPB staples/relationships. also fun to see the park in a different season, w/sonw, etc. poignant too! some of the best TPB ever!