Carry on Christmas: Carry on Stuffing

The Carry on Films dabbled more on adventure and innuendo. As the sixties progressed there was a tad more smut here and there. Like the famous scene in Carry on Camping as Barbara Windsor's brazier pops off.

The 1970s movies went more smuttier, the later ones got less funnier as the regulars also started to drop out of the movies.

This is reflected in this Thames Television special. No Sidney James and Charles Hawtrey. So bigger roles for Kenneth Connor and Peter Butterworth.

It is a sketch show format as the Carry On regulars recall stories at a banquet.

The first one is a rehash from Carry On Up the Khyber. The second one is all at sea while the last one is a Pantomime.

I believe this was broadcast on ITV a few days before Christmas. I doubt this would had been suitable family viewing on Christmas Day.

These television specials were a mixed bag. This was ok, some of the sketches went on too long. I think the smuttiness made it more suitable for an older audience.

CARRY ON STUFFING is the third of the CARRY ON Christmas specials and the best one yet, I reckon. It adopts more of a sketch show approach than the previous adaptations of SCROOGE and TREASURE ISLAND, and that means the jokes come thicker and fast. This time, we join feasters at a dinner who reminiscences make up the rest of the show. Sid James, Frankie Howerd and Charles Hawtrey are all missed here, but it's nice to see Kenneth Connor back and his presence being considerably bulked up. Barbara Windsor is on fine form too and as a fan of British horror I was delighted to see Valerie Leon in a small role. THE LAST OUTPOST rips off CARRY ON UP THE KHYBER but the satire is still delightful.

No Kenneth,Sid,Charlie or Bernie. The male cast is normally supporting. Theres no reason why Charles Hawtry couldn't have top billed. Giving his part to Norman Rossington was rather spiteful.

This is a bit better than its two predecessors,but that's not saying much. I remember the King Harry madrigal from the Carry On London stageshow.

Carry On Christmas /Stuffing (3) (1972) -

The only bit that I really enjoyed about this sketch show was the Aladdin pantomime element. I felt that apart from this, they hadn't really tried very hard or been very thoughtful about the script or scenarios.

I could appreciate what they were trying to do in the previous two Christmas instalments, following the stories of 'A Christmas Carol' and 'Treasure Island', but this was just something that seemed rushed out in time for the seasonal TV schedule.

I couldn't get along with Jack Douglas at all and I've never understood why he was hired by the 'Carry On' team in any of the other films either. He really brought the humour down to childish levels, whilst the rest of the jokes just weren't that good anyway. I didn't think that any of these "Comedy Bits" would have passed muster for the proper films and that was probably how they ended up collated in to this sub par Christmas special.

I can at least now say that I have watched it, which means that I only have 3 more 'Carry On' films to see to complete the set, but this will not be one that I will watch again. Low budget and poorly delivered.

279.08/1000.

This is a very funny Carry On TV Special, It is literally 50 minutes of jam packed laughs. The format moves quickly in a sort of Benny Hill Style. The only problem is that Sid James, and Charles Hawtry are missing. Kenneth Connor, and Peter Butterworth are quite funny playing numerous roles, along with Barbara Windsor and Haitte Jacques. This should be shown on television with the other Carry on TV specials. The highlights of this special are "The Last Outpost," and the "Aladdin" sketch. The print that I viewed was not great, but still legible. The TV show "Carry on Laughing" was recently released on DVD. The Carry On Christmas Specials now deserve a release on DVD.