Stars of Bad Tidings - Chris McCausland and Lee Mack

Bad Tidings – Sky release details of this year’s festive special

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Given that its April, it’s naturally time to start getting excited about this year’s Christmas telly. In the past couple of years, Sky have delivered festive one-off dramas such as The Heist Before Christmas and The Amazing Mr Blunden.

For 2024, comic Chris McCausland has teamed up with Ghosts writers, Laurence Rickard & Martha Howe-Douglas; Bad Tidings spins a tale of two perpetually feuding neighbours in Stockport who become unlikely heroes, saving their street from notorious burglars with wacky booby traps and Great British banter.

Here’s what we know about Bad Tidings:

This year’s Sky Original Christmas special revolves around grumpy home-security expert Neil (Mack) and his neighbour Scott (McCausland), who insists on keeping his Christmas lights illuminated all-year-round. And mixing up their bins, criticising Neil’s ‘project’ car and generally winding him up. Basically, Scott’s a git. He’s also blind and all the other neighbours think he’s great. 

When Scott is appointed head of the Neighbourhood Watch, Neil is the only one to question his suitability for the role. Their tit-for-tat argument culminates in Neil triggering a power-cut across the entire street. On Christmas Eve. 

Everyone is forced to evacuate, and Neil and Scott are left alone and on guard. But the local crime family decide to rob every house on the street in a single night, and the pair must set aside their differences to defeat them. They’ve got no lights, no cameras, no alarms and one of them is blind. Which might just be an advantage… 

Joining McCausland and Mack, the cast also includes Rebekah Staton, Sarah Alexander, Ben Crompton, Emily Coates, Josiah Eloi, Millie Kiss, Tupele Dorgu, Sunil Patel, Susan Kyd and Donna Preston.

Chris McCausland said:

“Talk about a back of an envelope idea that has got out of hand, we are now making a Christmas comedy film and it’s going to be awesome. I can’t wait to get up to some hilarious mayhem with Lee and bring some festive spirit into people’s living rooms this Christmas!”

Tim Kirkby (The Pentaverate) directs Bad Tidings, with Adnan Ahmed producing. Anil Gupta Executive Produces for Sky Studios.