The holidays can be a bit much. Between the forced merriment and the inevitable family squabbles, sometimes you just need a quiet escape. And what better refuge than the gentle, restorative world of “The Repair Shop”? This year’s Christmas special offers precisely that balm, with a fresh batch of treasured items and the heartwarming stories behind them.
Forget the frantic last-minute shopping; this year, the real Christmas magic is happening in the barn. Among the festive fixes are two rather large fiberglass puffins, longtime seasonal mascots for a children’s bookshop. Dominic Chinea and Brenton West are tasked with reviving these weathered birds, which have witnessed over 50 years of Christmases. One can only hope they don’t end up looking like they’ve spent the last half-century stuffed in the back of Santa’s sleigh.
Meanwhile, Will Kirk, Kirsten Ramsey, Steve Fletcher, and Mark Stuckey are tending to a miniature Christmas village, a cherished piece of a family who has opened their home to over 30 foster children. If that doesn’t warm your cockles, I don’t know what will.
And because no holiday special is complete without a celebrity cameo, Roman Kemp of BBC One’s “The One Show” pops in with a teddy bear in dire need of attention. The bear belongs to a young boy who’s been busy raising money for charity, a story almost too saccharine for even this show.
Elsewhere in the workshop, Suzie Fletcher tackles a well-worn donkey saddle with a four-generation history of delivering Christmas presents in Northern Ireland. A century-old magic lantern projector, a linchpin in a family’s Christmas Eve tradition, falls into the capable hands of Mark Stuckey, Pete Woods, and Pierro Pozella.
As usual, “The Repair Shop” delivers more than just fixed trinkets. It provides an antidote to the holiday frenzy, a gentle reminder that the best gifts are the stories and memories we cherish. It’s a sentiment that could easily tip over into mawkishness, but somehow, the show manages to pull it off. Just try not to get a lump in your throat when the owners see their restored treasures.
“The Repair Shop at Christmas” airs Tuesday, December 24, 2024, at 8:15 PM on BBC One.
