Season 3 • Episode 1
LatestSeparated from his wife, Howard volunteers as a stand-in Santa at the shopping mall--and ends up getting invited to represent England at an international Santa competition in Lithuania. He gets to take an elf with him, and Colin agrees to fill the role.
Northern Lights is a 2006 comedy-drama. It is a spin-off of the 2004 Christmas special Christmas Lights. A sequel, City Lights, was broadcast in 2007. Also a Christmas special, Clash of the Santas, was broadcast in December 2008. It featured Colin and Howie taking a trip to Lithuania to represent the United Kingdom in a Santa convention. The main problem with this is that miserable Howie is picked as Santa, while true Christmas believer Colin is relegated to the role of cheerleading elf.
Acting
Mark Benton's gloriously miserable Howie is a masterclass in grump.
Writing
Bob Mills crafts insults that feel like poetry.
Creator
Bob Mills
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 2008 special 'Clash of the Santas' was filmed partly in Lithuania, making it one of the more unexpectedly international British Christmas comedies.
Northern Lights captures a specific mid-2000s British working-class aesthetic that predates the polished 'cozy crime' boom.
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