Pilot Light’s Christmas US Sitcom Special!

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor

Book now

Pilot Light’s Christmas US Sitcom Special!

15 December 2016

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Image courtesy of PLTV Fest
Book now

For many, Christmas is about putting your feet up and indulging yourself – and, boy, do the folk at Pilot Light TV Festival have you covered this year. This December, PLTV Fest invite you to gather your nearest and dearest for an evening composed of five back-to-back Christmas-episodes from some of the biggest sitcoms from the US of A.

The programme begins on a high point with ‘Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire’ – the very first episode of the world’s longest running sitcom. From there, the evening moves to secret-Santa shenanigans in the acclaimed Steve Carrell version of The Office, before taking in the demented Christmas ideas of the sociopathic characters of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Then, we pay a trip to the hospital – where work doesn’t stop for the holidays – with the gentle surrealism of Scrubs. Finally, prepare for a giant nostalgia hit, as Friends looks to fancy-dress to jazz up Chanukah in ‘The One with the Holiday Armadillo’.

If you haven’t seen one or two of the shows featured don’t worry; in the spirit of things PLTV Fest have selected episodes that require no previous knowledge to enjoy. So, forget Trump for one evening and indulge yourself with one of America’s most popular forms of entertainment.

Where to go near Pilot Light’s Christmas US Sitcom Special!

St Peters Square Manchester
City Centre
St Peter’s Square

St Peter’s Square is a public space in Manchester – home to the city’s iconic library, town hall, Pankhurst statue, art gallery and famous Midland Hotel.

Manchester Art Gallery. Photo by Andrew Brooks
City Centre
Gallery
Manchester Art Gallery

The Charles Barry-designed, Grade I-listed Manchester Art Gallery is one of the city’s leading galleries and is back open for visitors once more.

Manchester
Restaurant
Ban Di Bul

Ban Di Bul is a longstanding Korean restaurant in the very centre of Manchester.

Chinatown
Hotel
The Alan

This high-end city-centre restaurant has an excellent afternoon tea option that more than matches up to the superb main menu.

Salut Wines
Chinatown
Bar or Pub
Salut Wines

Salut wines pride themselves in offering “wider horizons beyond the safe choices.” With 42 wines by the glass and a regularly changing selection of bottles in their Enomatic wine preservation machines (or  “wine jukebox,” as they’re colloquially known), this is one of be best bars in Manchester for exploring new vintages.

Manchester
Restaurant
Friska

Latest branch of Friska, the independent healthy fast food chain.

Manchester
Restaurant
Don Giovanni

Traditional Italian restaurant, serving everything from pizza to steak. All this in a large modern venue with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Chinatown
Restaurant
Manchester Art Gallery Cafe

Summery bakes, seasonal salads and fresh light meals at Manchester Art Gallery’s in-house café, courtesy of highly-regarded Head Chef Matthew Taylor.

City Centre
Tourist Attraction
Manchester Town Hall

Re-opening in 2024, Manchester Town Hall is a monument to Victorian Manchester’s ambition, and one of the city’s most-loved landmarks.

City Centre
Tourist Attraction
Albert Square

A public square in the heart of Manchester which plays hosts to festivals and major events. Home to the Albert Memorial and statues of Bishop James Fraser, John Bright, Oliver Heywood and William Ewart Gladstone.

What's on: Cinema

Culture Guides

Sepia image of a courtroom with the words 'Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird’
Theatre in the North

Winter brings a huge haul of seasonal shows, as well as productions that resolutely veer away from the fairy lights.

Music in the North

Manchester’s closing out the year – and looking to the new one – with a run of gigs from some of the country’s best underground exports.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.

A white mattress is burning in a black rocky landscape.
Exhibitions in the North

In galleries around the North this autumn, you'll find tactile sculptures, Treasures with a capital 'T' and plant magic.

Food and Drink in the North

Hear ye, hear ye. Take some eating-out tips from our wintertime guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.