Advent Calendar 2023 Day 8: TFI Friday, 1996

We catch Chris Evans at a point where TFI is somewhere near its cultural peak and he is somewhere near his arrogance peak, four weeks away from walking out on the Radio 1 breakfast show at a time where he later admitted he'd "lost all perspective". In that context, opening with Chris and his inner circle in the pub admitting they hadn't written an ending to the cold open sketch because they'd been drinking all day is far too close to the bone. And so things progress as they generally did with its unique mix of Chris just repeating himself all the time, awkward interviews, 90s cultural dubiosity even at the time and Loaded If It Watched Too Much David Letterman stunts. Guests are Richard & Judy, James Dean Bradfield singing Last Christmas in the bar, Black Grape - so presumably this was recorded - Sleeper, the Grimethorpe Colliery Band playing White Christmas, unexpected Trevor Bayliss and an exclusive interview with the actual Father Christmas, which they make no attempt to hide is Danny Baker in an outfit but is all the better for it.