The Office

The show concerns a group of strangers brought together by community service. Among them are lawyer and social disaster Greg Dillard, played by Merchant, and Frank Sheldon, a former conman played by Christopher Walken (Pulp Fiction).

Series one saw the gang come into contact with a bag of money, drawing them into the world of the Dean (Claes Bang), a drug lord who wants his cash back. The second series sees the group go deeper into the world of crime, selling drugs themselves.

The RTS Student Master­classes drew a crowd of more than 300 this month to hear four of the industry’s top talents talk about their careers and offer first-hand advice on how to make a start in television.

Journalism

Inzamam Rashid, a Sky News correspondent based in the north of England, told the packed Journalism masterclass: “I always wanted to do the news, [as] a reporter, a newsreader or [working] behind the scenes.”

In a TV landscape in which demand for new drama outstrips supply, adapting popular shows from abroad is a favoured strategy. It can often be done quickly and cheaply, and can deliver healthy ratings.

The original Swedish version of Before We Die performed respectably when it aired in the UK, averaging 300,000 viewers across its first series on All 4’s foreign language VoD service, Walter Presents.

A finale, then, is a touchy affair, as the emotional stability of a show’s entire fandom rests in the palms of the showrunners’ hands. And if you think I’m exaggerating, just ask a Game of Thrones fan what they thought of The Iron Throne.

That was an extreme case but it did prove the power of a finale to tarnish a show’s legacy (although House of the Dragon is so far doing some good damage limitation). Here, however, we take a look at the ones who secured theirs.

Needless to say, the SPOILERS abound.

For drama to arise, the hero’s intention must meet an obstacle, and what better obstacle than an arch-rival.

But rivalries come in all forms, from the most petty to the most fierce, and are therefore wellsprings of drama and hilarity that can be found in series of all genres.

Here are some of the greatest to have graced the small screen.

Sharon and Rob – Catastrophe

An accidental pregnancy after a one night stand with a stranger who lives on the other side of the world might not seem like the ideal start to a romantic relationship, yet over the course of four series, Sharon (Sharon Horgan) and Rob (Rob Delaney) flourish into a couple who are made for each other.

Fans of the US version of The Office, rejoice! Amid the constant pleas for a TV reunion, the next best thing has arrived in the form of a new podcast, Office Ladies.

The Office co-stars and real-life best friends Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey take a trip down memory lane and relive each episode from their unique perspective.

They dish the dirt on cast members and reveal what went on behind the scenes in each episode of the hit series.

Although he assures me he’s “too old to play Tim [again]”, you can see the similarities he shares with his famous character.

He is affable and self-deprecating, joking that he thinks the real Steve Fulcher, who he plays in upcoming ITV drama A Confession, was happy for him to play him - although might have wished for “someone taller, maybe?”

With more than 80 film and TV credits to his name, Freeman has starred in everything from cult classic TV series to huge blockbuster franchises.

For many actors, physique is destiny. If Brad Pitt and Danny DeVito had each other’s bodies, they would probably have each other’s careers.

Tall, thin, gaunt and with deep-set eyes, Mackenzie Crook was probably bound to be asked regularly to play men on the spectrum from ill-at-ease through weird to extremist.

The best-known of these malcontents are creepy army reservist Gareth Keenan in The Office and Ragetti in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise.

It really is the season to be jolly as far as television is concerned, the line-up is full of one-off specials, film premieres and climatic soap storylines.

So, crack open the port, grab a selection box and feast on our compilation of some of the finest moments in the history of Christmas television.

​Only Fools and Horses