sorry if i'm the only one clueless about this, but what exactly are the christmas specials? which seasons had them? are they just regular episodes or are they separate in some way? do the things that "happen" in them "happen" in the main narrative? are they numbered separately from the rest of the season?

thanks for the clarification.

Only series 7 and 8 had Christmas Specials. They were shown a few weeks after the said series ended, and appear as the last episode on each series' DVD.

so, if you see series 8, ep 1, you better have seen series 7's christmas special or you won't know what's going on? what makes it a christmas "special"?

thanks!

Yeah I think there are some stuff in 7's Christmas Special that you have to see before you start series8.

The Christmas specials are worth watching and include one point of minor interest as they are the only BG 'episodes' which are definitely linked to a time of the year as opposed to every other episode which is indeterminate. The first one served as a bridge between series 7 and 8 and the second one served as a finale.

I knew someone could explain it better than me! Cheers Richard :)