With the era this special was produced in, it's perhaps not surprising that some elements appear that would be extremely unlikely to feature in the modern day. In particular, there's a sketch with Michael Barrymore as a "Chinese" man, "Mr. Takeaway", squinting his eyes and interchanging his Ls and Rs.
The sketch is tempered somewhat by the revelation that "Mr. Takeaway" has been putting the accent on to present a stereotype to a TV presenter interviewing the family - as well as his co-star in the sketch, Claire Lutter, very clearly laughing at Michael's ad-libs.
The sketch is tempered somewhat by the revelation that "Mr. Takeaway" has been putting the accent on to present a stereotype to a TV presenter interviewing the family - as well as his co-star in the sketch, Claire Lutter, very clearly laughing at Michael's ad-libs.
This special was tenth in the charts with 10.3 million viewers. Just below it with 10.2 million was an episode of Michael's own quiz Strike It Lucky (1986).
Press reactions to the special were mixed, with John Holt in the Nottingham Evening Post criticising the ITV variety format, calling the show "incredibly tame" and arguing that Barrymore was "having difficulty finding a niche".
In contrast, Leslie Hardy in the Daily Record praised the special, calling it "tears of laughter all the way".
In contrast, Leslie Hardy in the Daily Record praised the special, calling it "tears of laughter all the way".