Robson Green and Mark Benton co-star in Christmas Lights, a one-off comedy drama for ITV1 centred on two lifelong friends who have always competed with each other. The festive season brings on new challenges and takes their rivalry to extremes resulting in the two friends forgetting what Christmas is really about. Can anything bring them to their senses?

A group of night security guards working at the fictional Whittington shopping centre in Greater Manchester must create an elaborate scheme to hide a robbery that has taken place on their watch.

After the untimely death of her husband, shy Joan (a part-time cleaner) has to make money fast to keep from losing her home. She asks Fred, her sleazy boss, if she can work more hours - but instead, he takes on sexy air-head, Sharon and fires Joan. Now, she's forced to resort to extreme measures to avoid her home being repossessed. Aided by Sharon, and her two friends/former work-mates (65 year-old eccentric Enid, and desperate Mavis), Joan becomes the Madame of a do-it-yourself co-operative brothel... A brothel with no sex!

Christmas is coming but Barbara is not happy. Not only has she lost her wedding ring but Jim has won on a scratch card she found down the back of the sofa whilst looking for the ring and has kept quiet about his hundred pounds winnings. Nor is he especially sympathetic about Dave's impotency problem, though the entire Royle family unite to help recently widowed Joe from next door enjoy a restaurant-style evening in their house with the equally scatty Philomena, whom he has met through a want ad. On Christmas Day Barbara lashes out at Jim for his laziness and juvenile antics - though his description of a busty barmaid cures Dave's problem. However she is in for a pleasant surprise when she discovers just how he spent his scratch card winnings.