Every year at Christmas, school children across the world perform their own festive feel-good show, though they’re not all as eventful (and elaborate) as the one in 2009’s Nativity!
Just before Martin Freedom debuted as Sherlock Holmes’ trusty side-kick John Watson in the BBC’s Sherlock, The Office actor starred as a humble actor-turned primary teacher Mr Paul Maddens in the Nativity! The broken-hearted teacher, whose ex-Jennifer (Ashley Jenson) left him at Christmas, hates the festive season but reluctantly agrees to write the school’s nativity. After his disastrous attempt a few years before (that secured a minus two-star review), Mr Maddens is determined to put on a spectacle after he bumps into private school teacher and long-time rival Gordon Shakespeare (Jason Watkins). In the hopes of impressing his old friend, he drops into conversation that Jennifer will be returning from Hollywood with a producer to watch the show and turn it into a film… a lie which quickly catches up with him.
However, with the help of his new teaching assistant Mr Poppy (Marc Wootton), Mr Maddens pulls together an all-singing-all-dancing delight that’s worthy of a Hollywood producer. The heart-warming tale boasts catchy tunes, a musical stuffed with sparkle and shine and a happy ending for Mr Maddens too. After the popularity of the first installment, which made £6.4 million at the box office on a £1.8m budget, it spawned three sequels: Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger (2012), Nativity 3: Dude, Where’s My Donkey? (2014) and Nativity Rocks (2018).
The subsequent installments follow a similar format to the original film, as they’re all centered around the chaotic experience of putting on a school children’s show at Christmas. In the second film, Mr Poppy returns alongside Gordon Shakespeare, while a new teacher arrives as Mr Madden's replacement, Donald Peterson played by Doctor Who’s David Tennant. This titular role is taken over by Martin Clunes in Dude: Where’s my Donkey? as Ofsted inspector Jeremy Shepherd who is hit in the head by Mr Poppy’s donkey and loses his memory. Alongside Clunes, Catherine Tate and Celia Imrie appear as fellow school teachers, while Watkins and Wootton reprise their roles from the first two films. By the fourth film, there’s a whole new cast at the helm featuring Hugh Dennis, Helen George, Ruth Jones and Jessica Hynes.
Even with the cast changeovers, the heart of the franchise remains intact to offer some much-needed festive folly and fun for all ages. As Christmas fast approaches, it’s the perfect time to dive back into the family series, here’s how to watch the Nativity! film series in order and where to stream them now.
