Bad Tidings is a festive comedy movie on Sky Max, starring Lee Mack and Chris McCausland as warring neighbours who become unlikely heroes. Lee plays grumpy home-security expert Neil who is constantly driven to distraction by his blind neighbour Scott (Chris McCausland) who insists on leaving his Christmas lights on all year round. Then, one Christmas Eve, their feuding causes chaos and the pair are forced to band together to save their street from notorious burglars.
“Talk about a back of an envelope idea that has got out of hand, we are now making a Christmas comedy film and it's going to be awesome,” says Chris McCausland, who co-wrote Bad Tidings. “I can't wait to get up to some hilarious mayhem with Lee and bring some festive spirit into people's living rooms this Christmas!”
Meanwhile, Lee Mack adds: “I love Chris McCausland, I love the script and I Iove Christmas!”
Here’s everything you need to know about Sky's festive special Bad Tidings…
Bad Tidings release date
Bad Tidings premieres in the UK on Sunday December 22 at 7.30pm on Sky Max and also be available from then on NOW for Christmas 2024.
Is there a Bad Tidings trailer?
Yes Sky has now released an official Bad Tidings trailer, so you can watch a preview of the festive fun below...
Bad Tidings plot
Bad Tidings follows Neil (Lee Mack), a moody home-security expert from Stockport, in the north of England, who can’t stand his irritating blind neighbour Scott (Chris McCausland). The problem is the rest of the neighbours think Scott is great and appoint him the head of their Neighbourhood Watch, to Neil’s fury. Their bickering culminates in Lee causing a power-cut, meaning the whole neighbourhood is evacuated on Christmas Eve with just Neil and Scott left behind to keep guard. And when the local crime family decides to rob every house on the street in a single night, the pair must defeat them. But with no power, and 50 per cent of them blind, it’s going to take a heroic effort to save their neighbourhood.
Bad Tidings cast — Lee Mack on playing Neil
Comedian Lee Mack plays grumpy neighbour Neil. "I trust Chris, so I agreed to get onboard without reading the script," says Lee, 56. ‘It’s definitely got a Home Alone-style level of goodies and baddies, and I think the Brennans could have a spin-off film. But I hope people watching think that a pair of incompetent, clueless, moronic imbeciles can get the job done when push comes to shove. And I’m talking about the actors, not the characters!"
* Lee Mack stars in Not Going Out and Semi-Detached and has also had roles in Murder, They Hope, Horrible Histories: The Movie, Inside No.9 and Doctor Who. He also hosts the ITV1 quiz show The 1% Club and is a team captain on Would I Lie to You? From 2014 to 2017 he fronted the show Duck Quacks Don’t Echo.
Chris McCausland on playing Scott in Bad Tidings
Stand-up comedian Chris McCausland plays Neil’s blind neighbour Scott.
"It’s a buddy-comedy caper, and Lee and I play two feuding neighbours who can’t stand each other,’ says Strictly Come Dancing 2024 winner McCausland, 47, who co-wrote Bad Tidings with the team behind Ghosts and Horrible Histories. ‘Neil and Scott are both really petty, but they have to work together to save the day."
"We set out to make a film that is, I think, funny and captivating, and keeps you on the edge of your seat with a lot of tension and laughs. And Sky actually had the confidence in the two of us to pull it off, although they did get me an acting coach. I think they had slightly less faith in me than they did in Lee."
* As well as his Strictly win, Chris McCausland a regular on comedy panel shows such as QI, Would I Lie To You?, House of Games and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. He appeared on the reality series Scared of the Dark and has had cameo roles in EastEnders, Moving On and Not Going Out. HIs travel series Wonders Of The World I Can't See was shown on Channel 4 and he appeared alongside Lee Mack in Not Going Out.
Who else is starring in Bad Tidings?
Other cast in Bad Tidings are Rebekah Staton, Sarah Alexander, Ben Crompton, Emily Coates, Josiah Eloi, Millie Kiss, Tupele Dorgu, Sunil Patel, Susan Kyd and Donna Preston.
Behind the scenes and more on Bad Tidings
Bad Tidings is written by Laurence Rickard and Martha Howe-Douglas as well as Chris McCausland. The yuletide comedy is produced by Sky Studios and directed by Tim Kirkby with Adnan Ahmed from Sky Studios producing. Anil Gupta Executive Produces for Sky Studios. NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution handles international sales on behalf of Sky Studios.
