The Young Offenders return- and Rachel has a role!

When it was announced that 2016 Irish movie The Young Offenders was getting a spin-off sitcom, most fans would have agreed that there was plenty of mileage left in the characters.

However, they might also have assumed there was an expiration date - after all, Cork tearaways Jock and Conor wouldn’t stay Young Offenders forever.

Luckily, the fourth series, which aired earlier this year, proved there’s still laughs to be had as the pair became adults.

Now the hit sitcom, set in Cork city is back for a festive special, on BBC1 on Friday, December 20, at 9.30pm, and showing on RTÉ1 on Christmas Day at 9.30pm.

In the Christmas episode, Mairead (Hilary Rose) and Sgt Healy (Dominic MacHale) have an extra reason to celebrate the festive season as they are expecting a new arrival.

Conor (Alex Murphy) wants everything to be perfect for his mother, but housework isn’t really his strong point, so Mairead gives him a few pointers.

She starts by showing him how to clear out his wash basket thoroughly, only to discover there’s a gun in it. Conor insists he’s only keeping it for a friend, and is being paid for the favour, but the mate in question is Jack Hammer, who is so terrifying, even Billy Murphy (Shane Casey) is scared of him.

So, will Conor get on the wrong side of him when his mother insists he has to give the weapon back, even if it is Christmas Eve?

The festive special also features a guest star appearance by Cork celebrity chef Rachel Allen - intriguing!

The fourth series of The Young Offenders this year saw Jock and Conor go their separate ways as, due to actor Chris Walley’s other filming commitments, Jock only appeared in the early episodes.

Alex Murphy, who plays Conor, says that the character getting older has brought new possibilities to the series.

He says: “Conor’s growing up, but he doesn’t know how to really do that, so you’re watching Conor trying to navigate adulthood.”

He adds: “I think the beauty with Conor, and to be honest all of the characters in the show, is they will cope with whatever is thrown at them.

“No matter what happens to these characters, they still hold on to some sort of hope. It is a struggle for Conor without Jock, but he won’t sink.”

Alex, whose other credits include Conversations With Friends and recent thriller Crá, thinks even law-abiding viewers can see themselves in the show.

He says: “Every character is so flawed and every character has such strong motives that you can relate to someone in the show. And the writing is so good, every character learns something about themselves, and with just comedy and improv and heartfelt moments throughout in 27 minutes, it’s a brilliant show.

“There’s very little pop culture references in the show, they’re very much in their own world.

“We have the 12 people we know and that’s who we interact with, and as viewers, it’s just a nice break to watch a show where nothing outside of their world is really referenced, so for half an hour you can just chill out.”