Bad Education Christmas Special, review Jack Whitehall's comic coronation is complete. The public has just voted him "King of Comedy" at the British Comedy Awards for the second year running, as well as honouring his role as the oddly endearing ignoramus, JP, in student sitcom Fresh Meat. Then there's Backchat, the talk show he hosts with his glowering father, which absolutely shouldn't work but somehow does, and his panel show appearances, where he embodies every toff you've ever avoided at a party with such self-effacement you can't help but like him. But one thing could dethrone Whitehall and that's Bad Education, his BBC Three comedy about imbecilic history teacher, Alfie Wickers. Sure, it's better than David Walliams's banal sitcom Big School, but after two series the critics are still bickering. Does it unearth essential truths about school life or trample well-worn ground? Are the clichéd pupils a comment on stereotyping or the products of lazy writing? Are the jokes brave or just puerile? And do we want to watch Whitehall play a less sympathetic version of JP? More often than not I've been one of the naysayers, but I'd hoped the Christmas special, in which Alfie is put in charge of the school play, would convert me by delivering one of two things: a stinging parody of schmaltzy school traditions with a script to make even Frankie Boyle squirm, or a quirky heart-warmer in which his 2D characters finally surprise us. The problem was, the episode attempted, and failed at, both. Yes, it sent up teachers convinced they're the next Terence Rattigan, with Alfie writing a multi-faith mash-up of Robocop and The Nutcracker. But that was about as satirical as it got. Whitehall's script relied once more on toilet humour and tired, tasteless digs at "the fat kid," "the kid in the wheelchair" (who is given Twister for Christmas) and the homeless. As usual, the pupils provided the odd fresh moment, particularly gay student Stephen (Layton Williams), whose deadpan delivery of "You got me a ticket to West Ham? I'm Millwall "til I die" was deliciously unexpected. But it wasn't enough - especially when he went on to perform a predictably camp expressive dance in the show. Meanwhile, the idea that Christmas cheer might just conquer all was merrily flambéed with the Christmas pud. Alfie's absent mum (Frances Barber) arrives to watch his creation, but only because she's been tricked into it. And homophobic Frank - who could have won our hearts by finally accepting Stephen's sexuality - was suddenly gay himself. Another missed trick. "We've read your scripts before," the class tells Alfie when he pitches "Robocracker." You don't really do subtlety do you? Ah, many a true word spoken in jest.