How to watch the Motherland Christmas Special online in the UK and anywhere

It's been a long wait, but Sharon Horgan's hit comedy Motherland is back for a Christmas special, and Queen Bee Amanda (Lucy Punch) is channeling her inner (okay, not that inner) Evil Santa at her annual festive soiree with the rest of the Alpha Mums. Even if it doesn't snow, it will certainly be frosty. Follow our guide to find out where to watch the Motherland Christmas Special online for free.

Julia, Kevin and Liz aren't technically invited but tag along with Meg anyway, because, well, they're desperate and the alternative is just too tragic, particularly for poor Julia (Anna Maxwell Martin), who's trapped in an age-old Christmas nightmare - playing dogsbody to the dreaded in-laws.

Meanwhile, a fungal infection-hampered Liz (Diane Morgan) is determined to keep the Christmas spirit (but certainly not the wine) at bay, and Kevin's (Paul Ready) festive fever levels are dangerously (read: annoyingly) high.

Trust Meg (Tanya Moodie) to bring a bit of life to a party that places strict rules on mulled wine drinking zones, but the fun comes at the expense of a thirty-foot tall Christmas tree. 

It's chaos, and we're absolutely here for it. Dress code: tinsel and tiaras, naturally, and don't forget - shoes off! Here's how to watch the Motherland Christmas Special online - including for free.

• Holiday essentials: how to watch Home Alone online

How to watch the Motherland Christmas Special online free in the UK

Brits have got another dose of quality BBC programming coming their way – and streaming this adrenaline-fuelled drama doesn’t have to cost a thing.

The Motherland Christmas Special airs on BBC Two at 9pm GMT on Wednesday, December 23.

But if you’ve cut the cord, or just prefer to stream your TV shows, then you can enjoy the Motherland Christmas Special online using BBC iPlayer free of charge (provided you've got a valid TV license). Either watch live at 9pm on Wednesday, or catch-up at a later date - the episode will become available on-demand on iPlayer just after airing.

Currently out of the country? No problem. Check out a top-quality VPN and connect to the BBC iPlayer service just like you would at home.

How to watch the Motherland Christmas Special online from outside your country

Out of the UK right now? Chances are regional restrictions will prevent you from streaming content from your preferred on-demand platform.

Luckily, there's an easy solution. Downloading a VPN will let you watch your favourite TV shows as they air no matter where you’re located. This simple bit of kit changes your IP address, overcoming geo-blocks and allowing you to access film and TV content that would be unavailable otherwise.

ExpressVPN is the world's top VPN right now
We've taken the time to try out all the biggest VPN providers and we found ExpressVPN to be the pick of the bunch. It works with lots of devices and offers super fast connections across its many servers. 

Throw in its robust set of security features, and ExpressVPN is the best all-round VPN for streaming - and perhaps best of all, it has a 30-day money back guarantee plus 3 months FREE when you subscribe for a year.

Access ExpressVPN via your laptop, iPhone, tablet, Android phone, PlayStation, Xbox and plenty more. Express is a do-it-all service that also benefits from 24/7 customer support.

- Try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free for 30 days

• Related: how to watch The Undoing online