Phyllis Dobbs Moderator Games Guru member is offline
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Christmas Telly « Thread Started on Dec 19, 2011, 1:24pm »
I wondered if anyone would like to mention any TV programmes they have particularly enjoyed this festive season, or even discuss what Christmas telly was like in the past and what it's like now.
It was a big thing in the past with TV specials from Morcambe and Wiseand the Two Ronnies taking centre stage. Now it's the turn of the Doctor Who Christmas Special to keep up that grand tradition of eagerly anticipated Christmas shows and rightly so!
I've just finished watching Lost Christmas on iplayer. We couldn't see it all yesterday when we were visiting my parents. It's seems quite dark and depressing but is well worth a watch to the end. Eddie Izzard is very good.
Joined: May 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 2,399 Location: United Kingdom
Re: Christmas Telly « Reply #2 on Dec 19, 2011, 7:11pm »
From my childhood I remember that they always showed films with The Beatles during the holiday ... I always associate those little candied fruit slices with watching 'A Hard Day's Night' for that reason, LOL! I used to watch the ski-ing too... and of course 'Morcambe and Wise' and 'The Two Ronnies' - oh, and the Christmas Day edition of 'Top of the Pops' was an absolute must!! (I left school in 1975 so that will give you some idea of the era I'm talking about...). What else... well, in later years 'The Sound of Music' and a James Bond film was always on...
Nowadays I have to watch 'Doctor Who' - the menfolk love 'Top Gear' and I do love those 'round-up of the year' type programmes too - news and entertainment both.
What we often do is have a 'fest' or a 'marathon' of something we all love - one year we had a 'Star Wars' marathon, watching all the films over as many days as it took to watch them all. Last year we had a mini Harry Potter fest, but now all the films are out on dvd that may be something for next year, perhaps. We've had 'Dr Who' fests (although that is quite difficult now because there are so many!) One year we had a 'TOrchwood' fest... have yet to have a 'Lfe on Mars' marathon though - might suggest it this year!
Joined: Oct 2010 Gender: Female Posts: 450 Location: Sheffield
Re: Christmas Telly « Reply #3 on Dec 19, 2011, 8:59pm »
When I was a kid - Top of the Pops Christmas Special was a must (for me anyway) - I remember my grandad (God rest his soul) constantly complaining about it and, when The Queen came on; we had to sit in absolute silence!!! That, was not one of my key Christmas telly moments!!!!! Recently; it has had to be the Doctor Who Specials but, so far, none has beaten The End of Time for me.....
Joined: Aug 2010 Gender: Female Posts: 592 Location: Illinois
Re: Christmas Telly « Reply #4 on Dec 19, 2011, 10:58pm »
It's a shame that we don't have the tradition of "eagerly anticipated Christmas shows" here. I think the main tradition in the US is to broadcast the film "It's a Wonderful Life" on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day. [Snorkie, PeterPopper,imaof4 -- correct me if I'm wrong.]
This year, other than that and the Disney Christmas Parade on Christmas Day, there are seasonal favourites such as "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Raindeer,""National Lampoon Christmas Vacation," etc. being shown in the 3 or 4 weeks before Christmas.
And this year the start of the professional basketball season was delayed due to a strike-- so FIVE games (the first of the season) will be broadcast on Christmas Day.
Subscribers to BBC America WILL see the Dr. Who Christmas special, however!
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Re: Christmas Telly « Reply #5 on Dec 19, 2011, 11:19pm »
Memories of Christmas telly? What really stands out for me were films more than programmes.The ever ubiquitous It's a Wonderful Life (sometimes broadcast several times), Miracle on 34th Street (1947, 'cos there have been a re-makes), A Christmas Carol with Alistair Sim and A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Present day I am most definitely looking forward to the DW Christmas special!! I've seen Lost Christmas and I agree with your assessment of it Phyllis. Antiques Road Show (which I'm addicted to anyway) had a year round up of special moments with Christmas thrown in for good measure. I am also definitely going to watch Christopher Eccelston as Pod. Last adaptation of The Borrowers I truly enjoyed had Jim Broadbent in the role. Loved reading the books as a child (and sharing the story with my children)
ETA: Must've been typing/posting when you gave the shout out about It's a Wonderful Life. This year it will be broadcast only on Christmas Eve, but I remember distinctly in years past it had been broadcast over and over (and over).It's alright, I've the DVD anyway!
It's a shame that we don't have the tradition of "eagerly anticipated Christmas shows" here. I think the main tradition in the US is to broadcast the film "It's a Wonderful Life" on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day. [Snorkie, PeterPopper,imaof4 -- correct me if I'm wrong.]
This year, other than that and the Disney Christmas Parade on Christmas Day, there are seasonal favourites such as "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Raindeer,""National Lampoon Christmas Vacation," etc. being shown in the 3 or 4 weeks before Christmas.
And this year the start of the professional basketball season was delayed due to a strike-- so FIVE games (the first of the season) will be broadcast on Christmas Day.
Subscribers to BBC America WILL see the Dr. Who Christmas special, however!
NBC is airing It's a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve. Some fun facts about the movie I recently learned: The movie was supposed to be released the following March, and not intended as a Christmas movie at all. The studio's original holiday movie (Sinbad, or something like that) wasn't going to be ready in time, so IaWL premiered on Dec. 20, 1946. There wasn't much publicity for it, and it was a little too dark for audiences after WWII. It left theaters quickly and wasn't seen again until it became part of the public domain, when TV stations could run it whenever and as often as they wanted. Does anyone else remember when you couldn't switch the channel without landing on it? Well, this exposure resulted in millions of people falling in love with the movie. Yea!
I've been a Jimmy Stewart fan since forever, so I really wish I could have been there when John did an imitation of him. Considering what RTD wrote about John's talent in this area, I'll bet it was pretty good!
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Re: Christmas Telly « Reply #7 on Dec 20, 2011, 12:14am »
Thanks for the background story PP. And just because it had been broadcast so often didn't mean one actually had to watch it each and every time!!
John read from the short story, The Greatest Gift that the film was based on, btw. That's ok, I've never heard of it before, only the film adaptation...
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Re: Christmas Telly « Reply #8 on Dec 20, 2011, 1:17am »
Fondly remembered Christmas telly always included the aforementioned Morecombe & Wise, and my Mum had to time our Christmas dinner, not around the Queens speech, but Top of the Pops I also remember watching The Inn of the Sixth Happiness one Christmas Eve when I was quite young and crying for ages - wonder if it would have the same effect now. The Sound of Music always seemed to be watched on New Years Day afternoon nursing a hangover This year I'm looking forward to Treasure Island, Sherlock, DW and the new BBC Great Expectations.
Joined: May 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 2,399 Location: United Kingdom
Re: Christmas Telly « Reply #9 on Dec 20, 2011, 8:26am »
Oh yes, Sherlock and Treasure Island will both be on this year's 'must watch' list, too! And does anyone here remember Victoria Wood's show, which I somehow associate with Xmas?!
Another one to look out for (in the UK) is a series of shorts, each starring (or cameo-ing, I should say) an actor - called 'Christmas Crackers' they are half hour tales which I THINK may be autobiographical - we watched half a dozen last weekend and Kathy Burke's (Waynetta Slob, anyone remember her?! LOL) one stands out in my memory... I'd tell you the rest but I really need to get to work now, lol!
Phyllis Dobbs Moderator Games Guru member is offline
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Re: Christmas Telly « Reply #10 on Dec 20, 2011, 1:22pm »
I love the idea of not being able to switch channels without landing on It's a Wonderful life.
Other great movies that alway seem more memorable to me for often being on around Christmas are ones like The Wizard of Oz, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Great Escape.
Oooh yes, I'm looking forward to watching all the programmes you mention jinxed. I'll have to look out for Christmas Crackers too edzel2.
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Re: Christmas Telly « Reply #11 on Dec 22, 2011, 1:34am »
How can you all have forgotten the 1951 British version of A Christmas Carol? That version is to me still the definitive version of one of Britain's most famous and most popular literary works!
« Last Edit: Dec 22, 2011, 1:35am by legaleagle51 »
Phyllis Dobbs Moderator Games Guru member is offline
'Okay, alright, brief me in full. What do I need to know?'
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Re: Christmas Telly « Reply #12 on Dec 22, 2011, 9:54am »
Absolutely. It seems like a long time since I last watched that film. I'll have to try catch and record it so that I can watch it again. I can't watch any version of A Christmas Carol without thinking about that one.
There have been lots of adaptations haven't there. My son watched The Muppet Christmas Carol at school the other day. Patrick Stewart and Richard E. Grant made a reasonable version. I also enjoyed Scrooged as I like Bill Murray. Catherine Tate's Nan's Christmas Carol is a hoot and the enjoyment is very much enhanced by the appearance of David Tennant.
ETA:- Silly tongue-in-cheek article from today's Telegraph :
Joined: Jan 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 1,298 Location: Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
Re: Christmas Telly « Reply #13 on Dec 22, 2011, 7:11pm »
I was just thinking about how much fun it would be to see John in an adaptation of A Christmas Carol. I don't think he could pull off Ebeneezer Scrooge (but then again, this is John we're talking about; he might consider it a challenge, although Phillip Glenister is more the type to play the part), but he'd make a superb Bob Cratchit, don't you think?
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I've seen Lost Christmas and I agree with your assessment of it Phyllis. Antiques Road Show (which I'm addicted to anyway) had a year round up of special moments with Christmas thrown in for good measure. I am also definitely going to watch Christopher Eccelston as Pod. Last adaptation of The Borrowers I truly enjoyed had Jim Broadbent in the role. Loved reading the books as a child (and sharing the story with my children)
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