Christmas TV. Even Worse Than Usual ?

[yorksrob]

Does anyone else think that the Christmas TV this year has been even crummier than usual. The channels seem to offer little else other than children's films throughout the day and even ITV3 doesn't seem to have had much on. Drama and comedy seem to have been almost non-existant, bar the occasional Columbo and one or two episodes of Lewis repeated ad infinitum.

The only decent new thing worth watching has been Maigret on ITV with Rowan Atkinson.

Thank heavens for my parents collection of vintage Kenneth Moore films.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Does anyone else think that the Christmas TV this year has been even crummier than usual. The channels seem to offer little else other than children's films throughout the day and even ITV3 doesn't seem to have had much on. Drama and comedy seem to have been almost non-existant, bar the occasional Columbo and one or two episodes of Lewis repeated ad infinitum.

The only decent new thing worth watching has been Maigret on ITV with Rowan Atkinson.

Thank heavens for my parents collection of vintage Kenneth Moore films.

Absolutely agree! if it was up to me I wouldn't even bother hitting the power button now, sadly wife and daughter will watch anything though, so it's on most of the time anyway incidentally whilst watching these old Kenneth Moore movies do you ever recall seeing one with some railway scenes shot on the old Fowey branch? I've been trying for years to find out which one this was.

 

[yorksrob]

Absolutely agree! if it was up to me I wouldn't even bother hitting the power button now, sadly wife and daughter will watch anything though, so it's on most of the time anyway incidentally whilst watching these old Kenneth Moore movies do you ever recall seeing one with some railway scenes shot on the old Fowey branch? I've been trying for years to find out which one this was.

I've not seen one with the Fowey branch. However the Thirty-nine Steps had some lovely views of the Forth Bridge

 

[Cowley]

We don't actually have a TV, we've just got tablets and the kids have laptops. While I was round at a friends house flicking through her TV guide the other day I remembered why I got rid of the thing, I actually got rid of it one Christmas, probably after realising I couldn't take it any more.
Absolutely naff all on that interests me.
Happy Christmas chaps

 

[Ash Bridge]

I've not seen one with the Fowey branch. However the Thirty-nine Steps had some lovely views of the Forth Bridge

Ah well, the search goes on for that one then.

We don't actually have a TV, we've just got tablets and the kids have laptops. While I was round at a friends house flicking through her TV guide the other day I remembered why I got rid of the thing, I actually got rid of it one Christmas, probably after realising I couldn't take it any more.
Absolutely naff all on that interests me.
Happy Christmas chaps

You sound like a man of my mind Mr C, and a Happy Christmas to you too

 

[J-2739]

It was alright, not the best though.

I hope they improve at New Years. That episode of Blackadder, they need to show again!

 

[Johnuk123]

With Sky, AP and Netflix we have a huge amount to choose from.The Wife originally from Virginia watches a multitude of American mini series and some are superb, others not so.
We hardly ever have BBC or ITV on so if this year has been another one of endless repeats I wouldn't know but I can't remember when Christmas was any different.

 

[yorksrob]

I miss all the comedy Christmas specials we used to get, like French & Saunders, One Foot in the Grave, etc. Obviously the same people and programmes can't go on forever, but there doesn't seem to be anything to replace them nowadays.

 

[trainmania100]

Hasn't been great this year. I usually recall watching elf most years but haven't seen it at all this year.
Doctor who Christ!as special wasn't bad but other than that not a very merry Christmas on the TV been watching cbeebies showing more Christmas cheer for my much younger sister

 

[Trog]

What do you expect just look at the threads below so many actors and entertainers have died lately there are probably not enough left to do Christmas.

 

[507021]

The only thing I watched from start to finish on Christmas Day was an André Rieu Christmas concert (I think it was a repeat from 2005/6). I'm not usually into that sort of music but I've got to admit, I really enjoyed it. Nothing else stood out to me the television magazine, so I spent the rest of the day playing board games with my Dad and girlfriend.

 

[Phil.]

You're complaining about television programmes. Don't you have friends to visit/invite around, books to read, radio to listen to, places to visit, family to talk to, games to play?

 

[Starmill]

There may be a lot of kids films on but that doesn't necessarily mean they're rubbish. How to Train Your Dragon and sequel have been on the BBC and they are absolutely excellent, have a wide appeal to all ages, and have won a number of awards, highly recommended. I have also enjoyed Star Trek: Beyond, a film dedicated to the memory of Leonard Nimoy and Anton Yelchin, actors in it who have sadly passed away. Who can forget the classics such as the 1992 The Muppet Christmas Carol and the 1939 The Wizard of Oz.

Some good drama is available too, in the form of Doctor Who and forthcoming Sherlock and still on my list Jonathan Creek. I will probably also give Charlie Brooker's 2016 Wipe a watch. I enjoyed them, but appreciate that Mrs Browns Boys and Revolting Rhymes may be less to your taste!

 

[yorkie]

You're complaining about television programmes. Don't you have friends to visit/invite around, books to read, radio to listen to, places to visit, family to talk to, games to play?

:-? He is watching TV with his family. I doubt that's the only thing they are doing.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I really enjoyed watching the 90-minute animation "Ethel and Ernest" last night on BBC1 that was based upon the lives of the parents of Raymond Briggs from 1928 onwards, based on his novel and using the same style of illustration. Jim Broadbent and Brenda Blethyn were ideal in their voice portrayals.

 

[backontrack]

Doctor Who was good! I enjoyed it quite a bit. And Outnumbered on Boxing Day too.

Last year, we had the fantastic And Then There Were None - I'm not sure that this year's Agatha Christie necessarily lives up to that.

 

[AM9]

I really enjoyed watching the 90-minute animation "Ethel and Ernest" last night on BBC1 that was based upon the lives of the parents of Raymond Briggs from 1928 onwards, based on his novel and using the same style of illustration. Jim Broadbent and Brenda Blethyn were ideal in their voice portrayals.

Couldn't agree more. It captured what must have been the fond memories of Raymond Briggs's formative years as portrayed in the Snowman story followed by the naïvety, irony and the pathos of adult and end of life previously revealed in works such as 'When The Wind Blows'.
A friend was watching this with her 10 year old son. At the end he asked whether Ethel and Ernest were famous people. She told him that they weren't, and it was just about his parents' life and that is how 'ordinary peoples' lives were. He replied that it was interesting and that he had enjoyed it.
It was a fascinating study of the pleasures and challenges of 'ordinary' life, - a welcome break from the obsession with self and celebrity in recent years.

 

[Greenback]

In general, I'd say that the TV has been poor this year. I've been working a lot, so anything I have seen has been on catch up TV, but not a lot has tickled my fancy.

The one stand out exception for me was Maigret, which I managed to see live on Christmas night. I thought it was very good.

 

[AM9]

Does anyone else think that the Christmas TV this year has been even crummier than usual. The channels seem to offer little else other than children's films throughout the day and even ITV3 doesn't seem to have had much on. Drama and comedy seem to have been almost non-existant, bar the occasional Columbo and one or two episodes of Lewis repeated ad infinitum.

The only decent new thing worth watching has been Maigret on ITV with Rowan Atkinson.

Thank heavens for my parents collection of vintage Kenneth Moore films.

I think that Christmas TV suffers from nostalgia just like the summer weather. We have fond memories of everlasting 'good' programmes specially created for family entertainment at Christmas. Occasionally, these old gems are re-transmitted, things like 'Christmas With The Stars' where TV personalities of the day were hired to do cameos of their acts/series etc.. Watching them through adult sober eyes reveals just how naff they were.
We now have something like 20 unique channels (excluding '+1's and shopping programmes) available free to air, plus a plethora of online streaming channels via Connect TV. And all that is available to anyone with a licence. Cable/satellite offers many more channels (at cost).
The continuing onslaught on BBC funding and the competition for ITV advertising slots are driving down what original material they can offer, so those who restrict their viewing to the same channels that they would have watched in the '70s will find that today's Christmas offerings might not offer them the same entertainment. The wider choice available now does require the hard pressed viewer to actually push a few buttons sometimes.

 

[krus_aragon]

In general, I'd say that the TV has been poor this year. I've been working a lot, so anything I have seen has been on catch up TV, but not a lot has tickled my fancy.

Most of the TV that we've been looking forward to has been post-Christmas: The RI Christmas Lectures, Johnathan Creek, and the up-coming series of Sherlock. With our house now running to a toddler timetable, catch-up TV is our main method of viewing as well.

 

[yorksrob]

]]

You're complaining about television programmes. Don't you have friends to visit/invite around, books to read, radio to listen to, places to visit, family to talk to, games to play?

As Yorkie says, I do have family and friends to visit. However, there are only so many things to say and places to go, and we all appreciate some good television during the festive period.

That said, for those who don't have friends or family on hand to visit, I should imagine that some good programmes are one of the things that make what can be a difficult time of year bearable. They must be longing for the resumption of normal programming this year.

 

[krus_aragon]

I think that Christmas TV suffers from nostalgia just like the summer weather. We have fond memories of everlasting 'good' programmes specially created for family entertainment at Christmas. Occasionally, these old gems are re-transmitted, things like 'Christmas With The Stars' where TV personalities of the day were hired to do cameos of their acts/series etc.. Watching them through adult sober eyes reveals just how naff they were.
We now have something like 20 unique channels (excluding '+1's and shopping programmes) available free to air, plus a plethora of online streaming channels via Connect TV. And all that is available to anyone with a licence. Cable/satellite offers many more channels (at cost).
The continuing onslaught on BBC funding and the competition for ITV advertising slots are driving down what original material they can offer, so those who restrict their viewing to the same channels that they would have watched in the '70s will find that today's Christmas offerings might not offer them the same entertainment. The wider choice available now does require the hard pressed viewer to actually push a few buttons sometimes.

Rewind 20-30 years, and I remember sitting down with the family in mid-December with a highlighter and the Radio Times, picking out what we'd be watching, when. I'd look at the listings in the morning to remind myself of what I was looking forward to watching that day. (Resolving stalemates was easier after we bought a VCR, allowing us to record one program while watching another.) Nowadays, I find myself working the other way around. Rather than sit down to watch at a particular time to watch a desired program, I sit down when it's convenient to me and see what's available. And most recently, I'm looking at catch-up Tv first, before even looking at live broadcasts.

 

[stephenhartley]

I'm surprised that this hasn't been mentioned here yet, airs this evening, 9pm on BBC4

Flying Scotsman From The Footplate

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2016/52/flying-scotsman-from-the-footplate


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[yorksrob]

There may be a lot of kids films on but that doesn't necessarily mean they're rubbish. How to Train Your Dragon and sequel have been on the BBC and they are absolutely excellent, have a wide appeal to all ages, and have won a number of awards, highly recommended. I have also enjoyed Star Trek: Beyond, a film dedicated to the memory of Leonard Nimoy and Anton Yelchin, actors in it who have sadly passed away. Who can forget the classics such as the 1992 The Muppet Christmas Carol and the 1939 The Wizard of Oz.

Some good drama is available too, in the form of Doctor Who and forthcoming Sherlock and still on my list Jonathan Creek. I will probably also give Charlie Brooker's 2016 Wipe a watch. I enjoyed them, but appreciate that Mrs Browns Boys and Revolting Rhymes may be less to your taste!

Yes, maybe Charlie Brooker will find something interesting in 2016 to comment on

I terms of children's filming perhaps you're right, but they could do with exercising some quality control and maybe restricting to no more than a third of the general entertainment channels at any given time.

 

[northwichcat]

The only decent new thing worth watching has been Maigret on ITV with Rowan Atkinson.

I found myself watching Mr Bean from 1990. Maybe we need multiple local franchises to all start compete for network slots on ITV again?

 

[Clip]

Christmas TV really was poor this year I must say. Hardly watched any of the main channels as they had nothing of any real appeal to me.

Recorded that Ethel and Earnest last night though as that looked good so will probably watch that soon.

 

[Seacook]

Most of the TV that we've been looking forward to has been post-Christmas: The RI Christmas Lectures, Johnathan Creek, and the up-coming series of Sherlock. With our house now running to a toddler timetable, catch-up TV is our main method of viewing as well.

Agreed. Though I found Jonathan Creek disappointing. I sincerely hope and trust that Sherlock will be up to snuff.

Does anyone know how many versions of A Christmas Carol were broadcast? It seems as though whenever I look at programme listings at least two were imminent or under way.

The programmes I have genuinely enjoyed were [Christmas] University Challenge and Round Britain Quiz on Radio 4 but even that was delayed by two days.

 

[stephenhartley]

Though I found Jonathan Creek disappointing. I sincerely hope and trust that Sherlock will be up to snuff.

Agreed; my personal view is that JC, good as it is, is probably slightly past its prime, whereas Sherlock is very much at the top of its game right now. So high hopes for Sunday evening!

 

[HSTEd]

The only good thing I've seen apart from the new Maigret (Rowan Atkinson is growing on me I think) is the day that TCM put Indiana Jones, Where Eagles Dare and Kelly's Heroes on in a row

 

[D6975]

Agreed; my personal view is that JC, good as it is, is probably slightly past its prime, whereas Sherlock is very much at the top of its game right now. So high hopes for Sunday evening!

I reckon they stopped making it (JC) because they had run out of ideas and clever solutions. There's a limit to how many different ways you can do the impossible.
I'm looking forward to Sherlock too, I like its quirky style.