Every year there is a poor selection of programmes on TV on Christmas Day.
I saw a Christmas edition of Steptoe last night and really enjoyed it. I wondered what other gems could be screened during the day.
The schedule seems to revolve around a couple of family films and the soaps.
Not including the soaps, what would YOU schedule for Christmas Day family viewing that would entertain. Anything past or present.
|
|
I miss Billy Smart's. The clown's cars reminded me of some of my early chariots.
|
And your later chariots?
;>)
|
How to get a good sleep
By
Rip Van Winkle.
|
Tigress in the Bedroom
By Claude Balls
|
|
I don't recall the exact figures that I read a few days ago but it was something along the lines that of the 100+ films being shown over Xmas/New Year only 3 have not already been shown on Terrestrial channels. Standby for the Sound of Music, Willy Plonker and the Chocolate Factory, the Great Escape, Home Alone Parts 1,2,3,4,5, Smokey and the Bandit 1,2,3 and so the nausea piles up!
|
|
Deliverance....got the DVD just in case.
|
|
Most people don't actually watch much TV on Christmas day so the schedulers tend to save new material for the following weeks. Hardly a problem in this era of DVD rentals, on line films, PVR recorders,and iplayer.
|
|
I've decided our viewing for the festive period ... we'll start with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand via a 19 DVD feast of 'The Great' War on Xmas eve, and we should be over Hiroshima come new years eve ending a 26 DVD set of The World At War.
|
|
Very festive choice Dog. Peace on earth and goodwill to all men not on the menu then?
|
>>Very festive choice Dog. Peace on earth and goodwill to all men not on the menu then?<<
I'm a bit of a Pagan when it comes to Christ's mass CG, and I bought those DVD's some years ago to watch at Xmas, so being we've got 21.12.12 coming up next year, I thought I'd better watch them now, before-its-too late!
|
|
What happens on 21.12.12 then?
|
>>What happens on 21.12.12 then?<<
The End of Civilisation (as we know it)
|
|
You mean no more Archers on Sunday morning?
|
No, I was thinking more "Wakey" "Wakey" with Billy Cotton band show
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAEngcdLlVQ
|
|
Ah, a return to the mind numbing tedium of Sunday afternoon in the fifties. Sounds a ghastly fate to befall mankind.
|
>>Ah, a return to the mind numbing tedium of Sunday afternoon in the fifties<<
Eh, no actually - not if you were 7/8 years age, in SE London (Southwark) and up to some skullduggery or other!
|
>> >>Very festive choice Dog. Peace on earth and goodwill to all men not on the
>> menu then?<<
>>
>> I'm a bit of a Pagan when it comes to Christ's mass CG, and I
>> bought those DVD's some years ago to watch at Xmas, so being we've got 21.12.12
>> coming up next year, I thought I'd better watch them now, before-its-too late!
>>
Saturnalia is a few days earlier... maybe celebrate twice!
|
>>Saturnalia is a few days earlier... maybe celebrate twice!<<
That's Roman stuff JH, I haven't been a Roman for 1000's of years, I'll throw a log on the fire though, come the 21st.
|
>> >>Saturnalia is a few days earlier... maybe celebrate twice!<<
>>
>> That's Roman stuff JH, I haven't been a Roman for 1000's of years, I'll throw
>> a log on the fire though, come the 21st.
>>
It is that, but I had thought - in my befuddled night shift mode - that it was essentially a pagan festival at the right time of year.
Enjoy the occasion anyway - nights getting shorter again in a week or so :-)
|
|
Both very, very good series as they spoke to the participants (Including the largely misunderstood Albert Speer).
|
>> the largely misunderstood Albert Speer).
... whose son, also called Albert, also a gigantist, megalomaniac architect, trashed Beijing in preparation for the 2008 games at the behest of the Chinese Communist Party in the same way that his father trashed Berlin in the run-up to the 1936 Olympics at the behest of, er, the German government of the time... .
Perhaps he too will end up largely misunderstood Rob. It can happen to high-flying artists and the like when they allow dictatorships to make pets of them. It happened to Dr Ferdinand Porsche too.
|
|
Can't really argue with that AC !
|
Err, Actually I quite liked some of Speers work, very dramatic stuff. The russians messed it up a bit of course
|
>> Hiroshima come new years eve ending a 26 DVD set of The World At War.
I can remember some aspects of WW2 quite vividly, and I can say that it wasn't all it's cracked up to be and had a bad influence on people's demeanour. As the French playwright Dubillard wittily observed, 'I saw the Void once, and there's a lot less to it than people think.'
But if you want a whiff of all that, the fabulously beautiful and engaging costume drama Les Enfants du Paradis was shot in Paris during the Nazi occupation. Easy to find at video shop and subtitles hardly needed. You won't regret it.
Or Ousmane Sembene's 'Guelwaar', 'Ceddo' or 'Xala'. Subtitled too but (especially the first) real proper movies.
Among the thousands of others. No need to watch crappy old Bond movies or the Dam Busters for the nth time or Game for an Evil Snigger or any of the other carp on TV.
|
I'll keep dog-eye for those movies then Lud,
I've watched The World At War series many times over on the idiots lantern, I think it's a great production,
I even had the music on LP once, I'm looking forward to being glued to the screen, again!
|
|
Of course Perro, none of the movies I recommend above have anything remotely Christmassy or cosy about them, though Sembene does cast a mischievously satirical eye over Christianity and Islam (Guelwaar, Ceddo) as well as West African animism (Xala).
|
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oradour-sur-Glane
Who can forget Laurence Olivier's opening commentary on the above - made a hell of an impression on me.
|
|
I am certainly not dismissing The World at War which is superb and more or less comprehensive. But the whole lot at one sitting might be a bit like too much turkey and Christmas pudding and stuff.
|
>>none of the movies I recommend above have anything remotely Christmassy or cosy about them<<
They'll be 'right up my street' then, while I'm on bread & water for 7 days :)
|
I recommend the video entitled "The God Who Wasn't There".
Tt is available to buy or may be found via torrents.
It is illuminating.
|
|
"glad tidings of comfort and joy"
|
|
That's torn it then, I'll have to join Lovefilm now!
|
Good question Mr Ecs! Why put all the effort into the food, drink, and presents and then let the TV schedulers bore us to sleep?
I might offer the (grown up) children Key Largo, that I've been saving, or The Big Sleep, that I have seen quite recently but can certainly enjoy seeing again and sharing - a superb film. Bogart rarely disappoints, and it's hard to fall asleep watching films like that.
If comedy is required, I have the complete "Brass" that I haven't seen since it was on TV and the children won't have seen at all. I wonder if it will still be funny?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGro3n2X9dY
|
|
What's wrong with Monopoly, Cluedo, or if you've a week or two to spare escape from Colditz?
|
|
Lexicon is better still - do they still sell it? Like rummy with words. Moves along faster.
|
Lie - in.
Lazy breakfast of my daily porage, but now followed by the traditional pork pie and ham.
More breakfast as late risers emerge.
Long discussion about who wants to go for a walk, who doesn't. Finally the walkers walk down to the pub (3 miles), for a couple of drinks and good cheer.
Walk home for late snack lunch, watch anything good on telly, or a film.
Shove turkey in the oven.
Tea - home made cake, nuts, chocs, etc.
Set home made pudding for final 3 hours simmering.
Attend to trimmings like spuds, veg, sauce, etc, also drinks of course.
Long dinner at about 7.30 or 8.
Watch telly or film
More nuts, chocs, etc.
Drinks.
Bed.
Oh yes, presents at some point. Either late morning, or afternoon if the children can wait that long. I know which books I'm getting, because I largely chose them.
And of course at this time of year one's thoughts turn to the Commonwealth.
|
Same as usual for me as I dont like straying beyond my comfort zone.
Up at 07:30, clean out the stove, Flahavans porridge with maple syrup, walk Mothers dog for 3 hours over Malham Moor, village local 12-4, Mothers for grub, trying not to forget dog asleep in front of pub fire with other dogs, return home, light stove and feet up to read 'Parisians, an adv history of Paris'. Drink Benedictine. Bed
Boxing Day drive to swmbo + 3 daughters. Escape immediately with her border collie for long walk over Haworth Moor returning when it gets dark for a fine spread of food washed down with buckets of Sancerre. Open presents from 4 girls that I have bought myself & they have wrapped. Salomon trail shoes. Icebreaker base layers. Ski gloves & ski socks. Luvly. Just what I wanted. Bed.
Thats my 2 day programme.
27th. Thank goodness for work today.
|
|
How about Jesus's birthday - that's what it's all about, not stuffing y'all face, sitting in front of the box, or watching war films like some blimming nutters on here!
|
>>What would Jesus do?<<
He'd be down the pub if he came back anytime soon, lets say 21.12.12 for instance,
The pub ( public house) is where a large gathering of people will be on his birthday, so, being he was a sociable chap, he'd be knocking a few back while telling the congregation about his Fathers house.
|
|
Best get down the pub then in case he turns up early. Like to meet the chap and see what he thinks of the world today. Wonder what he drinks. Wine I suppose
|
>> Wonder what he drinks. Wine I suppose
Only need to get him water though, cheap round.
|
|
Good idea. Perhaps he can do something with the crisps as well if there's a full house.
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Tue 13 Dec 11 at 11:47
|
>> Good idea. Perhaps he can do something with the crisps as well if there's a
>> full house.
wasnt it loaves and fishes? throw in the scampi fries as well. No pork scratchings tho, Herod might rock up.
|
>>
>> He'd be down the pub
>>
He was nearly born in one.
|
>> How about Jesus's birthday - that's what it's all about, not stuffing y'all face, sitting
>> in front of the box, or watching war films like some blimming nutters on here
Who?
|
I think you're being satirical again Dog. It's about what retail sales will be over the next 4 weeks, surely? Except for you pagans of course.
I do attend carol services at the village church down the road. Without us atheists there'd be about five of them, and no church.
|
>> I do attend carol services at the village church down the road. Without us atheists
>> there'd be about five of them, and no church.
Attended son's school's carol service last night. I'm also a passive atheist and wouldn't have bothered if son hadn't been playing trombone in the brass group accompanying some pieces, but I did quite enjoy it. Of course it helps that carols do tend to have quite nice tunes, although perhaps that's because we just associate them with nice things happening at this time of year.
Also the music teacher kept the tempo up - under an hour for a service including 12 carols/seasonal choral pieces, and 9 lessons!
|
Get to bed in early hours, having finished off the tree which is decorated after youngest goes to bed plus magic arrival of presents from hiding place, finished table laying and hung up MY stocking (always seems to get filled).
Awake for dog* and listen in to rustling from beds round the house and back to open my own, where other children will appear with their stockings (even the 29 year old!) - wait for the 'discovery of tree' sounds of excitement.
Gathering on my bed for birthday presents for youngest son.
Home made stollen breakfast then church for some plus dog walk on beach.
A present each (these are opened throughout the day so each can be enjoyed)
Smoked Salmon and champagne for arrival of older son and g/f so they eat before work.
Arrival of guests at about 2 - 3 so far but might expand and usually does.
Cooking with daughter, chatting and sipping drink.
Turkey, ham and all the trimmings plus yorkies requested by birthday boy at about 4.30.
Birthday Cake and coffee, liquors.
Short run for dog while table magically gets ready for pudding in evening.
Slump.
Arrival of son/gf after work to help themselves to meal.
Pudding and lots of brandy butter plus good dessert wine.
Home made mincepies, cake and chocs, nuts and nibbles all available but mainly ignored til tomorrow!
Guest leave and family bed down for chat, play or whatever and to open final presents.
TV - what is that??
Boxing Day to son and g/f for lunch
27th big gathering of two generations - the children all friends because their parents are - from London, Surrey and local area - in a favourite restaurant with excellent food.
*One dog, Blue Merle to foster home since last weekend - peace and calm descended and two happy dogs.
|
|
That all sounds wonderful Dee, I might 'drop in' if I'm passing, but please don't light a fire in the grate!
|
Two years ago I got up on Christmas Day, played online poker all day, ate some beans out of the tin and went back to bed about 7pm.
I'm hoping it works out better this year.
I intend to heat the beans.
|
|
Sod the tv were off to the pub..............
|
|
Please feel free, Perro, plenty of room for more at the table!
|
|
...or under it (being a dog)
|
|
Thank you Dee, you are very kind, would you mind if I bring along my war films ;)
|
|
A nice travelogue - "Debbie does Dallas."
|
Christmas Day Programmes - Runfer D'Hills
