Channel 5 Christmas Films

[WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll]

What's with all of these? Going on the listings, they show them pretty much wall-to-wall in the daytime from about September. They all seem to follow very similar themes (how many different scenarios are there?) and blur into one. Potential heartbreak, emotional misunderstandings and/or slightly unkind attitudes loom large, but everything turns out perfectly in the end and they're all back in the proper festive spirit - because 'Christmas' fixes it all.

I assumed it must be a whole load of old, worn-out bargain-basement 'stock' they'd bought in from the 70s and 80s, but they're still making them now! I've seen quite a few that were made in 2018 and 2019; even some from this year. Filming for top-quality hugely-popular TV series has been postponed or cancelled because of COVID, to the disappointment of millions, yet they've still been able to churn out forgettable new Christmas schmaltz?

Are they made specially for Channel 5 (and their counterparts in other countries)? I've never seen any of them promoted anywhere, even on Channel 5. Who keeps commissioning them, when they already have enough to stretch back to the Autumn? Most importantly: who actually watches them? I'm bored enough and curiously intrigued just looking at them in the listings!

Hold on. Nobody has mentioned the children in these movies.

I swear they are little horrors to lovely widowed Dad then new woman swishes into town. Pranks a plenty. Add penis = Xmas saved

I watch them and I love them.

You don’t like em op, don’t watch em. I bet you enjoy something I don’t like? Coronation street?

Not interested in Corrie, but as I said, I watch more than my own fair share of trash easy-watching programmes, so no criticism at all from me! It's more the sheer volume of them and the apparent similarity in formula across the board that made me wonder, rather than the quality of any particular one.

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll
All of the Christmas films on ch 5 are from the American companies Hallmark or Lifetime 🙂

@Springersrock

Most importantly: who actually watches them?

Me!!! I bloody love a cheesy Christmas movie

And me! I love em 😆

Ooh I watched one the other week that had Charlotte from Sex & The City in it! It was a recent one, made in the last couple of years I think.
I won't spoiler it but she's an angel who has to sort out a man's life (iirc it was Will from Will & Grace) Obviously he's a single parent, there's always a single parent in these films! And she falls in love with him because of course she does.
It was shit in a good way

It can get quite confusing if you watch them back-to-back (especially if you take a nap) as they tend to have the same actors in them .

It's more the sheer volume of them and the apparent similarity in formula across the board that made me wonder, rather than the quality of any particular one

Isn't this more so that you can put this channel on at any time of day and get a similar sort of film? I wouldn't think loads of people watch them back to back all day. Although I have done 2/3 before! Love them.

I love them, in a similar way that I love the syfy channels disaster movies. I'm tempted to force DH to watch with me by creating a drinking game. The s sort of thing, single parent, the real Santa, car breaks down in small town etc

@mogtheexcellent I can't find the appreciation thread! Please could you tag me 🙂

I love them on a nice Saturday afternoon doing sweet fa all with a glass of wine, port or baileys (insert your own!) , seen the Mrs Miracle ones so many times now, and the one mentioned with Charlotte from Sex in the City was quite good apart from Will from Will and Grace singing which was both excruciating and laughable, happy days!

Ooh I watched the one with Melissa Joan Hart and Dean Caine. I watched two back to back that day as I was faffing doing some sewing in the lounge. The one following had a single mum moving back to little town , falling in love and kind old twinkly white bearded janitor aka Santa who made the little girl’s wish come true ! Aw

@CurbsideProphet there's an appreciation thread in the Christmas section too

I've had these on in the background whilst working from home. Easy viewing to not pay attention to but know exactly what's going on. Netflix is full of them too.

@rockingthelook

I love them on a nice Saturday afternoon doing sweet fa all with a glass of wine, port or baileys (insert your own!) , seen the Mrs Miracle ones so many times now, and the one mentioned with Charlotte from Sex in the City was quite good apart from Will from Will and Grace singing which was both excruciating and laughable, happy days!

Oh god yes, Will's songs were bloody terrible!!

There was a thread on this recently www.mumsnet.com/Talk/Christmas/4076151-Crappy-Christmas-films-An-appreciation-thread

These films are absolutely awful, where on earth does channel 5 find them, it’s an insult to Christmas, and in fact who the heck watches such rubbish

I agree that they are atrocious... but how did you stumble across this vintage thread?!