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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think this year has been the worst for Christmas telly

120 replies

Misscromwellrocks · 28/12/2019 18:46

None of the stations seem to have made any effort whatsoever. Even on boxing night there was nothing special on anywhere. Usually there'd have been a couple of good dramas, a new Agatha Christie, festive editions of several popular shows eg Midsomer murders, grantchester, Downton Abbey .

But apart from Gavin and Stacy and a rather lacklustre Call the Midwife there's been nothing.

Aibu to be really disappointing this year's festive offerings?

OP posts:
longwayoff · 29/12/2019 08:28

Susan Hill. Seems to have cornered the market in ghost stories. I've read the Woman in Black, seen it on tv, on stage and film. Each time hoping I'd get what all the fuss is about. Fail. Ditto other things she's written. Am I really dense or is she not quite as good as her publicity?

MurrayTheMonk · 29/12/2019 08:35

Ta -saves me trawling through the planner

MoonriseKingdom · 29/12/2019 09:02

I thought A Christmas Carol was great.

There is still Dracula to look forward to on New Year’s Day

Marriedtoapenguin · 29/12/2019 09:05

Not sure what the terrestrial channels can do. Used to be the big film premiere on Christmas Day. Streaming has killed this.

Christmas specials? Other than call the midwife who does this?

Soaps? Increasingly contrived plots to make it somehow different to the doom of the preceeding year.

Nothing stands out anymore.

And where the hell is the Great Escape? Add this to no Die Hard. Doomed, we're all dooooooomed.

Original poster
Misscromwellrocks · 29/12/2019 09:28

Hard to believe that just a few years ago there'd have been a really good call the Midwife Christmas special on Christmas night followed by a Downton Abbey special, a new Agatha Christie on boxing day and probably a festive Midsomer or Grantchester on Christmas Eve. How things have deteriorated Angry

OP posts:
Original poster
Misscromwellrocks · 29/12/2019 09:30

And I haven't watched the soaps in years but according to my mum they were all absolutely miserable this year.

OP posts:
jojojowo · 29/12/2019 09:37

The Not Going Out Christmas special was good

But that's about it

PineappleDanish · 29/12/2019 09:37

There was an Agatha Christie on - but not new stuff, repeats of movies of the past. DD and I watched the 1978 Death on the Nile with Peter Ustinov, Mia Farrow and Bette Davis, I'd seen it before but she hadn't and loved it.

Dowser · 29/12/2019 10:07

Thought Christmas Carol was excellent
worzel gummidge good but part one was best.
That’s it.
I’m not into any soaps.

PuppyMonkey · 29/12/2019 11:47

The Michael Hutchence doc was great - worth a catch up on iplayer if you missed it. So sad. Forgotten how hot he was too.Sad

Primrosepenny · 29/12/2019 12:28

Oh yeah Not Going Out was funny!

BingoLittlesUncle · 29/12/2019 12:52

We saw the M R James adaption "Martin's Close" on Xmas Eve and nothing since. It was tripe and tired tripe at that.

AdoptedBumpkin · 29/12/2019 21:22

Quite enjoyed Not Going Out, albeit some of the jokes are a bit predictable after several series.

WildRosie · 29/12/2019 21:42

I remember when Russ Abbott was guaranteed a Christmas Day show for several successive years. I never found him or his hangers-on in the least amusing so it baffled me. Someone must have liked him. Nice chap though. Gradually, the Christmas show began to be demoted; Boxing Day, 27th, 28th and so on. I suppose Christmas television had the potential to be awful in the days of just three or four channels.

RuffleCrow · 30/12/2019 13:30

As sexy and talented as Michael Hutchence was, I'm not sure I really want to think about his demise at Christmas. Or any time of year Sad

DuckWillow · 30/12/2019 13:42

Worzel Gummidge and A Christmas a Carol were my highlights. I loved this version of Worzel and Aunt Sally was closer to the original Aunt Sally of the books..

A Christmas Carol just because I tend to enjoy watching Guy Pearce in most things he does. Still trying to picture the casting call though.

“is that Guy Pearce? We’d like you to play Scrooge in A Christmas Carol”

“Okay cool”

“Have you ever ridden a camel?”

KatherineJaneway · 30/12/2019 13:53

There's a general sense of 'can't be arsed' about it all.

They simply can't compete. The films they have are years old and very few fresh TV shows to make specials out of. Also many people don't want to wait for a TV show now, they want to watch it when they feel like it, not when some TV controller thinks they should watch.

nextdecade · 30/12/2019 13:57

Liked bits of Cunk on 2019 (missing screenwipe) and top gear.

The80sweregreat · 30/12/2019 19:22

Dh liked the BFG film although it's not new and I did enjoy G and S special and Eastenders but then I'm an all year round fan of that , so I'd watch it anyway.
The rest was rubbish : ITV rarely make any effort for Christmas and I can't remember the last thing I watched on there last few weeks. I'm not a corrie / emmerdale watcher though.
I guess the big blockbusters are snapped up by sky tv and with all the competition from them and Netflix the others have given up a bit I think.

Lillyhatesjaz · 31/12/2019 00:30

There has been several Agatha Christies on I think they were BBC3 they were repeats but I hadn't seen them for ages so dd and I enjoyed them.
Buckle my shoes, and Hickory dicory Dock. With Peter Suchet

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