To miss special Christmas TV?

[Flyingin]

I know the TV programming isn’t all that great at Christmas. But now the kids can watch what they want on demand the very concept of family viewing at Christmas is destroyed! Due to Covid we are isolating so stuck at home without visitors and I am dreading the arguments when I try to find something to watch.

Download some family things to watch at set times. If everyone gets a choice there should be no need for arguments.

Yep been like that a few years now. People, particularly kids, are less interested in broadcast TV. The movies the channels show have typically been available on streaming services already so already been watched.

Would help if streaming services left some big titles for release on Xmas eve or something so families could have something fresh to watch on the main festive days. I think Disney is doing that with the new pixar movie Soul, so that's a start.

I miss the days of sitcom Christmas specials. I used to really look forward to those. There’s a Birds of a Feather one this year, but Pauline Quirke isn’t in it

The new Worzel Gummidge is on again this Christmas! That was brilliant last year, proper family viewing

Completely agree and like someone above I miss Christmas specials. It used to be a thing to look forward to.

TV watched by large numbers of people used to be something that was something that in a way bound us together, not just at Christmas. Just think of the times at work you could talk about a programme that you had all watched.

YANBU to miss this. Though at least it gives you more choice on Christmas Day to avoid Mrs Browns Boys when it is on.

I miss it too! I still bought the Radio Times and circled the few things I want to watch, but even I will probably watch them on playback...

From 1993, I present the BBC’s Christmas advert....don’t worry, Mr Blobby is definitely on there

We tried saving Christmas Chronicles 2 for tonight but then we all got Covid so blasted through the whole of Netflix (so it feels).

Maybe use Christmas to watch some older films from your own childhood with them that they may not have picked upon.

This month our dc have watched and loved Groundhog Day, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, and Overboard.

They would typically skip past anything that looked pre 2010 so it's worked well being able to go back to some older movies.

Thanks all . So far have recorded films off the tv and we have started watching those.

Our dcs are little so the new Julia Donaldson animation is always something we look forward to (incidentally, there was a lovely programme about her on BBC 2 last night, will be on iplayer), and we always watch Christmas Day Strictly but yes I know what you mean.
I miss the big Christmas episodes of sitcoms like Only Fools and Horses. I remember watching them with my grandparents amd mum when I was a teenager and we all enjoyed them. There are not so many programmes that appeal across the generations like that anymore.
Loved the Motherland episode last night but it's not one for the kids!

people clearly do not sit down as a family any more to watch TV together, just look at the viewing figures. Highest ratings in 2019 was 11 million to watch Gavin and Stacey, 16% of the population. Back in the 90s, there were regularly audiences of over 21 million, or 36% of the (then) population.
It would be interesting to see how many people actually have the stereotypical xmas of siting down at a table to eat a meal, play board games, cards etc. and then sit down to watch an evening to telly together. Probably a very small minority, yet it's still sold as an 'ideal xmas' by the media.

Ghosts! We all watched that together last night. And the goes wrong show nativity.

We also watched the streamed National Theatre panto (Dick Whittington)

We've signed up to Now (films plus tv) for a month.
Definitely agree there is a lack of Christmas stuff on and what there is seems largely uninspiring. The reasons are obvious but with no theatre, cinema or family get- togethers- it would be nice.