Why is Christmas TV so shit nowadays?

[YourMotherSortsSocksInHell]

We're currently watching Raiders of the Lost Ark for the zillionth time and it's one of the newer offerings, Dad's Army, anyone?

Once upon a time you would get a relatively new blockbuster at Christmas (I seem to remember is was a big deal when ROTLA was first shown at Christmas around 40 years ago).

OK, the times when you had to wait 3 years after cinema release to get a film on the telly are long gone but come on.

Right now;

BBC1 - Shaun the Sheep
BBC2 - Dad's Army (1975)
ITV - ROTLA (1981)
C4 - The Snowman (1990ish) followed by Home Alone 2 (1992).
C5 - Pirates of the Caribbean (2003).
ITV2 - Mrs Doubtfire (1993)
ITV3 - Carry on Camping (1969)
ITV4 - Battle of the Bulge (1965) followed by Force 10 From fucking Navarone (1975)

The rest of the schedules are just Christmas filler tat - "celebrity" editions of quiz shows, 100 best Christmas doo-dah's etc.

I can see why people don't pay the TV Licence.

They don’t make an effort now that streaming is a thing. They also don’t have the kinds of great shows throughout the year that they can do Christmas specials for any more on the whole.

So far so yawnsome. Same old boring films.

It's all crap most years. We are watching the very unfestive Oppenheimer and will then continue our Christmas binge watch of Strike ready for the new series landing.

I agree - Larry Grayson’s Generatuon Game Special, anyone?

Totally agree OP - there’s not even TOTP on any more

I always remember Christmas TV as being rubbish and we only had two channels to choose from (BBC1 and ITV) until my parents could afford a new TV that got BBC2 when I was a teenager.....

We only got BBC1 till we moved when I was about 9 and got a better signal. Even The Sound of Music and The Great Escape were newer in the 70s than some of the films that are on today are now.

Also watching Indiana Jones and they’ve cut out the bit where the Nazis faces melt. I am outraged as it’s the best bit.

Well, it's because fewer people watch scheduled TV nowadays - which creates a vicious circle. I agree the offering has hit new lows this year.

Twas ever thus...over 50 years ago I remember the annual Boxing Day Party; the adults got pissed and ate nibbles whilst we kids watched the eternal repeats of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Great Escape.

Few watch live TV. Less and less have a tv licence. So why bother putting out things live.

The Matilda Musical film was on earlier on BBC from 2022. But I agree that so few people watch live TV there's no point in terrestrial channels spending loads.
There's plenty on that we will watch (Traitors, Taskmaster, Stranger Things) but none of it on live TV today.

Not much point given that not many people watch normal TV. I do, but largely for background noise. I am watching Strictly though, and would have watched home alone 2 if it didn’t clash. If I want to watch a film, i’ll stream it. I do agree it was much more exciting in the 80’s and 90’s but time has moved on.

Because the streamers have a lot more money and pay for the good films, and for exclusivity over the Christmas period. Meanwhile commercial channel advertising revenue is down massively, and people are cancelling their TV licences so BBC revenue is also down.

Armageddon is now on C5. The least Christmassy film ever. Nothing feels like Christmas like a bit of end of the world 🤣

It is shite. Mind you, we’ll miss it next year when the Donald has bankrupted the BBC.

Yeah but come on, Bruce Willis single-handedly saves the world in the end, how is that not Christmassy lol

It's always been a bit rubbish though because they have to try to appeal to everyone. We watched Tinsel Town this afternoon which was ok, not my usual choice but ok for family Christmas afternoon. Skys film offering for today was The Minecraft movie which was really rubbish but quite new.

I miss Morecambe and Wise.
And The Generation Game!

DH and I had a look thru the TV guide last week and I just couldn't believe how shit the Xmas TV is!! Constant repeats. Same old films...I mean, some of them are good films but having seen most of them eleventy billion times in my 60 years, I was disappointed to see 'same old, same old'...🙄

Totally get this. I excitedly sat down with the TV Times and have only circled about 6 things! Same old same old films half of which have been on already this year. All a bit desperate really.

Any recommendations from Netflix or other streamers? I've got another week off work and want to watch some interesting things! I can't bear DH watching any more Australian airport security programmes 🙄

Streaming - not worth spending £££ on films that everyone's had available for months on streaming, which just leaves 'classics'.

I just turned on Morecambe and Wise to watch on BBC2, I’m wondering if it was my hearing, but the sound was so bad that I was struggling to work out what they were saying and turned it off again. I don’t think it’s my hearing, because I can hear everything else!

Kinda but not quite … it means budgets are lower and therefore less money to spend commissioning Christmas Shows. Less about ‘bother’ and more about ‘not able’ (and there are thousands of telly freelancers out of work and have been for for a couple of years as a result).

That will not happen, he will have to appear under oath as a witness, something he avoids at all cost. He can't plead the 5th like in a criminal charge.