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Christmas telly - as festive as a smack in the gob |
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#51 |
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Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Home For The Bewildered
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I managed to find a few things on Christmas Day to watch.
A Top Gear special from India on one of the satellite channels, and 3 or 4 episodes of Judge Judy on one of the CBS channels. It's out there if you look. Channel surfing has its advantages.
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#52 |
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Join Date: Nov 2010
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Quote:
Interesting use of the word recent! Ruby In The Smoke was ten years ago and was shown on December 27th.
Russell Howard's piece was repeated this year (which reminds me I still haven't watched it!), Michael McIntyre was on Christmas Eve this year again this year. The two Branestawm films were shown on Christmas Eve. I thought this was about Christmas Day? |
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#53 |
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Join Date: Dec 2007
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I was quite surprised that there weren't Christmas Specials for shows such as Cold Feet, The Durrells and Poldark, but Christmas Specials for the likes of Grantchester and Midsomer Murders. There did seem to be an over reliance on crime shows and distinct lack of comedy programmes. Hopefully, this will be remedied next year.
I know crime dramas are very popular - and I'm a huge fan of cop shows myself - but there should've been more variety at Christmas. Maybe instead of yet another Christie adaptation or Maigret, they should have adapted something lighter like Georgette Heyer, Stella Gibbons or an Anthony Trollope? |
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#54 |
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And 10 years ago is hardly the Dark Ages.
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#55 |
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I was quite surprised that there weren't Christmas Specials for shows such as Cold Feet, The Durrells and Poldark, but Christmas Specials for the likes of Grantchester and Midsomer Murders.
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#56 |
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What on earth would constitute a Poldark Christmas Special? The Durrells and Cold Feet could work but they were hardly likely to be given specials first series out when nobody had any idea whether they'd be well received.
I've a feeling that ITV would have renewed Cold Feet for a second series even if the ratings had been dismal - I don't think they would've gone to all the trouble of bringing the show back for eight episodes, if they weren't planning further series. And didn't The Durrells air way back in April with a second series commission in April as well? Plenty of time to commission and film a festive special! |
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#57 |
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I personally don't want anything festive. I hate the whole damned season and don't want themed nonsense applied to any programmes I watch.
Today, things are getting back to a bit of normality as yesterday we had another b****y Bank Holiday and there's still another one next week. Don't people do any work any more? Firms should invite their staff to work as much as possible over the Christmas period and give them time off at a time their employees want. |
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#58 |
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Join Date: May 2010
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I personally don't want anything festive. I hate the whole damned season and don't want themed nonsense applied to any programmes I watch.
Today, things are getting back to a bit of normality as yesterday we had another b****y Bank Holiday and there's still another one next week. Don't people do any work any more? Firms should invite their staff to work as much as possible over the Christmas period and give them time off at a time their employees want.
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#59 |
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Join Date: Sep 2008
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I personally don't want anything festive. I hate the whole damned season and don't want themed nonsense applied to any programmes I watch.
Today, things are getting back to a bit of normality as yesterday we had another b****y Bank Holiday and there's still another one next week. Don't people do any work any more? Firms should invite their staff to work as much as possible over the Christmas period and give them time off at a time their employees want. Yours Sincerely, E. Scrooge.
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#60 |
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It certainly is for TV! Netflix started streaming services in 2007 and didn't launch them here until 2012 so you could easily argue that only 5 years ago is the Dark Ages! There has been a complete transformation of TV in the past 3 years.
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#61 |
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Join Date: Apr 2003
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I personally don't want anything festive. I hate the whole damned season and don't want themed nonsense applied to any programmes I watch.
Today, things are getting back to a bit of normality as yesterday we had another b****y Bank Holiday and there's still another one next week. Don't people do any work any more? Firms should invite their staff to work as much as possible over the Christmas period and give them time off at a time their employees want. I heard a question on the radio yesterday asking why the TV channels take off all the good shows over Christmas and replace them with a load of old crap. Was that you? ![]()
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#62 |
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OK, what would be wrong with reviving the ancient concept of a light period crime drama?
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#63 |
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Join Date: Oct 2012
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The BBC 1 schedule wasn't bad, it had some good stuff. A lot I didn't personally watch, but it catered to the masses through the day. BBC 2 was slim pickings, but still had the occasional good thing.
ITV's schedule was so bad it should have been shot. They didn't put any effort into things and they should be ashamed of what they put on. C4 and Channel 5 had some films people probably enjoyed watching, but their schedules are almost always a load of crap, so it was business as usual for the rest. Sky 1 tried a little and had the Dragon special. |
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#64 |
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If it works for Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife - and I believe a Victoria Christmas Special is in the offing for next year - I fail to see why a Poldark Christmas Special wouldn't be possible.
I've a feeling that ITV would have renewed Cold Feet for a second series even if the ratings had been dismal - I don't think they would've gone to all the trouble of bringing the show back for eight episodes, if they weren't planning further series. And didn't The Durrells air way back in April with a second series commission in April as well? Plenty of time to commission and film a festive special! You have a marvellously romantic view of how TV series are made so I hate to disillusion you but there is absolutely no way that there was going to be a Durrells special this year. If they do it next year they will film it at the same time as the regular episodes. Anything else would be far too expensive and impractical. Equally the fate of Cold Feet was never a done deal which is why the writers concluded the series with a proper ending rather than a million cliffhangers. |
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#65 |
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ITV's schedule was so bad it should have been shot. They didn't put any effort into things and they should be ashamed of what they put on. |
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#66 |
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I heard a question on the radio yesterday asking why the TV channels take off all the good shows over Christmas and replace them with a load of old crap.
Was that you? ![]() ![]() |
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#67 |
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Join Date: Jun 2008
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ITV's schedule was so bad it should have been shot. They didn't put any effort into things and they should be ashamed of what they put on.
You have a stall at a christmas market and you're selling sausages in rolls for £1 each. You do pretty well, and the burger-joint next to you sells different stuff for people who don't want a sausage. Then, the people who get all the entrance money from the fair - paid by all the customers who come in - decide to get in on the act and open stalls for sausages, burgers, pies, icecream and GIVE IT AWAY FOR FREE. How could you compete with that? Should you "be shot" for not putting any effort into something that is clearly dominated by the other lot, and with whom it's impossible to compete? Wouldn't it be better if there was no entrance fee, but all the stalls could sell a variety of stuff, at a variety of prices. Then each could make some money, innovation would increase the range of products available, competition would improve the quality and if people didn't want to buy as much as they had previously paid to get in, they wouldn't have to. |
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#68 |
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Quote:
I heard a question on the radio yesterday asking why the TV channels take off all the good shows over Christmas and replace them with a load of old crap.
Was that you? ![]() ![]() |
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#69 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
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Imagine this:
You have a stall at a christmas market and you're selling sausages in rolls for £1 each. You do pretty well, and the burger-joint next to you sells different stuff for people who don't want a sausage. Then, the people who get all the entrance money from the fair - paid by all the customers who come in - decide to get in on the act and open stalls for sausages, burgers, pies, icecream and GIVE IT AWAY FOR FREE. How could you compete with that? Should you "be shot" for not putting any effort into something that is clearly dominated by the other lot, and with whom it's impossible to compete? Wouldn't it be better if there was no entrance fee, but all the stalls could sell a variety of stuff, at a variety of prices. Then each could make some money, innovation would increase the range of products available, competition would improve the quality and if people didn't want to buy as much as they had previously paid to get in, they wouldn't have to. And that's saying something. |
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#70 |
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Absolutely not but it's so true. The Christmas University Challenge shows have been good, in their own way but to me there's absolutely no redeeming features of the Christmas period whatsoever. Grrrrrrrrrhh.
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#71 |
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Giving up, as I don't converse with brick walls.
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#72 |
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Yes, to you! But there are over 7 million viewers who found at least one redeeming feature, 6 million who found a few and 4 million who found a lot. Do you seriously expect broadcasters to be abandoning them to suit you?
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#73 |
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Well. I'd be interested to know where you came upon those facts.
Never visit the ratings thread? Bums on seats to use the vernacular!
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#74 |
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Never visit the ratings thread? Bums on seats to use the vernacular! Bah humbug
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#75 |
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Join Date: Dec 2007
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Apart from Poldark being based on a particular canon of novels whereas Downton was original script all the way, you mean?
You have a marvellously romantic view of how TV series are made so I hate to disillusion you but there is absolutely no way that there was going to be a Durrells special this year. If they do it next year they will film it at the same time as the regular episodes. Anything else would be far too expensive and impractical. Equally the fate of Cold Feet was never a done deal which is why the writers concluded the series with a proper ending rather than a million cliffhangers. While my view of how TV series are made might be romantic, wasn't the Birds of a Feather 1 hour special commissioned halfway through the year, filmed in November and broadcast on Christmas Eve? |
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Channel surfing has its advantages.

Never visit the ratings thread? Bums on seats to use the vernacular!