My Cart - ‘Tis the season to be jolly…and watch lots of television while you enjoy time off work, school or study. But what’s the line-up for this year? We can reveal some of the highlights and disappointments of this year’s Christmas television…
Bad news first – those of you hoping to see the year’s biggest movies are in for a let-down. While 533 films will be shown on satellite and terrestrial television over Christmas 2010, 517 of those will be repeats that have been on television before. From Christmas Eve to Boxing Day there will be a reasonable choice of sixteen premieres that have never appeared on broadcast television before. Although 30% down on last year’s offerings there should be something for everyone.
Lots of household will have wrapped DVDs sitting under the tree this year. The price of films on DVD or Bluray is constantly decreasing through special offers, online shopping and competition between retailers. The lead time for films to move from the cinema to disc is also shorter than ever. While 16-18 weeks is the norm, films have been available in the shops in as short a time-scale as 12 weeks. So if the Queen’s speech isn’t your thing you could settle down in front of your Cheap Samsung TVs to watch Shrek Forever After or Inception after your turkey dinner.
It’s not all doom and gloom. Although the movie line-up is not the most inspiring this year there will be some real treats in the form of new drama and comedy. BBC television leads the way with a traditional Christmas Dr Who episode suitable for the whole family. This year’s features the soprano Katherine Jenkins alongside the Doctor and his companion, Amy Pond/Williams, complete with (according to Dr Who actor Matt Smith) ‘snow, fairy light and great adventures’. Also debuting on the ‘beeb’ on Christmas Day is a brand new comedy from the Little Britain duo Matt Lucas and David Walliams. Set in a busy airport, ‘Come Fly With Me’ promises many new characters and laughs.
