The Christmas TV Strategy Guide 2021

I think I said previously that Chicken Run was probably the best of the non-Wallace and Gromit Aardman films and this is the film that runs it closest. It’s a belter, especially as it followed their two CGI films that never really quite came together. This put them massively back on track; its a proper daft tale with a great central turn by Hugh Grant

When you’re talking classics it doesn’t get much more classic than these two. Singin’ in the Rain is in the conversation when you’re talking about The Greatest of All Time, but then so is Some Like It Hot. For me Singin’ just pips it, you just can’t deny the sheer charisma of Gene Kelly when he’s fully unleashed in some of the sequences in this film

Here’s an interesting run of family films that say they’re ‘family films’ but probably shouldn’t be. Each one has bit thats can send the average kid scurrying behind the sofa (The Witches especially) so having them all in one place is like they’re asking for trouble. Or it’ll end up with lots of kids across the country all having a similar “remember that Christmas when you made me watch all those films?!” story to use against their parents

The Paramount channel’s obsession with Eastwood continues and gives us this made day where you get loads of his films back to back; both films where Eastwood was partnered with an orangutan that somehow are two of his highest grossing films. Then you get a Dirty Harry sequel ending with an alright at best action buddy cop film. You really do forget just how many films Clint has put his name to

Yesterday we had Morecambe and Wise so, as night follows day or tick follows tock, we must have The Two Ronnies. Another of those acts that helped define a generation of variety of TV, portions of The Two Ronnies’ act hasn’t aged well but when it’s funny its really funny. And as if to underline the fact that they had to follow one of the very best double acts in the BBC, you get a clips show of Eric and Ernie’s best bits just to underline how good they were

Its well known that video games struggle in the move to the big screen, generally whatever spark that made the original game popular gets either lost or forgotten in the process. Somehow Sonic manages to avoid most of those issues mainly through understanding that they should ignore that game where Sonic kisses a human princess. No, they give the film a decent emotional heart, great effects (once the CG was sorted after that initial trailer) and just for good measure they cast Jim Carrey giving him full permission to go as bonkers as he wants to. And, boy, does he go bonkers. Actually looking forward to the sequel thats coming up as well

Yeah, I’ll admit it; I have a soft spot for this show. I do enjoy these kind of murder mystery stories of impossible murders and how they’re solved, the best recent of being Knives Out. In fact this year I got into reading Japanese honkaku murder mysteries (the best one so far being The Decagon House Murders) so I’ll be sat down watching this. I’ll be guess who did it, waiting for the bit where they get everyone into the same room to explain everything, whilst secretly wishing Daniel Craig was cast as the lead in all of these kind of shows

You want some Patrick Swayze? Then here’s two of his best, certainly his most popular roles outside of Ghost. They do show both sides of him, one being the smoochy romantic side, the other being the side that’ll rip out your throat with his bare hands

John Carpenter’s best film, simple as that. And he made some great films. And Re-Animator is good as well but, come on, The Thing man. Such a good film

Yes, Die Hard is a Christmas film and all that which is great but that doesn’t this film being an absolute belter. The chemistry between Willis and Jackson drives the film along, the action scenes are near faultless and the villain comes close to matching Hans from the original. Its lucky they never made any more films after this as how could you follow this one?

Speaking of great on screen partnerships, I doubt anyone could have foreseen how good it would be to get Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse fishing together and show it as a TV series, Just saying that makes it sound boring but it really isn’t. It loses some of the exaggeration that came with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon’s vehicle The Trip and just focus on two pal’s spending time together. Just brilliant

Look, I don’t know why all the good shows were on at 9 o’clock tonight, thats just the way it is, thats why God gave us multiple tuners in our recording boxes, iPlayers and streaming apps. The point is, this is brilliant film. It has no right to be, especially given how long the Mission: Impossible franchise has been going for but they really did it. An absolute tour de force, and then you get Commando which laid down a good chunk of the man punching ground work that Fallout still follows