The Christmas TV Strategy Guide 2021

Start off your Christmas Eve with this cracker, a film which contains probably the greatest ever front flip in movie history. I’m willing to have a debate on that but pretty sure nothing much will beat the one in this film

So they’re ending with the first Wallace and Gromit? Okay. It’s not a bad thing, A Grand Day Out remains a delightful short film, but it’s really just establishing the potential of the characters that the next could of films would really push. And never watched Superman and Lois but as someone who grew up watching Lois and Clark on BBC1 it’s strangely comforting to see something similar on the channel these days

This remains the best adaptation of a Roald Dahl story, thanks to a great cast really going for it. Miss Trunchbull is a fearsome creation, a move villain up there with the best of them. Worst of them? She’s a really good villain, thats what I’m trying to say

Here’s a bit of mid-90s goodness for you; Twister was one of those special effects blockbusters that started dominating the summer months, released the same year as Independence Day but whereas that film has exploding national monuments, Twister has a flying cow. True Lies is from a couple of years earlier and was probably the last great Arnie film of his Golden Period, slightly dodgy geo- and sexual-politics to one side. And why not watch the first film from that Golden Period, with The Terminator which I’m sure we did earlier in this but here it is again just in case

Previously I stated my, lets not say hatred but dislike of Richard Curtis films. But as for TV shows, Blackadder was a great sitcom. Although, you have to give Ben Elton some of that credit considering how much the show improved once he came on as a writer. The point is, this show is really good and has a nice reverse take on the usual Christmas Carol type of story

More music nostalgia, this time from the 90s. And honestly, does it get more 90s that some of those names up there?

Horrible Histories is probably the best show that CBBC ever produced (although on the right day I’d say it was I’m Sorry I’ve Got No Head) so it was brilliant to see that case and group of writers move onto ‘grown up’ TV with their sitcom Ghosts. It somehow manages to keep the humour that made HH so good and keeping all of the charm as well.

A random one this one; Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin stuck in the woods versus a bear. Now, when it comes to films with guys trapped in woods versus a bear, its quite a narrow field but this one is probably the best, just edging out The Grey to the top spot

A big daft stupid action film totally stolen by Colin Firth, and thats even before the crazy over the top action sequence lead by Firth which is probably the high point of the film. Much better than it had any right to be

More Rocky! This time the one were he solves the Cold War but battering the steroids out of a big cheating Russian lad. And sure I’ve mentioned The Untouchables before but here it is again if you missed it the last time