Every December, we review our busy festive TV schedules and do our best not to pick the same old chestnuts. You know the things we mean. They tend to depict Victorian misers, fabulous witches, holiday inns, crop-spraying planes, singing nuns, white-jacketed policemen, and angels getting their wings.
Naturally, they are all worth visiting or discovering with younger family members. As well as Casablanca (1942) and The Big Sleep (1946), which return to the bib on Boxing Day. But this year they deserve a special mention, as they celebrate Humphrey Bogart’s 125th birthday.
However, you’ll need the luck of the Irish to see Pat Collins’s brilliant adaptation of John McGahern’s They May Meet the Rising Sun (2023), as it only premieres in BBC1 Northern Ireland at 22:30 on 30 December. But there are still plenty of unmissable and intriguing things to keep you entertained…
What’s the matter, doctor? (1972)
Where is he? BBC2Saturday, December 21 at 15:20
Peter Bogdanovich’s screwball tribute to the Golden Age is the best romantic comedy made during the New Hollywood era, with musicologist Ryan buttoned it up. onElle proves to be a good client for his wise fiancée, Madeleine Kahn, and the vivacious Barbra Streisand. There’s also a cool gag with a large pane of glass, a long staircase, and a steep San Franciscan street.
The Last Gloss of Twilight (1977)
Where is he? Talking pictures televisionSaturday, December 21, at 21:05
It’s sure to dampen the festive spirit, but it will keep you entertained for 145 minutes, as Robert Aldrich’s Cold War thriller features a snarling Burt Lancaster as… US Air Force The general who threatens nuclear retaliation unless the president reveals dark truths about the Vietnam War. The split-screen gimmick wasn’t very good, but this one seems eerily appropriate.
Nothing Like a Lady (2018)
Where is he? BBC 4Saturday 21 December, at 21:55
Among the many tributes to the late, great Maggie Smith, this clash with Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins and Joan Plowright is chatty but not gossipy, insightful but never intimidating, as the featured quartet relish their tales as they discuss, with wit and self-love. Awareness rather than a hint of vanity or sentimentality, Shakespeare, couples, and everything in between.
The Ghost Goes West (1935)
Where is he? Talking pictures televisionSunday, December 22, at 14:00
Every Christmas needs a good ghost story, though René Clair’s English-language debut elicits more laughs than chills. Robert Donat doubles as a destitute Scottish laird and his cowardly 18th-century predecessor, who finds himself in Florida after selling Glory Castle to scheming millionaire Eugene Pallett. The spectral effects seem ordinary now, but that only adds to their charm.
Ron Made a Mistake (2021)
Where is he? C4Sunday, December 22, at 15:00
Filmed and animated during lockdown, this hilarious parable about the perils of technology centers around a misfit and a wonky Bubble B*Bot, and offers helpful advice on how to cope if you don’t get the gift you want this Christmas. The visuals are fun, but the quirky voice work of Zach Galifianakis and Olivia Colman makes this a family viewing date.
Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
Where is he? BBC3Monday, December 23, at 21:40
If this satirical clip doesn’t get you in the mood for a house party, nothing will. Dutch director Halina Reijn brilliantly exploits a creepy location, some lively dialogue, a willing cast, and a rug-pulling crime scene, in which seven guests bored by drinking, dancing, and taking drugs regret playing a murder mystery.
Haunting (1963)
Where is he? BBC2Monday, December 23, at 23:20
Director Robert Wise mixes supernatural suspense with psychological horror in his adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s novel about a group of stereotypes in an old, dark house. The acting remains the cognitive aspect of theatre, but Elliot Scott’s unsettling sets and cinematographer Davis Bolton’s use of bright lights, low angles, camera invisibility, and lens distortion will ensure sleepless nights.
Wallace & Gromit: Revenge of the Most Birds (2024)
Where is he? BBC1Wednesday, December 25, at 18:10
Good grief, it’s him – again! Spheniscine Desperado Feathers McGraw returns to take revenge on the occupants of 62 West Wallaby Street by kidnapping Norbot (the robotic garden gnome invented by Wallace) in order to steal the Blue Diamond he captured in The Wrong Trousers (1993). Silly audio and visual gags abound in this Christmas staple television Treats.
From Roger Moore With Love (2024)
Where is he? BBC2Wednesday, December 25, at 21:00
Twelve days after his debut in cinemas, this sweet portrait of 007’s most prolific character comes to light. BBC2. Steve Coogan provides audio narration, as famous family and friends reflect on the ups and downs of Roger Moore’s career and his occasional marital missteps. Never-before-seen home movies confirm the impression of a self-deprecating person having a good time.
An American in Paris (1951)
Where is he? C5Thursday, December 26, at 10:15
What else could we have picked at the end of an (Olympic) year for musicals than Best Picture winner Vincente Minnelli? Score for Gershwin’s song “Really Wonderful”. The composer’s eponymous suite accompanies the stunning and impeccably choreographed Dream Ballet, which references the works of five French masters and reinforces Gene Kelly’s claim that dance is a man’s game.
Kentucky Fighting (1949)
Where is he? great! Event, Thursday 26 December, at 15:55
A partnership Hollywood never knew it needed graces this backwater epic, as John Wayne and Oliver Hardy don buckskins to help some Napoleonic exiles keep land grabbers away from the Alabama plot given to them by Congress. Newly teamed up in a charity theater production, Duke and Pip develop an irresistible bond before filming begins.
One Hand Clapping (2024)
Where is he? Sky Arts, Thursday 26 December, at 21:00
Dusted off after half a century in the vaults, this record by Paul McCartney and Wings at Abbey Road is released in cinemas in September. It provides a fascinating look into the dynamics of the band’s third incarnation, while the backyard coda, with just Macca and acoustic guitar, is a nice bonus.
Boxing Day (2021)
Where is he? C4Friday, December 27, at 00:10
With True Love in the doghouse, why not try Amal Amin’s directorial debut, which vaguely borrows all those Cortesian Christmas tropes? He also plays the role of a novelist returning from… Los Angeles To allow his friend Aja Naomi King to experience the legendary ceremonial dancing of London mother Marianne Jean-Baptiste. But this is very much an ensemble piece, and it’s also a lot of fun.
Flip/Off (1997)
Where is he? great! Movies, Friday 27 December, at 21:00
Somewhere Over the Rainbow, all action movies are as good as the 1997 film Cork. FBI Agent John Travolta and terrorist Nicolas Cage face off in trade. It’s never subtle, but they have a ball controlling each other’s tics, with John Woo pushing them through a series of increasingly crazy set pieces. All we want for Christmas is the long-awaited sequel.
Arizona Dream (1993)
Where is he? Talking pictures televisionSaturday, December 28, at 21:05
on television in UK For the first time this century, Prince Kusturica’s bewildering and beguiling eccentricity defies explanation. However, memorable moments abound, as Johnny Depp is persuaded by his cousin Vincent Gallo to attend his uncle Jerry Lewis’ wedding and stays to build a flying machine for Faye Dunaway, much to the anger of his stepdaughter Lily Taylor.
Ghost (2015)
Where is he? ITV1Saturday, December 28, at 20:00
From Orson Welles’ opening touch, Sam Mendes’ second outing in a James Bond film feels subtly radical and reassuringly old-school. Allusions to precursors abound, as we’re treated to clues to the origin, exotic locations, wry dialogue, dark twists, hissing villains, combustible action, and a female counterpart who operates on her own terms. Brilliant and cool, this brings the smarts back to 007.
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
Where is he? BBC2Sunday, December 29 at 12:55
Few can beat Charles Laughton, as Marlene Dietrich discovers in Billy Wilder’s sly version of Agatha Christie’s courtroom drama. However, wife Elsa Lanchester can steal scenes from anyone, and she thoroughly deserved a Golden Globe for the exchanges between private nurse Miss Plimsoll and recovering lawyer Sir Wilfred Robarts after he agrees to take on an intriguing murder case.
Gosford Park (2001)
Where is he? BBC2Sunday, December 29, at 22:00
If you watch Downton Abbey: A New Era on Christmas Eve, you’ll want to catch writer Julian Fellowes in his Oscar-winning role in this lavish film. Robert Altman’s direction was masterful, while the stellar ensemble was impeccable. But don’t underestimate the screenplay’s satirical poignancy or its insights into the cruelty and resentment of an entrenched system approaching its day of reckoning.
Don’t Look Now (1973)
Where is he? BBC2Monday, December 30, 00:15
Apocalyptic event and Christmas go together, and Nicolas Roeg’s style in Daphne du Maurier’s short story has lost none of its power to disorient. Chronicling the efforts of church restorer Donald Sutherland and his wife Julie Christie to overcome the accidental drowning of their young daughter, this charming mosaic makes Venice seem both mysterious and dangerous at once.
The Joneses (1985)
Where is he? ITV1Monday, December 30, at 1:15 p.m
There’s a pantomime to this family adventure based on a Steven Spielberg story. The young stars are all in their fifties now (one even won an Oscar), but they will forever be the companions of Goon Dock Mikey, Data, Chunk and Mouth, who seek to outsmart the Fratellis to reach the treasure of the legendary 17th century pirate One-Eyed Willy.
Hidden Figures (2016)
Where is he? C4Monday, December 30, at 17:10
Three Academy Award nominations were given to Theodore Melfi’s adaptation of Margot Lee Shetterly’s book about Katherine Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae), a black American mathematician who helped… we Win the space race. The nuances of credit redistribution are not always taken into account. But some messages need to be shouted louder than others.
Black Panther (2018)
Where is he? BBC1Tuesday, December 31, at 20:00
The eighteenth outing into the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a proud, hopeful Afrofuturist statement about existence, excellence, and resistance. It was also brilliantly entertaining, with the secondary characters being as compelling as they were T’CHalla (Chadwick Boseman) and Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), fighting for supremacy over Wakanda. Don’t miss it.
The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
Where is he? BBC2Wednesday, January 1, at 15:10
the BBC He’s unlikely to follow the makers of 28 Years Later in creating a trailer for John Huston’s classic using Rudyard Kipling’s 1903 poem, “Shoes.” But its sense of impending doom would certainly fit with the harrowing tale of soldiers Daniel Draveau (Sean Connery) and Peachy Carnehan (Michael Caine), as they embark on an ill-advised adventure in Kafiristan.
The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone (1990/2020)
Where is he? C4Thursday, January 2, 00:30
This is a re-edit of the film formerly known as The Godfather Part Third It does not change the history of the screen, because it remains inferior to its predecessors. But Francis Ford Coppola reshaped the relationship with the Vatican and refocused the tensions between Michael (Al Pacino) and his daughter Mary (Sofia Coppola). The results are satisfying enough to demand a reconsideration for all Corleone fans.