Merry Christmas

....from the ginger gingerbeard men in Gingerland

....from the Christmas markets in Krakow





...and the Christmas markets in Antwerp







...and the Christmas markets in Bruges

xxxoo

As a Post-Christmas Social Commentary after living in four different countries (never mind that I didn't have TV in London and that I've only spent two Christmases in little P town); I'd like to compile the Annual Christmas TV Re-Runs List with a few culturally specific programmes added on the side.

The Undisputed Christmas Re-Runs List
Regardless of race, colour or creed, there is an unspoken expectation that these shows will be aired over the Christmas/New Year's period.

1. Home Alone. (Which one? Why not all of them.)

Since the early '90's, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Macaulay's angelic face & trademark scream.

2. The Simpson's Christmas special
(There's now 19 seasons to choose from, so if you have cable TV, that pretty much guarantees a Simpson's movie marathorn.)

3. Oliver Twist
(So many versions have been made over the years, but the one thing they all have in common is a Fagin with red hair. Why is that so? I don't recall Charles Dickens explicitly saying that he had red hair so exactly what is the film industry trying to say...? :p

And why is Oliver Twist considered a Christmas movie? Is it because the bleakness of industrial London matches the bleak greyness of winter over here in the UK/Europe?

4. A Christmas Carol

There's the Patrick Stewart version, the cartoon Uncle Scrooge version, the Muppet version.... Take your pick. If Charles Dickens was alive, he'd be raking it in with the royalties. (He could have been a modern day true life version of "About A Boy's" Will Freeman.) Imagine, he gets Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol all in the same holiday season. Doesn't get any better than that.Talk about influence. BAM.

5. A Mr Bean Christmas

Heh, who can forget that oversized, fake turkey? "Have you got the turkey on....?"

6. Miracle on 34th Street

From what I've seen in my 26 years, TV seems to favour the 1994 version. Maybe because it's in colour. After visiting New York twice, I still can't figure out what's so special about 34th Street.

7. The Ten Commandments

Sure.... Laugh at the baby floaty pool of water, but back in the day, it was cool special fx.

8.It's a Wonderful Life

An old classic on the top of the list.

9. How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Sadly the Dr Seuss version is now usually replaced by the irritating Jim Carrey one.

10. A Charlie Brown Christmas

My Perthian friends swear that this is one of THE stereotypical Christmas reruns although admittedly I don't think I've ever seen it...?

Special Credits
The "Yet Another Tim Allen Christmas movie at the box office, not to mention the tv reruns". There's the "Santa Clause" series (all three of them), Christmas with the Kranks.... I swear there's more.....

After he churned out Christmas movie year after year, I was beginning to wonder whether Tim Allen had some special affiliation with Christmas movies (or whether he was only working at specific times of the year which meant he could only do Christmas themed movies). Although in terms of royalties with the reruns, damn, he beats Charles Dickens to a pulp, in terms of quantity anyway.

You know you're in the UK when....there's Christmas Eastenders with plenty of trouble and mayhem, whether it be somebody deviously slipping paternity test results into an unsuspecting person's Christmas cracker or somebody having a heart attack (from eating too much turkey).

"It's Christmas af'er all, innit."

You know you're in Ireland when....there's reruns of Father Ted.

You can tell that it's the Christmas special because of
a) the Christmas tree in the parochial house on the lone Craggy Island and
b) the plotline has nothing to do with Christmas mass.
(After all, how could the Irish stomach a double dose of Christmas mass and Christmas mass on Father Ted? There wouldn't be anything humorous about it at all.)

Also on offer in Ireland is "The Best of Riverdance". (You mean there's more than one Riverdance....?)

Most annoying Christmas songs that get stuck in your head (make you want to punch somebody in the face)
1. Last Christmas (the Wham version) - ARGH!! That '80's synthesizer!
2. All I want for Christmas (Mariah Carrey)......(is for you to go away).

Anyway, those are my top two. Lemme know if there's more.