The need at Christmas for a welcome break from squabbling cousins, screeching nieces and nephews, and an uncle who’s reading aloud lines from the Andrew Tate handbook on how to be a k**b, is essential.
And what better way to escape from the politics of Christmas dinner than plopping yourself on the sofa to take in whatever TV bosses have to offer for one of the most hotly-anticipated days of the year?
Let’s be under no illusion, the BBC has been the port of call for Christmas Day viewing for millions for as long as the Doctor has been cutting about in his TARDIS.
In fact, when I heard about specials in the betting markets ahead of the festive period, BBC One was a mammoth 1/8 favourite to be the most-viewed channel of the evening among betting experts.
But why? Like genuinely, why? Because a quick scan of the TV listings conjures up about as much excitement as a Quorn pig in blanket.
There’s animated kids flick Toy Story 4 in the afternoon – fair enough for the little ones.
Mrs Brown’s Boys is back on the BBC on Christmas Day
BBC
As the schedule enters prime time, BBC viewers will be “treated” to festive editions of Strictly – the results of which have already been leaked online, Ncuti Gatwa’s new take on Doctor Who, Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel, the Ghosts series finale, Call the Midwife, EastEnders and then Mrs Brown’s Boys.
Surprisingly, I didn’t just copy and paste that from the schedule from 2022 or 2021, although you’d certainly be forgiven for thinking so.
There is zero originality or newness among the list and unless you’re a huge fan of the comedy series Ghosts, I’d argue this could be the first year viewers change their habits.
After all, after a matter of seconds of searching for opinions on social media, it’s easy to see viewers have grown tired of the Beeb rolling out the same old characters and same old shows once again.
On X, formerly Twitter, one annoyed licence fee payer fumed: “Woke Doctor Who. Nauseating Michael McIntyre. Call The Midwife, again. Extremely depressing Eastenders. Excruciatingly unfunny Mrs Brown’s Boys… Prime time entertainment on The @BBC For Christmas Day. They’re trolling the licence fee payers.”
Another even suggested: “Mrs Brown’s Boys. A double episode. The BBC absolutely hates us.”
It doesn’t hate you, it loves you for wasting your festive hours taking in content that any other day of the year you’d simply tune out of.
And it’s about to love you even more as next Christmas, you’ll have forked out an extra few quid for the privilege of watching Brendan O’Carroll in a dress.
Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel has a festive makeover
BBC
The government has confirmed that the current TV licence fee of £159 will increase by £10.50 – a rise of 6.6 percent.
This is down to inflation – apparently – amid the corporation’s endless cost-cutting from within, whether it be axing soaps or reformatting Newsnight.
In a statement, the BBC Board said of the hike: “We note that the government has restored a link to inflation on the licence fee after two years of no increases during a time of high inflation.
“The BBC is focused on providing great value, as well as programmes and services that audiences love. However, this outcome will still require further changes on top of the major savings that we are already delivering.
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“Our content budgets are now impacted, which in turn will have a significant impact on the wider creative sector across the UK. We will confirm the consequences of this as we work through our budgets in the coming months.”
What other consequences can the Beeb possibly think of that would be further punishment to making licence fee payers sit through the 32,027th episode of Call the Midwife or watching McIntyre skip around a glorified dance mat?
One thing that is for sure when it comes to Christmas viewing and that is paying more money for the same drivel is as nonsensical as a jail sentence for those who refuse to line the Beeb’s pockets.
