Skip to content

Christmas movies – an English myth

2008 December 20
tags: , , ,
by yankeebean

yankeebeanI’ve been keeping an eye on the TV guide this Christmas so I can see all the classic Christmas movies.  Wait, no, I’ve been keeping an eye on the TV guide since TWO THOUSAND AND FIVE so I can see all the classic Christmas movies.

Where are they???  Where’s Rudolph?  Frosty?  Charlie Brown with his sad-but-triumphant-tree?  Garfield?  Bing Crosby in White Christmas?  Jimmy Stuart in It’s a Wonderful Life?  The Grinch?  The Muppets?  How can be Christmas without the Muppet’s classic line “Light the lamp, not the rat!  Light the lamp, not the rat!!”?

christmas_moviesAnd there’s plenty more where that came from…

Sometimes I think I paint my American memories with a big sparkly silver lining (especially this time of year), but I swear you couldn’t turn on the TV after December 1st in America without being accosted by something Christmassy.  (And I say this as good thing)

I didn’t realize until this year how much I missed it, especially a the Muppet’s Christmas Carol and White Christmas… oh, and Linus’ speech in ‘It’s Christmas, Charlie Brown’…

I guess if I step back and look at the situation, it’s not surprising.  It’s just a different scene.  In  general, English people don’t like cheese, sop, or cheer in large quantities and those are the 3 main ingredients of any good Christmas movie experience.

It seems like people would rather watch a news brief about the Lapland fiasco than sit down in front of a sparkley 1950′s musical extravaganza.  (Image this next part with lots of echo, like in a big cave) - nooooooooooooooooo!!!!

I’m surprised they don’t show It’s A Wonderful Life, though… it’s essentially a long drawn-out suicide-attempt filled with despair, but with a really happy ending.

But I have that one on DVD anyway…

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

from → Uncategorized

  • http://kenandbelly.blogspot.com kenandbelly

    One word: Youtube. I don’t know how I could handle a Christmas abroad without youtube. We introduced our toddler to the original Grinch Stole Christmas and all sorts of vintage Muppets and there’s no going back.

  • pacificyorkshirebird

    Yes, those movies are essential Christmas viewing. I miss all the Christmas themed sitcoms too. But if you haven’t seen the Snowman its a must!! Mr. Charismatic goes right back to his childhood everytime he sees it.

  • Steve Shawcross

    Yes The Snowman is a must on Channel 4, it is Christmas! Whatever did we do before 1982, before The Snowman came along?

  • http://almostamerican.blogspot.com Almost American

    Oh but all the TV shows have a Christmas special, don’t they? Why watch the SAME movies every year?
    I miss the Two Ronnies Christmas specials. I do own The Snowman though and we watch it every year.

  • http://www.shesnotfromyorkshire.com/2009/12/18/why-are-you-singing-away-in-a-manger-like-that/ Why are you singing ‘Away In A Manger’ like that?? | She's Not From Yorkshire

    [...] Christmas tradition teeters in peril – what will be kept??  What will be shunned??  What Christmas movies will be on TV??  What heinous desserts will you have to [...]

  • simhedges

    The Muppet Christmas carol is one of the best version of A Christmas Carol ever made. The key is the Michael Caine plays it dead straight and he’s good. And they don’t laugh up the scary stuff. Trad Xmas movies in the UK: The Wizard of Oz and It’s a Wonderful Life (more recently) which are usually playing on some TV station somewhere. As for the Grinch, I couldn’t give two hoots: not my childhood.

  • Marianne

    You dont have to be in England to comment about the lack of holiday movies. Im in Nova Scotia, Canada and we also are very disapointed with the lack of programming here too. My mom and I would watch The Sound of Music, the Muppets, etc.. but in the last 5 years its been going down hill. More money for me to put out shopping for all our favorites!

Get Adobe Flash playerPlugin by wpburn.com wordpress themes