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Christmas traditions

Everybody has their own family Christmas traditions. The first time I had Christmas with a family that was not the one I was born into I found myself stopped from opening presents in the free-for-all my own gene pool had embraced and sitting in a circle around a tree festooned with brightly coloured packages waiting patiently. Waiting for the person currently opening a gift to randomly pick a present with my name on it, following which I would duly pass on the present-opening baton and randomly pick the next gift under the tree to deliver to someone. It was a good tradition as we all got to share the giving and receiving of each carefully chosen treat. However, there are less conspicuous Christmas traditions that I was not prepared to bend on. Like the rigid appointment watching of Christmas Day’s Doctor Who. The Queen can wait; the TARDIS is time critical. Read the rest of this article »

Creature comforts

Lawks! Somebody’s taken Olly Murs and made him an early 20th century veterinary student at Glasgow Veterinary College! It’s true! Well, it looks like it’s true as among the first wave of feel-good Christmas telly coming our way from the BBC is hidden the young Iain De Caestecker who, it has to be said, bears an uncanny resemblance to The Xtra Factor presenter and singer. Read the rest of this article »

This is not the end

What do you get if you cross last year’s Single Father with an ITV multi-part drama? Some darn good acting, a massively convincing bereavement and a growing suspicion that all is not as it seems. Is anything ever as it seems on ITV? Are cops ever anything except shouty or blind to the real truths dug out at great personal peril by civilians? It seems that with the disappearance of The Bill we also lost a wide variety of police type characters, but that’s by the by. Without You is here and it’s mixing mourning with investigation, isolation and concern to make something shaping up to be really rather intriguing. Read the rest of this article »

Ho! Ho! Ho!

DVDs are big business this Christmas. Whether it’s the box set of Frozen Planet or spreading the word of The Wire (again), they have always been a source of big present-buying and gathering around the goggle box as a family, friendship group or simply random Boxing Day gathering. This year, more than ever before, there is a barrage of stand-up comedy DVDs. Solo shows, more club sets than you’d catch on the Michael McIntyre Roadshow, but carefully crafted shows around a theme or singular sense of humour. To be shared. It’s a cliché for a reason –?there really is something for everyone. Are you sitting comfortably? Then let us begin…

Right, let’s kick off against the myth that there could not possibly be a DVD you could give to Granny that you’ll find funny, will not offend the in-laws and is still suitable for the toddlers running around and won’t teach them any bad words. Let me introduce you to Milton Jones. Read the rest of this article »