28th December 2025

1000 - Legend Xtra

Yeah we’ve already had this once already but COME OONNN we’re talking about Biggles The Movie here, time travelling nazis and helicopters and that theme song! PUT IT ON EVERY DAY YOU COWARDS

1015 - BBC1

I think everyone had high hopes for this when it came out but given its competition at the time was Pixar at the absolute peak of its powers confidence wasn’t that high. But then out it comes and Chicken Run is an absolute classic, leaning into the war film tropes in a way that makes the whole thing zing along. A banger

1035 - ITV1

Couple of good films here; Dragon is really much better than it should be especially as the Dreamworks reputation at the time wasn’t exactly stellar. And then musical fun with Grease, although no thanks to the Megamix song which for a while there very nearly used up all of the films good will.

1345 - BBC2

Another stone cold classic of the golden age, all meaningful glances and stoic emotional choices.

1405 - ITV1

Yes, I know there will be some negative comments about this one making the list but you know what? I had a good time with this, I understand all the negative aspects like those flipping monkeys but there’s at least two or three moments of pure Indy action that can stand with the other films. But yes, those monkeys were really daft

1420 - ITV2

Ah yes, some more fun films to dip in and out of during the afternoon; Jumanji is a great film, the Narnia films I thought never had a chance as they fell between Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter despite arguably having the best qualities of both of those films. Then a big dumb Godzilla film which, whilst it’s no Minus One, is still a big old heap of fun. And sure we had this Batman already but just in case you missed it

1525 - BBC2

More Poirot! This time it’s Albert Finney’s one go at the moustache and a good one it is considering he got himself an Academy Award nomination for the role. Orient Express is one of the all time classic Poirot stories and this is a great take on it

1815 - E4

It’s mad to think that this film is over 15 years old but then time seems to bend around The Simpsons, both in the show and outside of it. This isn’t exactly from a golden period of the show but it still gets a good few laughs out of you

1825 - Sky Arts

Here’s some more Sherlock Holmes but after the films had moved to Universal and he’d been shifted up from Victorian times to the war because, dammit, Nazis needed punching. After that you have a big bunch of cowboys shooting a load of bad guys in a remake that's nearly as good as the original

2030 - BBC1

I do love a good murder mystery show and Death in Paradise has always been on of the good ones, so of course I’m showing up for the Christmas special.

2100 - Legend

A big load of guns in a guitar case? A load of baddies getting in the way of a guys revenge? Lovely. It might also still be Robert Rodriguez’s best film, despite it arguably peaking early in the film. Still though, didn’t need the Tarantino cameo did we?

2105 - ITV4

Oooh, I love me a submarine film and Crimson Tide is one of the good ones; Denzel and Gene Hackman going at it like Godzilla and King Kong with the fate of the world in their hands, a belter. And then a Cornetto Trilogy entry I’m sure we’ve had before, then finishing up with a remake that this time is no where near as good as the original. Still though there’s some symmetry with starting and ending with a Denzel film

2130 - ITV1

Time to head to the danger zone, amirite? It’s very much a film of its time and arguably the recent sequel did the same thing but better but there is something about this one that gets the blood pumping

2200 - BBC2

Here’s a proper classic, one of the very best of all films. A faultless cast, immaculate direction, even the music is peerless. I’ll have this all day long thanks. And if you can’t sleep afterwards then watch the QI then get Wicker Man watched for some late night chills

2200 - BBC4

Nice comedy double bill here; Dave Allen is a great conversational comedian, weaving great comic tales similar to how Billy Connolly plied his trade as well. This is more of a travelogue than a full on comedy show but was still good from what I remember

2350 - Great TV

War movie! This time its a comedy, a big old Robert Altman deal with the roving camera and overlapping dialogue the works. And good it is too!