Transmission of the Doctor.


TV  Since there wasn't a festive episode of Doctor Who this year thanks to Disney's dithering, I decided to watch The Christmas Invasion on its twentieth anniversary. Most of it still stands up, especially David Tennant's entrance, a proper deus ex machina. It was so good, I plan to watch the rest of the revival before next year's Christmas special, especially since there are a bunch of episodes I haven't seen since transmission.

But there are some definite rough patches. Rather than taking the logical route of working through in chronological order—which would inevitably lead to moments when I wouldn't necessarily want to go straight into the next episode—I decided to watch them in transmission anniversary order across the year, juxtaposing the various eras, actors, and approaches. This is in the spirit of the DVD releases. Find the results below.

Some statistics. There are 139 unique dates in a year that feature an episode. Christmas Day obviously has the most episodes (15), with New Year's Day a close second (5), and May 11th is third with three episodes. All the others have just one or two. The earliest a series premiered was on 1st January with Series 12, and the latest was 31st October for Series 13 (which just goes to show how inconsistent the transmission dates have been).


1 January

  • The End of Time (Part 2) (2010)

  • Resolution (2019)

  • Spyfall (Part 1) (2020)

  • Revolution of the Daleks (2021)

  • Eve of the Daleks (2022)

5 January

  • Spyfall (Part 2) (2020)

12 January

  • Orphan 55 (2020)

19 January

  • Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror (2020)

26 January

  • Fugitive of the Judoon (2020)

2 February

  • Praxeus (2020)

9 February

  • Can You Hear Me? (2020)

16 February

  • The Haunting of Villa Diodati (2020)

23 February

  • Ascension of the Cybermen (Part 1) (2020)

1 March

  • The Timeless Children (Part 2) (2020)

26 March

  • Rose (2005)

30 March

  • The Bells of Saint John (2013)

31 March

  • Smith and Jones (2007)

2 April

  • The End of the World (2005)

3 April

  • The Eleventh Hour (2010)

5 April

  • Partners in Crime (2008)

6 April

  • The Rings of Akhaten (2013)

7 April

  • The Shakespeare Code (2007)

9 April

  • The Unquiet Dead (2005)

10 April

  • The Beast Below (2010)

11 April

  • Planet of the Dead (2009)

12 April

  • The Fires of Pompeii (2008)

  • The Robot Revolution (2025)

13 April

  • Cold War (2013)

14 April

  • Gridlock (2007)

  • The Ghost Monument (2018)

15 April

  • New Earth (2006)

  • The Pilot (2017)

16 April

  • Aliens of London (Part 1) (2005)

17 April

  • Victory of the Daleks (2010)

  • Legend of the Sea Devils (2022)

19 April

  • Planet of the Ood (2008)

  • Lux (2025)

20 April

  • Hide (2013)

21 April

  • Daleks in Manhattan (Part 1) (2007)

  • Rosa (2018)

22 April

  • Tooth and Claw (2006)

  • Smile (2017)

23 April

  • World War Three (Part 2) (2005)

  • The Impossible Astronaut (Part 1) (2011)

24 April

  • The Time of Angels (Part 1) (2010)

26 April

  • The Sontaran Stratagem (Part 1) (2008)

  • The Well (2025)

27 April

  • Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS (2013)

28 April

  • Evolution of the Daleks (Part 2) (2007)

  • Arachnids in the UK (2018)

29 April

  • School Reunion (2006)

  • Thin Ice (2017)

30 April

  • Dalek (2005)

  • Day of the Moon (Part 2) (2011)

1 May

  • Flesh and Stone (Part 2) (2010)

3 May

  • The Poison Sky (Part 2) (2008)

  • Lucky Day (2025)

4 May

  • The Crimson Horror (2013)

5 May

  • The Lazarus Experiment (2007)

6 May

  • The Girl in the Fireplace (2006)

  • Knock Knock (2017)

7 May

  • The Long Game (2005)

  • The Curse of the Black Spot (2011)

8 May

  • The Vampires of Venice (2010)

10 May

  • The Doctor's Daughter (2008)

  • The Story and the Engine (2025)

11 May

  • Nightmare in Silver (2013)

  • Space Babies (2024)

  • The Devil's Chord (2024)

13 May

  • Rise of the Cybermen (Part 1) (2006)

  • Oxygen (2017)

14 May

  • Father's Day (2005)

  • The Doctor's Wife (2011)

15 May

  • Amy's Choice (2010)

17 May

  • The Unicorn and the Wasp (2008)

  • The Interstellar Song Contest (2025)

18 May

  • The Name of the Doctor (2013)

  • Boom (2024)

19 May

  • 42 (2007)

20 May

  • The Age of Steel (Part 2) (2006)

  • Extremis (2017)

21 May

  • The Empty Child (Part 1) (2005)

  • The Rebel Flesh (Part 1) (2011)

22 May

  • The Hungry Earth (Part 1) (2010)

24 May

  • Wish World (Part 1) (2025)

25 May

  • 73 Yards (2024)

26 May

  • Human Nature (Part 1) (2007)

27 May

  • The Idiot's Lantern (2006)

  • The Pyramid at the End of the World (2017)

28 May

  • The Doctor Dances (Part 2) (2005)

  • The Almost People (Part 2) (2011)

29 May

  • Cold Blood (Part 2) (2010)

31 May

  • Silence in the Library (Part 1) (2008)

  • The Reality War (Part 2) (2025)

1 June

  • Dot and Bubble (2024)

2 June

  • The Family of Blood (Part 2) (2007)

3 June

  • The Impossible Planet (Part 1) (2006)

  • The Lie of the Land (2017)

4 June

  • Boom Town (2005)

  • A Good Man Goes to War (2011)

5 June

  • Vincent and the Doctor (2010)

7 June

  • Forest of the Dead (Part 2) (2008)

8 June

  • Rogue (2024)

9 June

  • Blink (2007)

10 June

  • The Satan Pit (Part 2) (2006)

  • Empress of Mars (2017)

11 June

  • Bad Wolf (Part 1) (2005)

12 June

  • The Lodger (2010)

14 June

  • Midnight (2008)

15 June

  • The Legend of Ruby Sunday (Part 1) (2024)

16 June

  • Utopia (Part 1) (2007)

17 June

  • Love & Monsters (2006)

  • The Eaters of Light (2017)

18 June

  • The Parting of the Ways (Part 2) (2005)

19 June

  • The Pandorica Opens (Part 1) (2010)

21 June

  • Turn Left (2008)

22 June

  • Empire of Death (Part 2) (2024)

23 June

  • The Sound of Drums (Part 2) (2007)

24 June

  • Fear Her (2006)

  • World Enough and Time (Part 1) (2017)

26 June

  • The Big Bang (Part 2) (2010)

28 June

  • The Stolen Earth (Part 1) (2008)

30 June

  • Last of the Time Lords (Part 3) (2007)

1 July

  • Army of Ghosts (Part 1) (2006)

  • The Doctor Falls (Part 2) (2017)

5 July

  • Journey's End (Part 2) (2008)

8 July

  • Doomsday (Part 2) (2006)

23 August

  • Deep Breath (2014)

27 August

  • Let's Kill Hitler (2011)

30 August

  • Into the Dalek (2014)

1 September

  • Asylum of the Daleks (2012)

3 September

  • Night Terrors (2011)

6 September

  • Robot of Sherwood (2014)

8 September

  • Dinosaurs on a Spaceship (2012)

10 September

  • The Girl Who Waited (2011)

13 September

  • Listen (2014)

15 September

  • A Town Called Mercy (2012)

17 September

  • The God Complex (2011)

19 September

  • The Magician's Apprentice (Part 1) (2015)

20 September

  • Time Heist (2014)

22 September

  • The Power of Three (2012)

23 September

  • Closing Time (2011)

26 September

  • The Witch's Familiar (Part 2) (2015)

27 September

  • The Caretaker (2014)

29 September

  • The Angels Take Manhattan (2012)

1 October

  • The Wedding of River Song (2011)

3 October

  • Under the Lake (Part 1) (2015)

4 October

  • Kill the Moon (2014)

7 October

  • The Woman Who Fell to Earth (2018)

10 October

  • Before the Flood (Part 2) (2015)

11 October

  • Mummy on the Orient Express (2014)

14 October

  • The Ghost Monument (2018)

17 October

  • The Girl Who Died (2015)

18 October

  • Flatline (2014)

21 October

  • Rosa (2018)

23 October

  • The Power of the Doctor (2022)

24 October

  • The Woman Who Lived (2015)

25 October

  • In the Forest of the Night (2014)

28 October

  • Arachnids in the UK (2018)

31 October

  • The Zygon Invasion (Part 1) (2015)

  • The Halloween Apocalypse (Chapter One) (2021)

1 November

  • Dark Water (Part 1) (2014)

4 November

  • The Tsuranga Conundrum (2018)

7 November

  • The Zygon Inversion (Part 2) (2015)

  • War of the Sontarans (Chapter Two) (2021)

8 November

  • Death in Heaven (Part 2) (2014)

11 November

  • Demons of the Punjab (2018)

14 November

  • Sleep No More (2015)

  • Once, Upon Time (Chapter Three) (2021)

15 November

  • The Waters of Mars (2009)

18 November

  • Kerblam! (2018)

21 November

  • Face the Raven (2015)

  • Village of the Angels (Chapter Four) (2021)

23 November

  • The Day of the Doctor (2013)

25 November

  • The Witchfinders (2018)

  • The Star Beast (2023)

28 November

  • Heaven Sent (2015)

  • Survivors of the Flux (Chapter Five) (2021)

2 December

  • It Takes You Away (2018)

  • Wild Blue Yonder (2023)

5 December

  • Hell Bent (2015)

  • The Vanquishers (Chapter Six) (2021)

9 December

  • The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos (2018)

  • The Giggle (2023)

25 December

  • The Christmas Invasion (2005)

  • The Runaway Bride (2006)

  • Voyage of the Damned (2007)

  • The Next Doctor (2008)

  • The End of Time (Part 1) (2009)

  • A Christmas Carol (2010)

  • The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (2011)

  • The Snowmen (2012)

  • The Time of the Doctor (2013)

  • Last Christmas (2014)

  • The Husbands of River Song (2015)

  • The Return of Doctor Mysterio (2016)

  • Twice Upon a Time (2017)

  • The Church on Ruby Road (2023)

  • Joy to the World (2024)

on Thursday, December 25, 2025 0 comments Labels:

Christmas Links #26 (Season Finale)

 
A Florida official wants to cancel a sold-out Christmas drag show. The queens are performing anyway:
"A Drag Queen Christmas, featuring artists from RuPaul’s Drag Race, will stop in Pensacola despite the state attorney general’s efforts to stop it."

"The elusive street artist’s latest stencil may reference the tens of thousands of unhoused children living in London."

"Join John and Neil as they unwrap some festive treats..."

"Crafting the right mix requires strategy. Here are some tips."

Doctor Who fans, or at least fans of old money Doctor Who, tend to have a greater understanding of the history of television than most people.?
Editor's Note:  Paywall.  But I'm posting it anyway as a way of imploring you to sign up to James Cooray's Smith Psychic Paper newsletter, which at £3.50 per month offers regular, thoughtful articles about Doctor Who which always offer a fresh perspective.  This one's about The Power of Kroll ratings anomaly.

"From Robert Bresson to Antoine Fuqua, from the 1950s to the 2020s, Dan Mecca takes us on a tour through many cinematic interpretations of the King Arthur legend."

"How one person’s reaction to a hurtful Christmas card caused the card to be withdrawn, although not everyone feels it should have been."

"Tony and Becs Wadley say they can't spend Christmas at home after insulation installed under a government scheme has caused black mould in several rooms, and their asthmatic son can't be inside the property."

"Ahead of the latest in the BBC’s Ghost Stories for Christmas strand airing on Christmas Eve, we revisit the atmospheric locations for the original series to see how time has changed them."

"Can we use data to prove what is and isn’t a Christmas movie and force people to stop being annoying FOREVER?"
on Tuesday, December 23, 2025 0 comments Labels:

Christmas Links #25


Timeless Christmas hit is the gift that keeps on giving for Wizzard:
"Research shows 97% of band’s streaming revenue comes from 1973 single I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday."

"Why arguing with your family about politics won’t change their minds — and what actually will."

"Sophie Aldred’s Ace Odyssey podcast series offers a ghost story for Christmas… on a spaceship."

"A group of Ukrainian performers have been telling the story of being far from home and unable to make it back for Christmas."

"Donald Macleod visits the home of Jane Austen with historian Amanda Vickery to discover some of the seasonal customs and Christmas music of late-Georgian Britain."

"Christmas is a time when many of us head back to the family home - the marae - and in the case of many Pacific Islanders - the village. People like Kayla Tuara are taking their family back to the Cook Islands for Christmas. Kayla joins Bryan from Rarotonga."

"I was working at another magazine about a decade ago when I told a colleague about plans to go to my hometown for the holidays and make lasagna with my family for Christmas Day. It's an all-day affair: stirring and seasoning the sauce, cooking the noodles, layering the dish, then finally baking (and baking) until the dish is bubbly and melty."

“Colly birds” appeared in versions of the song as early as the late 18th century.

I'm not a big fan of Christmas music, so I was happy to learn about and then listen to "enigmatic frontman and eclectic curator" David Byrne's recently posted playlist, "Christmas Music for People Who Hate Christmas Music."
on Monday, December 22, 2025 0 comments Labels:

Odeon Liverpool Switch Island

 

Film  For The Housemaid.  An "innovation" in some Odeons is the introduction of beds at the front of the auditorium.  Having tried one here, I would not say it's the "ultimate comfort" as suggested on the website.  The surface is rather hard (its the same leathery material used on seating) and its pretty difficult to decide how far up to sit.  Too low and you can't see the screen, too high and you might as well be on a recliner.  It's certainly not worth the prices.  With the Unlimited discount my single bed was £9, but for plebs its £20.50 for one, £31 for two and £37.50 for three.  It was also chilling in the screen so I'm glad I brought a blanket (history link).
on Monday, December 22, 2025 0 comments Labels:

Christmas Links #24


Christmas Movies for the Family After You’ve Watched the Ones You Always Watch:
"I love the Christmas classic movies and watch as many as I can every year, including at least a couple of versions of “A Christmas Carol” and Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye in “White Christmas.”  But there are many great Christmas films that don’t get mentioned as often and I like to remind families that these are worth making time for as well."

“A Very Elfish Situationship”

"Emma Thompson’s quiet suffering in the hit Christmas movie helped me to realise that I didn’t need to stay with someone who had betrayed me."
Editor's Note:  This shitty film has done some good.

"When you think about music in New Orleans — you probably think of jazz or blues, or maybe funk and bounce.  Christmas carols? Not so much."

"Grace Dent takes a televisual trip back in time to Christmas 1985."

"A highlight from our holiday stream to benefit World Central Kitchen."

"In the city of Saku, central Japan, Santa Claus has arrived in hot-air balloons to deliver Christmas cheer to children."

"The first edition of The Making of Doctor Who, published by Piccolo in 1972, was credited — on the front cover — to Malcolm Hulke and Terrance Dicks. The title page then reversed the names, suggesting an equity of credit. Yet, as we saw last time, I think Hulke did most if not all of the writing and took 75% of the royalties."

"TV host who came under pressure from Trump government will say: ‘From a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year’"

"Most people don't even give you the time of day but these people do, no matter who you are."


on Sunday, December 21, 2025 0 comments Labels:

Christmas Links #23


When 25 Women & a Civil Engineer Decide To Build an 18-Foot Christmas Crochet Tree Together:
"In Goa, 25 women and a civil engineer came together to build an 18-foot Christmas tree made entirely of crocheted yarn. Created by The Crochet Collective, the installation revives a fading craft, centres women’s labour, and offers a sustainable alternative to plastic-heavy festive décor."

"The surprise message that led to a Darlington woman’s starring role in a new Christmas Eve drama on BBC Radio 4."

"Baubles and ornaments sent the author wheeling through time and space. How do they affect you?"

"I have been looking on, this evening, at a merry company of children assembled round that pretty German toy, a Christmas Tree."

"Escaped animal was seen chasing a woman around Upper Seagry and trying to munch on a festive wreath."

"We often imagine medieval life as dull, dirty and short, with little in the way of material comfort or decoration. However, medieval Londoners were importing toys, treats and trinkets by the boatload centuries before the modern festive rush."

"This story came to me in a dream earlier this year. A MR James-esque tale (says author Jonathan Morris)."

"St Chad's Church in Shrewsbury is in its own right a fixture on the town's tourist trail."

"Welcome to tv.garden, your gateway to free live TV streaming from anywhere.  Our goal is to make discovering and watching global channels as easy and enjoyable as possible."

"Pulling the rabbit of verbal spontaneity from the hat of immediate circumstance."

"People even send spies to the rehearsal rooms."
on Saturday, December 20, 2025 0 comments Labels:

Christmas Links #22

 
The 12 Days of Christmas Movie Quiz:
"Yes, for the first time in four years, we're trying to find film questions about French Hens."

"We asked 121 contributors – British and international – to pick the top ten movies they'd seen in 2025. You can browse all 433 choices they nominated here."

"It’s been another busy year for Ofcom’s broadcasting standards team. We’ve received almost 50,000 complaints about more than 8,000 TV, radio, and on-demand programmes, a clear sign that audiences care deeply about what they watch and listen to."

"Shrieking Victorian phantoms, dastardly occultists and Christopher Lee’s vast head … here we reveal the finest Christmas chillers there ever were."

"MP Tulip Siddiq says decision must be reversed as decisions sparks instant backlash."

"Kylie Minogue has scored this year's Christmas number one, deposing Wham!'s Last Christmas, which topped the chart in 2023 and 2024."

"There are movies that have been memory-holed and movies that are cursed."

"A woman said she was left "terrified" after a goose crashed through her front door as she watched television."

"After coming together and pooling resources to save Christmas for the town’s most impoverished family, a tight-knit Nebraska community reportedly did jack shit this week to make the holiday better for its second-poorest family."

"Dave Willat was just 11 years old, wearing cutoffs and a T-shirt on a warm September evening in 1965, when he showed up for what he thought would be a routine choir practice at his church in San Rafael, Calif., a small city about 20 miles north of San Francisco. His voice was on the cusp of changing, and he expected to rehearse the usual Sunday hymns."
on Friday, December 19, 2025 0 comments Labels:

Christmas Links #21


"In their first-ever feature-length festive spectacular, Samira Ahmed and Graham Kibble-White are joined by special guest Mark Gatiss, as all three nominate their favourite and least-favourite Christmas specials."

"...adapted by Eddie Robson and Jonathan Morris respectively, are full-cast adaptations of two little known Christmas tales by Charles Dickens, now available to purchase as a download."

Evri dumps parcels for multiple customers miles away on driveway:
"A pile of 14 Evri parcels has been discovered on a driveway in Coalisland, County Tyrone."
Editor's Note:  Evri are the absolute worst.

"Royal Mail seems intent on adding a new Christmas tradition this year: baffle customers by closing post boxes just when they’re needed most."

"2026 is set to be a phenomenal year for cinema and TV. In our Modern Visionaries portfolio, we met 34 of the names currently moulding the face of Hollywood."

"It’s a time for sharing, so in a spirit of goodwill to all cinephiles, a dozen directors, including Guillermo del Toro, Wes Anderson, Alice Rohrwacher, Luna Carmoon and Steven Soderbergh, choose their favourite Christmas films."

"Christmas is known as a time of indulgence and overeating, but some festive foods might actually be beneficial to our health."

"Forecasts of print’s demise have been around for as long as press barons have been buying ink by the barrel. We asked a panel of print icons how the medium has fared in the first quarter-century of this millennium."

"Ever wonder how ghosts can reveal more about the living? In ‘How the Ghosts Stole Christmas,’ Mulder and Scully face not just supernatural tricks but a haunting reflection of their own fears and partnership."

"Early last year, Lauren Laverne was standing on stage with Sir Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen – as you do – while the latter gave an acceptance speech at the Ivor Novello Awards."

"From flaming time-killers to franchise-branded blazes, TV fireplaces are now "home for the holidays" to stay."

"Christmas party food, Soreen Salted Caramel Lunchbox Loaves...."

"“Minute for minute, I think Morecambe & Wise is costing [ITV] more than The Sound of Music is costing us”, surmised Bill Cotton, controller of BBC-1, as he announced details of the channel’s Christmas line-up for 1978."

"British academic and his Nigerian wife repeatedly stopped from hosting family members, including at their own wedding, due to visa restrictions brought in by Keir Starmer’s Government."
on Thursday, December 18, 2025 0 comments Labels:

Christmas Links #20


"Hello and welcome to our round-up of the funniest things we’ve seen on Bluesky over the past year."


Editor's Note:  I'm experimenting with Sill (not not that one) which filters your BlueSky timeline down to just the links and it's turned this up, the modern equivalent of the old BBC tapes.

"Following such a lovely positive response to last year’s 1974 edition, I’ve created another special time travel listings magazine. Once again, you can travel back 50 years into Christmas TV’s past. The Christmas Radio TV Times gathers together numerous TV programmes from Christmas week 1975, across both the BBC channels and ITV."

"Celebrate winter - and NOTHING ELSE - with our list of recommendations."

"The 72-year-old dubbed Britain's most festive man has put up 25 Christmas trees – but admitted he had to "downsize" this year."

"After watching The Avengers’ Too Many Christmas Trees for Telefantasy Time Jump‘s Christmas Special (out…sometime this month!! I should really check these things), I felt compelled to return to a few Christmas telly favs to try and life my mood during this week of Eternal Rain and Wind and Grey Omg When Will It End."

"Gather round the fire, everyone, and let me tell you a story. It has everything you could want in a Christmas blockbuster: superheroes and villains, a car crash, children singing, a mystery to solve and even a cameo appearance by Bart Simpson."

"From a John Cusack 80s teen comedy to the other Frank Capra Christmas crowd-pleaser, here are some seasonal picks you might not have seen."

"The risk of having a heart attack or stroke rises during the holiday season, with a spike in cardiac deaths between Christmas and New Year's. "We definitely see it in the ER over the holidays," says Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, a cardiologist who leads the Framingham Heart Study at Boston University School of Medicine."
on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 0 comments Labels:

Christmas Links #19


"We are about to get a "post-American internet," because we are entering a post-American era and a post-American world. Some of that is Trump's doing, and some of that is down to his predecessors."

"The rise and fall of my favourite subject."

on what we get from individual word choice, what good writing is, plus: what I put in my ChatGPT settings to make it helpful

"A man said his children were left "devastated" after discovering their Christmas decoration had been destroyed."

"It's the most wonderful time of the year, and we all look forward to the same thing, and that is watching the same Christmas films we've seen countless times. But is that a bad thing?"

"These films attest to the range of human expression that’s vital to understanding the context of the age we live in."

"This is the way I make my mince pies, and there is no changing me or them: they are small, to be popped straight into the mouth in one go; the pastry is plain, the better to contrast with the rich, fruited filling; and they have not full casings but little stars as lids, which makes them look beautiful and taste flutteringly light."

"Season’s greetings can become a sound investment."

"There are 20 off screen images from the missing Doctor Who episode The Feast of Steven. Using the camera script, I've endeavoured to work out exactly where in the episode each image comes from!"

"A game of solitaire accompanied by a nasty note, dog food for someone who just lost a puppy … Secret Santa is supposed to be fun, but when it’s not, it can lead to all kinds of trouble."
on Tuesday, December 16, 2025 0 comments Labels:

Christmas Links #18


"In this seasonal special, judges Anna Campbell-Jones, Banjo Beale and Danny Campbell travel across Scotland in search of a festive delight of a home. Scoring our Christmas contenders on distinctive festive design, seasonal style and yuletide spirit, which one will dazzle our three wise judges?"

"Christmas is here, and that means gifts, excessive eating, and some of the cheesiest music imaginable."

"Your tips and tricks for cutting festive waste; how to host the perfect Christmas dinner; and the best pyjamas for cosy nights and lazy mornings."

"From the train journey to a cheeky pub visit, here is what I learnt from my first experience visiting Bath's Christmas Markets."

"From crackers, to cards, and even Christmas lights, London is the origin of many Christmas traditions."

"Seasonal workers encouraged to check their pay to ensure they're not out of pocket."

"Authorities in Gdańsk have warned the public not to mount the city’s festive decorations after two women fell through the base of a huge Christmas tree."

"A couple who have illuminated their house every Christmas for more than 50 years have decided to pull the plug on their festive displays."

"“Christmas at Pemberley Manor” and “Romance at Reindeer Lodge” may never make it to Oscar night, but legions of fans still love these sweet-yet-predictable holiday movies — and this season, many are making pilgrimages to where their favorite scenes were filmed."

"International medical students from sunnier climes will find the cold, damp and lingering darkness of a British winter quite a shock. Here are a few tips on how to survive it."
on Monday, December 15, 2025 0 comments Labels:

Christmas Links #17


"Festive feasts and flavours to inspire and delight this Christmas. Explore Christmas cooking with Nigella Lawson, Nigel Slater, Mary Berry, The Hairy Bikers and more... "

"From choosing frozen turkey to shopping supermarket specials, the traditional meal need not break the household budget."

"Christmas has arrived in a Warwickshire village as its annual festive statue makeover is unveiled."

"'If you’re not out there in the area, nobody knows your name and people soon forget you'"

"Major-General James Wolfe died a national hero in Quebec in 1759, having led British forces to a key victory over the French."

"A few days ago, McDonalds Netherlands posted an absolutely horrid Christmas ad generated by AI."

"To mark a decade of festive puzzles, our in-house puzzlers have masterminded seven fiendish brainteasers and teamed up with schoolchildren on three festive designs."

"19 boats braved cold and breezy conditions at the annual Dovestone Sailing Club Christmas Plate open meeting. The day consists of three races with one discard. Boats of many classes competed using PY time adjusting handicaps."
on Sunday, December 14, 2025 0 comments Labels:

Christmas Links #16

 
"Colm Tóibín, Robert Macfarlane, Elif Shafak, Michael Rosen and more share the novels, poetry and memoirs that make the perfect gift."

"From jolly rom-coms to chaotic family romps and religious gems, Robert Daniels celebrates sixteen Black Christmas films to add to your holiday rotation."


"An annual festive swim has been cancelled after organisers said there was not enough time to pull it together after getting the all clear on water quality."

"I’ve been with my wife, Brittany (32F) for four years. (We’re actually civil partners, I won’t marry her until she pays off her credit card debt). I work part time as a manager at Zaxby’s, and also have a podcast. Brittany is a teacher."
Editor's Note:  There is a lot going on in here.

"It was not exactly often that the journey to and from school got more exciting than it did on those alternate Wednesdays when you had to make sure to leave the house with enough additional time to incorporate a quick trip to the newsagents’ to pick up the latest issue of Smash Hits, but if it ever actually did, then it was on the Wednesday that fell roughly – give or take – a week and a half before Christmas."

"From The Pogues to Paul McCartney, Wham! to the Spice Girls, Mariah Carey to East 17 and beyond, this documentary reveals the magic and mayhem behind the making of the nation’s favourite Christmas music videos."

"Seeing local military members helping out in the community is 'good for the heart': premier."

"As you approach Salzburg's Max Aicher Stadium on the eve of the feast of St. Nicholas, you'd be forgiven if you thought that, from a distance, there appeared to be a Chewbacca convention underway."
on Saturday, December 13, 2025 0 comments Labels:

Bramble King (Halloween: Sea Smoke and Other Stories)

Audio  This Eighth and Audacity adventure is part of anthology of stories released this past Halloween along with outings for nuUNIT, Stephen Noonan's First Doctor and Jon Culshaw's Twelfth.  We open pretty generically with the TARDIS team following a strange vision to a vessel in a need of repair and a paranoid crew.  But there's plenty of meat on these bones, or rather bark on the trunks (see below) through rich characterisation and some genuine mystery.  It's also a rare chance to hear this TARDIS team without Charley around (she's left in the house on Baker Street) demonstrating my point from the Causeway review about how more than one companion can soften these central relationships.  Noga Flaishon's script also continues the cross franchise effort to bring species evolved from trees together under the description of "arboreals" which includes the likes of the Forest of Cheem (although not enough to warrant their own TARDIS Wiki entry).  

Placement:  It's 1968 so it can't be set during In The Bleak Midwinter so I'm going to be bold and put it after Causeway.  For now.

on Saturday, December 13, 2025 0 comments Labels: ,

Christmas Links #15

 

"Behind the scenes of the lavish, painful, wigged-out movie that should have won Jim Carrey an Oscar."

"Members of the crafting community in Cornwall have said they are seeing a rise in cheap imported goods being passed off as handmade local produce."

"For most of her adult life, Niro Feliciano's checklist for the holidays looked like this: Host the family gathering, write greeting cards, shop for gifts, decorate and peel carrots for Santa's reindeer — all while raising four kids and going to work every day."

"As Wham! top singles chart, Minogue draws level with David Bowie, Eminem, U2 and Rod Stewart in the album league table, thanks to a reissue of her 2015 Christmas LP."

"One baby Jesus lies in a manger in the snow, wrapped in a silver emergency blanket with his wrists zip-tied. Mary stands nearby outside the Lake Street Church in Evanston, Illinois, wearing a plastic gas mask and flanked by Roman soldiers in tactical vests labeled “ICE.”"

"As the festive season approaches, Christmas trees have been lit in towns and cities across Lithuania – each brighter, more striking and more inventive than the last."

"Over recent weeks I have found myself thinking about the country we live in, what it feels like and what I like, and love, about it."

"Annie Gray always rejects turkey and the trimmings at Christmas. She believes they are a construct of a bygone era and will often eat pizza on the big day instead."

Editor's Note:  Nothing much new to see here other than a recommendation - I swapped to Deezer from the now ridiculously unusable Spotify a couple of weeks ago and wholly recommend it.  The interface is clean, easy to navigate and feels a lot like a streaming version of the CD racks in a record shop with logical genres and a sense of wanting you to be able access all music and not just whatever is being pushed that week.
on Friday, December 12, 2025 0 comments Labels:

Causeway.

Audio  Although I've been pretty open to Audacity's presence, like C'rizz before her (or after her if you like) and other multiple companion combinations, the character has the effect of splitting the dynamic between the usual duo of leads.  Which means the writer either has the Time Lord with one of the companions or a guest star or the two companions off by themselves.  This does make the interactions between, in this case the Eighth Doctor and Charley, all the more precious (much as it would if they were split up for narrative reasons) but it also does a disservice to the third wheel companion, who rarely feels like they have agency and often ends up being a puzzle to be solved.  Often that actually resolves itself when there are three companions, although in one recent Doctor Who era that turned into two tragic blokes acting as a distraction from us seeing Thirteen and Yaz making each other happy on a weekly basis.

Lost Amongst the Stars

"Who turned out the lights?"  For a good proportion of the story's run time I was convinced the monster reveal would be the Vashta Narada and the resulting beasties feel like they could be part of the same phylogenetic tree.  As the review in this month's parish circular indicates, there are shades of Event Horizon and Alien in the grim inevitability of humanity paying the price for venturing where they probably shouldn't given all of the warning signs.  Outside of the Doctor's perspective, there is a certain element to most stories set in deep space which mimics Star Trek but almost everyone involved is wearing an imaginary red shirt.  This is a grim slice of body horror which highlights this early Doctor's pragmatism.  Even when all evidence suggests everything is lost, he continues to fight, something which is less apparent in later stories.

Causeway

As those of us who've been lost in these narrative thickets for many years know, a franchise this broad and deep is inevitably going feel repetitious and Causeway locks itself firmly in those patterns like a sailboat in a magic eye creation.  For much of the story's running time loads of it felt very familiar but not in three main genres of Doctor Who sense but something far more complicated than that.  Turns out the Causeway is an organisation which at this point in their existence are attempting time travel thanks to some technology from party unknown, almost literally dropping in their laps.  Somewhat like City of Death, the TARDIS team are drawn to their front door after their experiments have a indigestive effect on the time ship's innards.  Given this is such a recent release, let's keep things spoiler free and just say "OK, kid. This is where it gets complicated."

Yes, well, alright, this story pretty much confirms there isn't some grand narrative conspiracy, this early doors (at least in Big Finish terms) Eighth Doctor and Charley and these stories are supposed to be set between the first and second OG series which makes Audacity one of those companions who appears in an earlier narrative gap and is never mentioned again.  So we can comfortably say there are three key tranches of episodes in the Eighth Doctor era at Big Finish, with the first running from Shada through to The Girl Who Never Was, the second from Blood of the Daleks through to his ongoing adventures with Liv and Helen and then the Time War (with Time Lord Victorious its own thing just before).  All power to Paul McGann for continuing to somehow make each version of the character so distinctive, backed by his excellent writers.

on Friday, December 12, 2025 0 comments Labels: ,

Christmas Links #14


"Remember the protocol everyone must follow: look convincingly happy and never say what you actually think about a disappointing present."

"From April, retailers will be forced to display clearer unit pricing, as ITV News Consumer Editor Chris Choi reports."

"The children of Nazareth House have refused to allow their school closure to ruin Christmas."

"Before its fall from grace, the Chinese-American dish chop suey was a holiday tradition for families who don't celebrate Christmas, even being immortalized in songs and film."

"Nearly half of Poles cannot imagine Christmas without a traditional dish of barszcz soup with dumplings, a survey has found."

"In Catalonia, Christmas involves a hollowed-out log with a painted face, stick legs, and a little red hat. Children feed it nuts and dried fruit for weeks, keep it warm under a blanket, and then on Christmas Eve, they beat it with sticks while singing songs commanding it to defecate nougat."

"Featuring Oscar contenders, Emmy winners, divas, divos, and two inanimate objects."

"When you think of Christmas – what comes to mind?"

"A railway station in western Japan has installed a unique Christmas tree decorated with items passengers have left behind."
on Thursday, December 11, 2025 0 comments Labels:

Odeon Manchester Great Northern

 

Film  For It Was Only An Accident.  Originally opened as an AMC back in 2001, I know this very well from it being the end of frequent day trips to Manchester when there wasn't anything of interest at the Cornerhouse and being the wrong end of town for the Odeon Filmworks.  Housed in a giant cavernous building, this Odeon takes about ten minutes of walking to reach the screens via this pretty non-descript entrance.  Became an Odeon after AMC bought the chain and renamed all of their locations to the more familiar UK brand.  Not much of the interior has otherwise changed, including the seating which is still the AMC orange (history link).

on Thursday, December 11, 2025 0 comments Labels:

Christmas Links #13:
World Cinema in the Radio Times


Editor's Note:  As an alternative to the usual reporting on Christmas being ruined because a council in the Midlands forgot to put the lights on the city centre tree or which supermarket makes the best Leach of Almonds, I thought I'd aggregate the international cinema on UK terrestrial TV as featured in this year's Christmas Radio Times (£6.50?  How much?).  

Various research projects I've undertaken across the year have led me to look enviously through the old Christmas schedules and the rich pickings available.  The results for this year are disappointing with some incredibly safe programming across the linear channels and only the following which could be described meaningfully as "world cinema".  


Saturday 20th December

"The Marquis d’Urfé finds refuge in the home of a strange family after becoming lost in a hostile forest while working as an emissary for the King of France."


Boxing Day

"As a patriarchal family yearns for the birth of a son to continue their family line, their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theatre and falls for its transgender starlet."


Sunday 28th December

"The chronicles of four years in the life of Julie, a young woman who navigates the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career path, leading her to take a realistic look at who she really is."


Friday 2nd January 2026

"Fatima-Zahra and her teenage son Selim move from place to place, forever trying to outrun the latest scandal she’s caught up in. When Selim discovers the truth about their past, Fatima-Zahra vows to make a fresh start. In Tangier, new opportunities promise the legitimacy they each crave but not without pushing the volatile mother-son relationship to the breaking point."


Of course times have changed and streaming offers access to a near infinite amount of content from across the globe via the likes of MUBI, the BFI Player and Criterion.  All of the UK channels would argue that they do show films made outside of the UK and US during the rest of the year and have some available via their own streaming services.

But it still feels very insular that during the festive period English language films should predominate with the vast majority originating from Hollywood and it poorly serves those of us who can't afford all of those services or to rent films on a rental basis and want an alternative Love Fucking Actually.

At the very least there could be presentations of festive favourites from elsewhere at a reasonable time of the day.  If we were still a proper country, BBC Four would be showing My Night at Maud's (1969) at Christmas with Malmkrog (2020) seeing us into the New Year.  
on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 0 comments Labels:

Christmas Links #12


"Supermarkets investing heavily in promotional deals to pull in customers, Worldpanel finds."

"The winter holiday period is meant to be joyful, yet for many of us it comes with a heavy mix of responsibilities and social pressure to go to parties and events we don't want to."

"The holiday season means holiday movies, films that can be counted upon warmth and holiday cheer, also probably some snow, a little bit of magic, and grumpy/greedy/workaholic protagonists who need be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas."
Editor's Note: Worth it for the Love Actually discourse: "It's Ed Sheeran before Ed Sheeran existed."

"Something has happened to Netflix’s Christmas movies this year."

"Days were ruined. It’s not in the spirit of Christmas, it’s the anti-spirit of Christmas"
Editor's Note: Absolute bastards.  Wouldn't have happened in the Acorn days.

"Preparations for Christmas are underway across the globe with landmarks lit, markets open, shop windows decorated, a jet skiing Santa in Rio and even the T-Rex at London’s Natural History Museum wearing his Christmas jumper."
Editor's Note:  Trigger Warning for shots of the current White House.

"Aside from the two old chestnuts of Hamlet criticism—Hamlet’s character and Hamlet’s delay—probably no other topic has engaged Shakespeare fans more than the thorny problem of his age: is Hamlet sixteen or thirty? Whether you’re wandering through classes discussing Hamlet, lurking the boards at rehearsal, eavesdropping in the bar after a performance, or perusing the online discussions, you find people of all stripes tangling with this key contradiction."

"The future is here, and it's not looking good."

"Cerys' weekly round up of the blues you need to hear, from all around the world and in all shapes and sizes!  This week Cerys unwraps a festive gift from the BBC Archive: BB King's Christmas Blues! Recorded in 1997 with the late Johnnie Walker, B.B. King shares some of his favourite records! Featuring tracks from Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Bonnie Raitt."

"The festive season is a rich time for tradition, storytelling and folklore. A time when different belief systems and traditions clash and combine into symbolic acts, we take part in without a second thought. At a time of year when the days are shortest and the outdoors is a less inviting place to be, many of these Yule traditions involve our wildlife."
on Tuesday, December 09, 2025 0 comments Labels:
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