Yule Logged: Shameless, Midsomer Murders, Miss Fisher Mysteries, Boomers, The Lucy Show, The Bob Newhart Show

Shameless (UK)  -  Christmas in Chatsworth (2004)

If you’re a fan then this is aces. I’m not a fan so, for while I recognize and appreciate the craft, I just don’t find ensemble comedic scumbaggery all that entertaining.

Midsomer Murders  - Ghosts of Christmas Past (2004)

Best of the MM holiday offerings.

Miss Fisher Mysteries - Murder under Mistletoe

An Aussie Christmas show with snow! Thanks to a Christmas in July conceit we get a Christmassy murder mystery down under. One of the series better installments.

Boomers -  Christmas Special (2015)

 (An) OK Boomer(s). A middling effort from an otherwise excellent brit-com.

The Lucy Show -  Together for Christmas (1962)

Unpleasantly shouty for a Christmas episode. Lucy and Viv, a widow and divorce living together, with their kids, clash over each families cherished family traditions in their first shared Christmas.

Still a perfectly fine episode but not the series at its best.

The Bob Newhart Show -  I’m Dreaming of a Slight Christmas (1973)

Bob and Emily’s wish for a quiet Christmas together is scuppered by an anxious patient and a city paralyzing blizzard.

A typically great episode from a classic series.

Yule Logged: A Christmas Village, A Fairytale Christmas, My One Christmas Wish , Wish Upon a Christmas, A Moody Christmas (Aus), Legend of Frosty, Northpole

A Christmas Village (2018)

Not so much good as not good. Not good at all.

A Fairytale Christmas (2013)

Is it Hallmark? Yep

From the Director of? Seance The Summoning and The Last 9 ½ Weeks

Is it a good Christmas Movie?  No

My One Christmas Wish (2015)

And now a very special episode of Crappy Hallmark Christmas Movie Theater.

Wish Upon a Christmas (2015)

Inconsequential blah.

A Moody Christmas (Aus) (2012)

Oh look, a “comedy” about a dysfunctional family Christmas, how original, No wonder they had to male an American version of this groundbreaking work of genius. Stunning.

The Legend of Frosty the Snowman (2005)

Execrable in every way imaginable.

Northpole (2014)

I’d been reliably informed that this wasn’t like other Hallmark movies, Northpole was different, Northpole was better, Northpole was special. It’s not really. Sure they spent a little extra on fx buut at ots heart its just another hacky Hallmark clone, magical elf division.

The Adventure (s) of the Blue Carbuncle (s)

The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle

Peter Cushing

Jeremy Brett

1948 Radio version with John Stanley





The 1954 Radio version with Sir John Gielgud





1977 Radio version with Kevin McCarthy





Magpie Audiobook

Miracle(s) on 34th Street

The Original Classic

The Radio Dramatisation

The 1955 TV Version






The Broadway Musical






The 1973 TV Version





The 1994 Remake

Yule Logged: Christmas Jars, The National Tree, Trading Christmas, Journey Back to Christmas, Likely Lads, Julie Andrews

Christmas Jars (2019)

My favorite Jonathan Wright Christmas joint yet. Yeah, that’s faint praise, trust me. But this is pretty good, despite the opening credits taking a tragic turn, and better than the genre average.

The National Tree (2009)

Inessential holiday road drama.

Trading Christmas (2011)

Decent with an above-average cast but nothing worth rewatching.

Journey Back to Christmas (2016)

Under baked time travel riff on It’s a Wonderful Life. It wouldn’t have been difficult to male this a really solid holiday flick but Hallmark’s gotta Hallmark.

Is it Hallmark? Yup.

From the Director of? Yellowbeard, Badge of the Assassin and Blood River.

Does it feel like Christmas? Sure

Did it make me cry?  I happen to have some pretty serious seasonal allergies actually.

Did I finish it?  Yes

Is it a good movie?  It’s passable

Is it a good Christmas Movie? It could have been so much better.

Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads - Christmas Special (1974)

Decent episode of vintage brit-com. Nothing great but not lousy.

Julie Andrews The Sound of Christmas  (1987)

Exceedingly pleasant Salzburg set holiday special perched somewhere between a network variety show (with special guest John Denver singing "Dancing With The Mountains" while skiing) and PBS’s Great Performances (with special guest Placido Domingo and The Kings Singers.) Won some well deserved Emmys.

The Julie Andrews Hour - Christmas (1972)

A more traditional Christmas show from Jullie's 1972/73 variety series. Featuring Jimmy Stewart,Rich Little, Mama Cass and Steve Lawrence, among others.  Even back in '72 Julie's Christmas show was a little bit elevated, and a bit odd - Carl Reiner and James Stewart singing dodgy Christmas solos comes to mind.

The song selection is terrific even featuring songs from two of my favorite Christmas Carol musicals, Scrooge and The Stingiest Man in Town.

A fine example of the genre.