Christmas time is full of traditions, and everyone has their own. For many people, TV and shopping are a big part of Christmas.
The Morecombe & Wise Show
When we were growing up, we celebrated Diwali not Christmas. But I have fond memories of Christmas, the highlight of which was watching the telly.
I grew up in the age when, in the UK, there were only four or five TV channels. It was before satellite TV and Netflix.
The biggest selling weekly TV listings magazine at the time was the Radio Times. Its competition was the TV Times. Both covered everything on TV. The Christmas edition was a “bumper” issue because it covered two weeks. We used to go through the Radio Times and highlight the programmes we were going to watch. Sometimes, there would be arguments if we wanted to watch different channels.
Essential viewing was the Queen’s speech at 3pm on Christmas Day. One of the TV highlights for many years was The Morecombe & Wise Show on the BBC. This was the heyday of family viewing — and, for several years, the show was essential national viewing. Some felt they lost their sparkle when they defected to the commercial channel, ITV, who were the BBC’s main competition.
We also got excited about the films we were going to see, especially premieres. We couldn’t afford to go to the cinema so TV was our only way of seeing big films. Or some films had come out years ago (such as Ben Hur!) and there was no way of seeing them until they were shown on TV. This was before videos (Blockbusters!) and DVDs.
Every Christmas there would normally be a big film premiere on TV. A new James Bond film was especially exciting because we’d wait one or two years between them. Somehow, being able to instantly watch any James Bond film on Amazon Prime now doesn’t feel as exciting.
The TV landscape has changed dramatically. We have access to so many channels that we can watch whatever we want at any time. Traditional TV, now called linear TV, is no longer the norm for a new generation. They have TikTok and YouTube. If they must, they can also watch Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, and many others.
K-Dramas
I didn’t watch any linear TV this Christmas. It has become a tradition for me to do the Advent of Code, a series of programming puzzles in December. Between doing the daily puzzles, I watched some Korean dramas. These K-Dramas, as they’re called, have become incredibly popular over the past ten years. I remember working with someone who, many years ago, was addicted to them. We were puzzled but the world has caught up with her.
Even before I went to South Korea, I’d seen a few K-Dramas. The most famous show is probably Squid Game, which became a global phenomenon for Netflix. It was excellent and, even if you’re not a fan of blood and gore, it’s essential viewing. The creator of Squid Game never intended for a second season. Making the first season took a toll on his health. But here we are, a couple of years later, and season two has just landed.
The K-Dramas I’ve seen have covered various themes. Some of them are entertaining with a good story. But something like Squid Game covers many themes. There’s a lot going on. Without being heavy handed, it covers many societal issues facing Koreans — and other people around the world. It’s a parable of an aspect of modern life.
In the lead-up to Christmas, I watched The Glory. It’s a drama about a woman who, when at school, was bullied, sometimes brutally. It sensitively captures the trauma she suffered and what she did afterwards to try to avenge her childhood bullies.
My second K-Drama was Love Next Door, a romcom. I almost stopped watching this several times. K-Dramas are typically sixteen hour-long episodes. You have to be committed! There were times when it became very soppy and (intentionally) farcical. Then, something sublime would rescue it.
Perhaps my favourite was the last thing I watched: My Liberation Notes. It’s about three siblings. They have become disenchanted with their jobs and the way they’re treated in the office. They are unhappy living with their parents, and with their lack of love and opportunities in life. At times, the series has a sombre, melancholy feel about it, which I found strangely alluring. The characters are very different, so you can always identify with someone and what they’re going through. Again, like Squid Game, there’s lots of social commentary under the surface if it interests you.
At one point, one of the characters reflects. It saddens him to see children. He knows they’ll grow up and experience the problems that adults do. I’ve occasionally wondered why some people are nostalgic about the distant past. Objectively, many things are much better now than 50 years ago. I wonder if it’s because they were young and carefree then. Adulthood is full of decisions, problems, and existential angst. That said, childhood is no bed of roses either nowadays!
Central London Christmas lights
For the past few years, we have followed another Christmas tradition. We go to Central London to see the Christmas lights early so that we avoid the crowds coming to London. This year, the lights were even more spectacular. Apart from those in Regents Street and Oxford Street, shops in Piccadilly and New Bond Street were lit up.
Fortnum and Masons
Fortnam and Masons put in a lot of effort every year. They light up the front of the store and have some gently humorous window displays. A lot of artistry goes into them.
Oxford Street, Regent Street, and The Strand
These streets are traditionally well lit up and are my favourites. The Regent Street lights in particular are (relatively) understated with their angels.
New Bond Street
New Bond Street, full of expensive designer shops, has become more and more spectacular over Christmas. I was just taking a shortcut from Piccadilly to Oxford Street but the road was filled with people taking selfies. In the end, I was walking so slowly that I joined the crowd and took some photos.
Crouch End and Alexandra Palace
I happened to be in Crouch End (North London). The moon looked beautiful, even though I’ve not captured it in the photo below! The other photo was on a morning run. It was a clear, crisp, chilly winter day. Alexandra Palace looked grand in the morning light. You can see the original BBC transmitter on the right. The BBC broadcast the world’s first public high-definition television signal from there. It would now be regarded as extremely low definition!
