Over at Talk About The Passion, ‘That’ Ben Baker and myself are currently presenting a series of special Advent-themed podcasts, taking a festively-sideways look at some of the films, TV and music that used to be flung out in the weeks leading up to Christmas, when broadcasters were in the mood to start getting a bit festive but couldn’t really break out the Yuletide big-hitters just yet.
There’s more to come in the week-and-a-bit ahead, but for now, the first two are online and can be downloaded from Talk About The Passion, or from iTunes, or by clicking on the links below…
Show 1 takes a look at Advent-associated TV programmes, including Noel Edmonds’ hoofer-doofer heavy quiz show Telly Addicts, over-repeated BBC Schools efforts Music Time and Watch, and the numerous quasi-supernatural childrens’ serials the BBC used to put on in the run-up to Christmas, including The Box Of Delights, The Moon Stallion, The Children Of Green Knowe and, of course, the bastard scary version of Pinocchio. Plus there’s stuff about Simon Pegg, Roland Rat, paper plates with faces drawn on them, and Eight Competing Bernard Cribbinses. Download it here.
Show 2 spools through the films that used to end up on TV in the pre-Christmas hinterland, including Carry On Cruising, The Wrong Box, and the BBC’s annual unofficial Michael Caine mini-season, featuring The Italian Job, Get Carter, The Ipcress File, Alfie, Pulp, and any other one where he wears a big coat. Plus there’s still room for discussion of the Beatles Films, The Hudsucker Proxy, National Garreth F. Hirons Week, and the art of perfecting a rubber-faced impression of a rubber-faced impressionist. Download it here.
…and watch out for the remaining instalments soon!
