c_hookham

1976's Mog's Christmas gets its 2023 TV debut via channel 4's lovingly produced Christmas Eve treat.

Judith Kerr's much loved Mog gets her 1st proper animated outing that pays homage to Kerr's own illustrations as well as having more than a hint of Sylvain Chomet and Studio Ghibli's fantastic creations.

Here not very clever, but much loved family cat Mog has her nose put out of joint by all the fuss and bustle of Christmas and the strange relations cluttering up HER house. In response Mog climbs onto the roof and , much to her family's distress, refuses to come down. Framed by David Arnold's beautiful score and featuring the centrepiece song As Long As I Belong, this is 30 minutes of joy.

Sometimes films remind you what the point of making films actually is. This is one of them.

From the writing/Directing partnership behind Paddington 2 comes Willy Wonka's backstory full of whimsy, laughs and 1st class music and songs.

Here we see the titular character arrive in the unspecified vaguely Germanic country of the original film where he's tricked into a life of servitude by Tom Davis and Olivia Colman's wonderfully hissable laundry owners. Here he meets his fellow serfs but sets about founding his confectionery empire in the face of some stiff competition led by the brilliant Paterson Jospeh as well as leading his friends to freedom.

The songs by the Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon and Joby Talbot are a particular high point, with For A Moment easily the best of the bunch. Chalamet is a great, wide eyed and slightly mad early incarnation of the chocolatier with a singing voice to match.

Some beautiful set pieces and lots of laughs make this a top class festive treat.