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Monty Python isn’t exactly known for creating the most festive content, with the possible exception of the first five minutes of Life of Brian, and the “Christmas in Heaven” musical number that wraps up The Meaning of Life.

But, oddly enough, one Python member secured their role in the troupe by finding a creative use for an old holiday tradition.

Back in 1968, Terry Gilliam was having trouble getting work. He had previously made photographic comic strips for a magazine called Help!, including one in which a horny John Cleese hits on his kid’s Barbie doll.

When Help! went under, Cleese told Gilliam to get in touch with the people making Do Not Adjust Your Set, a children’s comedy series featuring Eric Idle, Michael Palin and Terry Jones, which had become a surprise hit with adults. Gilliam later wrote that he was only hired because producer Humphrey Barclay “took pity on me,...

Christmas is a time for joy, warmth, and family gatherings, and Christmas movies play a significant role in amplifying these festive feelings. They provide a shared experience that brings people together, evoking memories of past holidays and creating new traditions. From heartwarming tales of love and redemption to hilarious comedies that capture the chaos of the season, the best Christmas films have a unique ability to resonate with audiences of all ages. These movies often become cherished classics, eagerly anticipated each year, and serve as a backdrop for countless holiday celebrations.

However, not all Christmas films manage to capture the magic and spirit that make the season so special. While many succeed in delivering memorable stories and endearing characters, some fall short, leaving viewers disappointed and critics unimpressed. The reasons behind these missteps vary widely. Poor storytelling can result in convoluted plots that fail to engage or emotionally connect with the audience.

Hallmark Christmas movies are very popular during the holiday season despite the negative reception they get from casual viewers in terms of being good movies. The movies know what they are and the audience they are trying to reach, and do not set out to be award-winning films but rather invoke the holiday season. Despite some negative responses, the 24-hour Christmas movie channel begins earlier and earlier by the year, in addition to the number of new films it produces on a yearly timeline.

Hallmark Christmas movies are one of the staples of the holiday season. Each year at the end of October, Hallmark begins its "Countdown to Christmas," a 24/7 marathon of Christmas movies across two channels that lasts until New Year's Day. Over the past few years, there have been upwards of 30 new movie premieres that give viewers plenty of Christmas movies that perfectly encapsulate the season. However, they...

Marks the feature directorial debut of Singapore’s Nelson Yeo.

Italian sales agent Lights On has picked up world rights for Singapore director Nelson Yeo’s feature debut Dreaming And Dying and US filmmaker Lucy Kerr’s Family Portrait, which will receive their world premieres in competition at Locarno Film Festival (August 2-12).

Both are set to play in Locarno’s competitive Cinema of the Present section, which spotlights new talent.

Fantasy drama Dreaming And Dying revolves around three middle-aged friends who reunite after years apart. But their vacation takes a surprising turn when the undercurrent of their past lives...

Since 1980, Ed Asner has held the record for most Primetime Emmy wins by a male actor, having triumphed three times for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” twice for “Lou Grant,” and once each for “Rich Man, Poor Man” and “Roots.” With 10 additional bids to his name, he also ranks as one of the most-nominated performers in Emmy history, having earned recognition in seven different categories. Throughout the later part of his career, he frequently played roles on Christmas-themed TV programs, including half a dozen appearances as Santa Claus.

Three decades after his “Roots” victory, Asner received a second Best TV Movie/Limited Series Supporting Actor nomination for “The Christmas Card,” in which he plays the father of a woman who falls in love with a soldier who received the titular card from her while in Afghanistan. At 77, he was the eighth oldest nominee in the category’s history, and now ranks two spots lower.

Since 1980, Ed Asner has held the record for most Primetime Emmy wins by a male actor, having triumphed three times for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” twice for “Lou Grant,” and once each for “Rich Man, Poor Man” and “Roots.” With 10 additional bids to his name, he also ranks as one of the most-nominated performers in Emmy history, having earned recognition in seven different categories. Throughout the later part of his career, he frequently played roles on Christmas-themed TV programs, including half a dozen appearances as Santa Claus.

Three decades after his “Roots” victory, Asner received a second Best TV Movie/Limited Series Supporting Actor nomination for “The Christmas Card,” in which he plays the father of a woman who falls in love with a soldier who received the titular card from her while in Afghanistan. At 77, he was the eighth oldest nominee in the category’s history, and now ranks two spots lower.

It’s a very merry royal family Christmas!

Prince William and Kate Middleton, who are expecting their third child in April, have revealed their family’s annual holiday card. And just like last year’s card, Prince George and Princess Charlotte take center stage, standing in front of their parents at home at Kensington Palace. All four are coordinating in blue ensembles, with Kate wearing a Catherine Walker suit she’s worn on several occasions.

The image was snapped by Chris Jackson, royal photographer for Getty Images, who also took Prince George’s fourth birthday photograph this summer. The Christmas card...

Happy Holidays!! A photo posted by Josh Duhamel (@joshduhamel) on Dec 22, 2016 at 5:44pm Pst The Christmas card game just got a whole lot stronger thanks to Fergie and Josh Duhamel. On Thursday, Josh unveiled his family's card on Instagram, and it's nothing short of amazing. Not only is it a caricature illustration, but it also features Fergie wearing reindeer antlers and their 3-year-old son, Axl, riding a surfboard in a Batman costume. To make matters even cuter, the brood's Dachshund even makes an appearance. Who else is going to hang this on their fridge? Related:This Clip of Fergie's Son Dancing to "Can't Stop the Feeling" Would Make Justin Timberlake Proud...

Forever, it seems, we’ve known that, more than just about anything, Owen has wanted to be a father. (Heck, you can tell just from this picture of him with Harriet, can’t you?) And in Thursday’s Grey’s Anatomy, it sure looked like Amelia was about to make her husband’s dream — as well as our very early fall preview — come true. Were the newlyweds really expecting? Read on and find out.

Related2017 Renewal Scorecard: What’s Coming Back? What’s Getting Cancelled? What’s on the Bubble?

‘Tell Me When It’S Real’ | As “Both Sides Now” began,...

Happy birthday, Terry Gilliam! Today the director, writer, animator and erstwhile-American turns 74 years old. It’s certainly cause for celebration. Even as a septuagenarian he’s still working. The Zero Theorem only recently opened in the United States, his twelfth feature film as director. There are plenty of ways to pay tribute to the artist and his work with your Saturday, though I’d imagine it’s hard to make the time to watch each of his dozen movies in a row. Instead, if you can carve out just under ten minutes, here’s a more practical option. It’s got more laughs per minute than most of his feature work as well. Storytime is cobbled together from two separate cartoons that Gilliam made for two different TV shows. The first, the diptych of “Don the Cockroach” and “The Albert Einstein Story,” aired on The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine in 1971. Gilliam also did the opening titles for...

We’re only a couple weeks away from Christmas, and Ellen DeGeneres showed off her holiday card for all to enjoy.

Featuring her partner Portia de Rossi, the mailer is a blatant spoof of Kanye West & Kim Kardashian's pose from his “Bound 2” music video.

The Christmas card declares, “Bound for a Merry Christmas,” and Portia appears to be just as topless as the “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” babe in the original clip.

Of the much-criticized Kardashian Family card, DeGeneres told her audience, "This is not a joke -- this is their holiday card, it is real. I've been staring at it all day. I have still not found Waldo! I don't understand the theme or the concept."...

Terry Gilliam went on to direct such great films as “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” “Brazil” and “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” (to name just a few), but he began his career primarily as an animator. Before moving to England he was a strip cartoonist on Help! magazine, and then after making his trip across the pond one of his first gigs was as an animator for sequences on the children’s TV show “Do Not Adjust Your Set” which starred future Pythons Michael Palin, Eric Idle and Terry Jones, as well as other future comedy icons like David Jason. It was during the same period that Gilliam directed the first of his two pre-'Holy Grail' animated shorts, “Storytime.” The film contains three loosely connected animated segments – “Don the Cockroach,” “The Albert Einstein Story” and “The Christmas Card” – with the latter actually originally created specially for the "Do...

 

Over the holiday season, have a good one and be merry. We will be back blogging in the New Year.

In the mean time have a look at just some of our favourite festive visual treats below, to keep you entertained for the Christmas!

A Muppet Family Christmas

Peace On Earth

 

 Christmas Comes But Once a Year

Star Wars Holiday Special

Nicholas Was

Terry Gilliam - The Christmas Card

Ain't no party like an Arnie Christmas party!

New York -- If the holidays still seem a long way off, you clearly haven't done much television channel surfing lately.

The Hallmark channel has already begun two months of wall-to-wall holiday programming. Lifetime has ramped up its seasonal selections with 10 new made-for-tv movies, the first one airing last weekend. ABC Family's annual "25 Days of Christmas" programming isn't enough, so they do a "Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas," starting Sunday.

This is in addition to all the old favorites, from Charlie Brown to Frosty the Snowman, that will fill broadcast network schedules during the next month. An already popular television genre is growing in power, judging by the 22 new movies Hallmark and Lifetime are rolling out between them, and a new Disney holiday musical.

"This is a strategy that developed naturally from demand," said Rob Sharenow, executive vice president of programming at the Lifetime networks. "It's really giving people what they want.

New York -- If the holidays still seem a long way off, you clearly haven't done much television channel surfing lately.

The Hallmark channel has already begun two months of wall-to-wall holiday programming. Lifetime has ramped up its seasonal selections with 10 new made-for-tv movies, the first one airing last weekend. ABC Family's annual "25 Days of Christmas" programming isn't enough, so they do a "Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas," starting Sunday.

This is in addition to all the old favorites, from Charlie Brown to Frosty the Snowman, that will fill broadcast network schedules during the next month. An already popular television genre is growing in power, judging by the 22 new movies Hallmark and Lifetime are rolling out between them, and a new Disney holiday musical.

"This is a strategy that developed naturally from demand," said Rob Sharenow, executive vice president of programming at the Lifetime networks. "It's really giving people what they want.

After the presents are opened, the halls are decked and the roast beast is carved, a lot of folks are looking to hit the movie theater or settle in front of their favorite holiday movies or TV show marathons. Zap2it's got you covered for all your Christmas weekend TV programming.

Friday, Dec. 24

A&E: "Criminal Minds" marathon

ABC Family: 25 Days of Christmas ("Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys," "Mickey's Christmas Special," "Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too," "Jack Frost," "Frosty's Winter Wonderland," "'Tas the Night Before Christmas," "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town," "The Year Without Santa Claus" and "Rudolph's Shiny New Year.")

 

AMC: "Miracle on 34th Street," "White Christmas" marathon

Animal Planet: "Planet Earth" marathon

BBC America: "Doctor Who" marathon

Cartoon Network: Various cartoon holiday episodes

Cmt: "A Smoky Mountain Christmas," "Larry the Cable Guy's Star-studded Christmas Extravaganza," "Larry the Cable Guy...

USA has an NCIS marathon all night. Spike is showing Band of Brothers all night. We has a Golden Girls marathon all night. Food Network has an Iron Chef America marathon all night. At 7, Cartoon Network has a new Bakugan, followed by a new episode of The Super Hero Squad. At 8, Hgtv has two new episodes of Divine Design. Hallmark has The Christmas Card at 8, then Silent Night. TCM has The Asphalt Jungle at 8, followed by Adam's Rib. At 9, Fox has a new America's Most Wanted. CNBC has a new Suze Orman Show at 9. BBC America has a new Doctor Who at 9. Lifetime has the movie My Nanny's Secret at 9. Also at 9: Cartoon Network has a new episode of The Secret Saturdays. At 10, MTV has a new Styl'd.

Check your local TV listings for more.

 

Filed under: Programming, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free

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Two letters handwritten by Britain's late Princess Diana went up for auction on Tuesday (27.10.09). The notes - a thank you letter and a Christmas card from the princess to fashion designer Bruce Oldfield - went under the hammer as part of British TV series 'Cash In The Celebrity Attic'. The Christmas card sold for £320, while the thank you letter raised £420. Bruce received the card in 1986, when Diana was still married to Prince Charles. She wrote: "Bruce, from the two of us, Diana and Charles." It also contained a photograph of the couple with their sons, Princes William and Harry. The letter - which is on headed notepaper from Kensington Palace - is dated 20 December 1998,...

Movie Jungle has new clips in from NBC Entertainment's "The Last Templar," starring Mira Sorvino, Scott Foley, Victor Garber, Claudia Ferri, Larry Day, Anthony Lemke, Mark Antony Krupa and Don Jordan. Paulo Barzman ("Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde") directs the film. Suzette Couture writes the revised version of the screenplay based on the novel by Raymond Khoury. Airs on Sunday and Monday, January 25 and 26 (9-11 p.m. Et).In this four-hour miniseries, Oscar winner Mira Sorvino ("Mighty Aphrodite," "Mimic") stars in an epic action-adventure tale about the greatest mystery of modern time. As the journey begins, Tess Chaykin (Sorvino), a Manhattan archaeologist, reluctantly teams up with FBI agent Sean Daley (Scott Foley, "The Unit," "Felicity") – and the pair are drawn into a fast-paced, romantic adventure as they attempt to uncover the lost secrets of the legendary medieval Knights Templar. The miniseries also features Victor Garber ("Eli Stone," "Alias") as Monsignor De Angelis,...