Advent - 14th December 2011 (The British obsession with TV)

I think the UK is unique in its TV watching Christmas.  Each year we eagerly await the bumper issue of the TV listings for the festive season to sort out the running programme of what to watch and what will have to be recorded.  We look out for the Christmas Specials of our favourite TV programmes (this year mine are Doctor Who and Downton Abbey) and what new films there might be (every year there are many repeats - some seem to come every year!).  For me I look for the kids animated films - I don't have kids to take to the cinema anymore (sniff!).  The soaps also build up to a climax at this time of year - sadly they are usually full of disaster and anguish but don't we love 'em?!

Some years ago when I was working as a clerical assistant I worked with some girls from New Zealand and Australia and they couldn't get over the English obsession for TV at Christmas.  Well, I can imagine that if Christmas comes in summer you would much rather be sipping a cool drink on a veranda or down on the beach but here it is cold!  Even so, maybe we are obsessed.  Do other European countries spend Christmas with their eyes hardly moving from the TV screen, programmes only interrupted by making cups of tea, trips to the loo and stuffing nuts and sweets between the 'blow-out' Christmas dinner and Christmas tea?  Do other Europeans or those from the USA (who have even more channels than us) channel hop over the festive season?  Tell me!

Here is a favourite clip of mine from funny man Rowan Atkinson, aka Mr Bean.  He never fails to make me laugh.  I am sure this will be on TV over Christmas, but if not, I have it on video!!