Matthew (Dan Stevens) and Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) finally find happiness
NOT SINCE Del Boy and Rodders got lucky with that £6million watch in their Peckham lock-up has there been such an uplifting Christmas special.
Writer Julian Fellowes couldn’t have crammed more festive cheer into this crowd-pleasing, feature-length episode of Downton Abbey (ITV1, Christmas Day) if he had promised a yule log and a fireside chat with Lord Grantham to every viewer.
Downton just had it all and seemed especially gift-wrapped for the season.
It even resolved (for now) several plotlines that have kept us hooked, with added period flummery along the way.
We had an engagement, a nasty cad, a flirty bit, a dognapping, much business with a ouija board, a shooting party and finally a fist fight. carson even received that spiffing present from his Lordship, a book about european royalty, a real must-have. “i will certainly be enjoying that m’lord!” he chuntered. Hilarious.
Downton just had it all and seemed especially gift-wrapped for the season.
It even resolved (for now) several plotlines that have kept us hooked, with added period flummery along the way.
We had an engagement, a nasty cad, a flirty bit, a dognapping, much business with a ouija board, a shooting party and finally a fist fight. carson even received that spiffing present from his Lordship, a book about european royalty, a real must-have. “i will certainly be enjoying that m’lord!” he chuntered. Hilarious.
I defy anyone not to have been entertained by this episode, even if they were sleeping off Christmas.
Downton brought a warmth to the room.
We even caught sight of a christmas pudding, although we missed out on seeing the entire christmas table. Mrs Patmore must have had an attack of the vapours.
So what of the engagement?
Matthew Crawley and Lady Mary, in true Mills and Boon style, finally had an impediment to their happiness removed: a nasty newspaper baron.
Downton brought a warmth to the room.
We even caught sight of a christmas pudding, although we missed out on seeing the entire christmas table. Mrs Patmore must have had an attack of the vapours.
So what of the engagement?
Matthew Crawley and Lady Mary, in true Mills and Boon style, finally had an impediment to their happiness removed: a nasty newspaper baron.
With Iain Glen’s sir Richard Carlisle off the scene, Matthew did the decent thing and forgave Lady Mary for her dalliance with turkish diplomat Mr Pamuk.
We don’t wish to hear about that again, thank you.
Ever the gentleman, but with prompting, Matthew went down on bended knee in the fake snow to ask for her hand in marriage.
Before she said yes, we expected Mrs Patmore to rush out and declare her buns were on fire or that Lavinia had suddenly been found alive in the pantry.
As it turned out, nothing happened to spoil themoment. However, this was far from the highlight of the episode.ere are precious few punches thrown on television nowadays (unless it’s in eastenders) so the sight of two gentlemen “duking it out” on primetime TV in the Downton Abbey drawing room was a delight.
For some reason (important research), I’ve caught two John Wayne films recently and Matthew crawley wouldn’t have been out of place in the shootist. the poor dear even broke the skin on his knuckles. Bless. the only thing that would have topped this was a gentlemen’s duel on the front lawn with pistols. next series, please, Mr Fellowes.
THERE was much to applaud in Great Expectations (BBC1, Tuesday).
This new adaptation over three nights comes to the small screen with the long shadow cast from David Lean’s wonderful film still with us.
Although that film first aired on Boxing Day 1946, it is impossible to forget the image of John Mills as Pip.
It also chills me when the BBc says it is going to remake a classic using the words “bold” and “visceral” in the same sentence.
There was no need for concern, however, as the BBC treated us to the most atmospheric Dickens for many years.
there were some splendid performances too from both Pips in the first episode but the BAFtA- nudging turn came from Gillian Anderson as Miss Havisham. she was mad, intriguing, devilish and creepy; pure Havisham.
Ray Winstone’s Magwitch, too, was like a grease monkey who had been dragged backwards through a car engine. His scenes with Pip on the marshes were chilling and tormenting.However, it was the very words of Dickens that shone brightly through the mists of the marshes.
“If you can’t beat a boy at Christmas, when can you?” barked Pumblechook excitedly.
We all cheered for the seasonal return of corporal punishment or for Estella’s coldness to innocent Pip: “I suppose you don’t have time for the modern wonders of the world.”
There is nothing more enjoyably manipulative than a well-turned Dickens at Christmas.
When is a sitcom dead? Happily, we can report that there seemed to be much life left in Absolutely Fabulous (Christmas Day, BBC1). Indeed, the older the characters get, the funnier it becomes.
Jennifer Saunders’s writing is better than ever with pretty much a gag a line in this rollicking 30 minutes of comedy.
It is hard to believe that Ab Fab has been around since 1994. There were great performances too from Saunders, Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha (who had successfully escaped from the post office in Candleford).
Jane Horrocks also did a marvellous cameo, mocking Pippa Middleton’s walk down the aisle at the Royal Wedding. However, it was the topical gags which made the episode so funny, not least the new disease called “the Kardashians, multiplying before our eyes”.
The dream sequence involving the star of gritty Danish drama The Killing was inspired. Could there be scope for a new series? We hope so.
Finally, Laurence Fox was allowed out of Oxford and away from Lewis for Fast Freddie, The Widow And Me (ITV1, Tuesday), the made-to-order Christmas weepie.
You know that if a child walks into a hospice in the first five minutes you are not in comedy-drama territory.
Despite the bizarreness of the idea, in which millionaire Fox “hired a family” for the dying teenager, you kept watching and wondering when Freddie would twig. He did, eventually, and the nasty posh car salesman (Fox) was redeemed.
Expect a sequel in which he gives a Bentley to a starving tribe in Africa.
We don’t wish to hear about that again, thank you.
Ever the gentleman, but with prompting, Matthew went down on bended knee in the fake snow to ask for her hand in marriage.
Before she said yes, we expected Mrs Patmore to rush out and declare her buns were on fire or that Lavinia had suddenly been found alive in the pantry.
As it turned out, nothing happened to spoil themoment. However, this was far from the highlight of the episode.ere are precious few punches thrown on television nowadays (unless it’s in eastenders) so the sight of two gentlemen “duking it out” on primetime TV in the Downton Abbey drawing room was a delight.
For some reason (important research), I’ve caught two John Wayne films recently and Matthew crawley wouldn’t have been out of place in the shootist. the poor dear even broke the skin on his knuckles. Bless. the only thing that would have topped this was a gentlemen’s duel on the front lawn with pistols. next series, please, Mr Fellowes.
THERE was much to applaud in Great Expectations (BBC1, Tuesday).
This new adaptation over three nights comes to the small screen with the long shadow cast from David Lean’s wonderful film still with us.
Although that film first aired on Boxing Day 1946, it is impossible to forget the image of John Mills as Pip.
It also chills me when the BBc says it is going to remake a classic using the words “bold” and “visceral” in the same sentence.
There was no need for concern, however, as the BBC treated us to the most atmospheric Dickens for many years.
there were some splendid performances too from both Pips in the first episode but the BAFtA- nudging turn came from Gillian Anderson as Miss Havisham. she was mad, intriguing, devilish and creepy; pure Havisham.
Ray Winstone’s Magwitch, too, was like a grease monkey who had been dragged backwards through a car engine. His scenes with Pip on the marshes were chilling and tormenting.However, it was the very words of Dickens that shone brightly through the mists of the marshes.
“If you can’t beat a boy at Christmas, when can you?” barked Pumblechook excitedly.
We all cheered for the seasonal return of corporal punishment or for Estella’s coldness to innocent Pip: “I suppose you don’t have time for the modern wonders of the world.”
There is nothing more enjoyably manipulative than a well-turned Dickens at Christmas.
When is a sitcom dead? Happily, we can report that there seemed to be much life left in Absolutely Fabulous (Christmas Day, BBC1). Indeed, the older the characters get, the funnier it becomes.
Jennifer Saunders’s writing is better than ever with pretty much a gag a line in this rollicking 30 minutes of comedy.
It is hard to believe that Ab Fab has been around since 1994. There were great performances too from Saunders, Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha (who had successfully escaped from the post office in Candleford).
Jane Horrocks also did a marvellous cameo, mocking Pippa Middleton’s walk down the aisle at the Royal Wedding. However, it was the topical gags which made the episode so funny, not least the new disease called “the Kardashians, multiplying before our eyes”.
The dream sequence involving the star of gritty Danish drama The Killing was inspired. Could there be scope for a new series? We hope so.
Finally, Laurence Fox was allowed out of Oxford and away from Lewis for Fast Freddie, The Widow And Me (ITV1, Tuesday), the made-to-order Christmas weepie.
You know that if a child walks into a hospice in the first five minutes you are not in comedy-drama territory.
Despite the bizarreness of the idea, in which millionaire Fox “hired a family” for the dying teenager, you kept watching and wondering when Freddie would twig. He did, eventually, and the nasty posh car salesman (Fox) was redeemed.
Expect a sequel in which he gives a Bentley to a starving tribe in Africa.
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