shallowness (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
shallowness) wrote2022-12-30 06:57 pm
shallowness) wrote2022-12-30 06:57 pm
Entry tags:
Christmas specials and such
It’s been a somewhat Regency-tinged Christmas, in that I rewatched the 2020 adaptation of Emma, and most of what I thought the first time around applies, only the song selection particularly struck me this time. I also watched Mr Malcom’s List on DVD, and if we can’t get a Georgette Heyer adaptation, post-Bridgerton, this will do. I enjoyed watching a Regency romance play out before me instead of reading it, and it was slightly better than I expected. It’s more of a romcom than a comedy of manners, and there were a few rough patches in the script that could have been sanded down.
The leads are fine, playing more strait-laced characters, but Zawe Ashton has such great energy that I wished she were playing the lead (Julia is rather a scattershot creation, clever and stupid as the plot demands, for instance) and Theo James gives the most relaxed performance I’ve seen from him. Was it the moustache? He really ought to watch out for getting typecast in period dramas of this era, mind. The biggest scene-stealer of all for me was Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Lord Cassidy, the cousin and friend who gets caught up in Julia’s schemes. He had a Hugh Grant like energy about him, fine comic timing, and I hope he gets better roles.
The film has a neat concept, it’s clear from the credits that a lot of women were involved in its making and knew what they were aiming for (it helps that it’s not trying to live up to Austen as Sanditon, say, is, although it merrily plunders some things from Pride and Prejudice.) The costmes for the masquerade were great, and I really liked the use of servants and gossips as an almost chorus.
Strictly Christmas special
I planned to sit down and watch this through on catch up, but it turned out to be a stop-start affair.
Lively Santa’s workshop opening group routine, with the celebs as presents and featuring a giant slide among other things. TessnClaud wore white, Shirley, Motsi and Anton were in shades of red, which made Craig stand out as he was all in black.
Rickie and Luba were dancing first, but his colleague Melvin hijacked their VT (because he still seems not to realise that he won that Christmas special that time because the rest of the contestants that year were in the audience and voted for him out of pity.) For me, Rickie’s top and starting by literally marching made it feel little like a salsa. It wasn’t terrible and the lifts were decent but Craig was right about the lack of rotation. We then saw Rickie’s kids, who were cuter than Melvin, and his scores were inflated Christmas scores. Luba didn’t get much of a look in.
Larry was next, and not only was he filling the older gentleman slot, he revealed he’d had back surgery five years ago, and would be doing an American smooth. Nadiya got dragged along to the Eastenders set as if it were a magical walk down memory lane, although we all know the Strictly studio is quite near to it. There was no-one about. It turned out that they were dealing with his back issues by avoiding lifts. I think Craig forgot to mention that the finishing wasn’t very good in his list of criticisms.
Claudia turned to Nicola, asking for a flavour of her upcoming dance, and instead of something whimsical or descriptive, got a complaint about the state of Nicola’s neck and how Gio was haunting her dreams barking ‘Frame’ and ‘Posture’, which he was unapologetic about. Heh.
Rosie and Neil next – and she’d already been on The Great British Sewing Bee Charismas special. VT gubbins about stopping Neil from being a grinch by the power of montage, which he threw himself into (aww, I have such a soft spot for Neil.) ‘Mistletoe and Wine’ was quite the pick to play over this, which is more of a Christmas song than an Xmas one if you know what I mean.
I didn’t think her outfit flattered Rosie much and their being in white made it difficult for me to follow their jive with comic trimmings. I thought she could have been lighter/springier on her feet and even got a little bored, so I was surprised that the judges were so positive. This is the point at which Motsi broke ranks with Craig on the scores. Chris, Rosie’s husband, and former Strictly contestant when he was subject to normal scores, got mentioned, but was less obnoxious than Melvin.
George’s VT was a ‘re-enactment’ of Amy’s Nativity performance with a funny gag about how precious Craig’s 10 was. I think that they may have been doing a Charleston, and if anyone deserved a big entrance in a giant star, it was superfan George. I wasn’t sure what to expect because he has Down’s syndrome (or similar?), and is quite a bit shorter than Amy, although she felt like the perfect pro partner for him, but he mostly kept up and sold it like a born performer. The judges were borderline patronising in their praise, except for Craig, who couldn’t help but mention the timing issues and gave him an 8, perhaps rightly calculating that the others would hand out more 10s.
Nice to see the remaining Girls Aloud members there to support Nicola, with Kimberley quite rightly getting to speak as the one who’s been on Strictly, while Nicola’s VT was about how much a dementia choir loves Gio (okay, that’s an unfair recap.) I can’t say I think that ‘Silent Night’ is the perfect song for a waltz, but anyway, you could see why Gio had been painstaking with Nicola and given her start-to-end choreography. She danced it well. I’d like to see her on the show proper, getting more time to rehearse. The judges responded with a lot of technical terms that Nicola clearly didn’t get, but she was pleased, as she should be, and was joint top.
Anton was required to mime (which he did like he was in panto in a very large theatre) as Tess introduced the VT for Alexandra’s quickstep, which was something about saving Christmas or a reindeer via a dance-off with elves. I was trying to work out if the sleigh was really ’flying’ in or if it was all camera work, and then I was trying not to think too much about hot Santa dancing with a fetching Rudolf. It was a sprightly dance, which the judges loved, and Motsi was the judge to whine about wishing she had a crown on top of her 10 to acknowledge how good it was. Beside her sat Craig, able to just reach for the 10 paddle because he hadn’t used it where it wasn’t quite deserved. It wouldn’t be Strictly if we didn’t have a moment like that.
The ladies all came out on top, with Nicola and Alexandra having been gifted Larry’s lift allowance because it’s a Christmas special although Rickie wasn’t four points worse than George.
They styled out Bruno’s singing return, from Claudia’s ‘subtle and understated’ intro to the pro dancers giving it some and a little bit more. It was as camp as you like, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what the actual members of Girls Aloud sitting in the audience were thinking. Which was, ‘I/we could do better than that.’ He had an effusive chat with TessnClaud.
Results, now with Christmassy clapping, and I suppose the only competition was George, but Alexandra and Kai won, which is fair enough.
Big group number to ‘All You Need Is Love’ about a Strictly family Christmas, with Anton and Shirley making me wish that it was a full routine by them, TBH.
Ghosts: It’s Behind You
I wasn’t sure if the opening scene of the Scouts preparing for archery was a flashback or what, but I would imagine that Pat’s former Scouts troop/troupe would take a whole morning on safety before letting the boys take up bows and arrows. Alison was her usual lovely, thoughtful self towards her spectral family, while Mike was preparing what he called ‘sides’ and Alison and we called a feast to go over to his parents for Christmas (although the family member Alison was obsessed with was Nancy. I’m still maintaining my pregnant next series theory.) I scrambled to remember Mike’s family from that Christmas special of however many years ago it was, and failed.
Of course Julian tempted Pat to watch the video early, and while we were all touched, he had that whole discombobulating experience of watching events that differed from how he remembered it. But the ghosts had decided to do something nice for Alison in appreciation, i.e. a panto. Obviously Lady Fanny would be better as the wicked stepmother than the fairy godmother, until Pat had a tizzy and Thomas stepped in as director!
Alison and Mike spent Christmas Day in a car, sparing Alison the in-law experience and any newly dead ghosts. Not shown: the toilet breaks dilemmas.
Robin gave some more feels by getting Pat to see that laughing at him didn’t mean the ghosts or his first family didn’t love him – aww, Robin, oldest ghost. So, the panto got back on track.
Alison’s childlike glee and how it worked for Mike, a panto he couldn’t see or hear, and inviting the plague victims upstairs to bolster the audience were lovely. More feels from the Captain pep talking to Kitty, who had lost all her confidence. I love the Captain being fatherly towards her, and the Spice Girls twist was funny. Even if the recasting of the fairy godmother was about as subtle as panto, he was better than Lady Fanny.
I loved the cut from Mike’s perspective to the ghosts’ perspective, and how at first Alison was the only member of the audience who knew how to react.
The ghosts’ exertions to put on a show, what with the disappearing slipper, and the use of Humphrey’s head and body, were very clever and in the spirit of putting on a show at home. There was just a touch of knowingness about theatrical productions and thesps – because how would the Captain really know the theatrical calls, and how Kitty went all pretentious thesp after her success. But I liked Kitty and Thomas’s style of Acting.
And only then did they remember the gifts! I know the end was a reminder that the ghosts are bored, so doing a panto would have been a change, but they were all doing it for Alison. Trust Alison and the show to show the Christmas after Pat’s death when his son copied him, showing how much he was missed. They always pitch their Christmas specials so well!
[Edited for typos 24/2/25.]
The leads are fine, playing more strait-laced characters, but Zawe Ashton has such great energy that I wished she were playing the lead (Julia is rather a scattershot creation, clever and stupid as the plot demands, for instance) and Theo James gives the most relaxed performance I’ve seen from him. Was it the moustache? He really ought to watch out for getting typecast in period dramas of this era, mind. The biggest scene-stealer of all for me was Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Lord Cassidy, the cousin and friend who gets caught up in Julia’s schemes. He had a Hugh Grant like energy about him, fine comic timing, and I hope he gets better roles.
The film has a neat concept, it’s clear from the credits that a lot of women were involved in its making and knew what they were aiming for (it helps that it’s not trying to live up to Austen as Sanditon, say, is, although it merrily plunders some things from Pride and Prejudice.) The costmes for the masquerade were great, and I really liked the use of servants and gossips as an almost chorus.
Strictly Christmas special
I planned to sit down and watch this through on catch up, but it turned out to be a stop-start affair.
Lively Santa’s workshop opening group routine, with the celebs as presents and featuring a giant slide among other things. TessnClaud wore white, Shirley, Motsi and Anton were in shades of red, which made Craig stand out as he was all in black.
Rickie and Luba were dancing first, but his colleague Melvin hijacked their VT (because he still seems not to realise that he won that Christmas special that time because the rest of the contestants that year were in the audience and voted for him out of pity.) For me, Rickie’s top and starting by literally marching made it feel little like a salsa. It wasn’t terrible and the lifts were decent but Craig was right about the lack of rotation. We then saw Rickie’s kids, who were cuter than Melvin, and his scores were inflated Christmas scores. Luba didn’t get much of a look in.
Larry was next, and not only was he filling the older gentleman slot, he revealed he’d had back surgery five years ago, and would be doing an American smooth. Nadiya got dragged along to the Eastenders set as if it were a magical walk down memory lane, although we all know the Strictly studio is quite near to it. There was no-one about. It turned out that they were dealing with his back issues by avoiding lifts. I think Craig forgot to mention that the finishing wasn’t very good in his list of criticisms.
Claudia turned to Nicola, asking for a flavour of her upcoming dance, and instead of something whimsical or descriptive, got a complaint about the state of Nicola’s neck and how Gio was haunting her dreams barking ‘Frame’ and ‘Posture’, which he was unapologetic about. Heh.
Rosie and Neil next – and she’d already been on The Great British Sewing Bee Charismas special. VT gubbins about stopping Neil from being a grinch by the power of montage, which he threw himself into (aww, I have such a soft spot for Neil.) ‘Mistletoe and Wine’ was quite the pick to play over this, which is more of a Christmas song than an Xmas one if you know what I mean.
I didn’t think her outfit flattered Rosie much and their being in white made it difficult for me to follow their jive with comic trimmings. I thought she could have been lighter/springier on her feet and even got a little bored, so I was surprised that the judges were so positive. This is the point at which Motsi broke ranks with Craig on the scores. Chris, Rosie’s husband, and former Strictly contestant when he was subject to normal scores, got mentioned, but was less obnoxious than Melvin.
George’s VT was a ‘re-enactment’ of Amy’s Nativity performance with a funny gag about how precious Craig’s 10 was. I think that they may have been doing a Charleston, and if anyone deserved a big entrance in a giant star, it was superfan George. I wasn’t sure what to expect because he has Down’s syndrome (or similar?), and is quite a bit shorter than Amy, although she felt like the perfect pro partner for him, but he mostly kept up and sold it like a born performer. The judges were borderline patronising in their praise, except for Craig, who couldn’t help but mention the timing issues and gave him an 8, perhaps rightly calculating that the others would hand out more 10s.
Nice to see the remaining Girls Aloud members there to support Nicola, with Kimberley quite rightly getting to speak as the one who’s been on Strictly, while Nicola’s VT was about how much a dementia choir loves Gio (okay, that’s an unfair recap.) I can’t say I think that ‘Silent Night’ is the perfect song for a waltz, but anyway, you could see why Gio had been painstaking with Nicola and given her start-to-end choreography. She danced it well. I’d like to see her on the show proper, getting more time to rehearse. The judges responded with a lot of technical terms that Nicola clearly didn’t get, but she was pleased, as she should be, and was joint top.
Anton was required to mime (which he did like he was in panto in a very large theatre) as Tess introduced the VT for Alexandra’s quickstep, which was something about saving Christmas or a reindeer via a dance-off with elves. I was trying to work out if the sleigh was really ’flying’ in or if it was all camera work, and then I was trying not to think too much about hot Santa dancing with a fetching Rudolf. It was a sprightly dance, which the judges loved, and Motsi was the judge to whine about wishing she had a crown on top of her 10 to acknowledge how good it was. Beside her sat Craig, able to just reach for the 10 paddle because he hadn’t used it where it wasn’t quite deserved. It wouldn’t be Strictly if we didn’t have a moment like that.
The ladies all came out on top, with Nicola and Alexandra having been gifted Larry’s lift allowance because it’s a Christmas special although Rickie wasn’t four points worse than George.
They styled out Bruno’s singing return, from Claudia’s ‘subtle and understated’ intro to the pro dancers giving it some and a little bit more. It was as camp as you like, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what the actual members of Girls Aloud sitting in the audience were thinking. Which was, ‘I/we could do better than that.’ He had an effusive chat with TessnClaud.
Results, now with Christmassy clapping, and I suppose the only competition was George, but Alexandra and Kai won, which is fair enough.
Big group number to ‘All You Need Is Love’ about a Strictly family Christmas, with Anton and Shirley making me wish that it was a full routine by them, TBH.
Ghosts: It’s Behind You
I wasn’t sure if the opening scene of the Scouts preparing for archery was a flashback or what, but I would imagine that Pat’s former Scouts troop/troupe would take a whole morning on safety before letting the boys take up bows and arrows. Alison was her usual lovely, thoughtful self towards her spectral family, while Mike was preparing what he called ‘sides’ and Alison and we called a feast to go over to his parents for Christmas (although the family member Alison was obsessed with was Nancy. I’m still maintaining my pregnant next series theory.) I scrambled to remember Mike’s family from that Christmas special of however many years ago it was, and failed.
Of course Julian tempted Pat to watch the video early, and while we were all touched, he had that whole discombobulating experience of watching events that differed from how he remembered it. But the ghosts had decided to do something nice for Alison in appreciation, i.e. a panto. Obviously Lady Fanny would be better as the wicked stepmother than the fairy godmother, until Pat had a tizzy and Thomas stepped in as director!
Alison and Mike spent Christmas Day in a car, sparing Alison the in-law experience and any newly dead ghosts. Not shown: the toilet breaks dilemmas.
Robin gave some more feels by getting Pat to see that laughing at him didn’t mean the ghosts or his first family didn’t love him – aww, Robin, oldest ghost. So, the panto got back on track.
Alison’s childlike glee and how it worked for Mike, a panto he couldn’t see or hear, and inviting the plague victims upstairs to bolster the audience were lovely. More feels from the Captain pep talking to Kitty, who had lost all her confidence. I love the Captain being fatherly towards her, and the Spice Girls twist was funny. Even if the recasting of the fairy godmother was about as subtle as panto, he was better than Lady Fanny.
I loved the cut from Mike’s perspective to the ghosts’ perspective, and how at first Alison was the only member of the audience who knew how to react.
The ghosts’ exertions to put on a show, what with the disappearing slipper, and the use of Humphrey’s head and body, were very clever and in the spirit of putting on a show at home. There was just a touch of knowingness about theatrical productions and thesps – because how would the Captain really know the theatrical calls, and how Kitty went all pretentious thesp after her success. But I liked Kitty and Thomas’s style of Acting.
And only then did they remember the gifts! I know the end was a reminder that the ghosts are bored, so doing a panto would have been a change, but they were all doing it for Alison. Trust Alison and the show to show the Christmas after Pat’s death when his son copied him, showing how much he was missed. They always pitch their Christmas specials so well!
[Edited for typos 24/2/25.]