Crappy Covid Christmas TV

In TV terms, this has been a very muted Christmas.  Obviously, with the disruptions caused by coronavirus, the main networks would have been unable to produce the usual number of seasonally themed special episodes of regular series, let alone one offs.  Which, in a way, has been a relief.  That whole 'That-bloke-off-the-telly-does-something-wacky-with snow' format grew tiresome years ago.  Most of these 'characters' are tiresome enough in their regular series, let alone in Finland, or wherever it is they go for the snow and reindeer.  Maybe it is just me, but I long ago tired of the parade of self-styled 'comedians' who are now utilised by broadcasters to front just about every conceivable type of prime time programming.  In the main, I always thought their comedic talents modest, let alone expecting them to be able to do anything else.  But what do I know?  TV executives clearly feel that they have eminently transferable skills, making their screen presence ubiquitous.  Anyway, getting back to the point, I remember the days when Christmas was the focal point for TV channels' with regard to programming: it yielded the biggest audiences and the feeling was that, if you won the battle for viewers at Christmas, you had them for the forthcoming new season.  So they reserved all the biggest and best programmes for Christmas and New Year.

In recent years, though, even before the pandemic, the commitment just didn't seem to be there any more.  Year on year, the festive schedules showed less and less effort, with Christmas Day itself increasingly devoted to soap operas and the like.  Film premieres vanished in favour of seasonal editions of game shows and New Year's Day entertainment has practically been given up on.  This year, despite the problems caused for their production schedules by the pandemic, you would have thought that the main terrestrial TV channels would have made more of an effort.  After all, more than ever people were guaranteed to be at home this Christmas, many on their own.  The alternative sources of entertainment provided by large family gatherings, parties and the pub were generally unavailable.  But they apparently couldn't be bothered, with the streaming channels ending up as the main beneficiaries of this captive audience. I'm afraid that the main channels' response to our 'Covid Christmas' of just sticking on the usual programmes, but with a bit of tinsel on them, was never going to cut it for viewers with access to alternatives.  It is probably my age, but I miss those TV Christmases of yore, when there was programming to look forward to for a solid couple of weeks over the festive period.  Then again, maybe I only remember it that way because I was a child back then?