Christmas

Are we all excited?

(Are you?)
I'm trying. It seems to have come on us very fast this year, doesn't quite seem the same without our little dog, and good old Aussie distributors put the kybosh on my planned Xmas present - the season 19 set - by moving the release date here to the end of January (even though the US can get it the same week as the UK). But I have some YouTube Christmas compilations, music and bloopers and tributes and stuff, lined up, along with the traditional Jonathan Creek and One Foot in the Grave xmas specials and (new to me) the Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? and Whodunnit xmas specials too. So, along with turkey and christmas pud and the usual other goodies, it should still hopefully be fun.

I don't know, Christmas 2017 was one of the best in recent memory I can recall personally, probably because I had been in hospital the month before dealing with my wolf parkinsons', so I guess I was just grateful to be alive and Channel 4 showed a lot of Rugrat movies which pleased the 90s kid in me. I still have all the films I recorded at Christmas on my SKY box.

..And apparently they're going to show the exact same films all over again this year...erm...ok.

Schedules don't look very sturdy overall on regular TV. I'll probably spend Christmas afternoon watching the Jurassic World sequel, have my dinner, and just let mother have her way with the evening schedule and check in on what guys are up to

I'd be more excited for it if it wasn't for my depression. I'm determined to get into the spirit of things by the weekend. I reckon the Tim Allen Santa Clause films will help perk me up

I've been preparing myself for the animal annual family congregation this year by sharpening up my verbal skills (and knives).

My family is full of huge egos and personalities. One's survival odds are predicated on one's defensive and offensive soundness. Good preparation is vital in order to deal with the chronic piss-taking, forthright opinions, and the many drunken, contrarian outbursts.

Once everyone has descended into torpidity and snoring, my usual coping strategy is to sneak into the bog to get high, cue up a number of TV shows on a tablet, and use noise-cancelling earphones to block out the death drones.

In my family at least one person, invariably, has a psychological breakdown every Christmas.

Good drama though, and awards conversation material for the dinner table.

Saw the Danger Mouse Christmas special today

...Did they seriously just 'ship tease Danger Mouse with a minor?

Wasn't the only adult thing in the episode either, there was one moment between Squawk and Penfold when she played with Honker, his squeaky Walrus doll ("get your hands off my honker")

Merry Xmas everyone!

Merry Christmas cunts. Have a good one and a great New Year. I can't wait to get pissed.

Happy holidays one and all.

Just woke to find a Take That album and a Hey Arnold book on relationships in my stocking

Kate Upton wiggled her way out of my stocking and into my arms. I might not be seen for a while...

Na, I got some Blu rays, shirts and some of those lovely chocolate coins. Just watched Christmas Vacation and now I'm waiting for Monsters, Inc on ITV while the Turkey cooks.

Stuffed myself with mini-cheeseburgers, listened to Big Finish play Hour of the Cybermen all morning (it's from a classic Who writer, and well worth it), wrote up a fanfic, and when faced with the dismal state of Christmas telly, wound up enjoying Kevin Spacey's polarising YT video and classic yuletide BBC continuity. Also nabbed The Secret History of the BBC Chirstmas Tapes off of Myspleen.

Had some games, some lovely food, some music vids, and the 1974 Likely Lads and Whodunnit? Christmas specials.
Lovely stuff.

My big present's not arrived yet!

wound up enjoying Kevin Spacey's polarising YT video

That was unbelievable! As always I'll adopt an innocent until proven guilty verdict, but for him to do a video like that in the current political climate was pretty daring to say the least. If he does turn out to be guilty of the current charges against him then it will go down as one of the most notorious videos of all time.

I wonder if people will accept it as canon that Frank Underwood is still alive?

Glad you had a good Christmas. I had a great one myself. I had lots of great presents. Got a full Edgar Rice Burroughs collection, and a JRR Tolkein collection and a really fascinating book called Lost Boy that I just started today.

Lost Boy is a prequel to Peter Pan, where we find out that Hook was one of the Lost Boys and his best friend. Peter Pan is depicted as a villain here, just like in Once Upon A Time.

Obviously it was my interest in Once Upon A Time that led me to this.

Peter Pan and Captain Hook are without doubt two of the most fascinating characters in all of fiction. Either one can be a villain or a hero, without changing the fundamentals of their characters. You can't say that about any other notable two archenemies.

Take Batman and the Joker. Its obvious who the villain is there. You couldn't have a version where the Joker was a good guy, without completely changing both characters and what they represent. Same with the Doctor and the Daleks, Superman and Lex Luthor, and Holmes and Moriarty.

With Peter Pan and Hook however either depending on how you look at it is the good guy or bad guy.

Pan in the original story is very sinister. He kidnaps children, abandons them when they get too old, (some people interpret it to be that he straight up kills them) and has a sadistic sense of humour.  Yet he is also brave, honourable and loyal to his friends.

Similarly what Pan represents can be seen to either be a good or a bad thing. Either its someone who still captures the innocence of a child, or someone who shirks responsibility to other people because they are selfish.

Hook meanwhile always had a code of honour in the original. He always believed in "good form" and he was described as having once been one of the greatest men in all of England before his fall from grace.

Much like Pan, Hook can be seen to represent something good or bad. Either he represents honour among thieves, or he is proof that even the best of men have a dark side and can be corrupted by greed and vengeance.

Also in their feud either can be the under dog. Either its Hook the normal man fighting a Demon boy, or its a boy fighting a pirate!

Also since the circumstances of their feud is shrouded in mystery either could be the aggressor. Either the sadistic Pan cut off Hook's hand, or Hook attacked Pan and he did it in self defence. Finally when Hook kidnaps the Lost Boys and they fight over them, either that could be Hook kidnapping the children to use against his archenemy Pan, or Hook trying to save them from their kidnapper.

Lost Boy obviously takes the latter route, and it works really well. I've noticed a lot of other adaptations recently that feature Hook as a hero and Pan as a villain.  IMO Hook and Pan have one of the best relationships of ANY villain and hero, though its funny I never realised that until Once Upon A Time. Shows you what a great adaptation of something can do.



Are you team Hook or team Pan?

I'm team Tink.


Go get 'em fairy!

Zarius wrote:I'm team Tink.


Go get 'em fairy!

Tink's a little bitch even in the original story. I finished Lost Boy today. Its absolutely amazing. I really would recommend it, even if you have 0 interest in Peter Pan. Its a chilling, visceral horror story.

Peter Pan makes for one of the most terrifying and hateful villains. He's even WORSE here than he was in Once. The love story between Sally and "Jamie" is really quite touching and tragic. Peter's such a little cunt.

Christina Henry is brilliant. I will definitely be checking out more of her work. She should write for Doctor Who. I'd take her over ANY of the Fitzroy cucks any day. She knows how to build up an atmosphere, create chilling monsters, and reinvent a new character.