Christmas isn’t just about sitting around a table and arguing with your relatives while you enjoy a pile of meats – nor only about opening presents. It’s also about sitting around the TV, falling into a food coma and enjoying whatever festive treats the networks have in store. Here’s a look at five things you have to watch this Christmas and Boxing Day.
5. Cake Wars Christmas Marathon
Word is still spreading about SBS’s brand new Food Network, available on Channel 33 on Free-to-Air, and this Christmas they’re showing a marathon from 5.30pm to 11pm on Christmas Day of the series “Cake Wars Christmas”. It sounds ridiculous and amazing. Here’s the synopsis for just one of the episodes:
The five remaining teams of food artists continue to battle, and first, they must show the imaginative toys that Santa’s elves come up with when left unsupervised. Then, they’ll be challenged to make a delicious food display of what magical creation he’ll use to deliver presents if his sleigh breaks down. Host Jonathan Bennett oversees the action, while author and holiday expert Joy Cho lends her expertise as guest judge to decide which team will be leaving the competition.
4. Go see Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Don’t want to sit in front of the TV? Well – whether you’ve seen it already or not, this Christmas (or Boxing Day), you should go and enjoy a screening of cinema’s finest gift – a new Star Wars film. Many cinemas around the country will be open this Christmas, and they’ll also be screening most of the films being released on Boxing Day as part of their Yuletide schedule. So if Star Wars isn’t your bag, you’ll have plenty of other options – from Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur, to Joy starring Jennifer Lawrence and the period drama Suffragette.
3. The Doctor Who Christmas Special
OK, so we have to wait until Boxing Day to watch this in Australia, but it’s something of a tradition now to gather around and watch the Who Christmas special. This year, we’ll be welcoming River Song back to the series as part of the episode. As usual, ABC will offer it on iView as soon as it airs in the UK that morning, ahead of a primetime viewing later that evening on ABC1.
We also have a Sherlock Christmas special to look forward to, though this won’t air until 2nd January in Australia – with select screenings in cinemas around the country on the same day, as well as an exclusive local premiere through streaming service Stan.
2. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
This may not be a new addition in 2015, big no Christmas – nor a list such as this – would be complete without a viewing of the Griswold’s Christmas adventure. Luckily, Channel Nine will contribute their annual tradition of giving you that opportunity at 7.30pm. And if that wasn’t enough, they’re following it up with the similarly classic European Vacation.
1. A Very Murray Christmas
A stroke of genius from Sofia Coppala, Murray and Netflix in this hour long Christmas special. It captures the essence of the classic Christmas TV special, while adding plenty of special guests, originality, great music and – yes indeed – Bill Fucking Murray. If you only watch one Christmas special this year, let it be this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJP3db3R014
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