10 on Tuesday: Favorite Holiday Shows
I *love* watching holiday shows - made for TV movies, classic movies and modern day big screen holiday movies. Because in more of a tech editing and layout mode with most of my knitting rather than knitting mode right now I’m kind of sad that I have not gotten to watch many holiday shows yet this year. I’m accustomed to knitting away like mad on a last minute “Christmas sweater” I’ve decided I needed. I’ve had the urge the last couple days to knit something special to wear for Christmas, but my logical mind that says I have too much other work to do right now has prevailed.
1. White Christmas with Bing Crosby, Danny Kay, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen is a classic and some years we watch it twice before Christmas hits. Our lack of seasonal weather this year means we haven’t watched it yet (we often wait for a snow, and while we’ve had one it was a tad early for a Christmas movie).
2. The Holiday is another favorite. I’ll confess that this is one of our go-to movies when either of us is stressed out so it gets watched at other times of the year as well, probably on average 2-3 times. It’s a classic beautiful people with no real problems get a storybook ending.
3. Christmas in Connecticut (1945 version) is another black and white classic we enjoy. Crazy hijinx and mischief abound. I dare you not to laugh when you watch this one!
4. The Hebrew Hammer has become a traditional holiday season watch for us as well. It’s kind of spoofing blackploitation films and has a fun cast. There is definitely some adult humor so this might not be for the whole family. While I rarely care for Andy Dick outside of News Radio, his role in this one works.
5. Love Actually is another heartwarming romantic comedy. It is one of those that happens to take place at Christmas but it isn’t so “holiday” that I can only watch it during the holiday season. But I like to watch it then as it makes me smile.
6. The Shop Around the Corner is another classic one we enjoy watching every year. How can you go wrong with Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan?
7. Prancer is one I enjoy from my youth. It’s a good family movie and probably just right for when the kids are getting just old enough to doubt Santa Claus but you want them to hang onto the magic just a bit longer (though it came out too late for me).
8. The Bishop’s Wife is another black and white oldie but goody that makes me smile. I love the skating scene!
9. Elf is one I just *have* to watch each year. I love Zooey Deschanel and while I’m pretty hit or miss whether I’m going to like Will Ferrel, this is a “like.”
10. The Christmas Shoes is a great choice if you want a holiday movie and tear jerker all rolled into one. I don’t watch it every year and we don’t own it so I have to catch it on cable to watch it, but I think it plays on some network pretty much ever year.
I could keep going I think. In fact I don’t think I hit any made for TV ones except #10 and there are all those Hallmark Hall of Fame holiday movies based on Richard Paul Evens books that frequently star Richard Thomas. And last year or the year before there was a cute one that came out on ABC Family maybe with Melissa Joan-Hart and Mario Lopez… Okay, I’ll stop!
What’s you *must* watch every year holiday movie?
