Podcasts about british christmas

Happy Tuesday, Christmas Fanatics! This week, the elves are heading back to Dunder Mifflin for a little Christmas déjà vu! We know we've already talked about The Office's Christmas episodes, but now we're diving into the extended editions, and we think you know these elves aren't complaining about talking the Office. Anthony, Julia, and Thom kick things off with "Christmas Party", the Season 2 classic featuring Michael's disastrous Secret Santa, an iPod, a teapot, Yankee Swap (or Dirty Santa, or whatever you call it where you live), and one very memorable Christmas card. Then it's off to "Moroccan Christmas," where Phyllis takes control of the Party Planning Committee, Meredith catches fire, Dwight sells Princess Unicorn dolls, and Angela's carefully guarded secret threatens to become very public knowledge. But this time, we're not just talking about the episodes we already know and love. We're digging into the extended and deleted scenes, the little character moments that got left on the cutting-room floor, and all the extra bits that somehow make these episodes feel even more like Christmas. Also discussed this episode: pumpkin spice season is upon us; Universal Passholder Night; Harry Potter and the upcoming Gilderoy Lockhart casting; Ted Lasso; Spider-Man; the increasingly bizarre world of twisted childhood movies; Dungeon Crawler Carl spoilers; Spirit Halloween; Ebenezer and Violent Night 2 trailers; the return of Ghosts; British Christmas specials; the history of Benihana; Danny DeVito/Jimothy; The X-Files; Steve Carell aging like fine wine; and our ongoing inability to stay on topic for more than approximately twelve seconds. So grab your Christmas sweater, pour yourself something festive, and settle in for another trip to Scranton with your favorite misfit toys. And yes... Belschnickel is coming. As always, thanks for listening, y'all! ❤️

Hello you beautiful people!Last episode Benji Pearson asked me for some advice for his Christmas themed Halloween costume and this episode I give him some suggestions on how to dress up as the Elton John song Step Into Christmas.Next up it's Bob Baker with Do You Hear What I Hear? and he's looking at the British Christmas meal of a Christmas Ploughman's Lunch.Then it's a Christmas Not So Classic, and this one is a bit of a classic in the US, but is unheard of here in the UK. It's called Same Old Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg and I like it a lot.Have a listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QsvZ8P1QNkThen it's The Christmas Quiz. I scored 9, make sure to email me your score.Last episode I shared with you some of the ornaments on my Christmas tree and this episode I share some ornaments from listeners Ruby Holly Davies and Frank Talley.Then Bob is back with Where Are You Christmas? and you get two this episode. One in New Jersey (thanks to Timothy Dumont), and one in Pensylvania.Check out Bob's podcast here:  https://4fpodcast.buzzsprout.comThis episode's version of A Christmas Carol is Episode 9 of Series 16 of Family Guy and it's called A Dickens of A Christmas.  I enjoyed it.Get in touch:Email: totalchristmas@gmail.comMerry Christmas!

In this week's episode, I explain my reasoning for putting my new book WIZARD-ASSASSIN in Kindle Unlimited, even though the majority of my books are wide and will remain so. I also examine the phenomenon of British Christmas chocolate boxes. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Frostborn series at my Payhip store: FROST25 The coupon code is valid through January 12, 2026. So if you need a new ebook this winter, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction, Writing Updates, and British Christmas Chocolate Boxes Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 284 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is January the 1st, 2025 and today we are discussing why Wizard-Assassin is in Kindle Unlimited. We'll also talk a bit about British Christmas chocolate boxes, something I just learned about recently. We will also have a Coupon of the Week and an update on my current writing and publishing projects. But first off, Happy New Year to everyone. I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas and New Year's holiday, whatever form that may take for you and I hope that 2026 turns out to be a great year. Now, let's move on to Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off all the ebooks in the Frostborn series at my Payhip store. That code is FROST25. And as always, the coupon code and links to my store will be available in the show notes. This coupon code is valid through January the 12th, 2026, so if you need a new ebook series to dig into this snowy winter, we have got you covered. Now an update on my current writing and publishing projects. I said I wanted to take the week off between Christmas and New Year's and I mostly did. Played a lot of video games, saw a lot of family, ate a lot of good food, but I do get a bit bored. So I did get some work in and I'm currently at 35,000 words of Blade of Storms, which will be the third book in the Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series. I think the book's going to end up about 100,000 words or so, maybe a little more, maybe a little less, so that means I'm about 35% of the way through the rough draft. So that's good progress and it's back to full speed now that the New Year's and Christmas holidays are over. I am also 5,000 words into Cloak of Summoning, which will be the 14th Cloak Mage book. I'm hoping that Blade of Storms will be out in January and Cloak of Summoning will be out in February. In audiobook news, Brad Wills is working on recording Blade of Shadows, the second book in the Blades of Ruin series and Leanne Woodward has signed up to record Wizard-Assassin, the fifth book in the Half-Elven Thief series, and she's hoping to start work on that in March, if all goes well. So that is where I'm at with my current writing and publishing projects. And now for a brief digression into the subject of British Christmas chocolate boxes. Now, I'm grateful for all my readers, but I am surprised by how many UK readers I have. Mathematically, it is surprising because based upon which statistics you read, the UK has about 25 to 20% of the total population of the United States. So do you think that the UK book sales would be only about 20% of my US sales, but that isn't the case? In December of 2025, the US made up about 58% of my sales, but the UK did 34. I think the reason for that is that fantasy is generally a more popular genre in the UK than it is in the US. Like numerically speaking, the US probably has more fantasy readers because of the larger population, but the UK population's overall percentage of fantasy readers seems higher. Of course, maybe I'm completely wrong since the US and the UK are very different places, even if they both speak English. Anyway, that was a long-winded introduction of saying that before I started self-publishing in 2011, I knew practically nothing about the contemporary UK. I couldn't have told you if the UK was on the Euro or the Pound. However, in the 15 years since, I've absorbed a fair few facts by osmosis. One of them is Christmas chocolate boxes. I didn't know about this until recently, but apparently Christmas chocolate boxes are very popular in parts of the UK, with frequent debates about the best brand, quality, et cetera and this has been a tradition going back almost to the 1930s and the 1940s. Now, this was only an abstract fact I knew for a while, but a nice person got me a Quality Street chocolate box for Christmas. That's the brand name, if you're not familiar with it, Quality Street, which I suppose is better than Cheap Street. It was pretty good. There are apparently great debates about which chocolate ones are best, but honestly, I think I like the red cherry flavored ones the best. I know not everyone feels this way, but I do like that sort of artificial cherry taste that it has and that sometimes turns up in other things. So all in all, it was pretty tasty and [an] interesting way of experiencing a different culture. 00:04:28 Main Topic: Why is the Half-Elven Thief Series in Kindle Unlimited? Now onto our main topic this week: why is the Half-Elven Thief Series in Kindle Unlimited? Now with the release of Wizard-Assassin recently, the fifth book in that series, a few people wrote in to ask why Half-Elven Thief was in Kindle Unlimited (KU) and not wide and on all the other ebook stores. Short answer: business of publishing reasons. The "too long; didn't read" answer: of my three unfinished series, I determined that one of them needs to be in Kindle Unlimited and Half-Elven Thief drew the short straw, so to speak. What I've realized over the years I've been self-publishing is that if you have a new book that does well in Kindle Unlimited, Amazon puts its thumb on the scale for the book in a big, big way. More eyeballs get on the book. It stays higher in the rankings for a lot longer than it would otherwise, and therefore more people read and buy it. More people get email or app notifications about it. A new Kindle Unlimited book that does well even has a halo effect on the rest of my backlist, even for books that are not in Kindle Unlimited. Blade of Flames and Blade of Shadows had their best days in a couple of weeks in the days after Wizard-Assassin came out and even Stealth & Spells Online got a boost. And of course, the price for this buffet of algorithmic bounty from Amazon is that a Kindle Unlimited book must be exclusive to Amazon. Now, a lot of writers get really mad about this fact, but the truth is that this is how retail works and in fact is how retail has always worked. Like for example, let's say you go to Walmart, Target, Costco, Tesco, or some other big box store and see a big display of Tide detergent towards the front of the store and near the registers. It's partially there because the store thinks it will sell, but it's mostly there because Procter & Gamble paid big bucks to have Tide detergents featured at the front of the store. This is even frequently true when the big box stores send out emails with discounts and coupons for this and that, though there is more of an algorithmic component to that than in traditional brick and mortar retail, since it's very often the case that, for example, from Target, no two customers will get identical offers. Now, admittedly, compared to the kind of draconian contracts between a big box store and an industrial conglomerate like Procter & Gamble, Kindle Unlimited by comparison is relatively mild. Amazon doesn't charge anything for it, and the term is only three months if you want to take your book out of it. The exclusivity requirement is probably anti-competitive, but the US government can't even rouse itself to do something very popular like changing Daylight Savings Time, so there's no way it will address a more complicated and more obscure issue like ebook exclusivity anytime soon. Of course, traditionally in US antitrust law, you only get in trouble for raising consumer prices and Kindle Unlimited is objectively a very good deal for heavy readers. And for that matter, exclusivity is fairly common in retail arrangements, which is why you occasionally see things like special edition holiday themed body wash available only at Target or something like that. Or in the book world, this happens as well, which is why Barnes & Noble sometimes has B&N exclusive hardback editions of various books. So that's just the reality of Kindle Unlimited since the program settled into more or less its current form around 2015 or so. To deal with it, indie writers typically settle on one of four strategies. #1: they go all in on Kindle Unlimited. #2: they ignore Kindle Unlimited, perhaps as a point of ethics and protest of Amazon. #3: they split the difference with Patreon, and #4: they split the difference with publishing windows. Strategy #1's big, big drawback is that book revenue becomes entirely dependent on Amazon, and Amazon's algorithms occasionally go berserk and start banning accounts at random. A smaller but still significant drawback is that you cut yourself out of every market that Amazon doesn't address, which means if your Amazon sales tank, there's no fallback position. Strategy #2 is much more viable across the long term, and I did it for a lot of years, but it does mean you are operating under a permanent handicap on Amazon, which remains the largest bookseller in the US and the UK. The most successful example I've seen in strategy #3 is with indie author Lindsay Buroker, who first offers her books to her Patreon subscribers and then puts the series on Kindle Unlimited. Once the series is complete, she takes them out of KU and puts them on all the other retailers and starts a new series that is first up on Patreon and then on Kindle Unlimited. I've thought about doing something like this myself, but I'm not ready to commit to the extra work Patreon would require and the Andomhaim and Cloak Mage books have such large audiences built up on the other retailers that switching them to KU would be a massive rug pull for people. With strategy #4, the publishing windows, the indie author makes the book available on all retailers for the first week and then switches them over to Kindle Unlimited. I think that approach has serious drawbacks, especially since you don't have the opportunity to build up an audience long term on the other retailers. An overlooked factor in a lot of indie publishing strategies is the long-term effects that build up over time. Part of the reason my books do well on, for example, Kobo is because I've had the majority of them on Kobo for the last 14 years, and so they have 14 years worth of reviews accumulated around them. So with all that in mind, in late 2023 and early 2024, I settled on strategy #5, which plays to the fact that I'm pretty fast as a writer. Namely, I will start a new series unconnected to everything else I've written and put that in Kindle Unlimited. Once it's finished, I will take it out of KU and put it all on all the other retailers and start a new series for Kindle Unlimited. Honestly, this has worked out pretty well so far. In 2024, the Half-Elven Thief series did well enough that it paid for my health insurance in 2024, which as we know, is no small feat. It didn't do as well for the first 11 and a half months of 2025 for the obvious reason that I didn't publish any new books in the series in that time. I had too many unfinished series and needed to wrap some of them up first, which was a separate, self-inflicted problem I've talked about in other episodes. But Wizard-Assassin did really well, as I mentioned above. So moving forward, that's my publishing strategy, and it will have three prongs. #1: Only three unfinished series at any one time. #2: Two of those series will be available on all platforms, and #3: One of those three series will be on Kindle Unlimited. So when Half-Elven Thief is finished at nine books, which will probably be in 2027, I will take it out of KU and put it on all the other retailers. One rule for my Kindle Unlimited series: it will always have to be something new and unconnected to anything I've previously written. No Andomhaim books will be in Kindle Unlimited since Frostborn, Sevenfold Sword, Dragontiarna, Dragonskull, The Shield War, and Blades of Ruin have always been wide. Likewise, Cloak Mage is staying wide. If I ever go back to the Silent Order universe for a new science fiction series, that will also be wide. So that is the longer answer for why Wizard Assassin was in Kindle Unlimited. And as always, thanks for reading. I am tentatively hoping Dragon-Mage, the sixth book in the Half-Elven Thief series, will come out in April or possibly May, depending on how the next few months go. And once again, thanks for reading the Half-Elven Thief series and all my other books, and there would be no point in writing all these books if you guys didn't want to read them. So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found it useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes on https://thepulpwritershow.com. And if you enjoyed the podcast, it would be very helpful if you were to please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy, and we'll see you all next week.  

Santa Claus: The Movie was an ambitious holiday spectacular that was supposed to save the Salkinds' crumbling film empire. Fresh off the disappointing performances of Superman III and Supergirl, producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind bet $50 million on creating the definitive cinematic Santa Claus origin story, complete with backstory, a North Pole workshop brought to life, and a modern-day New York adventure featuring Dudley Moore as a renegade elf.The Salkinds' signature approach to filmmaking, taking beloved existing characters and mounting lavish international co-productions outside the Hollywood system, had worked brilliantly for the first Superman films but was now straining under financial pressure. The father-son team assembled an impressive cast, constructed elaborate sets at Pinewood Studios, and poured resources into cutting-edge visual effects for Santa's flying sleigh. They envisioned a franchise that would become as iconic as their Superman films, a movie that would define Santa Claus for generations of children.Instead, the film became another expensive disappointment that Christmas season, unable to recoup its massive budget despite its technical achievements and heartfelt performances. The planned holiday classic flopped at the box office in the US, but it has nonetheless found an affectionate cult following in the decades since, especially here in the UK.It remains one of Britain's most loved Christmas movies. It's pricey, overly-stuffed, extravagant, best enjoyed with a tipple, and full of nostalgia - a little bit like a traditional British Christmas to be honest.I wish all of you and your families a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a fantastic New Year. See you all in 2026!I would love to hear your thoughts on Santa Claus: The Movie !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards and was nominated for the Earworm Award at the 2025 Golden Lobes.CONTACT....Twitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaEmail verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comWebsite verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & ReviewJoin the Patreon | Send a TipABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for...

Riley Gaines and her husband Louie celebrate a Christmas that feels entirely different as they mark their first Christmas as a family of three. As the year comes to a close, Riley reflects on moments of significance and gratitude, including attending AmFest for the first time since Charlie Kirk's passing. From there, the conversation turns to welcoming their daughter Margot and experiencing every holiday “first” along the way. Riley shares how motherhood has reframed the season, from Margot's first belly laugh to the importance of slowing down and keeping Christ at the center of Christmas. Along the way, the two laugh through the realities of new parenthood, compare American and British Christmas traditions, and look ahead to the new year with intentional goals for faith, family, and life together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

 On this year's Christmas Spectacular episode of Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, Kiernan and Ryan hang up their socks and trade merry greetings. They discuss the official death of the Ugly Ornament Competition, the history of British Christmas crackers (no, they're not crackers), and their favorite Christmas tunes (including a Ryan original).. And for the Anglophiles out there, the boys sing the praises of one of the US's best importers of British goods, happily located right in Acton, MA.  Things we talked about in today's podcast: The Bee's Knees British Imports https://www.thebeeskneesbritishimports.com/  V&A Museum history of Christmas crackers https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-christmas-cracker?srsltid=AfmBOopqIG_oE9tXOOtQdsUnnRHXaOH8bPLkOiNC52C9XAlXv0hzY_Kf  "Have Yourself an Out of Office Christmas" https://www.mureka.ai/song-detail/WX3PuAjGnrbg8mx41mThs2?is_from_share=1  "Scrooge" from the Muppets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULaNvmjZWxg  

We talk Christmas Traditions + Disaster in the Big Rossi household + Lots of gossip for you!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What makes a British Christmas truly British? Get the FREE British Christmas Vocabulary Pack: https://english-like-a-native.kit.com/b75dc937c1In this lesson, I take you beyond snowmen and fairy lights and into the wonderfully quirky traditions that the UK just can't let go of - even the ones that probably should have vanished centuries ago.Thank you for listening. Five-a-Day DatabaseAccess all the vocabulary covered in the Five-a-Day series. This database is constantly updated.You can even make a copy and personalise it with your own example sentences.Get access now by joining my ELAN Newsletter

Panto, short for pantomime, has become a staple of British Christmas celebrations but surprisingly its origins are neither British or Christmassy. It has its roots in the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia, which was celebrated in December and involved dressing up as the opposite gender, swapping roles, and having a lot of fun. The word ‘pantomime' comes from the Latin ‘pantomimus', which means ‘actor who plays every role'. The Romans also had a tradition of performing plays called mummia, which were based on stories from Egypt. How did panto come to Britain? What are some of the earliest examples of panto in Britain? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: ⁠What were the Most Shocking Moments of the Turner Prize?⁠ ⁠What's really in vegan meat substitutes?⁠ ⁠Which are the dirtiest parts of our bodies?⁠ A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue. First Broadcast: 14/12/2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 1983, Jack and Miles are joined by author of Cry For Me, Argentina: My Life As A Failed Child Star, Tamara Yajia, to discuss… COLDPLAY KISS CAM LADY SPEAKS! Phone Bans Actually Work??? What’s The Worst Christmas Movie Of All-Time? And more! The Ritual Shaming of the Woman at the Coldplay Concert Coldplay kisscam HR boss Kristin Cabot on 16 seconds that ruined her life Phone Bans Actually Work??? Our picks for the worst Christmas movie ever Tim Allen's Critically-Panned 21-Year-Old John Grisham Movie Adaptation Is Now Dominating Streaming Charts The Worst Christmas Movie Ever Is About To Leave Netflix The Worst Christmas Movies of All Time I watched the worst-rated Christmas film ever made - with a very bizarre message Santa Claus: The Movie at 40 – how a box office flop became a ‘pure panto’ British Christmas staple Revisiting Santa Claus: The Movie ‘Santa Claus: The Movie’ (1985) [McDonald's Clip] Halloween's John Carpenter almost made this cult Christmas movie Jack's Piece of Media: "I only come on here to watch this now" LISTEN: Living Through a Lense by Vincent McRae TrioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monocle Radio’s Fernando Augusto Pacheco looks back at some of the best UK Christmas number ones.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The lights are up, the markets are humming, and we're taking a quiet moment to say thank you. This festive check-in is our love letter to the UK travel community that carried us through a milestone year—every listen, share, question, and review made the journey brighter and bolder.We share the simple joys that make a British Christmas feel special: mince pies in a cosy pub, the pop of a cracker and those wobbly paper crowns, twinkling streets in market towns, and the King's Speech as a gentle pause in the day. Think of it as a pocket guide to seasonal atmosphere—small rituals that turn a winter trip into a memory you'll reach for again and again.You'll also hear from friends who bring the UK to life on the ground. Sally Ann from North Coast Explorer Tours beams in from Scotland's far north with stories of puffins, dolphins, red deer, rainbows, sunsets, and sometimes the northern lights, plus winter's quieter pleasures of coastal walks and fireside evenings. Lisa at Go Cotswolds sends warm wishes and an open door for 2026, reminding us why stone villages and rolling paths never lose their magic. And from the capital, Discover Real London shares a cheerful London welcome for the year ahead. XFA Cars rounds things out with practical holiday travel cheer - stay safe, keep plans flexible, and let the festive spirit lead the way.We're taking a short break to enjoy the holidays, then we're back with our final show of 2025: a lively roundup of standout moments, UK travel highlights, and a peek behind the scenes at the numbers you helped us hit. If you're planning a winter trip, this update is a warm nudge toward the best of the season - lights, markets, and the joy of slowing down in places that reward unhurried wandering.If this little festive postcard made you smile, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves the UK, and leave a quick review. What's the one British holiday tradition you can't wait to try?

In this 2025 Christmas edition we're taking a look at three old British Christmas specials. Carry on Christmas (1969), Christmas With Rutland Weekend Television (1975), and “Rentaghost” RentaSanta (1979). Along the way will Paul find the true meaning of Christmas? Will Colin get the presents he deserves? Or will they end up with the Boxing Day Blues? 

In this episode of the Anglotopia Podcast, host Jonathan Thomas and British TV expert Tom Salinsky delve into the rich tradition of British Christmas television specials. They explore the cultural significance of these specials, the evolution of Christmas Day TV schedules, and highlight some of the most beloved and memorable Christmas episodes from shows like Wallace & Gromit, Doctor Who, Only Fools and Horses, and Gavin and Stacey. The conversation also touches on the nostalgia associated with classics like The Snowman and the impact of streaming on traditional viewing habits. Salinsky shares insights into the history of Morecambe and Wise, the role of sports in Christmas TV, and the unique approach of shows like EastEnders during the festive season. The episode concludes with a discussion on the importance of the Radio Times Christmas double issue and a promotion for Salinsky's new podcast, All British Comedy. Links AllBritishComedy.com Tom Salinsky Tom Salinsky's Red Dwarf books Radio Times Christmas Double Issue BBC Genome Project The Snowman Friends of Anglotopia Club Takeaways British Christmas television specials are a cultural institution. Christmas specials often feature nostalgia and beloved characters. The Snowman is a quintessential part of British Christmas. Only Fools and Horses Christmas specials are highly anticipated events. Gavin and Stacey's serialization contributed to its popularity. Christmas Day TV schedules have evolved over the years. The Radio Times Christmas double issue is a cherished tradition. Not all Christmas specials are successful or well-received. EastEnders often delivers dramatic and intense Christmas episodes. Streaming has changed how audiences engage with Christmas specials. Sound Bites 1. On why British Christmas TV became a tradition: "I think it was EastEnders that made the difference. In 1986, EastEnders devoted its Christmas episode to the Den and Angie storyline absolutely coming to boiling point... The viewing figures were phenomenal—something like 30 million. Half the population was watching." — Tom Salinsky 2. On the unique appeal of Christmas specials: "The difference between writing a regular episode of Doctor Who and a Christmas special is there will be non-fans watching at Christmas. The 14-year-old says, everybody has to shut up so I can watch this. And then uncle and auntie and grandma and grandpa are all in the room anyway." — Tom Salinsky 3. On nostalgia and Christmas television: "Nostalgia and Christmas, certainly for British television, seem very intertwined. It's a time when we want to hark back to the past... Even Vengeance Most Foul, which is a brand new piece of work, feels old-fashioned, has that old-fashioned charm about it." — Tom Salinsky 4. On why EastEnders goes dark at Christmas: "If what we tune in for is misery and torment and betrayal, then at Christmas it needs to be maximum misery and maximum betrayal. No one is starved of EastEnders. So when it comes around for Christmas, we just want to take that lever and throw it as far in the direction of drama as we possibly can." — Tom Salinsky 5. On the Radio Times Christmas double issue: "When I was 10, I would have read about National Velvet and that Old Curiosity Shop musical film in the Radio Times and probably opted not to circle them. We were a very middle-class household, Jonathan, so we didn't get the TV Times because that was vulgar." — Tom Salinsky 6. On discovering The Snowman: "I spent Christmas in England in 2013 and I kept hearing this haunting melody everywhere... I finally saw it and I was literally in tears when it was over. I'd never seen it before, but it just hit me. There's no words—even the book has no words—and it's an incredible story." — Jonathan Thomas 7. On the 1971 Morecambe and Wise Christmas special: "The 71 special with Andre Previn is definitely something a cut above. That is such a famous routine. They kind of stayed at the top of their game for about seven or eight years, which is hard to do." — Tom Salinsky 8. On The Office Christmas specials: "The way that The Office started out as this show which nobody really knew what it was or why it was funny... to then capturing the nation's conversation and ending up being the centerpiece of the BBC One Christmas schedule in three years is astonishing." — Tom Salinsky 9. On the first Doctor Who Christmas special: "Nobody knew whether that first series with Christopher Eccleston was going to be a success. We'd never had a Doctor Who Christmas special before. Just as Russell T. Davies had to invent how to make Doctor Who at all in 2005, he had to invent a Doctor Who Christmas special." — Tom Salinsky 10. On Christmas specials as the last appointment viewing: "We're just now used to using our television sets as jukeboxes where we select what we're going to watch. We're out of the habit of treating them like radio sets where the broadcaster determines what we are sent at what time... I think it's one of the nice things about Christmas that we just get a little bit of that communal viewing experience back again." — Tom Salinsky Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Christmas Television Specials 04:03 The Cultural Significance of British Christmas TV 09:59 Traditional British Christmas Day TV Schedule 13:22 Top British Christmas Specials 20:07 The Evolution of Doctor Who Christmas Specials 25:52 The Legacy of Morecambe and Wise 30:44 The Timeless Charm of The Snowman 33:21 Only Fools and Horses: Christmas Specials 35:18 The Enduring Appeal of Call the Midwife 36:41 Christmas Specials: A Tradition in British Sitcoms 39:01 Gavin and Stacey: The Power of Serialization 41:53 Sporting Events and Christmas TV 42:41 Christmas Specials That Missed the Mark 45:39 EastEnders: Maximum Drama at Christmas 48:17 The Future of Christmas Specials in Streaming Era 49:31 The Radio Times: A Christmas Tradition 54:20 anglotopia-podcast-outro.mp4 Video Version

This week we have a look at the 1951 film SCROOGE.  This is Episode #473! Scrooge (released as A Christmas Carol in the United States) is a 1951 British Christmas fantasy drama film and an adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (1843). It stars Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge, and was produced and directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, with a screenplay by Noel Langley. It also features Michael Hordern, Kathleen Harrison, George Cole, Hermione Baddeley, Mervyn Johns, Clifford Mollison, Jack Warner, Ernest Thesiger and Patrick Macnee. Peter Bull narrates portions of Charles Dickens's words at the beginning and end of the film, and appears on-screen as a businessman.Upon its initial release, the movie was largely ignored by critics, and reactions from those that did watch it were varied. Nevertheless, the movie attracted a strong following on television, and subsequent reviews have been significantly more positive, with many critics considering it one of the best adaptions of the novel, with general praise for the performances, particularly Sim's portrayal of Scrooge.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Featuring a traditional British Christmas carol.***Note***We will be taking off the rest of the year and will be back for New Year's Eve to start off the New Year with you!********************************************************Don't forget to check out our website! https://treasurehuntpodcast.wixsite.com/realtreasure

Written and directed by Gurinder Chadha, Christmas Karma is the British Christmas musical comedy-drama film starring Kunal Nayyer. It is a Bollywood-inspired adaption of the Charles Dickens 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. A hard-nosed businessman, Mr. Sood (Kunal Nayyer), is forced to confront his past, present, and future over one fateful Christmas Eve – guided by three unforgettable spirits (Eva Longoria, Billy Porter, Boy George) – on a journey toward compassion and redemption. We break down all things Christmas musical, Christmas Carol, and Christmas in England.

In this episode of the Anglotopia Podcast sponsored by Jolly Posh Foods, host Jonathan Thomas speaks with Lucy Pask, a British expat in Chicago, about the significance of British food during Christmas. They discuss the offerings of Jolly Posh Foods, Lucy's journey from the UK to the US, and the unique aspects of British Christmas dinner traditions, including the importance of specific dishes and the cultural nuances that come with being an expat. The conversation also touches on Boxing Day traditions and the challenges of finding authentic British food in America. Links Jolly Posh Foods British American Business Council Chicago Friends of Anglotopia Club Takeaways British food is a significant comfort for expats during the holidays. Jolly Posh Foods provides authentic British food to expats in America. Lucy Pask's journey reflects the passion for British culture in the US. Christmas dinner in Britain includes unique dishes like pigs in blankets and roast potatoes. Boxing Day is a day for leftovers and family traditions. The importance of Yorkshire pudding in British cuisine cannot be overstated. Mince pies are a staple of British Christmas, despite their acquired taste. Ordering British food early is crucial for expats during the holiday season. Cultural differences in food can lead to humorous misunderstandings. The joy of sharing British food traditions with American family members. Sound Bites "The correct answer is always to say my family. But the honest answer, Jonathan, is that I really miss Waitrose and Marks and Spencer." "When you're in the UK, the whole of the UK, not just England, you're never more than about six foot away from a bacon butty." "When you have a proper breakfast sausage in the UK for the first time, it's almost like a revelation. You're like, I've been doing sausage wrong my whole life." "Being able to access this food and share it with them is one of my greatest joys in life." "I honestly don't think I could eat a Christmas dinner if I wasn't wearing a paper crown. I've never tried it and I don't want to." "Over 750 million pigs in blankets are eaten in the UK during Christmas... every citizen eats 13 pigs in blankets on Christmas Day." "We thought, well, what can we take to Thanksgiving? Why don't we take a Christmas pudding? We'll set fire to it and it'll make them laugh. And now we have to do it every year." "There's something about Chicago and a Midwestern attitude that's actually very British. It's a little self-effacing, fun, open to being humble and funny about yourselves." "It is treated with the same reverence and panic as booking Coachella tickets or Eras Tour tickets." "Full disclosure, I messed the whole thing up... Christmas Eve in the UK is one of the biggest nights out of the year. It is a full-on festival of going out to the pub. All the pubs and bars were shut at 10." Chapters 00:00 Introduction to British Christmas Food 04:11 Lucy Pask's Journey to Chicago 19:58 Exploring British Christmas Dinner Traditions 25:54 The Quintessential British Christmas Dinner 34:54 Christmas Pudding and Its Traditions 38:25 Understanding Mince Pies 50:17 Boxing Day: The Day of Leftovers 54:56 Ordering British Foods for the Holidays 58:59 anglotopia-podcast-outro.mp4 Video Version

She'll slash. She'll stab. She'll sing!Anna and the Apocalypse is a 2017 British Christmas musical zombie film directed by John McPhail from a screenplay by Alan McDonald and Ryan McHenry, based on McHenry's 2010 BAFTA nominated short Zombie Musical. It stars an ensemble cast of largely unknown young talent, including Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Sarah Swire, Christopher Leveaux, Marli Siu and Ben Wiggins with Mark Benton and Paul Kaye.A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven - at Christmas - forcing Anna and her friends to fight, slash and sing their way to survival, facing the undead in a desperate race to reach their loved ones. But they soon discover that no one is safe in this new world, and with civilization falling apart around them, the only people they can truly rely on are each other.00:00 Intro 08:40 Horror News28:31 What We've Been Watching52:28 Film Review1:51:02 Film Rating1:54:10 Outrowww.horrorhangout.co.ukPodcast - https://fanlink.tv/horrorhangoutPatreon - http://www.patreon.com/horrorhangoutFacebook - http://www.facebook.com/horrorhangoutpodcastX - http:/x.com/horror_hangout_TikTok - http://www.tiktok.com/@horrorhangoutpodcastInstagram - http://www.instagram.com/horrorhangoutpodcastBen - https://x.com/ben_errington​​​Andy - https://www.instagram.com/andyctwrites/Stu - https://www.instagram.com/stootoobs/Audio credit - Taj Eastonhttp://tajeaston.comSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/thehorrorhangout. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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This week, the Blurry Hysteria boys dive into bizarre tales from across the globe! First, a British Christmas card turns into a recruitment device for little government spies. Then, we head to Bulgaria, where a beach bar decided that a Roman sarcophagus made the perfect cocktail table. History buffs and ghost hunters, unite! Tune in for laughs, head-scratches, and plenty of conspiracy theories this week on Blurry Hysteria. News Stories Mentioned:  Xmas Spies: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bc-eu-britain-spy-puzzle_n_6759be5fe4b0518821f1eaf3 Booze Coffin: https://historianandrew.medium.com/bulgarian-beach-bar-discovered-using-ancient-roman-sarcophagus-as-a-table-c38fa202290d Email us your favorite WEIRD news stories: weird@hysteria51.com Support the Show Get exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1 Shop Be the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, the Blurry Hysteria boys dive into bizarre tales from across the globe! First, a British Christmas card turns into a recruitment device for little government spies. Then, we head to Bulgaria, where a beach bar decided that a Roman sarcophagus made the perfect cocktail table. History buffs and ghost hunters, unite! Tune in for laughs, head-scratches, and plenty of conspiracy theories this week on Blurry Hysteria.News Stories Mentioned: Xmas Spies: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bc-eu-britain-spy-puzzle_n_6759be5fe4b0518821f1eaf3Booze Coffin: https://historianandrew.medium.com/bulgarian-beach-bar-discovered-using-ancient-roman-sarcophagus-as-a-table-c38fa202290dEmail us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Panto, short for pantomime, has become a staple of British Christmas celebrations but surprisingly its origins are neither British or Christmassy. It has its roots in the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia, which was celebrated in December and involved dressing up as the opposite gender, swapping roles, and having a lot of fun. The word ‘pantomime' comes from the Latin ‘pantomimus', which means ‘actor who plays every role'. The Romans also had a tradition of performing plays called mummia, which were based on stories from Egypt. How did panto come to Britain? What are some of the earliest examples of panto in Britain? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What were the Most Shocking Moments of the Turner Prize? What's really in vegan meat substitutes? Which are the dirtiest parts of our bodies? A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue. First Broadcast: 14/12/2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chocolate oranges, burning puddings and white carrots: British Christmas is quite unique. Find out all about how it's celebrated in today's episode. Go to EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Christmas for the full transcript. My video on making mince pies: https://youtu.be/i7VcVKYQRKI Get episodes without adverts + bonus episodes at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Support. Your support is appreciated! Word count: 5099 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The family ghost makes an appearance in George and Henry's home every Christmas, but one evening she appears unexpectedly with terrible news... Inspired by Mary Lewes, Stranger Than Fiction, this Christmas ghost story is followed by a discussion of crisis apparitions, and 18th century British Christmas traditions.

Join JT and LeeAnne as they dive into a festive after-hours edition of Barbecue Nation, featuring special guest Graham Kerr, the former Galloping Gourmet. The conversation kicks off with a light-hearted quiz about British Christmas trivia, highlighting the origins of sending Christmas cards, which was popularized by Queen Victoria and her husband Albert. As they reminisce about holiday traditions, they touch on the decline of sending Christmas cards and share personal anecdotes about their own experiences. Graham shares a charming story about his unique Christmas card that celebrates the season's spirit, while JT reflects on a recent trip that revealed the generational gaps in music tastes. The episode wraps up with warm wishes for the holiday season, encouraging listeners to get into the Christmas spirit and enjoy time with loved ones.Companies mentioned in this episode: Painted Hills Natural Beef This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Ben looks at the various elements which make up a Christmas dinner in the UK.Read the episode transcript and test your understanding with a comprehension quiz by joining the Learn English with Ben fan club. You'll get access to transcripts, tutorials and quizzes, plus other bonus content. Visit patreon.com/learnenglishwithben for more information and to join now.Patreon: patreon.com/learnenglishwithben - For transcripts, comprehension quizzes, and video tutorials, join the fan club.Instagram: instagram.com/learnenglishwithbenWebsite: learnenglishwithben.comEmail: learnenglishwithben88@gmail.com - send me an email if you're interested in classes Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Candace Owens, once considered to be somewhat of a political kook, now commands an undeniably dedicated following among the American right wing. She arrives at her first in-studio Uncensored Interview to Piers Morgan's wide open arms; a far throw from their first icy encounter. Owens has a lot to update Piers on, including her opinions on Israel's wanton destruction of Gaza, the state of the US healthcare system, and the festering rot of perversion that feeds on the egos of Hollywood's elite.To wrap up what becomes a deeply intellectual exchange, Piers treats Owens to a quintessentially British Christmas tradition; Christmas crackers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is We are Chelsea, the official podcast of Chelsea Women, brought to you in association with Škoda, the official car partner of Chelsea Women and proud supporters of women's sport. www.skoda.co.uk Caz De Moraes is joined by Spanish full-back Alejandra Bernabé and her partner in crime Wieke Kaptein. In this Christmas special we sing songs, find out their favourite part of the British Christmas dinner, learn about traditions in Spain and the Netherlands and we force one of them to wear a tacky Christmas jumper... but who? To watch the full episode on YouTube, click here: https://www.youtube.com/@chelseafc/videos Send us your questions to wearechelsea@chelseafc.com #WeAreChelsea Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this show, for our crap film selection, we attempt to get festive with the alleged rom com A Very British Christmas (2019) which at least was filmed in the beautiful Yorkshire town of Knaresborough!

Today's episode Matthew and Nort review the 2021 British Christmas fantasy movie A Boy Called Christmas which was directed by Gil Kenan from a screenplay by Ol Parker and Kenan, based on the 2015 book of the same name by Matt Haig. It tells the story of a boy who travels to a land of elves with the mouse that he trained to speak as he ends up coming to their aid when people sent by the king, which his father is part of, make off with one of the elves. The story is told by an old woman to her grand-niece and grand-nephews We are a comedy movie review podcast where Matthew & Nort take turns watching and reviewing a movie the other host has not seen. They go over the entire plot with spoilers and discuss how they feel about the film. They also talk about fun facts, box office, actors, and how the movie impacted us.Join our Patreon to support the show and get ad-free podcast episodes, full access to our exclusive Patron Discord, and get access to a secret podcast called Flight School where we watch and review a TV Pilot voted on by the Patrons! You get all of that for the low price of $5! Sources for So, You Finally Watched Support the lovely people who created stuff for the show:Art by: Meraki2019Deep Voice by: MarlarIntro music by: Ozeyzin GET THE MERCH!Scroll down the page to find our shows! GET THE CHIBI SHIRT!https://encounterco-shop.fourthwall.com/pages/byshow We are a part of The Encounter Co. network! Check out all the other awesome shows on the network! Follow us on Twitter at:Show: @SYFWPodNort's Twitter: @NortSauwceOther Socials:Instagram: SoyoufinallywatchedpodTik Tok: SyfwpodcastYouTube: So, You Finally Watched Podcast If you liked the show be sure to leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify so we can get the word out about our show! Also tell a friend or two! Thanks for listening!  Nort has another podcast with his co-host and wife Anna called Reading isn't for Kids! The pair review and discuss children chapter books, YA books, and sometimes comics. Check it out here! If you want to check out Nort's actual play podcast click this link! The show is called Grim Encounters  and it is a campy horror actual play podcast using the Chill 3rd Edition ruleset for seasons 1-3 and season 4 is a campy sci-fi Fallout setting. Best place to start is Season 1, Season 2, or Season 4.

What is a Christmas pudding and how did it develop into the U.K.'s favourite festive dessert? What's inside one and, importantly, how can you make one in your kitchen?In this episode we'll talk about the fascinating history of Christmas pudding and then dive into the practicalities of making your very own festive pudding.What are the ingredients? How can you combine them? What's the cooking method? How do you serve it and what can you do with the leftovers?We'll cover recipes from as far back as 1300 right up to the modern day and you will leave excited and ready to bring to life this traditional British Christmas desert in your own kitchen wherever you live in the world.We'll both be cooking up a Christmas pudding this year, we love it if you would join us. Check out the free download with folklore, recipes and tips that's available for all listeners below.Thanks to our supporters Andrea and I have recently invested in some new recording equipment. This means that future podcasts will be clearer. But, as we all know, new technologies have teething problems. And we experienced them here. This episode is clear, but, some of it isn't as high-quality as you are used to from us and we apologise for that. It won't take away from your enjoyment of Christmas puddings.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *One Earth Health make the grass-fed organ supplements we use and trust. Get 15% off your first order here and 5% off all subsequent orders here.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *For more tips, inspiration and recipes sign up for Alison's newsletter here!Get our two podcast cookbooks:Meals at the Ancestral HearthSpelt Sourdough Every DayAlison's course, Rye Sourdough Bread: Mastering The Basics is here, with a 10% discount applied!Alison's Sowans oat fermentation course is here, with a 10% discount applied!Get 10% off any course at The Fermentation School: click here and use code AKP at checkout.Get 10% off US/Canada Bokashi supplies: click here and use code AKP.Get 10% off UK Bokashi supplies.Visit our (non-Amazon!) bookshop for a vast selection of ancestral cookbooks: US link here and UK link here.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Our podcast is supported by Patrons in ancestral kitchens around the world!Come join our...

In my 66th episode and the first Ber month episode of 2024, I go back to the 1960s to listen to some older British Christmas songs that people may not know, watch an old show about Scottish doctors with some festive storytelling, and go back to the Emergency Festive Questions book to answer and ask some more odd queries such as why is Rudolph's nose red?  David Whitfield - Santo Natale Dave King - Xmas & You  Adam Faith - Lonely Pup In A Xmas Shop  

Since it's almost Victoria Day (or as Canadians call it, "May Long Eh"), we're talking British Christmas music again -- specificially a few popular tunes that never crossed the threshold into Christmas #1s in the UK. "Christmas Lights" by Coldplay is, you know, fine. It's fine! And "You're Christmas to Me" by Sam Ryder? It's FINE. WHATEVER, OK? IT'S FINE. The ranking music in this episode is "Best Friends Squad" by Strong Bad, for reasons that should become obvious.

Hello you beautiful people!It's a packed show and to begin our resident barman Bob Baker combined St Patrick's Day and Christmas to discuss the British word 'bloke' in Do You Hear What I Hear.Then it's The Quiz,  I do pretty well this time, so see if you can beat me.After the joke I discuss the version of A Christmas Carol that I saw at the theatre this year.  It was a youth production and they'd added a modern twist.  The it's Spread A Smile Of Joy and Bob Baker talks about how you can make doing good deeds a family event.Check out Bob's pod, Festive Foreign Film Fans, here:https://4fpodcast.buzzsprout.com/Then as part of Christmas All Over The World I speak to Adam Parker the host of Merry Britsmas Podcast.  We had a very long chat and this is part one where we talk about Christmas Eve, opening presents and Christmas food.This episode's recommendation is of course Merry Britsmas.Check it out:https://merrybritsmas.podbean.com/Get in touch:Email:  totalchristmas@gmail.comWebsite: totalchristmaspodcast.comMerry Christmas!

What makes a Christmas movie a Christmas movie? How do Christmas movies react to – and help us heal from – collective trauma? How can a British Christmas movie feel quintessentially American? We discuss all that and more this week at the 20th Anniversary of Love Actually, with G. Vaughn Joy, a film historian, writer, podcast host, and PhD candidate at University College London. Our theme song is Frogs Legs Rag, composed by James Scott and performed by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under Creative Commons. The first mid-episode musical selection is “The First Noel,” from Christmas Songs and Carols (1912) by Trinity Choir; in the public domain and available via the Library of Congress National Jukebox. The second mid-episode musical selection is “Jingle Bells,” from Favorite Colleges Songs (1916) by Victor Male Chorus; in the public domain and available via the Library of Congress National Jukebox. The episode image is from a publicity poster for Love Actually. Films Discussed: It's a Wonderful Life (1946) The Bishop's Wife (1947)  A Christmas Story (1983) Die Hard (1988) Love Actually (2003) The Holiday (2016) Red Nose Day Actually (2017) Klaus (2019) Additional Sources: “From Fiction to Film: ‘The Greatest Gift' and ‘It's a Wonderful Life,'” by Elizabeth Brown, Library of Congress Blog, December 21, 2018. “How World War II shaped ‘It's a Wonderful Life,'” by Rachael Scott, CNN, December 25, 2021. “What ‘It's a Wonderful Life' Teaches Us About American History,” by Christopher Wilson, December 16, 2021. “How A Christmas Story Went from Low-Budget Fluke to an American Tradition,” by Sam Kashner, Vanity Fair, November 30, 2023. “What's That Building? The real-life locations from ‘A Christmas Story,'” by Dennis Rodkin, WBEZ Chicago, December 21, 2023. A Christmas Story House. “Love Actually,” by Roger Ebert, RogertEbert.com, November 7, 2003. “FILM REVIEW; Tales of Love, the True and the Not-So-True” by A.O. Scott, The New York Times, November 7, 2003. “Love Actually Is the Least Romantic Film of All Time,” by Christopher Orr, The Atlantic, December 6, 2013 “25 Surprising Facts About 'Love Actually' for Its 20th Anniversary,” by Kristy Ruchko, Mental Floss, Posted on November 6, 2018 and Updated on November 13, 2023. “The Visible Magic of Asking ‘Why?' A Contemporary History Approach to Klaus (2019),” by Vaughn Joy, Review Roulette, December 24, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thinking in English Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish ⁠⁠⁠ Happy Christmas to all the Thinking in English listeners out there! In this Christmas special episode, I am going to introduce you to a traditional British Christmas. Hope you enjoy listening! ⁠TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2023/12/25/276-what-is-a-traditional-british-christmas-english-vocabulary-lesson/⁠ My Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠TEST YOUR ENGLISH LEVEL - https://thinkinginenglish.link/placement-level-test/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Thinking in English Bonus Podcast - https://www.patreon.com/collection/10513⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ENGLISH CLASSES - https://thinkinginenglish.link/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NEW YOUTUBE Channel!!! - https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/)  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog⁠⁠ Vocabulary List Festive (adjective):Related to a celebration or festival. Carols (noun):Festive songs, often associated with Christmas. Stockings (noun): Long socks traditionally hung by the fireplace for small gifts. Boxing Day(noun): The day after Christmas in the UK. Public holiday (noun): A day on which most businesses and schools are closed. Advent (noun): The period of four weeks before Christmas. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support

It's the (now) annual Bonus New British Xmas Music episode! Check out all the amazing artists below, support them if you can, and there's also a surprise comedic gala from all your favourite Christmas podcasters (& me...)  ALA.NI Peaness Problem Patterns Don't Call Me Ishmael  New Rules Nina Nesbitt  Volk Soup Erica Manzoli Kate Rusby Curerbell  Pegasuses  Fortune Faded Glory  Brutalligators & Fightmilk  Sunflower Thieves Wasuremono Fenne Lily  Wyldest 

We all perceive his captivating presence on screen, teetering between grace and awkwardness, the intentional and the spontaneous. Bill Nighy's humor embodies the essential qualities of British comedy while also showcasing remarkable versatility. Born in Caterham, United Kingdom in 1949, Bill Nighy always dreamt of becoming a writer. However, life had other plans for him. After giving up his ambitions of becoming a writer, his comedic genius has been celebrated worldwide, earning him an Oscar for Best Actor, a BAFTA Award for Best Actor, and a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama. He started his career on the stage of Liverpool's Everyman Theatre and made his London debut with the Royal National Theatre in the late 1970s. He then appeared on British television and radio, relishing the opportunity to play "anyone, because on the radio your appearance doesn't matter." His career reached a turning point in 2003 marked by his involvement in the film “Underworld” where he played the vampire Elder Viktor, and especially by the role that brought him international recognition: the jaded rocker Billy Mack in “Love Actually”. Almost two decades later, he proved equal skills in a role that resonated more closely with him: the character of Mr. Williams, a mundane bureaucrat in “The Living'”(2022), who discovers a new zest for life. This performance comes highly recommended. Convinced that his impressive career is the result of chance and lucky encounters, Bill Nighy is a modest workaholic, embodying the epitome of British self-deprecation. In this once-in-a-lifetime episode, we delve into: Tribalism and football clubs, How Bill procrastinated his entire writing career and inadvertently became an award-winning actor, How self-doubt fuels procrastination, The few times he escaped England to visit Paris and Marseille as a teenager, Theater-induced anxiety and not throwing up before stepping onto the stage, Mod fashion A unique conversation marked by Bill's elegance, quirkiness, subtlety, charm, and kindness. Merry Christmas ! TIMELINE : OO:00:00 Just call him Bill 00:17:00 Bill Nighy's latest movie, The Living (2022) 00:23:50 Procrastination 00:38:14 Work is not giving into despair or self-doubt 00:45:40 Theatre & managing stage-induced anxiety 00:59:50 The relationship Bill has with (not) writing 01:12:05 Acting on the radio & drama school 01:21:40 All the times Bill ran away to France 01:31:30 The influence of Bill's father on his career 01:36:40 Playing leading roles 01:41:16 2003,Underworld, and Love Actually - a turning point 01:58:00 Words for the younger Bill 02:00:40 Fashion 02:12:15 Bill's hands - the Dupuytren contracture Bill and I quoted several old GDIY episodes: #344 - Robert Plomin #158 Edgar Grospiron #228 Nicola Julia #74 Romain Raffard #305 Paul Mouginot Bill and I talked about : His filmography The Living Love Actually Pirates of the Caribbean The Boat That Rocked Harry Potter Underworld Sir David Hair Modernist fashion icons Paul Wheeler, lead singer of The Jam Martin Freeman Françoise Hardy David Frost's show That was the news that was Bill recommends you read : Lou Reed's biography Bob Dylan's biography How do you like the theme music? We owe it all to Morgan Prudhomme! Contact him at: https://studio-module.com. You want to sponsor Génération Do It Yourself or suggest a partnership? Contact my label Orso Media via this form.

Happy Holidays, everyone!Christmas weekend's episode features a chat with critically acclaimed British horror filmmakers, Charlie Steeds and David Lenik. Charlie is a director/writer/producer whose award winning retro Horror films from his movie studio, Dark Temple  Motion Pictures, have been seen at festivals worldwide as well as released to digital platforms and in DVD format. David, who has collaborated with Charlie on several projects, is an also a British writer and accomplished actor! Did I mention that I will be in their 2024 Christmas inspired release, He Sees You When You're Sleeping? This is a special full-length holiday episode. Enjoy!Thanks for listening, downloading, and liking the pod! Happy and Merry to you!https://www.darktemple.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/darktemplemotionpictures/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/charliesteeds/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/davidlenik/?hl=enhttps://twitter.com/DarkTempleFilmshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbaLg4dRr3BwL0qV1_coYCAhttps://www.facebook.com/DarkTempleFilms?ref=tn_tnmnSupport the showhttps://www.instagram.com/laurenmarietaylor1/https://www.laurenmarietaylor.com/

It's finally here: our 2023 milestone episode! When looking for a candidate for all-time greatest Christmas songs, Jam attempted to laser-focus their pick to Ian's taste. When looking for the worst of the worst, the song Ian selected has more of scattershot strategy.  The ranking music in this episode is "Christmas Unicorn" by Sufjan Stevens. As mentioned in this episode, we were recently quoted in an article about Christmas music! You can read it here: How Simon Cowell and John Lewis killed the British Christmas song

Are you ready to embark on a festive journey across the UK with us this holiday season? With the joyful chimes of Christmas bells ringing in the air, join your host Tracy Collins and a variety of guests as they light up your holiday vacation plans with unique experiences around the UK. From the glittering Christmas markets in Bath to winter walks in the far North of Scotland, from the fairy-lit cottages of the Cotswolds to the historic Christmas decorations at Castle Howard in Yorkshire, we cover an exciting range of attractions, adventures, and personal traditions that make the UK magical during Christmas!Each guest shares their favourite Christmas traditions and attractions, painting a vivid picture of their respective regions during the holiday season. Imagine caroling in the stable with donkeys at Puffin Croft, or capturing the festively lit city of London through your camera lens! And don't forget about those pleasant countryside walks in warm boots and the joy of discovering unique gifts in the shops of the Cotswolds! Tracy and Doug also share their plans for a traditional British Christmas, which of course includes tuning into the King's speech on Christmas Day and a football match on Boxing Day. So, cosy up with a cup of hot chocolate and let's plan the perfect UK vacation together this Christmas.Show notes - Episode 77Support the show❤️ Do you enjoy our weekly podcast? We love putting together our shows for you and sharing our knowledge, love of UK travel and of course practical tips to save you time and money.

We celebrate the holiday season with The Professor's choice this week, "Don't Open Till Christmas" (1984)! Join the Spookshow gang for this British Christmas slasher from director/star Edmund Purdom!   Part of the Morbidly Beautiful Podcasting Network! Go to the all-new www.aaspookshow.com & join our Patreon for bonus episodes & content over at https://www.patreon.com/aaspookshow & follow us on Twitter @AASpookshow as well as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Slasher & our YouTube channel by searching All-American Spookshow Podcast.  Email us at allamericanspookshow@gmail.com with questions & comments, and be sure to leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify!  Here's the link to the movie trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCptc2p2BJM&t=1s   LINKS:  https://linktr.ee/aaspookshow

WELCOME TO OUR 50th EPISODE!In the final stop of our ‘60s YLT Time Machine, we touch down in the 1560's just in time for a Tudor Christmas. In a deeply divided nation in which religion is politicized, we'll see how the young Queen Elizabeth finds her own path.The Tudor Christmas was a respite from work and from unrelenting poverty. It was a time of revelry and a loosening of societal roles.Our visit to the Tudor Christmas will ignite our senses.  Along the way, we'll …Share a dramatic moment with Queen Elizabeth at her first Christmas service as sovereign,Spruce up the place with seasonal décor,Experience 12 full days of partying, including games, plays, carols, wassailing, and feasts,Run into some unique roles: a boy bishop, a Lord of Misrule, mummers, and masque players,See how ancient magic influenced and remained with the holiday.We'll end up at Greenwich Palace and spend Twelfth Night with Good Queen Bess herself.  The activities, the exotic and sometimes disturbing feasts, and the political minefield of royal gift giving.Our SHOW NOTES are FULL of artwork, videos, links to eBooks, recipes, and much more. 

It's episode 95 and it's a corker!We begin by following up on last weeks episode when Benji Pearson mentioned an old long forgotten Christmas song about the 3 wise men.  He hasn't been able to find a recording so he's gone and done it himself.Then it's Jack Ask and I sort out some Christmas conundrums for listener Travis.Next up it's Bob Baker and Cav has suggested a high tech way of keeping it Christmas all year long.Then it's The Christmas Quiz and we have Ed Daly on to see how well he can score.Ed is the author of The Christmas Book: The ultimate guide to your favorite holiday.Here's a link:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Book-Ultimate-Favorite-Holiday/dp/B09HS14DFMFor this episode's Do You Hear What I Hear, Bob looks at the word 'Corker'.Check out Festive Foreign Film Fans here:https://4fpodcast.buzzsprout.com/Then it's our annual look at classic British Christmas songs that may or may not have made it across to the US.  And in this episode we also have a perspective from New Zealand, both Duane Bailey and Scott Newman from Tinsel Tunes have a listen and see if they know these 6 classics.Have a listen to Tinsel Tunes here:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tinseltunesA couple of episodes ago I had the competition to win some little spooky ghost stories for Christmas, and now I have 3 more to give away.If you want to win them contact me with the following 4 words: "Yeah, I'll 'ave 'em" and they could be yours.Check out these lovely little books from Biblioasis here:https://www.biblioasis.com/shop/fiction/short-fiction/christmas-ghost-stories-3-pack-2023/Get in touch:email: totalchristmas@gmail.comweb: totalchristmaspodcast.comMerry Christmas

My guest today is mystery author Clara McKenna. She's just published "Murder on Mistletoe Lane", book 5 in the Stella and Lyndy Mystery Series. We talk about her latest Christmas mystery, and how a life-long love of England led her to write her mystery series; our mutual (possibly obsessive) love of eggnog; some of our favorite Christmas foods, cherished Christmas memories, and more! Check out Clara's website, sign up for her newsletter, order books, and more: www.claramckenna.com  Find her book and help support local bookstores and this podcast: Murder on Mistletoe Lane: https://bookshop.org/a/56283/9781496738202 (affiliate link)    Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375  Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas  Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast  Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c    Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast  instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/  twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod  youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: cozychristmaspodcast@gmail.com      #podcast #Christmas #christmaspodcast

We recorded this episode in early December for our Patreon subscribers, but as it's the closest thing to a Christmas special we're ever likely to make, we thought we'd slip it into everyone's stocking this year. In it, we discuss the Ford family's most recently acquired Christmas ornament (which Phil mistakenly calls a luminaria), gazing into the Christmas tree, the loneliness of little worlds, the mystery of incarnation, Colin Wilson's "Faculty X," and the utter weirdness of British Christmas specials. Listen to volume 1 (https://pierre-yvesmartel.bandcamp.com/album/weird-studies-music-from-the-podcast-vol-1) and volume 2 (https://pierre-yvesmartel.bandcamp.com/album/weird-studies-music-from-the-podcast-vol-2) of the Weird Studies soundtrack by Pierre-Yves Martel (https://www.pymartel.com) Support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/weirdstudies) Find us on Discord (https://discord.com/invite/Jw22CHfGwp) Get the T-shirt design from Cotton Bureau (https://cottonbureau.com/products/can-o-content#/13435958/tee-men-standard-tee-vintage-black-tri-blend-s)! Get your Weird Studies merchandise (https://www.redbubble.com/people/Weird-Studies/shop?asc=u) (t-shirts, coffee mugs, etc.) Visit the Weird Studies Bookshop (https://bookshop.org/shop/weirdstudies) REFERENCES Erik Davis, A Brief History of the Phantasm (https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=0afzGJon4RA) Colin Wilson, The Occult (https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-occult-the-ultimate-guide-for-those-who-would-walk-with-the-gods-colin-wilson/9920687) The Dog House UK (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dog_House_(TV_series)), TV series The Christmas Lantern (https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/e/e38b53e4-e148-4e2d-b301-0b3bb15779ff/ZFrqJ9bF.jpg)

It's the 2022 holiday episode! Aaron and Derek are joined by actress Katie O'Hagan (Mia Winters in Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village!) to tackle 2017's British Christmas zombie musical "Anna and the Apocalypse" directed by John McPhail. Katie shares her journey in acting leading up to her involvement with Resident Evil as well as her experiences performing in the game. For "Anna and the Apocalypse," they discuss how a musical can capture a gambit of emotions, the comparisons with "High School Musical" and "Shaun of the Dead," and what zombie tropes still bleed through. They also talk about their favorite tracks, how they relate to the characters, and what makes this a Christmas movie. Derek can't remember all of Santa's reindeer. Aaron smells like a shoe. Katie is dressed like a festive legend! Katie O'Hagan can be found at Instagram, Twitter, and Linktree @Katieoacts Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katieoacts/?hl=en Twitter: https://bit.ly/3G8chh1 Katie's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/katieohagan We are on PodBean, Apple Podcasts, Podchaser, Goodpods, Amazon Music, Google, Stitcher, Spotify, and CastBox. Please rate, review, subscribe, and share our show. Also, check out our Spotify Music playlist, links on our Twitter and Podbean page. Our socials are on Facebook, Twitter and Hive @WatchIfYouDare