Christmas Telly Highlights

Yes, it’s Christmas day. But no, it doesn’t actually mean there is nothing worth watching on the telly today.

Televised Revolution recognises the long-held tradition of avoiding interaction with family by escaping to the lounge to watch a bit of television. So, what can hold your attention? Well, here is a quick and handy guide to some bright spots on an otherwise uninspired, unengaging television schedule.

It’s A Very Muppet Christmas Movie (Channel 9, 7am) – It’s Christmas time and the Muppets have just two days to put on a super spectacular Christmas show and save the Muppet Theatre from bank foreclosure. Yes, I know it’s modern day Muppets, but it should still be worth a bit of a watch.

Are You Being Served (Channel 7, 12:30pm) - It’s Christmas at Grace Brothers and the staff present a life-size Punch and Judy show for the employees’ children. I’d imagine at this time of the year, Mrs Sluccombe’s pussy has had her eggnog and is looking to play.

It’s A Wonderful Life (QCTV, 2pm) – An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would had been like if he never existed. The one good Christmas film that isn’t Die Hard. Sure, it’s a little cheesy and a tad maudlin, but I say roll with it and spend some time with Frank Capras classic.

Inspector Rex – The Beginning (SBS, 8:30pm) – A bomb explodes in the very heart of Vienna, killing Russian wheeler-and-dealer and ex-KGB agent Schukov. Rex and his handler are in hot pursuit of the man responsible for the bomb blast. During the chase Spitzer kills Rex’s handler. Spitzer is wounded, hospitalised and, before Inspector Moser can question him, murdered. Moser’s investigation leads him to Spitzer’s business associates. Sure, I’d recommend trying to find something to watch on DVD ahead of this Inspector Rex origin episode, but if desperate, you could do much worse. It’s odd, though. I would have thought Inspector Rex’s origin would have involved Rex’s bitch of a mother having a bit too much red wine and kibble.

Louis Theroux’s Weird Christmas (Channel 7, 11:40pm) – Louis Theroux brings together some of the more outrageous stars of his Weird Weekends series for a Christmas lunch in New York, including Christian fundamentalist Randy James, pornographer JJ Michaels, Mike Oehler (who lives in a hole) and Reverend Robert Short (who contacts aliens). It’s Louis Theroux. Do you need more of a reason to watch?