BCG Daily Friday 25th December 2020

Press clippings

Mrs. Brown's Boys. Image shows from L to R: Buster Brady (Danny O'Carroll), Grandad Brown (Dermot O'Neill), Dino Doyle (Gary Hollywood), Rory Brown (Rory Cowan), Cathy Brown (Jennifer Gibney), Mark Brown (Pat Shields), Betty Brown (Amanda Woods), Winnie McGoogan (Eilish O'Carroll), Dermot Brown (Paddy Houlihan), Agnes Brown (Brendan O'Carroll), Maria Nicholson / Brown (Fiona O'Carroll). Copyright: BBC / BocPix

Why everyone should watch Mrs Brown's Boys tonight

Hated by critics who brand it puerile, Brendan O'Carroll's creation is nevertheless as popular as festive TV gets. Is there something in it?

Chris Bennion, The Telegraph, 25th December 2020
Love Actually. Image shows from L to R: David, The Prime Minister (Hugh Grant), Natalie (Martine McCutcheon). Copyright: Working Title Films

Olivia Olson reveals on-screen kiss was her FIRST ever

The little girl from Love Actually, who stunned viewers with her incredible singing voice, has revealed that the Christmas movie was her FIRST kiss.

LA-based Olivia Olson, now 28, was just 10 years old when she bagged the part of Joanna Anderson, and has lifted the lid on secrets behind the 2003 Christmas classic.

Becky Pemberton, The Sun, 25th December 2020
Dead Ringers. Image shows from L to R: Lewis Macleod, Debra Stephenson, Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Duncan Wisbey. Copyright: BBC

Comedy this Christmas: 20 funnies to enjoy today

Comedy critic Dominic Maxwell picks 20 funny things to watch or listen to this Christmas.

Dominic Maxwell, The Times, 25th December 2020
Künt

Kunt makes No 5 in the Christmas charts

The Kunts have made it to No 5 in the Christmas charts with their not-so-festive track Boris Johnson Is A Fucking Cunt.

Chortle, 25th December 2020
Mrs. Brown's Boys. Image shows from L to R: Buster Brady (Danny O'Carroll), Grandad Brown (Dermot O'Neill), Dino Doyle (Gary Hollywood), Rory Brown (Rory Cowan), Cathy Brown (Jennifer Gibney), Mark Brown (Pat Shields), Betty Brown (Amanda Woods), Winnie McGoogan (Eilish O'Carroll), Dermot Brown (Paddy Houlihan), Agnes Brown (Brendan O'Carroll), Maria Nicholson / Brown (Fiona O'Carroll). Copyright: BBC / BocPix

Review: Mrs. Brown's Boys Christmas Special

Love it or loathe it, the Christmas juggernaut rolls on - but this year's special had a serious emotional message to deliver.

Ed Power, The Telegraph, 25th December 2020
Mrs. Brown's Boys. Image shows from L to R: Buster Brady (Danny O'Carroll), Grandad Brown (Dermot O'Neill), Dino Doyle (Gary Hollywood), Rory Brown (Rory Cowan), Cathy Brown (Jennifer Gibney), Mark Brown (Pat Shields), Betty Brown (Amanda Woods), Winnie McGoogan (Eilish O'Carroll), Dermot Brown (Paddy Houlihan), Agnes Brown (Brendan O'Carroll), Maria Nicholson / Brown (Fiona O'Carroll). Copyright: BBC / BocPix

Review: Mrs. Brown's Boys Christmas Special

Mammy Of The People is a reminder of just how gruesome Brendan O'Carroll's long-running comedy is.

Sean O'Grady, The Independent, 25th December 2020
Mrs. Brown's Boys. Image shows from L to R: Buster Brady (Danny O'Carroll), Grandad Brown (Dermot O'Neill), Dino Doyle (Gary Hollywood), Rory Brown (Rory Cowan), Cathy Brown (Jennifer Gibney), Mark Brown (Pat Shields), Betty Brown (Amanda Woods), Winnie McGoogan (Eilish O'Carroll), Dermot Brown (Paddy Houlihan), Agnes Brown (Brendan O'Carroll), Maria Nicholson / Brown (Fiona O'Carroll). Copyright: BBC / BocPix

Review: Mrs. Brown's Boys Christmas Special

It wouldn't be Christmas without a visit (or two) to the Brown residence, says Helen Daly.

Helen Daly, Radio Times, 25th December 2020
Blankety Blank. Copyright: Thames

Review: Blankety Blank

Bradley Walsh is a class act as iconic gameshow returns.

Helen Daly, Radio Times, 25th December 2020
The Bruce Forsyth Show. Bruce Forsyth. Copyright: ABC Television

The Bruce Forsyth Show

Christmas 1965. Son is delighted with his Corgi 007 Aston Martin, mother plans to donate Home Cooking With Fanny Cradock to charity as soon as possible, and daughter cannot stop playing the Rubber Soul LP. Meanwhile, father is ranting about 'those long-haired beatniks', but at least the family can agree on two televisual highlights of the day. The first is HM The Queen at three o'clock (of course) and the second, on ABCTV at 9:10 pm, is The Bruce Forsyth Show.

Andrew Roberts, Network, 25th December 2020

Videos

Podcasts

TV & radio

YouTube
9am
27 min
No More Jockeys. Image shows from L to R: Mark Watson, Alex Horne, Tim Key

No More Jockeys

Christmas & New Year Specials, Christmas Special - Christmas Specials, Game 3

Following a double victory, can Alex and Mark stop Tim from completing a Christmas hat-trick?

Radio 4
11am
30 min
You're Dead To Me

You're Dead To Me

Series 2, Christmas Special - The Victorian Christmas

Why do we celebrate Christmas with cards, crackers and a tree? Greg Jenner and guests Dr Fern Riddell and Russell Kane explore the surprising history of the Victorian Christmas.

Radio 4
11:30am
30 min
Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show!. Count Arthur Strong (Steve Delaney). Copyright: Komedia Entertainment

Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show!

2020 Christmas Special - Poundsqueezers

In the words of Count Arthur, 'Christmas isn't just about charity, it is about baby Judas riding a donkey'. To celebrate in style, Arthur heads to the pound shop for his Christmas gifts.

BBC Radio Scotland
1pm
60 min
Happy Birthday Harry!. Harry Lauder

Happy Birthday Harry!

A celebration of the man Churchill described as "Scotland's greatest ever ambassador", Harry Lauder. Plus, an assessment of the singer and comedian's legacy.

Radio 4
4pm
60 min
Jim Broadbent

Star Child

A comic retelling of the Nativity story. A magic star appears in the sky, a lonely village seamstress meets an anxious angel and a kindly donkey, two shepherds go on a dangerous mission, three bickering wise women bring news to a paranoid, psychotic king and a bolshie girl gives birth to a baby.

Radio 4
5pm
60 min
Sue Perkins

Nature Table

Christmas Special

Joining Sue Perkins for this Christmas special are naturalist, presenter and writer Chris Packham; botanist, presenter and writer James Wong; wildlife presenter Michaela Strachan; and helping Sue to make sense of the amazing funny facts that the experts present is Tony-nominated comedy actor Stephen Mangan.

Radio 4
6:15pm
15 min
Graham Fellows

Excuse Me, Are You John Shuttleworth?

Episode 1

Part One finds Graham Fellows greeting John Shuttleworth on Christmas Eve before he begins to share his story, although John doesn't know who he is or why he's there and assumes he's a carol singer. But Graham wants to take us back to 1977 when he first started Drama school and came up with a riff that led him to his first character - Jilted John.

Radio 4
6:30pm
30 min
Dead Ringers. Image shows from L to R: Lewis Macleod, Debra Stephenson, Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Duncan Wisbey. Copyright: BBC

Dead Ringers

2020 Christmas Specials

In a change to the usual format, the show listens-in to how the great and good are spending Christmas. Much like everyone else? Maybe not... Mark Drakeford finds a new way of addressing the people of Wales, while Nigel Farage thinks now's the right time for a pub crawl.

Blankety Blank. Bradley Walsh. Copyright: Thames

Blankety Blank

Christmas Special

Bradley Walsh hosts as Emilia Fox, Jimmy Carr, Amir Khan, Danny Jones, Anita Rani and Sue Perkins try to fill in the missing blanks and win some prizes for our lucky contestants.

Radio 4
8pm
50 min
Fortunately... With Fi And Jane. Image shows from L to R: Fi Glover, Jane Garvey

Fortunately... With Fi And Jane

Christmas Special - Cyprian Santas And Silhouettes, With Dawn French

In this festive edition of Fortunately, Fi Glover and Jane Garvey are joined by special guest Dawn French.

BBC Two
9:10pm
60 min
Victoria Wood: The Secret List. Victoria Wood. Copyright: Phil McIntyre Entertainment

Victoria Wood: The Secret List

Episode 1

The first of two documentaries offers a unique opportunity to see the very best bits of Victoria's work that she loved the most, drawing on some of the 20 sketches chosen by her in a notebook discovered after her death. Plus, contributors discuss her broad catalogue of award-winning comedy.

Mrs. Brown's Boys. Agnes Brown (Brendan O'Carroll). Copyright: BBC Studios

Mrs. Brown's Boys

Christmas 2020, Christmas Special - Mammy Of The People

It's Christmas once again in the Brown household and Agnes and her family are trying to get used to "the new normal". Luckily, things haven't changed that much.

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