As an adult, we see so much different genres of programs for all ages. Some appropriate for certain ages, some definitely not and others just point-blank crazy. But this isn’t a blog post about the genres of films, not at all, it’s a post asking why broadcasters feel the need to share the same shite every Christmas and holiday repetitively. Like, do we, every Easter need to see Knocked Up 3 or 4 times in one week, or Legally Blonde, a great movie don’t get me wrong, or Lord of The Rings again and again and again. I don’t really know enough about broadcasting laws and licenses, nor do I want to read about it enough to care, but with the amount of movies that come out at the speed that they do a year, there’s got to be more choice than The Inbetweeners movie on repeat 4 times in 5 days E4.
I know there’s the likes of Sky Cinema or Virgin Movies where you can pay a fiver to rent a movie for 24-48 hours but there should be more option for those who don’t have the cash to drop a fiver every time. At Christmas, ITV stepped up their game and played Jurassic World with Chris Pratt (swoon) and Bryce Dallas Howard, which being a Jurassic fan for as long as I could remember and never got to see that one, I was chuffed as pie when that came on on Boxing Day. But like the James Bonds, Wallace & Gromit, The Mummy, The Lord of The Rings trilogy, The Fast & The Furious franchise, Hot Fuzz, Harry Potter, Die Hard, The Green Mile, The Hunger Games, Ice Age, Back to The Future, Speed, The 5th Element, The a Great Escape, Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Bridesmaids, Indiana Jones, Mrs Doubtfire, Home Alone, We Bought A Zoo and The Devil Wears Prada – whilst all great movies, give it up and play something different.
In 2014, the BBC revealed which classic movie they repeated the most in the festive season. From 1954 to 2014, Bing Crosby’s musical comedy “White Christmas” had been aired a total of 18 times. That’s ridiculous. It’s closest rival in the same year is the 1985 festive adventure Santa Claus: The Movie starring Dudley Moore and John Lithgow. According to the British Film Institute, “in terms of viewer numbers, television is the single most important platform for film consumption in the UK.” In 2015, the most watched film pulling in 6.1 million views was Disney animation Brave shown on BBC. Birmingham Mail wrote an article in December 2016 revealing the most watched Christmas tv in history. “According yo viewing figures for the top 10 most watched programmes on Christmas Day since 2005, Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death, had the highest average number of viewers tuning in, with 14.3 million watching the show when it aired in 2008.” The most Christmas Day watched film in 2007 was Shrek 2, which got 9.1 million views.
A blog written by The Mid West Guys, an American review/opinion blog quoted the top movies played in America and they included:
- Goodfellas
- Casino
- Armageddon
- Under Siege
- The Fugitive
- Home Alone
- Die Hard
- Gladiator
- Forrest Gump
- The Shawshank Redemption
It’s interesting how often broadcasters feel the need to show the same stuff again and again and again. For me, being 32, I’ve seen so many of these movies repeated so often, it’s almost headache inducing and most of the time I switch off or watch something on my planner instead. There should be more variety, a selection that gets people talking rather than constantly moaning on social channels. If TV broadcasters really want to know what movies their viewers want to watch, they should cast a vote but stick to a limited preview schedule rather than show them repeatedly.
Anyway, hopefully someone takes a stand and listens.
Rant over.
Missy, Me & Him 