So did you get your bumper issue of your favourite TV magazine? Mmm a lot of repeated stuff but there were some gems in there which I watched. Thank goodness for catch up I say, I've kind of pigged out on chocolate and then nodded off in true Christmas comfort style. So I had to go and watch things again to catch up. 

Did you watch Click and Collect? If not why not? This was funny and tense with a bit of an 'ahhh' moment. Andrew has to go on a mission to get the last Sparklehoof Unicorn Princess toy available. This is his daughters main toy that she has wished for from Santa and after a failed attempt to get it before he now has to travel up to Carlisle for it. Dev his annoying next door neighbour has reserved it for him and has to accompany him on this long journey on Christmas Eve. Of course they get into a few sticky situations and Dev turns out to be a blooming great bloke - We love you Dev!!! It stars Stephen Merchant and Asim Chaudhry and I thought it was just a nice entertaining comedy to kick of Christmas. You can catch up on the old iplayer so tune in to see whether the unicorn makes it under neath the tree in time.

Call The Midwife gave us that Christmas Day warm feeling didn't it? If you don't come away with a massive feeling of love and compassion after watching Call The Midwife then you have no heart. You also have to have cried just a little bit, even just one little tear. It was a great episode some faces made a return some looked as though they were going but woah.. thank goodness they stayed. The cardigan got me crying......Barbara who we lost last time, well her cardy got passed on and that was a simple but moving moment. Every time I saw Barbara's name tag appear I blubbed. Yes babies were born, children were loved and cared for and it was just an hour of totally greatness. 

I watched the Torvill and Dean drama and quite enjoyed learning of their story. It followed the couple from the early days, how they started out skating and how they eventually became paired up to compete together. They stormed through all the major competitions which then led to the 1994 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. The big performance of their life and this programme finished with that original footage of them performing their Bolero routine. It's amazing every time I watch it, I was just as excited watching it here as I was when it happened back in the day. What an amazing achievement and one which has never been repeated to this day. A nice little watch if your interested and I thought the actors told the story very well. 

​I think the best thing on tv this Christmas though was Agatha Christie's ABC Murders. Some branded it boring but I thought it was brilliant. I love John Malkovich and thought he was perfect in this role, refreshing even. I was gripped with the whole thing and always knew that there would be a twist somewhere, well it is classic Christie. Rupert Grint was excellent as Crome the detective in charge of the case and there were so many more great names from the acting world too which just made this a spectacular drama. It was easily viewed as a three part drama, nice easy chunks which you could follow at ease. Overall a fabulous offering from the BBC, well done. If you didn't see it then go an catch up and let me know what you thought.

Phew thats quite a bit of watching....I did also watch a comedy style programme on Sky One called The Queen and I. This was written by Sue Townsend (of Adrian Mole fame) and followed the Royal Family being deprived of their status and them having to go and live as normal citizens. Big names in this such as David Walliams, Samantha Bond, Julia Mckenzie and Johnny Vegas. It's a light watch and quite amusing, not to be taken too seriously but I found it funny. You are watching something where you have to think 'oh that would be really weird if it happened' some probably think it should happen. I'm not a great royalist but I didn't think I wanted this to happen in reality it just wouldn't seem right. Gets you thinking though.

Well that's me done for now and this year in fact. I will be back in the New Year so I will take this opportunity to wish all you happy viewers and brewers and Happy New Year. In the meantime I will be back tomorrow for Music Monday so join me then.

Take care for now. 

It is that funny time again when a lot of good tv has finished and it's all change with the telly routine. There seemed to be a gap this week as we ease into the Christmas viewing. I saw some cooking going on, we all need to be reminded how to cook a Christmas dinner. Quiz's are popular as well this time of the year as well as pantomime type programmes, and then there is Mariah Carey if you get a bit lost for something to watch.

I caught up on a drama which I wasn't sure whether to watch or not. It was Death and Nightingales. It starred Jamie Dornan as Liam Ward who only got naked once with no ropes involved although he did catch the eye of lovely Beth Winters while pulling a cow out of a ditch, that's romance in the 1800's. 

It was a story set in 1885 in the Irish countryside of Fermanagh and told a deep tale of love, deception and revenge. Beth plans to escape her present life and run off leaving her stepfather to start a new life with her new love. I was totally gripped by this story and although a bit slow at times it did have me hooked. It was one of those really classic deep period drama's so if you are looking for light entertainment and a happy ever after you better give this a miss. The only thing is that the ending was kind of abrupt and left me a bit surprised.

I was expecting a bit more to be honest but then the credits rolled and I felt a bit cheated. I'm probably sulking as I didn't get the end I wanted but then I didn't write the book so I can't moan too much. It is only in three parts so I only felt as if I'd wasted three hours but those three hours where quite drawn out and probably felt like the longest three hours ever only to be cut off at the end. The acting is great I do have to say and I did enjoy the plot but I always feel a bit disappointed when I imagine a different ending, it really felt as if they had run out of cash while filming and said 'right that's it, that will have to do'. Anyway you have a watch and see what you think, I have spoke to some people who share my views but I would be interested in any other views.

If you didn't watch last weeks Michael McIntyre's Big Show  then you have to watch it especially the Midnight Gameshow feature with Gino D'Acampo as it was so funny. I'm not sure how much of this is made up and scripted as it seems to be the same bedroom every time so it's probably all a bit false but it gave me a few giggles. Even when pretending Gino is such a delight to watch. I quite like Michael's show but I feel I go along with it all a bit, I mean text to all doesn't seem real and I can't believe they get a person to perform that well at the end of the show in that small amount of time so it is one of those magic show scenarios isn't it? You know it isn't real but you follow it through anyway. 

Blimey I sound as though I may have talked my way out of that show but I do end up watching it. I did tune in to watch Jamie Oliver who showed me how to cook a festive meal with only five ingredients. I watched his other series with the same theme but this one had all lovely Christmas delights and included his advice on the old turkey. Nice and easy Jamie that's what I like, I felt as though I could do all that but lost my enthusiasm slightly and it made me all hungry. There are now not many chocolates left in the tin.....well a girls got to eat and I have no turkey in. 

I enjoyed how he got his kids involved in the cooking and one of them didn't moan when he gave them the washing up. He looked at his dad as if to say 'yeah dad, when we are not on the telly it all goes in the dishwasher'. They all look as though they know what they are doing in the kitchen though, I feel some young people may be going to follow in their dads footsteps maybe?

Oh the tv needs a bit of cooking and pantomime 'oh no it doesn't.....oh yes it does' (see what I did there)? I think I need to make my exit by stage right and tell you I will return tomorrow with Music Monday but for now you take care. 

Are we all happy with the result on Strictly again this year? I was well chuffed for Stacey and Kevin and so glad it comes down to the public vote. They would have come in fourth place if it had been down to the judges. I think the judges knew that the public would vote for either Stacey or Joe and allowed Ashley and Faye their moment. 

Some say that that one or two of the judges didn't look pleased with the result but hey it's our choice at the end of the day. Yes the pros can give heir top scores and critique which in the final becomes a little bit predictable but at the end of the day it's who wins over the people on their sofa's. I don't know anything about rise and fall and whether their feet are going in the right direction as I'm not looking down there. I like to see someone come from being a total novice, never danced before and becoming a dancer darling! Just like Stacey and Joe.

We can go on forever about how professional Ashley and Faye are at dancing but they may not have been totally brushed up on ballroom in the beginning. They do deserve some credit as they both danced phenomenally. It was a great series with some great contestants but I would like Anton to have a chance of winning next year so can the BBC sort that one please? 

Apparently Joe and his partner Dianne are dating, they sported his and hers red hair on final night awwww. He did honour his bet that if he got into the final he would dye his hair the same colour as Dianne's and it looked ok. Good luck to them, I hope they are happy together. So that's it for another year. I am going to miss it and my celebrity jungle antics, Doctor Who has finished as well......oh dear what are we going to all watch now?

There is plenty of Christmas TV coming up. Yippee! But first before all that we saw the end of The Apprentice tonight with swimwear designer Sian Gabbidon winning the chance to partner up with Lord Sugar. I thought he would go with Camilla's nutty milk but no, what do I know. He must see a market in high priced designer swimwear, I suppose someone is wearing it. I always watch it and can never quite believe where they get some of the contestants. Do they really have business's or does this programme purposely make them look a bit daft. I think the latter if it's to make entertainment eh? 

Well that's me done watching the tv for another week. I will be back tomorrow for Music Monday but for now you take care. 

What a series and a great final of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here and congratulations to the King of the Jungle Harry Redknapp. I'm so glad he won, he has been such a great entertainer all the way through and he just got stuck in to all of his trials. A truly nice guy and so brave too. I really felt for him on his last bush tucker trial and wondered whether Holly or Dec would tell him there were rats in there with him. I'm sure he could see himself but he had such a fear of them I think they thought it best not to say it out loud. 

They all did so well and all the celebs seem to gel really well, a good selection by ITV this year. It certainly kept me hooked, I watched every night and haven't done that with this particular programme for ages. It doesn't necessarily need drama and falling out to make good viewing, I think people enjoyed seeing a bit of harmony and less bitching here. 

I loved Emily and so glad she came in as runner up. A lot of people tending to criticise her for her screaming but I'd love to see someone of those people moaning about her try doing what she had to do without a screech or a squeal. So easy when your sitting on your sofa eh? As Emily said she may have screamed but she got the job done which I think was fair enough and good for her. I think the jungle would have been a very boring place without her, John and Fleur. They really brought the camp to light with their entertainment and they were the three that raised the morale in there.

I laughed and cried especially when their close relatives joined them a couple of nights ago. Oh I was a blubbering mess, crying like a baby but that was so nice to see. I loved so many bits but tonight was funny when Emily had finished her final trial and off loaded the critters everywhere and Holly practically jumped on Dec's back to escape them, so funny. I think Holly has been a great addition this year. So well done ITV and to all the celebrities, yo can all get yourself outta there!!

Doctor Who took it's bow on series eleven tonight also and what a great series it's been. We've welcomed a female Doctor and I think she's just become part of the furniture now, the big piece of furniture that I end up hiding behind if it's scary. There has been a good mix of stories and I've loved it. What I can't believe is that there will be no Doctor Who on Christmas Day, there will be one on News Years Day but we've always had the Doctor on Christmas Day....mmm not happy. 

I'm also not very happy that I have to wait until 2020 for series twelve. I think it's a gamble by the BBC, people may lose interest. I know it takes a lot of time to film and the actors schedules are booked up but there are so many dramas that seem to get their next series out a lot quicker. A year is fair enough but eighteen months? We'll probably still be here especially us true fans but can't speak for the others. Will it lose it's ratings? We'll have to see. 

Well I'm off to get some kip now after all this excitement. Not sure what I'm going to watch at 9pm every night now. I'm sure I'll find something and I'm sure I'll be telling you about it. Please do come back tomorrow for Music Monday but for now...........

You're a Make a Brew Sue blog reader.......get yourself out of here!!!

 

Last week saw the start of the new drama Mrs Wilson. This is based on true events which follow the life of Alison Wilson who uncovers many secrets about her husband after his death. Wife's keep popping up all over the place and Alison feels she has got to get to the bottom of this mysterious life her husbands seems to have living, unknown to her. 

Alison Wilson is played by her granddaughter Ruth Wilson whom you may recognise from dramas such as The Affair and Luther. I watched her being interviewed by Graham Norton where she discussed the awkwardness of watching this with her father. She said how she felt a little embarrassed that in the series she would actually being filming scenes where she would be giving birth to her own father so that's a slightly different thing to talk about around the dinner table eh?

I think she's great though in this and who else could tell the tale, she is perfect for it especially with that inside knowledge of her own family. It has three parts and the second part airs this Tuesday on BBC1 at 9pm. You can catch up on the BBC iplayer. It is definitely worth a watch.

Malique was the second celebrity to leave the jungle tonight after Noel Edmonds also got kicked off. I feel Noel was a loss really, I found him really entertaining so I was sorry to see him go. I don't really like seeing anyone go in this series as they are all really lovely and I think they have bonded well.

Malique and Noel did well in their trials, really brave so they can be very proud of themselves. Who will be next? Poor John Barryman has had a fall and a trip to the hospital but I believe his is ok and due to return so that will be good. I wonder if he has a song for when he comes back in, might not feel up to it but I struggle to think that anything would keep that man down. 

I think Holly has really settled in to that presenters job, I'm actually loving her and Dec together, bit of a refreshing change. Maybe it will have to be Ant, Dec and Holly next year. I do like a laugh and this gives me quite a few every evening. Great series.

Oh my blood was boiling a little at Strictly tonight. The public obviously want Ashley out and the judges are keeping her in. Anyone who comes up against her and Pasha in the dance off now will be going until it gets to a public vote. She is great but she is a professional dancer which the public are protesting about now. Not sure why they bother even having a dance off as it's going to be so predictable. The judges can't let them go because they are good dancers so it's a stale mate situation really and won't be solved until the final. 

The other thing with Strictly that drives me mad is the fact that they need a change of presenter. I never liked watching Strictly before and I think I've worked out why. Tess, for me is a bit over the top. I know she teamed well with Brucey and yes I think they did work well together but please BBC next series can we have a change?

Right that' me needing a brew to calm down. I will be back for Music Monday tomorrow so until then you all take care.