Christmas UK TV Schedule 2009

As longer term readers will know I like to give an overview of the festive season's religious programming (see Easter '09, '08 and '07 and Christmas '08, '07 and '06).

This year is a bit of an odd one. There are very few Bible/Christian related documentaries, perhaps because BBC4 has just finished it's fascinating 6-part look at The History of Christianity. But for Bible film fans such as ourselves there's plenty.

It's a case of get in early though, so I'm glad I checked my TV guide tonight and didn't leave it until tomorrow, with a DeMille documentary tomorrow and various films showing in the next few days. Anyway here's what I have gleaned:

Cecil B. DeMille: American Epic
Channel 4, Sunday 20th December, 12:35am
Almost as long as one of his films, this documentary about everyone's favourite Bible film diector, Cecil B.DeMille kicks off in the early hours of Monday morning (though in TV guides it qualifies as Sunday so I've followed suit), and runs for over two and a half hours. I believe that originally theis documentary came in two parts: both are showing here.

The Silver Chalice
TCM, Various times as follows:
Sunday 20th December, 5:05pm
Monday 21st December, 8.55am
Wednesday 30th December, 6:20pm
Thursday 31st December, 10:20am

Samson and Delilah
Sky Classics, Various times as follows:
Sunday 20th December, 10:35am
Friday 25th December, 4:00pm
Sunday 27th December, 6:00am
Sunday 27th December, 2:10pm

The Ten Commandments (1956)
Channel 4, Monday 21st December 12:05pm
The film that needs no introduction, with DeMille and Heston both at the top of their games.

Christmas Tales
ITV1, Wednesday 23rd December 11:35pm
Last of a four party series looking at different parts of Christmas
No idea what this is, but the other three looked at more secular ideas anout Christmas.

The Nativity Story
Channel 4, Thursday 24th December 11:45am
The film's premiere on terrestrial television in the UK. Hardwicke's direction looks great but sounds poor in places, in oart due to an underworked script by Mike Rich. Gives a great contextto the nativity, but rarely feels convincing. But that's all forgivieable when everyone is feeling Christmassy.

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
BBC1, Monday 24th December 2:15pm
Christianity's best known allegory. The Jesus allegory is weakened, but certainly very much present, and this is generally fairly well made, if not, sadly, a masterpiece, it is at least better than the BBC1.

Dark City
TCM, Monday 24th December 11:50pm
Another Christ-figure film. Alex Proyas' dark futuristic thriller.

Ben-Hur (1959)
Sky Classics, Various times as follows:
Thursday 24th December, 11:30am
Thursday 24th December, 9:00pm
Thursday 31st December, 10:15am
Thursday 31st December, 8pm

The Robe
Sky Classics, Various times as follows:
Monday 28th December, 2:35pm