Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Netflix
A Mary Berry Christmas,BBC1, Wednesday, 9pm
Inside Legoland At Christmas, Channel 4, Wednesday, 8pm
Tales Of Winter: The Art Of Snow And Ice, BBC4, Wednesday, 11pm
The Sweeney, Amazon
By Paul Bradley
Rian Johnson’s Knives Out films have always had more than a hint of Agatha Christie about them, but the new one, Wake Up Dead Man even goes as far as launching at Christmas, a season full of the lazy, chocolate-hefted afternoons that have always suited Hercule Poirot’s adventures. Of course Poirot is not the genius investigator here: that’d be Benoit Blanc (played again, albeit with new hair, by Daniel Craig), and now in his third outing he’s examining a murder in Catholic church in America, taking sceptical stock of the gnarly cast of witnesses and suspects.
Not that it’s obvious who’s who for a while: that’s what he’s there for, after all. Among the more colourful characters are Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) who has his own dark past (and who is, allegedly, “young, dumb, and full of Christ”); the hellfiery Monsignor Wicks (a looming Josh Brolin) with his devout assistant played by Glenn Close; and an oily wannabe politician. There are others too, of course – these films enjoy a big cast – and they’re all positioned near a murder of apparent “locked door” impossibility. Only a man with a mind like Blanc might be able to solve it…
The characters certainly have colour, though there are too many for them all to register equally. Even so, Andrew Scott is effortless as a writer finding God, and Brolin is ferocious. There are some sideways digs at MAGA which feel slightly odd in Knives Out’s alternative reality, but they do make their points. And, like the first two films, this is too packed to manage much intimacy, and it’s slightly too long. All the same, it’s a handsome thing that everyone taking part seems to enjoy; and, yes, it’s perfectly suited for a bit of seasonal crime-solving fun.
A Mary Berry Christmas
It’s also the season for footering about in kitchens, so A Mary Berry Christmas is inevitable. But first, observe: isn’t Mary’s name just perfectly made for that title? Doesn’t it sound like a phrase you’ve heard all your life, or a lyric from Holly Jolly Christmas? But it’s just the title of this year’s Mary Berry festive show, and, while you might not watch these shows normally, there’s an extra cosiness with seasonal editions that might persuade you.
It’s also the season for footering about in kitchens, so A Mary Berry Christmas on BBC is inevitable.
She’s good clean value too, offering up some traditional tips and still, after 50 years on the box, tweaking old recipes: pigs in blankets, if that’s your thing, chestnut stuffing, a pear and ginger pudding. You might not eat it all (again, I refer you to pigs in blankets…), and you won’t actually make any of it, but it looks good. Of course she’s also roping in some other seasonal traditions for a fuller atmosphere, and bringing in celeb friends like Alison Steadman and Zoe Ball for a bit of banter. I presume it was all filmed well before Christmas, but they make a good fist of being festive; I think they’re all just happy to be in Mary’s hallowed presence. But why not – she’s still cooking and twinkling at 90, and long may she reign.
Inside Legoland At Christmas
Who would have thought a few years ago that not only would Lego come to be seen as an involving adult pursuit, but that even non-Legoers would enjoy seeing it on telly? Well, Channel 4 might have – and so their documentary Inside Legoland At Christmas came with a prebuilt audience for them, of Lego fans and the merely curious alike.
This followed the pre-Christmas preparations at Legoland Windsor, where a 150-acre site had to be transformed into some kind of Winterfest, with an anticipated 20,000 guests on their way every day. It was perhaps less fun for those taking part than for those watching: among the tasks there were 700 real Christmas to be installed, plus the world’s biggest Lego tree, grottos and detailed models to be made, even jumper days for dogs to be planned. Actually, it’s generally good-natured, but it’s a bit exhausting watching it: fun, yes, but is it all entirely necessary?
You sense, behind all the smiles, some blankly competitive corporate minds working. But still, it’s an interesting and sometimes fun look at what actually goes on, and perhaps it’s like the Lego box itself: some people see fun and self-expression, others see chaos.
Tales Of Winter: The Art Of Snow And Ice
Not everyone hates winter, bleak and dreich as it might be: there are some who love the chill, the purity, the beauty of the season at its best. BBC4’s art documentary, Tales Of Winter: The Art Of Snow And Ice,would, I think, make for a very pleasant 90 minutes for both types of person, and in fact it even covers that distinction: Peter Bruegel’s 1565 painting, The Hunters In The Snow (which gets my vote for greatest painting ever) was perhaps the first to show the season’s majesty (not holding back on its gloom), after which, the icicles having fallen from the eyes of artists, winter art became a genre.
The documentary covers that genre, looking at the most memorable works, asking how they viewed our struggles with the elements, and how we then viewed the paintings, and how they helped drive artists and critics to the colder, whiter parts of the world in search of that wintry sublime. Taking us further up to date than I expected, it even explained (maybe at slightly too long a length) how artists and winter helped shape the young New York City. It’s fascinating, and full of useful contributions by the likes of Grayson Perry and Don McCullin, among others; it’s also often fine just to look at, a perfect way to wind down these winter evenings with a wee (warm) dram.
The Sweeney
Finally, as a child, The Sweeney was always one of those past-your-bedtime shows that adults watched, but occasionally you’d catch a glimpse of the opening montage and music and yearn to watch it. It turned 50 this year, and suddenly it’s landed on Amazon, so of course I had to have a look. I’m glad I did. The opening credits are still somehow exciting, and the whole thing has a run-down, slightly grotty feel that’s all the more appealing for its rarity these days: those bad suits, that daytime lighting, those actual streets and grey days. And, being 50 years old, there are faces here that are younger than the shows you know them from: Brian Blessed not shouting, June Brown as a stressed mother, John Thaw, aged 32 but looking 60 (“We’re the Sweeney, son, and we haven’t had any dinner” he snarls). Mostly, weirdly, it’s not even about the plot, but the textures and the atmosphere; the opening scene showed some battered leather cases being unloaded from dingy old vans, and it might just have been the most exciting thing all month. And who knew the softer end-credit reprise of the opening theme tune could make you feel so…warm and fuzzy.
Speaking of which…have a good one, everyone.
Paul Bradley’s Channel Hopping column features every Thursday in the Donegal News
