CHRISTMAS EVE ON TV
You’ve got mail, Play4, 20.10 uur
When a local bookstore in New York goes up against the big, new bookstore next door, a battle ensues that seems doomed to lose to the former. Kathleen vents to an online pen pal, unaware that she’s talking to Joe, the annoying owner of that new store. The sequel can already be guessed, but the duo Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan make up for it.
Santa’s Wild Home, Canvas, 8 p.m
We find the real winter wonderland in the High North, in Lapland. It is there where Santa Claus lives, but even more so it is the wilderness that enchants. Both in the harsh winter and in the summer, when the sun does not set. All of this can be seen on Christmas Eve in this documentary.
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We find the real winter wonderland in ‘Santa’s wild home’. — © EPA-EFE
Home alone, VTM, 8.30 pm
There is no need to list Home alone to think, but for the sake of completeness: VTM brings the comic classic on Christmas Eve. Those who are tired of grandma’s chatter or need some inspiration to make life difficult for burglars will find entertainment with eight-year-old Kevin, who is left alone at home while his family is on vacation. Completely informative: actor Macaulay Culkin is now 42 years old.
Peace on Earth, One, 8:20 p.m
Sven de Leijer looks back on 2022 with a number of special guests. On Christmas Eve they are Metejoor, Maaike Cafmeyer and Peter Van de Veire. The new jury consists of Jan Peumans, Jeroen Meus, Gloria Monserez, Erik Van Looy, Fatma Taspinar, Aster Nzeyimana, Ann Wauters, Jelle De Beule and Hannelore Knuts.
CHRISTMAS DAY ON TV
Your film of the year, VTM, 9.40 pm
Freek Braeckman brings an overview of the most dramatic and moving moments of the past year. He also talks to people who made the news: Frank – Zillion – Verstraeten, Camille and Remco Evenepoel.
Thirties Christmas Special, One, 10:30 p.m
The group of friends Thirties come together one last time to celebrate Christmas. They do that in Finnish Lapland. Read: keeping snow, reindeer and relationships afloat.
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The group of friends from ‘Dertigers’ comes together one last time to celebrate Christmas — © © VRT
STREAM ON NETFLIX
Falling for Christmas
De comeback van Lindsay Lohan. Unbearably sticky according to our in-house expert, but with the mind at zero and a mulled wine in hand great relaxation. The story can be summarized as follows: an heiress who suffers from amnesia after a skiing accident falls under the care of the owner of a ski lodge.
The Claus family 3
With more than 20 million streams, the final piece of De Familie Claus is well on its way to becoming the most watched Flemish film ever, far beyond the national borders. Even in the Arab world, where they don’t celebrate Christmas, the film starring Jan Decleir as Santa Claus is a hit.
READ ALSO. Nobody wanted it, now ‘The Claus family’ is the most watched Flemish film ever (+)
The holiday
You can already see it on VTM 3 on December 23, and on Netflix until the end of this year. Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet star as American businesswoman Amanda and British, somewhat dreamy Iris. When they decide to swap homes for a while, they both run into a man who may be the one. For a while there was speculation about a sequel to this wildly popular romcom, but Winslet and director Nancy Meyers dashed those hopes.
Christmas storm
It is not the first time that a Norwegian Christmas-themed series has scored on Netflix. Previously there were the two seasons of Home for Christmasnow there is Christmas storm. The miniseries is about travelers who get stuck at Oslo airport just before Christmas. Cause for panic, but for some this coincidence of fate comes at just the right time.
Klaus
Has to be inferior to its Flemish brother The Claus family, but still worth watching for being the first animated movie on Netflix. The animation figures are very classically drawn and therefore seem almost old-fashioned. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful story for the whole family, the film was nominated for an Oscar in 2019.
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With more than 20 million streams, ‘The Claus family’ is well on its way to becoming the most watched Flemish film ever
STREAM ON DISNEY+
Die hard
The same discussion has been raging in the film world for years: is Die hard a Christmas movie or not? The decision has been made here: yes. Bruce Willis takes on a group of German criminals, so an action movie, but one with a Christmas decor. Includes Christmas music. Good for the title of ultimate underdog in this list. It will continue to look for a warm Christmas message for the time being.
A Christmas carol
No Christmas without a tight-fisted Ebenezer Scrooge. The Christmas Carol has countless reworks, but one of the favorites we find on Disney +, played by Jim Carrey. The actor crawls into no less than eight different characters. Attention for those who plan to watch with young children: the film can be quite scary.
The nightmare before Christmas
This Tim Burton classic is popular during two festive seasons: Christmas and Halloween. When pumpkin king Jack Skellington gets tired of Halloween, he wants to get busy with Christmas. Only: his plans endanger Santa Claus and give children nightmares. A rag doll needs to save the day.
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This Tim Burton classic is popular during two festive seasons: Christmas and Halloween
ALSO TO CONSIDER
Bake off Flanders Christmas specialop GoPlay
In Bake Off Flanders, the Christmas edition, four well-known Flemish people compete against each other in the baking competition: Serine Ayari, Viktor Verhulst, Jonas Geirnaert and Petra De Sutter.
READ ALSO. Petra De Sutter barefoot in Christmas special ‘Bake off’: “Ah, you filmed that. Damn” (+)
It’s a wonderful lifeon Prime Video, Google Play, AppleTV and Sooner
Old but gold. And described by many cinephiles as “the best Christmas film of all time”. In this 1946 film by director Frank Capra, we follow George Bailey, who lives in sleepy Bedford Falls and has spent his life doing good to others at his own expense. On Christmas Eve, despair sets in, but a special angel also descends.
Carolon AppleTV and Google Play.
Not a Christmas Carol, but normal Carol. This 2015 film is about the budding love between two women in 1950s New York and is set during the holiday season. The complex relationship is difficult to maintain, with all its consequences. The film was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Actress (Cate Blanchett) and Best Supporting Actor (Rooney Mara).
Love actuallyPrime Video
Love Actually will be twenty years old. Reason to reunite the star cast of the romantic comedy in an ABC TV special. Or to just watch the movie again.
Love Actually will soon be twenty years old — © Image courtesy Ronald Grant Archive / Mary Evans
