From festive insults to ropey charity singalongs – all clearly shot at the wrong time of year – seasonal specials from the likes of Towie are a comical joy. Hopefully their days aren’t numbered …
Photograph: PR IMAGEPhotograph: PR IMAGEwas cancelled months ago. In October it was announced that due to budget concerns, the annual Towie Christmas special, The Only Way Is Essexmas, had been axed. For 11 out of the 12 years the show has been broadcast, the special has aired, and its cancellation has raised questions about the show’s future, amid declining ratings and a shrinking cast.
Though I stopped watching Towie some time ago, I too felt saddened by the news. In the same way lapsed EastEnders fans dip back into the show on Christmas Eve, I like to check in on what the Towie lot are up to once a year. Watching Chloe Sims and her sisters pretend to open presents in matching pyjamas is as synonymous with the season as putting up the tree.
There is an inherently surreal quality to reality TV specials, even compared to other episodes that hinge on holidays such as Halloween or Valentine’s Day. Watching the Made in Chelsea cast swipe at each other over Christmas dinner, the Geordie Shore gang get jiggy under the mistletoe or the catty Real Housewives completely fail to embody the season’s spirit never fails to feel comically contrived. There is nothing on TV more disorientating.
This, frankly, is saying something. On a normal day, watching feuding characters make no attempts to avoid each other in order to serve a plot is one thing, but watching them break bread at a Christmas dinner is even more ludicrous. This made the showdown between Victoria Baker-Harber and Cheska Hull in the season six Made in Chelsea finale all the more iconic. “Why are you being so mean? It’s Christmas!” Cheska had pleaded with her adversary in the midst of their fight.
Still, despite the beefs, they do have their Hallmark movie moments. With sitcoms, these episodes aren’t central to the plot and usually feel tacked on to the end of a series. But in reality shows they often act as a main event. They are filled with grand gestures and the wrapping up of storylines as well as presents.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The final cut-off for buying Christmas gifts is loomingShoppers struggling to find the perfect present as the big day nears will have until the day before Christmas eve to order gifts as retail giants ramp up deliveries. 7NEWS
Read more »
Urgent warning to Christmas shoppers as woman conned out of hundreds of dollarsThe ACCC says the new scam involves slick fraudsters using social media platforms to set up fake online stores that look genuine. 7NEWS
Read more »
Italian police use Lamborghini to deliver kidneys to transplant patientsSpecially adapted supercar driven from Padua to Rome to ‘deliver the most beautiful Christmas present – life’
Read more »
From beetles to blooming flowers: These are nature's signs Christmas is coming in AustraliaChristmas beetles, Moodjar trees, bright flowers and even cherries all signify Christmas in Australia, but what do we actually know about them?
Read more »
Urgent warning issued over potentially toxic shellfish days before ChristmasA toxic algae bloom outbreak has prompted a pre-Christmas warning to revellers not to consume shellfish collected or caught in the Broken Bay area over concerns it could lead to paralytic shellfish poisoning. 7NEWS
Read more »