Don't worry, want and ignorance will be everywhere in 2017.

My late dad, who was not a sentimental man in any way, would every year watch a version of A Christmas Carol on TV every year, and would often rewatch the Sim version, although he did like the George C. Scott production.

Then there's The Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Cum.

Got to be a 'last turkey in the shop' gag….

Years ago I interviewed Clive Donner, the director of the Scott version, who said that he was very ill while making it, so maybe it did indeed hurt. I looked it up and Scott didn't die until about fifteen years later, after a long, long fight with cancer, but one does wonder.

The '71 version is a short, though, about 26 minutes, and I believe much of Sim's role comes from the soundtrack from the feature version.

This year I'm going Stephen King - The Next Generation. I remember starting Pet Semetary on Xmas night and getting annoyed that at around 2am I simply had to go to sleep because my eyes just wouldn't stay open.

There was only ever Mum and Dad and myself, with my gran coming round for Xmas Eve and Xmas Day. And she was really cool, didn't want to be fawned over all day. Great lady. As long as I emerged for lunch and the occasional cup of tea and chatted with her for a bit she was fine. When i got my first serious girlfriend…

Yep, he can yammer away, I won't hear him.

Currently nicking stuff out of your garage….

No, I see that. Have a weird thing for Barrowman, find him fascinating. Yes, a 'media whore' and again a term I sure he would embrace, but a surprisingly strong serious actor, entertaining TV host, good on quiz shows (he just did one on the BBC which I didn't watch but people enjoyed) and extremely likeable. His role…

Some people….. And the efforts you make to get so much as a grin out of them! And I bet it wasn't a cheap meat hook either!

Amazingly The Twelve Chairs is getting one of those one-day select releases in the UK on 23rd December. Haven't seen it for about thirty years, and even that was a press show for the video release. May have to track it down. I remember liking and admiring it more than finding it hilarious.

Please can everybody stop taking about Mel Brooks!! 2016 may be listening, rat bastard of a year…..

My Xmas evening will be Mr.Capaldi and later on the first part of the BBC Witness For The Prosecution. If it is anything like the BBC version of And Then There Were None which was on last year it will be amazing. [Full disclosure - probably have to record WFTP and watch it later, given all that's going to be going…

Ah! Weasel words! Worked in the VHS / DVD industry and thereabouts for years, and 'Remastered' and "Restored' are two very different things. I've seen 'Remastered' titles which have still looked terrible since they been remastered, often in order to just produce an original ratio version, from utterly crap materials.…

Of all Brooks' wonderful work, including stuff like The Elephant Man and The Fly, 'Mungo just pawn in game of life' is a line which can still make me giggle stupidly for ten minutes…

I bought an American Tourister case last year, used it about six times, never packing the case to capacity, and the rubber handle on top broke clean in half. Took it back to the department store (John Lewis, bite me) for a repair, the thing being under guarantee for two years and the first thing the woman behind the…

Or conversely, 'You call those t*ts….?'

But they're like Chinese food, much better the next morning, cold.