Deck the halls with... possibly with a rake load of DVD box sets, 'cause TV3 and RTE have presented their televisual baubles.
As ever, RTE's Christmas schedule is set to include a deluge of Mrs Brown (why have one Christmas special when you can have two!!!), while TV3's line up comprises largely of what you can see in HD over on BBC1 and ITV. For example, there's Graham Norton's Christmas Special, which is due to feature Matt Smith, Dustin Hoffman, Jennifer Saunders, Billy Connolly, and Amy McDonald. The props department are elongating the sofa especially. There's also the Downton Abbey festive edition. TV3 do have some homegrown offerings in the form of Vincent Browne's Review of the Year, airing on December 26th.
RTE are having a dalliance with your youth in the form of a one-off instalment of The School Around the Corner, which is being hosted by Ray D'Arcy (it was one of the many shows the late Gerry Ryan used to present). They're also rehashing interviews from Shay Healy's Nighthawks in a show aptly entitled TV50: Nighthawks Rehashed.
New fodder is also present, with Brian Dowling being given yet another vehicle, this time it's a family quiz show called I've Got Your Back. That could've been you Alan Hughes. That could've been you. We also have Ruchul Ullen's Chrustmus Cuke Diuries, PJ Gallagher's The Great Big Surprise Party, Room to Improve Christmas Special; OMG! Jedward's Dream Factory; and for the discerning music fans there's Michael Bublé: Home for the Holidays and Joe Dolan - Sweet Little Rock 'n' Roller; For One Night Only... For actual fans of music, there's Mumford & Sons Road to Redrocks and a repeat of Amy Winehouse: The Day She Came to Dingle.
One thing we're really looking forward to is Immaturity for Charity, which is due to air on RTE2, Thursday December 27th at 9.30pm. It's a sketch-show comedy special in aid of St Francis Hospice, Raheny, and will feature the comedic talents of Domhnall Glesson, Brendan Gleeson, Amy Huber-man, Robert Sheehan, Hugh O'Connor, Brian Gleeson, David Wilmot and many more. Their mission is to embarrass themselves with pride and embrace their immature side in comedy sketches that aim to raise money and awareness for the hospice.
We here at entertainment.ie will of course be with you every step of the way this Christmas with our listings, our daily TV and Soap highlights, our Now and Next section, our TV Guide Ireland app, and our upcoming Christmas TV Movie Guide - which, if early rumblings are to be believed, includes The Social Network, Up, Alice in Wonderland reboot, Tangled, Avatar, and Leap Year....
Be sure to check back over the coming weeks, we're going to have you boggle-eyed.