The acclaimed four-episode THE NATIVITY, offering a unique take on the story of the Nativity and exploring the troubled times of turn-of-the millennium Judea, is to be aired on DStv’s BBC Entertainment at 4.30pm daily from today until Friday.
Said to bring the legend to vibrant life but rooting the action in a world we can all recognise and understand, the series was penned by Tony Jordan, the talented scriptwriter behind Life on Mars and Hustle. Jordan also spent many years writing for the hit soap, EastEnders.
The Nativity was commissioned by the BBC after the popularity of its 2008 drama, The Passion.
Jordan has gone on record to state that the challenge for the series was to retell a story that has been told countless times before, a story that everyone knows intimately, yet to do so in a way that will still surprise.
Starring are Andrew Buchan, of the popular series Cranford, as Joseph, and Tatiana Maslany as Mary. Also in the cast are Neil Dudgeon as Joachim, Claudie Blakley as Anna, Peter Capaldi as Balthasar and John Lynch as Gabriel.
Moving over to TopTV… note that a string of fun animated and family films has been secured for Top Movies (channel 100) this week.
Tonight, at 7pm, the channel is scheduled to screen SCOOBY DOO: MONSTER UNLEASHED, in which Scoob’ and friends from Mystery, Inc are guests of honour at the grand opening of the Coolsville Museum of Criminology, where a masked villain shows up and creates havoc before stealing the costumes of the gang’s most notorious villains: Black Knight Ghost, Pterodactyl Ghost and Tar Monster.
Could it be that their nemesis, mad scientist Jonathan Jacobo, has returned and is trying to recreate their deadliest foes?
At 9pm tonight the channel will show LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION, a delightful animated film which follows Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, who are up to their feuding ways again.
Tired of playing second fiddle to Bugs, Daffy has decided to leave the studio for good. He is aided by Warner Bros’ humour-impaired vice- president of comedy, Kate Houghton, who releases him from his contract and instructs WB security guard and aspiring stunt man DJ Drake, to capture and “escort” Daffy off the studio lot.
Looking ahead on TopTV… note that THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES will be shown at 7pm on Friday.
It is about twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace who, upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother, find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of fairies and other creatures.
Still talking holiday movies, note that DStv’s Studio Universal channel (channel 119) has a special line-up of movies for the holidays, including ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD at 8pm on Saturday.
Starring Danny Glover, Brenda Fricker and Tony Danza, it centres on a boy who prays for a chance to have a family if the California Angels win the pennant. Angels are then assigned to make that possible.
THE REF, at 12.50pm on Saturday, centres on a cat burglar being forced to take a bickering, dysfunctional family hostage on Christmas Eve. It stars Denis Leary, Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey.
Scheduled for 9.30pm on Sunday is UNCLE BUCK, with John Candy, Macaulay Culkin and Jean Louisa Kelly. It revolves around a bachelor and all-round slob, Buck, who babysits his brother’s rebellious teenage daughter and her cute younger brother and sister.
On New Year’s Eve at 9.20pm, the channel will screen the most profitable movie musical yet… GREASE, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John.
This, of course, is the hit story of good girl Sandy and greaser Danny, who fall in love over the summer. But when they unexpectedly discover they are now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance?
Also watch for another Travolta classic, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, at 11.15pm on December 31.
Travolta, in an Oscar-nominated performance, plays cool Brooklyn youth Tony Manero, who feels his only chance to get somewhere is as the king of the disco floor. Karen Lynn Gorney and Barry Miller are also among the cast.
STAYING ALIVE, the sequel to Saturday Night Fever, is tagged for the channel at 1.20 in the morning on New Year’s Day.
It’s five years later and trendy dancer Manero is now strutting towards his biggest challenge yet – making it as a dancer on the Broadway stage. John Travolta stars with Cynthia Rhodes and Finola Hughes.
Finally, note that another hit musical, FOOTLOOSE, has been lined up for the channel at 2.55 in the morning on New Year’s Day.
Starring Kevin Bacon, it tells of city teen Ren MacCormack moving to a small town where rock ’n’ roll and dancing have been banned, and where his rebellious spirit shakes up the populace. - The Mercury