With plenty of entertainment on television, there’s no reason to feel alone this festive season
Christmas Eve (Sunday December 24)
SABC1, 13:00 Christmas in London The Serendipity Singers and various guests perform Christmas music
e.tv, 15:00 ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS Average comedy about two children whose Christmas wish is to get their divorced parents back together (1991)
SABC1, 15:00 SNOWBALL Kids’ comedy about a retired actor (played by Italian comedian Paolo Villaggio) whose pension book is accidentally swallowed by a dolphin while he’s working aboard a cruise ship, and the ensuing struggle to retrieve the document (1995)
M-Net, 17:00 Natural World Elephants of the Sand River: Nature special about the elephants and other animals in one of the harshest regions of Namibia
SABC3, 17:00 The Singing Christmas Tree Recording of the annual event held in the Old Mutual Auditorium at Unisa in Pretoria. Mathilda Hornsveld directed the Northern Gauteng Youth Choir, and various soloists also performed
M-Net, 18:00 The Amazing World of Wallace and Gromit A look at the creation and success of the three animated Wallace and Gromit shorts, which can currently be seen on SABC3
SABC3, 18:00 Alice in Wonderland Second and last part of this spectacular Hallmark miniseries of Lewis Carroll’s famous classic. The cast includes Whoopi Goldberg, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Lloyd and Gene Wilder
M-Net, 18:30 Robbie the Reindeer in Hooves on Fire Children’s Christmas special
M-Net, 19:00 Gum Boots: The Performance This production, staged by six young men from Soweto, has completed a very successful United Kingdom tour and is based on the gumboot dancing style developed in South African gold mines. Also watch Gum Boots: The Story on December 26
SABC3, 19:30 Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers Oscar-winning animated short about eccentric inventor Wallace and his faithful dog, Gromit. Wallace has invented radio-controlled trousers for Gromit’s birthday, but their sinister new tenant has evil plans
e.tv, 20:00 THE PRINCESS BRIDE Fantasy film. A grandfather reads his grandson a fairy tale about a beautiful princess whose childhood sweetheart saves her from marrying an evil prince. Cary Elwes stars (1987)
M-Net, 20:05 THE PRINCE OF EGYPT Impressive animated version of the biblical story of Moses, featuring excellent animation and the voices of Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Sandra Bullock, Danny Glover and other well-known actors (1998)
SABC3, 20:30 Paul Zenon’s Tricky Christmas Special feature with magician Paul Zenon, who sets out to baffle people on the streets of London, Blackpool and Dublin
SABC2, 20:30 Special Music Programme Christmas music by Gloria Estefan, Wham, Dolly Parton and others
SABC1, 20:30 Christmas Music Special Recording of the MTN Joyous Celebration IV gospel-music show held in Johannesburg on November 10, which featured choirs, soloists and dancers
SABC2, 21:15 Christmas Eve Special Traditional and South African Christmas carols, performed by the Symphony Choir of Johannesburg under the baton of Richard Cock. A brass ensemble and the Chamber Choir of St Mary’s Girls’ School Waverley will also perform
SABC3, 21:30 Andrea Bocelli: Sacred Arias Rebroadcast of this recording with Bocelli performing various sacred arias in Rome. These include music by Handel, Schubert, Verdi, Rossini and other classical composers
M-Net, 21:45 Celine Dion: All the Way An hour-long special featuring Dion peforming her sweet pop with ‘N Sync and Gloria Estefan
e.tv, 22:00 MRS SANTA CLAUS Standard Christmas musical fare, with Angela Lansbury starring as Mrs Claus, who is stranded in 1910 Manhattan after a sleigh accident while investigating new routes around the world for Santa (1996)
SABC3, 22:30 Bolshoi Ballet See Russia’s famed Bolshoi Ballet company in action on its recent tour of South Africa, during which the talented dancers performed scenes from Giselle, Swan Lake, Spartacus and other productions.
M-Net, 22:45 ROCKY MARCIANO Jon Favreau is Rocky Marciano in this biographical drama about the only undefeated world heavyweight boxing champion in the history of boxing. Penelope Ann Miller also stars (1999)
Christmas Day (Monday December 25)
SABC2, 08:00 Little Rascals Christmas Special Kids’ Christmas feature
SABC1, 09:00 The Story of Christmas Charming animated feature
SABC1, 09:45 Santa Claus and the Magic Drum Children’s tale about Santa deciding to make a special gift after receiving an unusual letter
e.tv, 11:00 THE PRINCESS BRIDE See Christmas Eve (repeat)
M-Net, 11:00 RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: THE MOVIE Animated film about famous reindeer Rudolph who saves Christmas from the evil Stormella. With the voices of John Goodman and Whoopi Goldberg (1998)
SABC2, 11:10 Red Boots for Christmas Kids’ feature about a young man learning the true meaning of Christmas
SABC1, 11:45 We Wish You a Merry Christmas Christmas music special
SABC3, 13:30 A Christmas Service Religious programme with Shireen Hollier, Fezile Mpela and Milan Murray presenting dramatic renditions of Bible scripture, as well as a Christmas sermon and a performance by the Welsh Male Voice Choir
SABC3, 14:00 Celebrate Christmas with the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir The choir performs a special selection of Christmas songs
M-Net, 14:00 The Three Tenors Christmas The Three Tenors Jos Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti perform Christmas music off their latest album, titled The Three Tenors Christmas
SABC1, 14:30 THE ELF WHO DIDN’T BELIEVE Family film about one of Santa’s elves who wishes to be a real boy in the real world, but gets more than be bargained for (1997)
SABC3, 14:30 Prince William at 18 Interesting documentary about the young prince, his future in the British royalty and the ever-lasting struggle with media attention
M-Net, 15:25 AIR BUD Disney film about a young boy befriending a basketball-playing dog (1997)
SABC3, 15:30 Bolshoi Ballet See Christmas Eve (repeat)
SABC2, 16:30 Robin Hood: A Merry Family Musical Fun pantomime putting a new spin on the classic Robin Hood tale
SABC3, 16:30 The Singing Christmas Tree See Christmas Eve (repeat)
M-Net, 17:00 THE ANGEL, THE BICYCLE AND THE CHINAMAN’S FINGER South African comedy about post-office workers putting on a multiracial nativity play in order to prove to a group of investors that apartheid is a thing of the past. Regardt van den Bergh and Madoda Ncayiyana star (1991)
SABC3, 17:35 Shockwave Music Selection A special focus on pop ballads, with contributions by Boyzone, Wet Wet Wet, Tom Jones and others
e.tv, 18:30 Backstage Christmas episode of this local youth drama about the students at a performing-arts college
SABC2, 18:30 Geraas Special edition featuring local musicians performing their favourite Christmas songs
M-Net, 19:00 Pavarotti and Friends 2000 Recording of Luciano Pavarotti’s annual charity concert, held in June in Italy. Guests performers include George Michael, Tracy Chapman, Enrique Iglesias and Skunk Anansie
M-Net, 20:30 SANTA WHO? Comedy. Santa Claus suffers from a bout of amnesia on Christmas Eve. Leslie Nielsen stars as the man in red (2000)
e.tv, 22:00 WHITE NIGHTS Drama about a Russian expatriate ballet dancer who ends up as a prisoner in Leningrad after a plane crash. Mikhail Baryshnikov gives a talented performance in the lead role (1985)
SABC3, 22:30 Music Special: The Beatles Rebroadcast of this feature on the Fab Four, their music and their influence on other musicians
New Year’sEve (Sunday December 31)
SABC1, 13:00 Barbie Documentary about the history of the world’s most famous doll, since Barbie’s “birth” in 1959
M-Net, 14:55 AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY Very funny spy-film spoof starring Mike Myers as Sixties British secret agent Austin Powers who is brought out of cryogenic suspension in the Nineties to battle his nemesis, the scheming Dr Evil (also Myers) (1997)
SABC1, 15:00 World’s Amazing MagicAn entertaining look at impressive magic tricks
M-Net, 17:00 Natural World: Warriors of the Monkey God Wildlife spectacular
M-Net, 18:00 Elton John: One Night Only Elton John performs his biggest hits at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, with guests Bryan Adams, Mary J Blige, Billy Joel and others
SABC3, 18:00 The Leopard Son In-depth nature documentary, narrated by Sir John Gielgud, about the coming of age of a young male leopard on the Serengeti plain
SABC3, 19:30 Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave Oscar-winning animated short about eccentric inventor Wallace and his faithful dog, Gromit. While investigating the disappearance of sheep, Gromit is framed for the crime and Wallace has to look for the real culprit
SABC1, 19:45 Dinner for One Comedy sketch about an old lady celebrating Christmas with imaginary guests
M-Net, 20:00 AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME In this hilarious film, Mike Myers resumes his role as smooth-talking British secret agent Austin Powers, this time left helpless after Dr Evil travels back in time to the Sixties and steals Powers’s mojo (1999)
e.tv, 20:00 EVITA Epic film version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical, starring Madonna as Eva Duarte, who rose from poverty to become Eva Peron a model, actress and the controversial wife of the Argentinian president, wielding fame and political power. Antonio Banderas also stars (1996)
SABC3, 20:30 The Abba Story: The Winner Takes It All Musical profile of the Swedish supergroup, whose catchy pop earned them a permanent place in music history. Hear the hits and see rare archival footage of the foursome
SABC2, 21:15 A Tribute to Burt Bacharach and Hal David Music special
SABC3, 21:30 Hyp the Streets British hypnotist Paul McKenna works his mischievous mind magic on the streets of London and Brighton
M-Net, 21:40 Royal Variety Performance Annual variety show with singers, actors and comedians
SABC2, 22:15 THE CURE Family drama about an HIV-positive young boy whose best friend wants to find a cure for the disease (1995)
e.tv, 22:25 Music Special: Tribute to Diana Ross Recorded at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the concert featured Diana Ross, Mariah Carey, Faith Hill and Donna Summer
SABC3, 22:30 Wetter! Satirist Casper de Vries turns his attention to Bill Clinton, steroids, Mimi Coertse, cloning, pets the media and much more
SABC1, 23:00 New Year’s Eve Music Special Presented by Tumi Ndaba and Hludikazi Mboyo and featuring some of the best local artists, including Bongo Maffin, TKZee Family, Ishmael, Mdu and Mashamplani, this special programme will ring in 2001 with some hot and funky beats
SABC3, 23:30 Music Special Hour-long special featuring some of the past decade’s best music videos from artists such as Madonna, Sting, Ricky Martin and Cher
e.tv, 00:00 Music Special: Men Strike Back The Backstreet Boys, Sting, Enrique Iglesias, D’Angelo and Tom Jones perform together, with special guest Christina Aguilera
M-Net, 00:10 200 CIGARETTES Entertaining comedy that follows the individual adventures of a group of New York twentysomethings who are on their way to a New Year’s Eve party in 1981. Paul Rudd, Ben Affleck, Courtney Love, Christina Ricci and Janeane Garofalo star (1999)
e.tv, 01:40 HAPPY NEW YEAR Watchable comedy about two jewel thieves who plan to rob a jewellery store in Florida. Peter Falk and Charles Durning star (1987)
New Year’s Day (Monday January 1)
SABC3, 12:40 Jan en Tolla A tribute to late Afrikaans storytellers Jan Spies and Tolla van der Merwe
SABC3, 14:00 CORRINA, CORRINA Sentimental film, set in the 1950s, about a new housekeeper who has to deal with a young girl traumatised by her mother’s death. Whoopi Goldberg and Ray Liotta star (1994)
M-Net, 14:00 In the Wild: Whoopi Goldberg with Endangered Species Nature documentary hosted by the star
M-Net, 15:00 Capital FM’s Party in the Park 2000 for the Prince’s TrustChristina Aguilera, Gabrielle, The Corrs and others perform live
M-Net, 17:00 PANIC MECHANIC Typical Leon Schuster local comedy. Fans will enjoy it, as its box-office success proved (1996)
SABC2, 18:30 Geraas Special edition featuring the best Afrikaans music videos of 2000
M-Net, 19:05 City of Angels This is a new hospital drama series from award-winning producer Steven Bochco, set in an inner-city hospital in Los Angeles where staff treat patients under dire circumstances. Blair Underwood and Vivica A Fox star
M-Net, 20:00 THE HI-LO COUNTRY Western about two cowboy friends in New Mexico who both fall in love with the same married woman. Woody Harrelson and Billy Crudup star (1998)
SABC3, 21:30 Life, Love and Everything Else Start of a new season of this British comedy-drama that focuses on the lives of three Manchester couples
e.tv, 22:15 DOWN IN THE DELTA American poet Maya Angelou made her directorial debut with this drama about a single mother who can’t look after her three-year-old autistic daughter and 12-year-old son, leaving them in the care of her mother. Alfre Woodard, Loretta Devine and Wesley Snipes star (1998)
BESTOFTHEREST
Friday December 22
M-Net, 20:00 I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Romantic drama about a doctor who loses his self-confidence and returns to his small home town. Ann Jillian and Robert Hays star (1997)
SABC3, 20:00 Amazon SABC3’s most popular drama series is nearing its end, so don’t miss out on the experiences of the travellers stranded in the Amazon jungle
e.tv, 22:15 BREAKDANCE Minor dance drama about a group of kids promoting a new style of dancing (1984)
SABC3, 22:35 Reputations: Maria Callas A Big Destiny: Documentary about the famous opera singer
e.tv, 01:05 LEGENDS OF THE FALL Award-winning family saga, based on the Jim Harrison novel, about an army officer with three sons. One is killed in World War I; the other two fall in love with the same girl and grow up to be two very different people. Anthony Hopkins, Brad Pitt and Aidan Quinn star (1994)
M-Net, 02:50 LOST HIGHWAY Bizarre David Lynch film about the experiences of four characters; among them a musician who is a prime suspect after his wife’s apparent death. Bill Pullman and Patricia Arquette star (1996)
SaturdayDecember 23
e.tv, 15:00 I COULD GO ON SINGING Judy Garland stars as an American singer who tries to take her illegitimate son from the care of his father, but eventually decides in favour of her Broadway career. Dirk Bogarde also stars (1963)
SABC3, 19:00 The Adventures of Lano and Woodley This is a madcap and entirely absurd Australian comedy series about the adventures of two dimwits, directed by comedy master Bob Spiers. Starting tonight, the SABC rebroadcasts the first series (six episodes), which is followed directly by the second series (another six episodes)
M-Net, 20:00 LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS Deliciously wicked comedy-thriller about four working-class friends who end up owing 500 000 after a card game and have one week to pay their debt (1998)
SABC3, 20:30 An Audience with the Bee Gees The squeaky-voiced pop trio perform their biggest hits, with guest appearances by Boyzone and Celine Dion
SABC3, 22:00 Babes in the Wood Christmas Special: Seasonal special of this sitcom. The three female stars all experience relationship problems over Christmas
e.tv, 22:00 MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR LAWRENCE War drama, based on Laurens van der Post’s The Seed and the Sower, about the strange relationship between an English prisoner and an officer in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp during World War II. David Bowie, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Tom Conti star (1982)
SABC1, 22:00 PICTURE PERFECT Average thriller about a photographer (Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame) who takes pictures of an attempt on a top model’s life, which lands them both in trouble (1991)
SABC3, 22:40 Sarah Brightman: La Luna Rebroadcast of this recording of British soprano Sarah Brightman performing music off her latest album, La Luna, in Miami
M-Net, 22:50 THE CHRISTMAS WISH Christmas film about a man who goes in search of a mysterious woman mentioned in his late grandfather’s diary. Neil Patrick Harris stars (1998)
SABC2, Mega Movie Magic Documentary series on special effects and make-up in movies. See how actors are made up to look like chimps and extraterrestrials
M-Net, 00:20 I THINK I DO Very funny comedy about a gay man and several other couples’ experiences at a wedding. Alexis Arquette stars (1998)
TuesdayDecember 26
M-Net, 11:00 MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND The Muppets star in this film loosely based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island (1996)
M-Net, 14:35 Gum Boots: The Story Behind-the-scenes footage about the development and history of the hit South African dance production. Also watch Gum Boots: The Performance on Christmas Eve
M-Net, 15:35 Cannes Lion Ad Awards 2000 Glamorous international advertising-industry awards. South Africa had 459 entries this year
M-Net, 17:00 LIEWE HEMEL, GENIS Classic Afrikaans film based on the TV comedy series Koperasiestories. Jacques Loots and Marie Pentz star (1987)
SABC1, 18:30 Soul Buddyz Today’s episode of this youth edutainment programme is all about sex, and includes the screening of an explicit sex-education video aimed at children. See Channel Vision on page 52.
SABC3, 19:00 Survivor: Season Finale Part One The 16 castaways have now been reduced to four
SABC3, 20:30 Survivor: Season Finale Part Two The last two castaways go to tribal council, where the winner will be chosen
SABC2, 21:30 FRENCHMAN’S CREEK Lavish historical drama, based on the Daphne du Maurier novel, about a young mother who flees London and returns to her ancestral home at the coast of England, where she meets a French pirate (1998)
SABC3, 21:30 Survivor: The Reunion Special programme on which the castaways reunited for the first time since the series was filmed. There’s also an insert about the next series of Survivor
e.tv, 22:15 LITTLE NIKITA Complex thriller about an American boy who learns from an FBI agent that his parents are actually Soviet spies. Sidney Poitier and River Phoenix star (1988)
SABC3, 22:30 Prostitute Second of a four-part documentary series focusing on four different people in the prostitution industry. This episode is about a gay male prostitute who feels his job entails much more than just providing sex
WednesdayDecember 27
e.tv, 18:05 Dance Sport Further broadcast of the South African national championships
SABC3, 19:00 Screenplay: Special Effects Holiday Special Screenplay examines the best special effects in film in the past two years
M-Net, 19:00 Suddenly Susan Start of the fourth and last season of this sitcom, starring Brooke Shields as a San Francisco magazine columnist
M-Net, 20:30 200 CIGARETTES See New Year’s Eve
e.tv, 22:15 UNDER FIRE First-rate political thriller about war correspondents in Nicaragua who are caught up in the revolutionary conflict. Gene Hackman, Joanna Cassidy and Nick Nolte star (1983)
M-Net, 22:40 Ab Fab: The Collection: Saffy Jennifer Saunders presents the best and funniest moments from Absolutely Fabulous, focusing on Edina’s well-behaved daughter in the series, Saffy
M-Net, 01:00 KANSAS CITY Robert Altman thriller set in the 1930s. A woman’s husband, a petty thief, is being held captive by a gangster, and she kidnaps a politician’s wife in an attempt to get her husband released. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Miranda Richardson star (1996)
ThursdayDecember 28
SABC1, 18:30 The Big Idea Fun and educational game show. In this episode, the Simunye presenters take on the SABC3 presenters to build a racing car
M-Net, 20:35 AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY See New Year’s Eve
SABC2, 21:30 Kgotla The current affairs programme takes a look at South Africa’s newly elected public officials: how they will be monitored and what can be done if they do not perform their duties
FridayDecember 29
e.tv, 11:00 THE LOST CITY Classic fantasy film about electrical storms disrupting the world, created by an evil wizard in Central Africa. William Boyd stars (1935)
M-Net, 17:00 ORKNEY SNORK NIE: DIS LEKKER BY DIE SEE Local comedy based on the successful TV sitcom (1993)
M-Net, 20:00 THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH Academy Award-winning drama set in a circus, directed by Cecil B de Mille and starring Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton and James Stewart (1952)
e.tv, 11:15 LA BAMBA Biographical film about the life of Fifties rock’n’roll singer Ritchie Valens, who was also killed in the plane crash that claimed Buddy Holly. Lou Diamond Phillips stars (1987)
SABC3, 22:35 Reputations: Joachim von Ribbentrop: The Nazi Who Loved England Documentary about the life and career of Hitler’s foreign minister
M-Net, 00:10 DANCES WITH WOLVES Multiple award-winning drama starring Kevin Costner as a disillusioned Civil War cavalry officer who befriends wolves and Native Americans (1990)
SaturdayDecember 30
e.tv, 18:05 Off at a Tangent In an unusual episode of this cooking programme, host Paul Deans stays home for New Year, cooking for two guests Bill Flynn and Toasty Show’s Vic Little
M-Net, 20:00 TRUE CRIME Clint Eastwood directed and stars in this thriller about a reporter who has less than a day to prevent an innocent man on death row from being executed (1999)
SABC3, 21:00 Cassie Live Innovative new programme featuring a cyberhost, Cassie, who presents a talk show. Viewers can interact with Cassie through live calls to the studio
SABC3, 21:30 Pavarotti and Friends 1998 Recording of this charity concert, with Pavarotti performing alongside Celine Dion, Jon Bon Jovi, Stevie Wonder and others
SABC3, 22:30 Dressed Undressed Documentary about 20th-century fashion see how sex, fantasy, power and rebellion have become driving forces in the fashion world and how social and political upheavals have influenced fashion
e.tv, 00:00 RICOCHET Violent thriller about a murderer who sets out to frame the police officer (now a district attorney) who put him away. Denzel Washington, Ice T and John Lithgow star (1991)
M-Net, 02:50 THE LONGEST DAY World War II spectacular about the landings in Normandy in 1944. The star-studded cast includes John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Henry Fonda, Robert Wagner and Paul Anka (1962)
Tuesday January 2
M-Net, 17:00 NOMMER ASSEBLIEF Classic Afrikaans comedy based on one of South Africa’s first local televison series (1981)
SABC3, 19:00 Bizzarro This special feature tells weird and wonderful stories from around the world. See obese male strippers, a man who eats light bulbs and other strange characters
SABC3, 21:30 Prostitute Third of a four-part documentary series focusing on four different people in the prostitution industry. This episode is about a transsexual woman who discovered an enormous demand for transsexuals in the industry
Wednesday January 3
e.tv, 11:00 LOOK WHO’S TALKING Comedy in which a baby comments on the budding relationship between his single mother and a taxi driver. John Travolta and Kirstie Alley star (1989)
SABC3, 19:00 Screenplay: Advance Info Screenplay looks ahead at some of the most exciting movies that will be released here in 2001
M-Net, 20:30 MAN WITH THE RAIN IN HIS SHOES Romantic comedy. An unemployed actor, desperate to win back his ex-girlfriend, accidentally discovers a way to turn back time (1998)
M-Net, 22:40 Ab Fab: The Collection: The Mother Jennifer Saunders presents the best moments from Absolutely Fabulous, focusing on Edina’s unperturbed, suburban mother
Thursday January 4
e.tv, 20:30 Robin Cook’s Invasion New miniseries. Earth is threatened by an intelligent virus, which arrives in meteorites from space
M-Net, 20:35 RUTHLESS PEOPLE Raucous comedy about kidnappers with a slight problem the husband of the troublesome woman they kidnapped won’t pay for her return. Danny de Vito and Bette Midler star (1986)
M-Net, 23:00 FALLEN Creepy supernatural thriller about a detective who discovers that a serial killer’s soul has the ability to transfer to other people. Denzel Washington and John Goodman star (1998)
Full television schedules are available online at www.mg.co.za