Once upon a time, December meant prime-time talent shows and festive specials. But have streaming services spelled the end of shared TV experiences?
When I worked in Topshop as a teenager, our Christmas party almost always coincided with the X Factor final. It was festivity at its finest: we’d all crowd around the screen in our itchy sequins, prosecco glistening in hand, and hold our breath as the winner was announced. We’d screech – or groan – when the likes of Matt Cardle or Sam Bailey won the coveted title, before dancing the night away to the winner’s song in a glam Birmingham nightclub.
Days later, I’d recreate a similar scene at home. Only this time, after the presents were unwrapped and the roast potatoes had been demolished, it was the explosive EastEnders Christmas special we settled down to devour, having googled a year’s worth of storylines minutes before.
Fast-forward a decade or two, and things look a little different. Simon Cowell’s singing competition was cancelled in 2021, while last year’s final of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here lost five million viewers compared with the year before. Meanwhile, our viewing habits have changed completely; research shows 16 to 34-year-olds are watching less TV, instead gobbling up content on YouTube and social media, while over 78% of UK consumers now watch streaming platforms.
With the likes of Prime Video and Disney+ to turn to, we’re no longer agonising over finding that perfect festive film on terrestrial TV. Just think of the chokehold Vanessa Hudgens and Netflix had us in with The Knight Before Christmas and The Princess Switch (plus its two sequels,) not forgetting the A Christmas Prince series. Then there was Dash & Lily,
Love Hard, Holidate… The list of films we can watch whenever we feel the urge goes on.
Whil
