The essential: A Charlie Brown Christmas
In the spirit of Christmas, Apple TV+ is offering this holiday classic for free, but for a limited time. You don’t need to subscribe to the video-on-demand service to listen to it. Just download the app or go to tv.apple.com. Originally broadcast on CBS in 1965, this 25-minute animated television film (in French, Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!) addresses themes that still resonate today, such as the mercantile aspect of Christmas. We follow a slightly depressed and grumpy Charlie Brown who is looking for the “perfect” tree, while also directing the show for Lucy, Linus and company. The story is accompanied by irresistible music by jazz composer Vince Guaraldi, which we bring out every year.
Apple TV+, Thursday to Sunday (available in French)
The event: Symphonic Christmas… with the family
PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, PRESS ARCHIVES
Marc Hervieux
For a “family” program, its broadcast time is not very family-friendly, but hey… You can record it and listen to it the next day, when everyone is still wide awake. Recorded on Saturday in Montreal, this concert brings together the Sinfonia de Lanaudière symphony orchestra (under the direction of Stéphane Laforest), the Petits Chanteurs de Laval choir and six well-known singers, who have invited their loved ones. Thus, Marie-Ève Janvier will sing with her sister Émilie and her father Benoît, Marc Hervieux with his daughters, Michaël Girard with his son Tom-Eliot, Natalie Choquette with her daughters Florence K, Éléonore and Ariane, and Patrick Norman with his wife.
VAT, Friday, at 10:35 p.m.
The safe bet: Bach and Bootie
PHOTO PROVIDED BY TÉLÉ-QUÉBEC
Mahee Payment
Tales for All have not all aged well. Bach and Bootie, yes. Released in cinemas in 1986, this dramatic comedy directed by André Melançon tells the story of Fanny (Mahée Paiement), a mischievous 11-year-old orphan, who moves in with her uncle (Raymond Legault), a hardened bachelor, organ player and passionate about classical music. In other words, an unlikely, even incompatible tandem. Interesting detail: the original skunk who played Bottine died suddenly after a few days of work, a situation which forced the team to find a new skunk in disaster, as well as to resume the filming of certain scenes because the two animals were so different .
Télé-Québec, Sunday, at noon
The roll of the dice: Tintin
PHOTO PROVIDED BY SPLENDOR FILMS/TELEFRANCE FILMS/UNION CINEMATOGRAPHIQUE LYONNAISE (UCIL)
Jean-Pierre Talbot and Georges Wilson
For many, the holiday season rhymes with Tintin in an animated version at Ciné-Cadeau. But this year, we could shuffle the cards and take advantage of the unscrambling of ICI ARTV (until January 18) to revisit the first two feature films in real shots of the adventures of the famous reporter: Tintin and the mystery of the Golden Fleece and Tintin and the blue oranges. Released in 1961 and 1964 respectively, these feature films offer untold stories, but contain several references to Hergé’s albums. We should also mention that apart from Jean-Pierre Talbot (Tintin) and Max Elloy (Nestor), no actor retains his role from one film to another. Not even Snowy.
ICI ARTV, Saturday, from noon