New Year’s Day Television on the Box
New Year’s Day television sees in 2015 with dramas and unmissable movies. Spend your morning with the Bennets in back-to-back episodes of Death Comes to Pemberley, followed by an afternoon of Pride and Prejudice. In the evening, a movie musical bypasses the West End for convincing historical filming locations, another looks behind the scenes of a musical favourite, and we rejoin Kevin for more holiday chaos.
THURSDAY 1ST JANUARY
10am Drama
In this adaptation of the PD James book, we revisit the Pride and Prejudice couple a few years later, but this time they’re solving a murder mystery. The stunning Pemberley is played by real stately homes, they open for public admission throughout the year and the Find That Location team can verify that both offer plenty of recognisable sights and a great tea room. Yes, walking up the ornate staircase of Elizabeth and Mr Darcy’s home is a real possibility.
2pm Drama
The ‘90s adaptation is back on TV, with back-to-back episodes taking us from first awkward meeting to conclusion. Pride and Prejudice uses a whole host of filming locations, so it’s easy to imagine you’re stepping back in time or onto the screen.
Our favourite locations from the Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle mini-series have got to be the village ones. Not only are they instantly recognisable, but they pop up in numerous other TV programmes and films like Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
5.50pm Sky Christmas
A huge production brings the long-running Cameron Mackintosh musical to the screen. Hugh Jackman stars as Jean Valjean with Russell Crowe as his nemesis. Well-preserved historical locations serve as the backdrop for some of its key scenes, and they’re closer to the stage musical’s London home than the French setting suggests.
8pm E4
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Kevin makes the most of his accidental holiday in New York when his family leave him behind again. This time, he’s accidentally separated from them at the airport. The precocious kid shows up at various locations around the city, including the famous hotel where he makes extensive use of the room service, and other landmarks.
9pm Sky Disney
The story of the difficult working relationship between Walt Disney and Mary Poppins creator P. L. Travers takes us right back in time to look at the inner workings of a musical in progress. Not only do we see the story take shape, the film re-enacts the Sherman Brothers’ songwriting process. It’s a wonderland of Disney magic with the film’s classic songs sprinkled all the way through, and it’s a great way to end a Bank Holiday.