The Toys That Made Christmas

Dec 25, 2011

1h 24m

★ 0.0

Overview

The Toys That Made Christmas. Spirograph, Fuzzy Felt, Barbie, Meccano - Robert Webb tells the story of our Christmases through the toys we played with and loved.

Genres

Documentary

Production Companies

BBC Studios

The Toys That Made Christmas Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

Self - Presenter

Robert Webb

Self - Child of the '70s

Alfie Boe

Self - Child of the '50s

Arlene Phillips

Self - Chief Curator, Historic Royal Palaces

Lucy Worsley

Self

Mary Berry

Self - Child of the '60s

Don Warrington

Self - Son of Peter Adolph, Creator of Subbuteo

Mark Adolph

Self - Son of Lois Allan, Creator of Fuzzy-Felt

Richard Allan

Self - Child of the '50s

Priscilla Appelbe

Self - Granddaughter of Annette Mills

Susie Blake

Self

Annabel Bosher

Francois the Tree Man is far from his wife and three small children in Quebec, selling Christmas trees and living in a van on the streets of New York City. He does it for them. But this is home, too. Like the hundreds of Christmas tree sellers who descend upon the city from Canada, New England and even Europe, Francois delivers the magic of the season over a grueling month in his adopted neighborhood. He's a star, a storyteller, a Santa Claus in a sap-stained coat, a confidant, a friend, and a father figure to the local characters who are his New York family. They also need him. TREE MAN is the story of Francois's journey, how he arrived here, what holds him, and the conflict that will cause him to leave. As one of Francois' long-time customers says: "This has nothing to do with the trees anymore."

6.0

Scenes on Mr. Smit's Ostrich Farm

Nov 22, 1900

Scenes on an ostrich farm, filmed in Natal during the Boer War.

No Image Available

0.0

Joe’s Pub Presents: A Holiday Special

Dec 21, 2016

Taping at the iconic Joe’s Pub inside the historic Public Theater in downtown Manhattan, Joe’s Pub Presents: A Holiday Special will feature a variety of holiday themed performances from acclaimed comics, singers and actors including Bridget Everett, Jo Firestone, Jen Kirkman, Nick Thune and many more. Funk and soul group THE DAP-KINGS will serve as the house band for the evening.

No Image Available

0.0

Jingle Bells: RFK - 1964

Jan 1, 1977

Surrounded by his children, his wife Ethel, and Sammy Davis, Jr., RFK visits schoolchildren around the city, and is every bit the good patriarch and dutiful public servant. But it’s the films’ fleeting, in-between, moments where Pennebaker most precisely hits the mark, offering reflection on the possibilities that Robert Kennedy’s all too brief life foreclosed. Set against the pageantry of a long ago Christmas, the film speaks to tragic contingencies of history lying far beyond the ken of politics that continue to circumscribe the tortured destiny of our country.

10.0

A Baby Reindeer's First Christmas

Dec 24, 2020

Documentary following a community of herders in the Scottish Highlands preparing young reindeer for their first Christmas, including an orphaned reindeer calf who battles against the odds

No Image Available

10.0

The Unwrapping of Christmas

Jan 1, 1999

This exciting video explores the history of many traditions surrounding the Christmas holiday and examines their connections to paganism. Viewers will discover the real story of Christmas and be challenged to take advantage of "the holiday season" to proclaim the truth. Find out the truth about: why we decorate the Christmas tree, put up lights around the house, Santa Claus and his magical reindeer Was December 25th really Jesus's birthday? Discover answers to these and much, much more...

0.0

The First Silent Night: The Christmas Carol That United the World

Dec 18, 2014

Renowned actor Simon Callow traces the 200-year history of Silent Night, traveling to Oberndorf and Salzburg to uncover the carol’s humble beginnings. The film follows the lives of Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber, two impoverished Austrian children whose paths converged in a small church, where Gruber’s melody joined Mohr’s lyrics to create the world’s most beloved carol. Born from hardship and hope after the Napoleonic wars, Silent Night transformed a quiet night’s story into a universal message of peace.

0.0

The American St. Nick

Nov 10, 2015

On Dec. 5, 1944, American soldiers, led by Harry Stuts, put their guns down for one day and organized a party celebrating the town's centuries-old Saint Nick tradition. Soldiers made hot chocolate from their D-rations, company cooks made donuts and cookies for the children, and 22-year-old corporal Richard Brookins from Rochester, NY played the role of Saint Nick. An emotional and heartfelt story, THE AMERICAN SAINT NICK illustrates how American soldiers and residents of the hamlet were able to bond over a moment in time, creating a tradition that continues to this day.

6.5

A Big Lego Christmas

Dec 26, 2016

A look behind the scenes as the world's most profitable toy maker opens its biggest ever Lego store, in London. Designer Justin's first ever kit finally hits the shelves, and Lego pro Duncan prepares to make the largest model ever - a replica of Tower Bridge.

0.0

Christmas at Hampton Court

Dec 15, 2020

A special one-off programme going behind the scenes of preparations for Christmas at the palace. Shows what it takes to bring the magnificent palace to life over the festive season, from cooking traditional Tudor recipes to harvesting mistletoe from the gardens. Joint Chief Curator Tracy Borman also explores royal Christmas traditions through the ages, including gifts from the past.

0.0

A Norman Rockwell Christmas

Sep 15, 1993

Could there ever really be a Christmas without Norman Rockwell? For three generations, America's most beloved and popular artist treated us with his inspiring, fun-loving and wonderfully optimistic portraits of American life. To Rockwell, people were at their best during holidays and Christmas was certainly his favorite. Join Eddie Albert and Ross Malinger (TV's Good Advice) as they host this nostalgic, heartwarming look at the illustrious world of Norman Rockwell. With the help of the magnificent 170 voices of the world famous Pacific Chorale, you'll experience these Christmas scenes springing to life with all the magic and wonder Rockwell originally envisioned. Lift your spirits with this Christmas adventure you'll watch again and again!

0.0

Sacred Music: A Christmas History

Dec 24, 2010

Simon Russell Beale takes a journey through Italy, Britain, Germany and Austria as he explores how the sound of Christmas has evolved in response to changing ideas about the Nativity. His story takes us through two millennia of music, from a fragment of papyrus preserving the earliest known piece of Christian music to the stories behind Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night and In the Bleak Midwinter, and the work of popular Christmas composer, John Rutter. Music is performed by Harry Christophers and his choir, The Sixteen.

8.0

Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas

Nov 5, 2017

An offbeat, irreverent musical documentary that tells the story of a group of Jewish songwriters, including Irving Berlin, Mel Tormé, Jay Livingston, Ray Evans, Gloria Shayne Baker and Johnny Marks, who wrote the soundtrack to Christianity’s most musical holiday. It’s an amazing tale of immigrant outsiders who became irreplaceable players in pop culture’s mainstream – a generation of songwriters who found in Christmas the perfect holiday in which to imagine a better world, and for at least one day a year, make us believe.

0.0

Inside Lidl at Christmas

Dec 17, 2020

Does the supermarket offer the cheapest Christmas cheer? The Wynne family put the store through its paces, to find out whether it offers the cheapest turkey and trimmings.

0.0

Inside Aldi at Christmas

Dec 11, 2019

Learn how the budget supermarket conquered Christmas in Britain and what random delights are on offer in the famous and festive middle aisle, as one family sees how many gifts they can get for £100.

8.0

Christmas on the Danube

Dec 15, 2013

This documentary visits cities and towns and captures stunning landscapes along Europe's majestic Danube at Christmastime. Locations covered include Passau, Germany; Salzburg, Oberndorf, the Wachau Valley, and Vienna in Austria; Bratislava, Slovakia; and Budapest, Hungary. Along the way the viewer learns relevant history.

0.0

Turkeys for Xmas

Nov 1, 1915

Feathered friends prepare to meet their fate in this seasonal newsreel outing to a Norfolk turkey farm.

0.0

Here We Come A-Wassailing

Dec 22, 1977

A documentary on the surviving syncretic pagan midwinter customs of the British Isles, focusing on nine ritual celebrations ranging from the Moray Firth in the north, the Somerset Levels in the south, Humberside in the east, and County Kerry in the west. Featuring music by the Albion Band and narration by John Tams.

0.0

Sleigh Ride

Dec 13, 2024

It’s Christmas in Alaska, but a sparsely populated state means a scarce amount of priests. From Christmas eve to Christmas day, two Dominicans traverse icy roads and harsh winds to celebrate Christmas mass for 3 remote communities in the last frontier.

0.0

Christmas at Biltmore Estate

Nov 14, 1995

The day before Christmas in 1895 George Washington Vanderbilt opened his 250-room Biltmore Estate in the breathtaking mountains of North Carolina. Today, Christmas at Biltmore is like stepping back in time, glowing with Victorian history. Embrace the rich tradition of the past and learn how holiday decorations, feasts, games and entertainment became a part of the customs of today. Join host Joan Kohn for a behind-the-scenes look at this magnificent estate and see how months of planning and preparation make Biltmore Estate an extraordinary and magical place to visit during the holiday season.