Review | What to stream over Christmas: Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell in Spirited, West End singer Hannah Waddingham from Ted Lasso, Jamie Oliver’s turkey tips
- There’s plenty on TV this Christmas, from festive cooking tips courtesy of Jamie Oliver to a song and dance spectacular from West End star Hannah Waddingham
- Then there are the Christmas feelgood films: Eddie Murphy in Candy Cane Lane, and Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds in Spirited
Arguably the biggest signing made by Ted Lasso the series wasn’t a player. It was West End four-octave chantress Hannah Waddingham.
And there’s a whole lotta Hannah in Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas (Apple TV+), a one-off extravaganza, recorded at the Coliseum, London, in which Waddingham, who hits the stage looking curiously like a shiny mermaid, displays her considerable lung power.
Backed by singing and dancing stars aplenty, Waddingham unleashes a happy torrent of familiar festive schmaltz; which is what Christmas is all about, right?
Incidentally, Ted Lasso fans should already have this on their TV watch/wish list.
Spoiler alert: just like Santa, the Christmas TV special is a myth. But it remains a robust one, despite disingenuous midyear filming, thanks to the stars’ persuasive Yuletide cheer.