Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
Movies and Christmas pretty much go hand in hand.
There are the big new releases in theaters, and the old stand-bys like "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Miracle on 34th Street" to rewatch.
A more recent trend is the seemingly never-ending flow of cheesy made-for-TV Christmas movies. Films like "A Very Merry Mix-Up," "A Christmas Detour," and "Matchmaker Santa":
They may not qualify as classics, but they've got a pretty loyal fanbase and can rake in some serious ratings.
And now some secret fans of the films are feeling emboldened to come out of the shadows.
Culture journalist Annie Zaleski, who's written about made-for-TV holiday movies, and Kacey Bange, who reviews the films on her blog TVMovieChristmas.com, join Take Two to explain the appeal of the genre.