Peanuts holiday specials free on Apple TV+

The holidays are coming and fans of classic Peanuts specials can watch them for free on Apple TV+.

To catch your favourite Charlie Brown holiday special at no cost, mark these dates on your calendar:

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: Saturday, 19th October and Sunday, 20th October
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving: Saturday, 23rd November and Sunday, 24th November
A Charlie Brown Christmas: Saturday, 14th December and Sunday, 15th December

Reruns of the beloved holiday specials, on the BBC, were a childhood staple in the run-up to Christmas. A cousin gifted me a Snoopy soft toy when I was in a children's hospital and it remains a cherished gift.

Are Peanuts specials part of your holiday traditions? Let me know in the comments below.

60 years of Doctor Who

Happy Thanksgiving to our US-based readers! On its 60th anniversary, watching Doctor Who is one of my earliest childhood memories. At the age of 2, from behind the sofa, the demise of Field Major Styre in The Sontaran Experiment and Daleks exterminating everyone in Genesis of the Daleks was nightmare fuel and a stark contrast to Rainbow.

From shapeshifting Zygons to an android Sarah Jane Smith (Lis Sladen) to the bubbling brain of Morbius, Doctor Who was a Saturday teatime staple watched with my dad.

When I was hospitalised in the wake of an unreported head injury in primary school, Denys Fisher's action figures and Jelly Babies took my mind off of a life-changing trauma as I began years of rehabilitation having undergone a regeneration (the key to the beloved BBC sci-fi series’ longevity) of my own.

Despite a brief hiatus watching flashy US imports on ITV following the box office success of Star Wars, Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor was my Doctor. Dad was a fan of Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor and the sonic screwdriver had been passed from one generation to the next.

The Fourth Doctor's regeneration into the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) was met with heartbreak before The Five Faces of Doctor Who season, which coincided with our first-ever VCR. I vividly remember watching An Unearthly Child and how I lamented not being able to see The Dead Planet AKA The Daleks. However, the latter is now available on BBC iPlayer, and a colourised omnibus edition has been released today on the streaming service.

In my teens, I again abandoned adventures aboard the TARDIS. This time for MTV. However, the TARDIS never went away, and enduring friendships with fellow Whovians continued to be forged in higher education and beyond. Special shoutouts to Professor Michael Williams, Nick Smith and Andrew Lewin. Alas, Stephen Miles passed away a few years ago, but I'm thinking of him.

In 2005, Doctor Who returned from the wilderness to television screens under the auspices of series showrunner Russell T Davies. All the more poignant, as my mum was in a nursing home due to an NHS never event. Like Luke Skywalker, the Doctor symbolises hope in the darkest of times.

Over the years, Target's novelisations of classic serials were instrumental in a lifelong love of reading and writing. My letters and tweets have appeared in Doctor Who Magazine (DWM) and Starburst magazine. And I've attended unforgettable conventions with family and friends.

As fans (myself included) celebrate six decades of adventures in space and time, a new era is about to begin.

The Star Beast, the first of three 60th anniversary specials starring David Tennant (Doctor Who) and Catherine Tate (Donna Noble), will be broadcast on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and Disney+ outside the UK and Ireland on 25th November. Ncuti Gatwa takes over control of the TARDIS on Christmas Day.

What are your memories of watching Doctor Who? Let me know in the comments below.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

The Guardians of the Galaxy are back this Thanksgiving on Disney+. This is the second Marvel Studios' Special Presentation, which began with the excellent Werewolf by Night.



Read the official synopsis:

"It's time to deck the galaxy! Lights, presents, trees, snowflakes, candy canes, and... Kevin Bacon? In The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, the Guardians, who are on a mission to make Christmas unforgettable for Quill, head to Earth in search of the perfect present."

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, directed by James Gunn (The Suicide Squad), premieres exclusively on Disney+ on 25th November.

Are you looking forward to The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

LEGO Build To Give featuring Katy Perry

LEGO Build To Give is back for holiday 2022. This is its sixth consecutive year.

"For many families, the Holidays are a time of celebration, where they can be together and enjoy playing. But, for some, it can be a tough time,” said Diana Ringe Krogh, Vice President of Social Responsibility at the LEGO Group. “That’s why #BuildToGive is so important. Over the past five years, we’ve been overwhelmed by the response to the initiative and want to say thank you to the families around the world who have taken part each year. Thanks to their help, we’ve been able to donate millions of LEGO sets to children across the globe, bringing them the joy and benefits of play.”

Pop superstar Katy Perry is supporting the #BuildToGive initiative.

“I love that the LEGO Group is helping turn family play into a moment of giving for families all around the world. I loved making my firework shaped gift and I can't wait to see the different designs that other families share!” said Katy Perry.



For the holiday season, all you have to do is build a gift or present out of LEGO and share it on social media using the hashtag #BuildToGive!

As a lifelong LEGO fan, I've donated sets to charity and continue to do so during a cost of living crisis. If you'd like to learn more about Build To Give, please visit LEGO.COM.

Star Wars: Bring Home the Galaxy

There’s no Force Friday this year. However, Disney and Lucasfilm have announced Star Wars: Bring Home the Galaxy, a follow-up to last year's Bring Home the Bounty!

Bring Home the Galaxy, a 9-week global consumer product campaign in association with licensees including Funko, Hasbro, LEGO and Mattel, highlights new Star Wars merchandise from the original trilogy to The Mandalorian every Tuesday through 13th December.

Hasbro's releasing a retro collection on Hasbro Pulse to mark the 40th anniversary of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in 2023.

I vividly remember the launch of Kenner's original Star Wars: Return of the Jedi toy line in 1983!

The first time I saw Darth Vader, in person, was at my local Debenhams (now John Lewis). Mum kept it a special surprise and took me to the toy department where the lift opened to reveal the dark lord himself and Stormtroopers...

School friends were there, too. After a meet-and-greet with Darth Vader, we went to the toy aisles and discovered Biker Scouts, Ewoks and much more on pegs. This was Christmas for Star Wars fans (myself included).

Bring Home the Galaxy (affiliate link) on Amazon. Other UK-based retail partners include Argos, Disney Store, Smyths, The Entertainer and Zavvi.

Follow the conversation on social media using #BringHomeTheGalaxy and #StarWars.

Whether you're looking for LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series Razor Crest or The Black Series Phase II Clone Trooper Helmet by Hasbro. Happy gift-giving this holiday season.

Spielberg’s Super 8 dreams in The Fabelmans

“Movies are dreams that you never forget!” Judging by the trailer, director Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans is his most autobiographical movie in many a year. A family in turmoil is a catalyst as in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. All underscored by composer John Williams (Jaws).



There’s a profound resonance with my own childhood (overshadowed by a life-changing trauma) and escaping into a darkened theatre to watch Spielberg’s movies and that of his friend and longtime collaborator, Star Wars creator George Lucas. At the end of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 6-year-old me desperately wanted to board the mothership with Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss).

The Fabelmans is in theatres this Thanksgiving.

Star Trek: Discovery free on Pluto TV

Following a social media backlash to rival the destruction of Praxis in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country after Star Trek: Discovery was pulled from Netflix outside the US.

ViacomCBS has issued a statement (via StarTrek.com):

"To all of the International Star Trek: Discovery fans: we hear you. We love this series too. We love it for the incredible cast, the hardworking crew, the imaginative storytelling, the groundbreaking, diverse characters who bring the show to life and what it represents to so many people around the world. Star Trek has always put its fans first. We want to do the same."

As Paramount+ isn't launching into more regions until 2022, fans (myself included) were left in limbo. The fourth season will now be available to watch free on Pluto TV from Friday.

"Therefore, during this transition, we are doing everything we can to get the new season to you as soon as possible. Where Paramount+ is available in Australia, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Sweden, Uruguay, and Venezuela, the first two episodes will be available Friday, November 26, with new episodes being released weekly. We are also offering Star Trek fans in these markets a new membership promotion on Paramount+ for 50% off for the first three months with code STARTREK."

This timely decision should assuage Star Trek fans but could have been avoided.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all my US-based readers a happy Thanksgiving. Live long and prosper.

Avengers-level threat this Thanksgiving

"It's the most wonderful time of the year..." Marvel Studios' Hawkeye premieres this Thanksgiving on Disney+ and there's a new look at the upcoming live-action spin-off series ahead of Disney+ Day.



This could be the most festive fun since Iron Man 3. Jeremy Renner reprises his role as Hawkeye, who teams up with another well-known archer from Marvel Comics, Kate Bishop, played by Oscar-nominee Hailee Steinfeld (Dickinson).

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly (EW), Steinfeld and executive producer Trinh Tran shared their thoughts on the upcoming series. Steinfeld said, "Diving into all the information out there on Kate Bishop felt like a dream." She's stoked to be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). "It's very, very exciting to be in the MCU at all. I still haven't been able to get over that."

Tran confirms Hawkeye takes inspiration from the acclaimed Fraction/Aja comic book series:

"The Fraction/Aja style and tone is what we were really gravitating towards. Once they encounter each other and go off on this journey together, there's so much they can bounce off each other."

Unwrap the first two episodes of Hawkeye exclusively on Disney+ on 24th November.

Looking forward to Marvel Studios' Hawkeye? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars: Bring Home the Bounty

Whilst there’s no Force Friday this year, Disney and Lucasfilm have announced Star Wars: Bring Home the Bounty!

Bring Home the Bounty, a global consumer product campaign in association with licensees including Funko, Hasbro, LEGO and Mattel, highlights new Star Wars merchandise every Tuesday through 28th December.

“With the Lucasfilm 50th anniversary coming to a close this year, we wanted to find a way to celebrate all of our beloved characters and stories from the classic to the new and everything in-between” said Paul Southern, Senior Vice President, Franchise & Licensing, Lucasfilm. “There will be something to excite every Star Wars fan this year with such a wide assortment of items to enjoy and engage with, whether fans are adding to their own collections or scouring for the perfect gift.”

Bring Home the Bounty (affiliate link) on Amazon. Other UK-based retail partners include Argos, Disney Store, Smyths, The Entertainer and Zavvi.

Follow the conversation on social media using #BringHomeTheBounty and #StarWars.

Whether you're looking for Galactic Snackin’ Grogu or The Bad Batch Attack Shuttle. Happy hunting.

Marvel's holiday gifts come with a bow

Marvel Studios has been crushing it in 2021 with its Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) spin-off series on Disney+. From WandaVision to What If...?, it's been unmissable character-driven viewing for all true believers (myself included).

On Monday, Disney+ dropped some early holiday cheer with an official teaser trailer for Marvel Studios' Hawkeye.



Read the official synopsis:

"Disney+ and Marvel Studios invite you on an unexpected holiday getaway, unwrapping a brand-new teaser trailer and poster today for “Hawkeye,” a new series set in post-blip New York City. Former Avenger Clint Barton has a seemingly simple mission: get back to his family for Christmas. Possible? Maybe with the help of Kate Bishop, a 22-year-old archer with dreams of becoming a Super Hero. The two are forced to work together when a presence from Barton’s past threatens to derail far more than the festive spirit."

Jeremy Renner reprises his role as Hawkeye, who teams up with another well-known archer from Marvel Comics, Kate Bishop, played by Oscar-nominee Hailee Steinfeld (Bumblebee).

Renner described Steinfeld's character to Entertainment Weekly (EW) by saying, “[Kate is] a 22-year-old kid and she’s a big Hawkeye fan. She has a wonderfully annoying and equally charming manner about her, because she’s such a fangirl of Hawkeye. The relationship grows from that, but the biggest problem for Clint is Kate Bishop and the onslaught of problems that she brings into his life.”

The trappings of the holiday season certainly allow for comparisons with MCU stablemate Iron Man 3 and Die Hard and Home Alone (both available on Star on Disney+). Hawkeye is rumoured to tie into Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Hawkeye debuts in time for Thanksgiving on Disney+ on 24th November.

Looking forward to Marvel Studios' Hawkeye? Let me know in the comments below.

Funko Pop! Grogu at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Funko and Macy's have partnered with Lucasfilm to bring The Mandalorian's Grogu to this year's Thanksgiving Day Parade on 25th November.

“We’re no strangers to the thrill of translating Star Wars characters into the Pop! form,” Funko art director Reis O’Brien tells StarWars.com. “Thanks to the strong creative relationship with Lucasfilm, we knew we could develop a fun, charming and iconic moment. After a crash course in how the Macy’s balloons are constructed, we started the creative process inspired by everyone’s love for Grogu. His giant ears were an unexpected challenge of their own, but once we finally got a peek at the final result we knew that all of our hard work and collaboration had paid off. There’s going to be a whole lot of cuteness floating above the streets of New York City come Thanksgiving morning.”

Surprisingly, this will be the first-ever Star Wars-inspired balloon at the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!

“It’s always fun working with Funko and bringing Star Wars to fans, but this time, the fun and the unique challenges were supersized,” says Brian Merten, senior manager of product design at Lucasfilm. “Bringing Grogu to life as a 37-foot-wide balloon was no small feat and took close collaboration with the Funko design team, as well as the balloon designers from Macy’s. I am very happy with the result and can’t wait to see it in the parade!”

There's official merchandise exclusively available from Funko.com. Macy’s will also feature select items from Funko available for purchase at Macy’s Herald Square in New York City this fall.

James Earl Jones in Disney's live-action The Lion King

Disney dropped the first live-action teaser trailer for The Lion King during the NFL's Thanksgiving primetime game.



James Earl Jones, best known to Star Wars fans as the voice of Darth Vader, reprises the role of king Mufasa from the original classic animated movie with director Jon Favreau (The Jungle Book) at the helm. Jones is joined by a stellar cast including Beyonce, Donald Glover, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Seth Rogan.

The Mouse House resumes its live-action remakes beginning with Cinderella and continues next with Aladdin.

The Lion King will be in cinemas next summer.

The Last Jedi tracking a $200 million opening weekend

Star Wars: The Last Jedi isn’t in cinemas until December. However, the Star Wars sequel is tracking a $200 million dollar opening weekend in the US.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story took $155 million at the US box office in its opening weekend but fell short of The Force Awakens' $248 million domestic debut in 2015.

Star Wars superfan John Campea answered Twitter questions (including mine) regarding The Last Jedi's predicted opening weekend box office during a YouTube livestream earlier.



I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all my US readers a happy Thanksgiving on Thursday. May the Force be with you when trying to get a Star Wars-related bargain this Black Friday. I hope to add Hasbro action figures and Sphero app-enabled droids to my collection.

Do you think The Last Jedi will overtake The Force Awakens at the box office? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars' future to be decided in January

With the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story less than 3 weeks away, speculation surrounds whether or not the Star Wars franchise will switch to standalone movies following the conclusion of the sequel trilogy in 2019.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said: “There are [possible movies] that we have been talking a lot about. But we are planning to sit down in January, since we will have had The Force Awakens released, now Rogue One, and we’ve finished shooting Episode VIII.

“We have enough information where we can step back a little bit and say, What are we doing? What do we feel is exciting? And what are some of the things we want to explore?”

Hollywood composer Michael Giacchino, who replaced Alexandre Desplat on Rogue One, talked to Entertainment Weekly about his approach to orchestrating the upcoming standalone Star Wars movie directed by Gareth Edwards.

"It is a film that is in many ways a really great World War II movie, and I loved that about it. But it also has this huge, huge heart at the center of it, and that was the one thing I just didn’t want to discount. Yes, it’s an action movie, and it’s a Star Wars film, and it has all the things that you would come to expect and love about that, but I didn’t want to forget that it was also an incredibly emotional movie as well. That was what really pulled me in. I love working on projects that have an emotional center to them – and not manufactured emotion either, even though, you know, [laughs] it’s a weird thing to say because literally that’s all we’re doing, manufacturing emotion."

This maybe a standalone movie, but there'll be familiar orchestral themes:

"It does borrow from traditions that both John [Williams] and George Lucas borrowed from when they made the original Star Wars, you know. George was looking at Flash Gordon, the old serials, and John was looking at [Gustav] Holst and different composers along the way to get a baseline for what he wanted to communicate. There is a wonderful musical language that John put together for the original films. I wanted to honor that vernacular but still do something new with it, something that was still me in a way."

Would you like to see the Skywalker saga concluded with 9 movies as franchise creator George Lucas originally intended? Let me know in the comments below.

May I take this opportunity to wish US readers a happy Thanksgiving!

Star Wars TV Spot is a Thanksgiving treat

It's Thanksgiving in the US and Disney has unleashed the full fury of the dark side in this new TV Spot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens!



Kylo Ren is to be tested and I've got a bad feeling about the fate of our heroes in the new movie. Three weeks today I'll be watching The Force Awakens and that blows my mind.

In related news. I've teamed up with Design By Humans to offer readers an exclusive saving of 10% on all products with no minimum spend requirement. Use promo code: GENSTARWARS.

Happy Thanksgiving to US readers!

See Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer this weekend

A post Thanksgiving treat for Star Wars fans. This weekend witnesses the release of the first trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens at selected cinemas in the US.

Regal Cinemas has confirmed the following locations:

CA, Irvine - Edwards Irvine Spectrum 22 & IMAX

CA, San Diego - Edwards Mira Mesa Stadium 18 IMAX & RPX

GA, Atlanta - Regal Atlantic Station Stadium 18 IMAX & RPX

IL, Chicago - Regal City North Stadium 14 IMAX & RPX

NY, New York - Regal Union Square Stadium 14

PA, Warrington - Regal Warrington Crossing Stadium 22 & IMAX

TN, Knoxville - Regal Pinnacle Stadium 18 IMAX & RPX

TX, Houston - Edwards Houston Marq'E Stadium 23 IMAX & RPX

WA, Seattle - Regal Thornton Place Stadium 14 & IMAX

Disney has a proven track record for effectively leveraging the social media space and I'd suggest the company premiere's the trailer online as soon as possible. If not, someone else will. Age of Ultron anyone?

Gameloft's Thanksgiving gift for iPhone

I don't usually post twice on the same day! But, Gameloft's Thanksgiving sale is a special case, and I wouldn't want readers to miss out on these incredible App Store deals.

Blades of Fury (iTunes) £0.59
Brothers In Arms - Hour of Heroes (iTunes) £0.59
Castle Of Magic (iTunes) £0.59
Shrek Kart (iTunes) £0.59
Terminator Salvation (iTunes) £0.59

May I take this opportunity to wish all my US readers a happy Thanksgiving.

EA Thanksgiving feast for iPhone

This Thanksgiving week EA is discounting up to 50% off their top games on the App Store.

Feast your eyes on these top titles:

Auditorium (iTunes) £1.19
Boggle (iTunes) £0.59
FIFA 10 (iTunes) £3.99
Madden 10 (iTunes) £3.99
NBA Live (iTunes) £3.99
Monopoly (iTunes) £1.79
Mystery Mania (iTunes) £0.59
Surviving High School (iTunes) £1.19
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR (iTunes) £1.79
Wolfenstein RPG (iTunes) £1.19

This offer is good through November 29th, and applies to countries outside the United States.

Cyber Monday

Yesterday's Sunday Times Business section featured an article on Cyber Monday! The term Cyber Monday refers to the Monday immediately following Black Friday, which is the day after Thanksgiving and the ceremonial kick-off of the holiday online shopping season.

Similar to Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year when retail stores often offer significant discounts, Cyber Monday has in recent years become a busy day for online retailers, and one in which online stores offer similarly low prices and promotions. It has gained cache since the 2005 holiday season.

Unlike bricks-and-mortar, my online stores are open 24/7:

Disney Shop
Doctor Who Shop
PlayStation Shop
Wii Shop
Xbox 360 Shop

Looking for The Legend of Zelda merchandise? Here's Link!

Black Friday

A belated happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers.

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, is historically one of the busiest retail shopping days of the year. Many consider it the "official" beginning to the holiday season. Most retailers will open very early and usually provide massive discounts on their products.

Although Black Friday is typically the busiest shopping day of the year in terms of customer traffic, it is not typically the day with the highest sales volume. That is usually either Christmas Eve, the last Saturday before Christmas, or December 26th Boxing Day.

Happy bargain hunting and be sure to return on Cyber Monday!