Why are Christmas films so popular?

If you were to turn on your TV right now, or open up Netflix, the chances of you stumbling upon a cheesy Christmas movie would be pretty high. They tend to be full of clichés, cringeworthy one-liners and predictable plots, but still we just can't seem to get enough. 

Let’s take a moment to delve into the psychology behind Christmas movies, and how they got to be so successful. Mormon director George Albert Smith released the first Christmas film : a short silent drama called Santa Claus, in 1898, which showed Santa visiting a house on Christmas eve. Moving into the 20th century, the history of Christmas movies reflects the story of Hollywood itself. In the US, they really became a genre, or even tradition, in their own right. The first wave came in the 1990s.

Who made the first Christmas film? If they’re repetitive and predictable, how come we keep coming back for more? What are the key ingredients for a good Christmas film then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !

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A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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