Christmas at the Holly Day Inn

My excuse is that I am poorly. Under a blanket and in need of Christmas comfort having got a heavy cold. My goodness this is poor stuff.

Good to get one of these set in the UK - there are just dozens of American seasonal romances - but this doesn't ring true.

Dr Who (Colin Baker) and former EasterEnder Anita Dobson try their best with the jolity but it is hard to rescue a woeful script and disappointing settings.

I'm guessing it was filmed in Sept/October and the crew could only be supplemented by a handful of extras and the loan of a few garden fete atractions to make the big Christmas event.

The leads are sweet enough with a degree of chemistry but they aren't given the most believable material to work with.

There are a few directorial gaffes that make the piece lose pace - the hero parks several yards away when he turns up to change a tyre - weird!

They make cookies - at best they are gingerbread men and biscuits, we don't have a UK cookie baking tradition.

I wanted this to be so much better because it is about the UK but sadly it is in need of a re-think.