There's nothing that assuages the misery of shopping and memories of bills better than a belly laugh. The more you despise the commercialism of the Christmas season, the more you need the professionals.

What perfect timing, then, for the launch of the fifth season of comedy showcase, Live At The Apollo. In the first of six shows featuring the best comedians to make personal appearances in your sitting room, Jason Manford and Michael McIntyre take centre stage and control of your laugh-snorts, starting tonight at 9:30pm on BBC 1.

Catch your breath and soothe your sides quickly, though, because you'll only have an hour and change to then flip over to More 4 at 11:10pm for another hour and a half of the wonderful stream of conciousness, circuitous route to the perfect punchline of Eddie Izzard's Circle stand-up show.

Then on Sunday, for Who fans of all ages, the new animated series of Doctor Who, Dreamland, will gather its six episodes of 7-14 minutes each and show them all together as a feature event on BBC 2, 5th December at 10:00am. We, personally, preferred the style of the previous animated series, but the monsters here do look like they're as impressively cel-shaded and, truth be told, we'd watch a stick figure version of The 10th Doctor, as long as he was voiced by David Tennant.

If all that doesn't raise you from the depths of any self-induced or high street-inflicted pre-holiday funk, we have a CV of one Mr Bob Cratchit you may want to consider hiring. Just state your preference of PDF or plain text.

Or, have a look at the list of movies airing over the weekend and a bit beyond. There's something for all tastes and moods, to raise your spirits, invite new ones in, and keep the buying blues at bay.

Please also note: the ordinal numbers for dates will help you scan through this simple list with your browser's search function. Enter '5th' in your browser's Find box or window to highlight and/or tab through all movies shown on Saturday. Enjoy!

Airplane!
On: Sky Movies Modern Greats
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 08:30am (and 6:25pm)

Batman Begins
On: ITV1    
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 8:30pm

Ben-Hur
On: Sky Movies Classics
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 12:20pm (and 8:15pm)

Beverly Hills Cop
On: Sky Movies Christmas     
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 09:55am (and 8:00pm)

Big
On: Sky Movies Modern Greats  
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 4:05pm

Bowfinger
On: Sky Movies Comedy
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 2:35pm (and 1:20am 5th Dec, 8:15am & 4:40pm 7th Dec)

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
On: ITV2
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 5:10pm

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
On: Sky Movies Modern Greats   
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 10:10am

Cool Hand Luke
On: Five
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 4:55pm

Coma
On: TCM    
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 9:00pm

Crash (2004)
On: more4  
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 9:00pm (and 00:50am 6th Dec)

Darkman
On: Sky Movies Action/Thriller  
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 10:00pm

Daylight
On: Sky Movies Action/Thriller    
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 10:30am (and 4:20pm)

Deathwatch
On: Film4   
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 11:35pm (and 00:35am 6th Dec Film4+1)

Demolition Man
On: Sky Movies Action/Thriller    
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 12:35pm (and 8:00pm, 11:25pm 11th Dec Sky Christmas)

Desperado
On: Watch   
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm Watch+1, 9:30/10:30pm 6th Dec Watch/+1)

Drop Dead Fred
On: LIVING  
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 10:00am Nad 11:00am/noon Living+1/+2)

Enemy At The Gates
On: Film4
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1)

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
On: ITV2  
Date: Saturday 5th December 2
Time: 5:05pm (and 11:10am 6th Dec)

Galaxy Quest
On: Sky Movies Comedy  
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 11:00am (and 6:15pm)

Harry And The Hendersons
On: Sky Screen 1  
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 06:00am (and 4:50am 6th Dec)

Hellboy II: The Golden Army
On: Sky Movies Sci-Fi/Horror  
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 1:40pm (and 9:00pm)

High Fidelity
On: Sky Movies Indie    
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 2:00pm

Home Alone
On: Sky Movies Premiere
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 5:30pm (and 6:30pm Premiere+1, 9:30am & 3:00pm 6th Dec Sky Family, 2:10pm & 11:30pm 8th Dec Sky Christmas, 9:15am & 6:15pm 9th Dec Sky Family)

Hot Shots!
On: Sky Screen 1   
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 11:40pm

How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
On: Sky Movies Family  
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 07:15am (and 2:45pm, 3:30pm 5th Dec, 9:35am 6th Dec, 8:40am 9th Dec Sky Christmas)

Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte
On: Sky Movies Classics    
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 10:20pm

Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
On: Sky Movies Modern Greats    
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 12:20pm (and 8:00pm)

Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
On: Sky Movies Modern Greats
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: noon (and 8:00pm)

Jaws 2
On: Hallmark  
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Hallmark+1, 1:50/2:50pm 5th Dec Hallmark/+1

Juno
On: Sky Movies Comedy  
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 07:30am (and 8:00pm)

Jurassic Park III
On: Sky Movies Family    
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 06:30am (and 9:40pm)

Kindergarten Cop
On: ITV2   
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 1:35pm

Kung Fu Panda
On: Sky Screen 1   
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 08:00am (and 4:55pm)

Last Action Hero
On: Five   
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 3:50pm

Midnight Run
On: Sky Movies Comedy  
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 11:40pm

Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life
On: Sky Movies Christmas     
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 01:45am

Ocean's Eleven
On: ITV2
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 10:30pm (and 9:00pm 7th Dec)

Predator
On: Sky Movies Modern Greats   
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 10:00pm

Predator 2
On: Sky Movies Action/Thriller   
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 2:30pm (and 11:40pm)

Raiders Of The Lost Ark
On: Sky Movies Modern Greats
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 12:35pm (and 8:00pm)

Ray
On: ITV1   
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 11:00pm

Richard Pryor Live On The Sunset Strip
On: Sky Movies Comedy  
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 10:00pm (and 3:00am 5th Dec)

Ride With The Devil
On: Sky Movies Drama   
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 11:30am (and 12:40pm)

RocknRolla
On: Sky Movies Indie  
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 1:35pm (and 8:00pm, 11:25am & 8:00pm 10th Dec)

Role Models
On: Sky Movies Premiere
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 10:30am (and 11:30am Premiere+1 & 10:00/11:00pm Premiere/+1 and daily at similar times through 12th Dec)

Rumble Fish
On: Sky Movies Drama  
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 01:15am

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi
On: ITV1    
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 3:50pm

Strange Days
On: Sky Movies Modern Greats   
Date: Sunday 6th December 2009
Time: 01:55am

Sunset Boulevard
On: Sky Movies Classics   
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 4:40pm

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
On: Sky Movies Drama   
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 11:10pm

Taken
On: Sky Screen 1  
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 10:00pm

Testament
On: Sky Movies Sci-Fi/Horror   
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 09:40am (and 2:50pm)

The Bank Job
On: Sky Movies Christmas  
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 9:45pm

The Big Lebowski
On: Sky Movies Modern Greats   
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 11:55pm

The Blues Brothers
On: ITV4
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 10:30pm

The Breakfast Club
On: Sky Movies Modern Greats    
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 10:35am (and 4:40pm)

The Dark Knight
On: Sky Screen 1   
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 9:00pm (and 3:25pm 6th Dec)

The Duellists
On: Sky Movies Indie  
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 6:00pm (and 00:20am 5th Dec, 10:30am 9th Dec Sky Christmas)

The Game
On: Sky Movies Action/Thriller  
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 5:40pm (and 2:05am 7th Dec)

The Godfather Part II
On: Sky Movies Modern Greats  
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 06:20am (and 2:45pm)

The Great Escape
On: Sky Screen 1    
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 1:55pm

The In-Laws
On: TCM
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 1:00pm (and 5:00am 6th Dec)

The Italian Job (1969)
On: Sky Movies Christmas   
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 1:55pm (and 8:00pm)

The Jackal
On: BBC 1   
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 11:45pm

The Last Starfighter
On: Five    
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 2:00pm

The Lost Boys
On: TCM
Date: Friday 4th December
Time: 9:00pm

The Silence Of The Lambs
On: Sky Movies Modern Greats  
Date: Sunday 6th December
Time: 10:10pm

Total Recall
On: ITV2   
Date: Tuesday 8th December
Time: 10:00pm

Tremors
On: ITV4   
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm 7th Dec)

Tropic Thunder
On: Sky Movies Comedy
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 1:00pm (and 9:30pm, 6:10pm 7th Dec Sky Christmas)

WarGames
On: Virgin 1   
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Virgin+1, 5:00/4:00pm 6th Dec Virgin/+1)

What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?
On: Sky Movies Classics   
Date: Saturday 5th December
Time: 8:00pm

X-Men
On: Sky1    
Date: Friday 4th December 2009
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm 6th Dec & 10:00pm 9th Dec Sky2)