A collective ritual, a sort of Sanremo in a cinematographic version. We could thus define “An armchair for two”, from the perspective of an event that takes shape and meaning in a precise moment, which is the same for everyone.

December 24th is, in fact, the day of John Landis’ film, dated 1983 but practically timeless. And the broadcast, in addition to not being able to change, cannot even include encores during the year.

“An armchair for two” is available on various platforms and on Sky, without anyone being particularly worried about it. Yes, because “An armchair for two” in itself is not important; it is important what it represents for an audience that largely already knows everything about the film, who perhaps even owns a dusty DVD at home, never moved from the video store precisely in view of that “here and now” principle that forces you to be in front of the television, once a year, tuned to Italia 1 and even forced to put up with advertising breaks for a global sharing that does not contemplate advances or exceptions.

Let’s be clear, outside of December 24th “An Armchair for Two” would be a simple, cute little comedy, nothing more. The story of an exchange of lives, with the rich and spoiled Louis Winthorpe who finds himself without a penny in his pocket and the homeless Billie Valentine who suddenly acquires money, success and prestige.

On Christmas Eve, however, the plot acquires charm. It seduces, attracts and leverages the aforementioned concept of tradition capable of uniting millions of strangers spread across the country.

And to think that “An Armchair for Two” would have little Christmas feel about it. The holidays are partly mentioned in the plot, yet the release in cinemas took place in June 1983 in the USA and on 19 June 1984 in Italy.

The method of transmission on TV is particular

The method of broadcast on TV is also particular. Canale 5 broadcast the film for the first time ever on 2 April 1986. The second broadcast occurred on Italia 1 on 7 January 1988 and the third very shortly after, already on the 25th of the same month.

There is also a summer schedule, on 13 July 1995, and one on 31 October 2002. The only exceptions of a tradition which, otherwise, placed “An Armchair for Two” always in December, with the frequency of the 24th which, from 2008, was only skipped in 2011, with the unprecedented and much contested option of the pre-Christmas. A false step committed during a perfect path, which does not allow violations and betrayals.

For the record, yesterday there were 2.086 million viewers of “A Armchair for Two”, equal to a share of 15.4%. All people who, in an era in which everyone can build their own schedule away from rules and impositions, decide to be together, virtually, in a single immense room that offers the same product for everyone.