Irresistible: Sky Max’s Christmas Carole reviewed

What’s wrong with sentimentality? The answer, I’d suggest, could either be: a) its almost bullying insistence on us having emotions disproportionate to anything a particular story has earned; or b) nothing at all. And if you want to see how both of these are possible, two of this year’s big Christmas TV offerings provide handy illustrations.

Firmly in category a) is The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, an animated film by Charlie Mackesy, based on his own mega-selling book and with some impressively big-name actors doing the voices. Its methods are established immediately when a boy lost in a snowy wood happens across a cute talking mole (Tom Hollander). ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ the mole enquires. ‘Kind,’ says the boy. ‘Nothing beats kindness,’ the mole agrees, as they go for the first of their many cuddles.

There then follows some mild jeopardy when the two encounter a vicious, mole-eating fox (Idris Elba). Except that he isn’t vicious or mole-eating for very long. One spot of kindness shown to him and he realises the error of his vulpine ways, soon joining in the platitudes with the best of them: ‘Always remember, you’re enough just as you are.’

At which point, the three meet a horse (Gabriel Byrne) who sees no need to dissent from the prevailing conversational tone. ‘Being honest is always interesting,’ he questionably declares when the fox shares his (justified) uncertainty that he has nothing interesting to say.

And this is essentially how the programme proceeds for 30 minutes. Now and again, it remembers the boy’s quest for home that’s supposed to be the narrative framework.