Entertainment

Sky jokingly schedules Groundhog Day to repeat again and again

The film will play 14 times in a row in a nod to the comedy.
The film will play 14 times in a row in a nod to the comedy. The film will play 14 times in a row in a nod to the comedy.

In a reference to the 1990s classic film comedy, Sky is playing Groundhog Day on back-to-back repeats.

The film is set on February 2, Groundhog Day, and sees Bill Murray’s cynical character doomed to live and relive the date in an endlessly recurring cycle.

In a nod to both the date and the much-loved comedy, which also stars Andie MacDowell, Sky has scheduled the film to play back-to-back on one of its channels. It will be played a total of 14 times in a row.

Sky Movies Comedy has been fully devoted to the film, with TV guides now resembling the repetition of Groundhog Day.

Fans were quick to praise Sky online for its sense of humour.

One Twitter user, Gary Urquhart, posted: “Well played @SkyUK for having Groundhog Day on all day today.”

Daniel Bound said: “Sky Cinema Comedy is showing Groundhog Day over and over again. I appreciate that.”

Another posted: “Sky Cinema showing Groundhog Day all day is a great way to spend the day. Yay.”

The film centres on Murray’s jaded newsreader character being sent to a small town, Punxsutawney, to cover the tradition of a groundhog purportedly predicting the coming of spring.

He is then caught in a loop of repeating the day over and over, until he breaks the spell of his own cynicism.

Sky listings show Groundhog Day being played from 6am on Saturday to around 6am on Sunday.