Telly

1970

“The commercialisation of it distresses me.” The first Christmas of the new decade found Eric, Ernie, Cilla and Rolf on the cover...

7.1K

4

1971

“The entire World of Sport team supply percussion.” BBC1’s schedule this year was almost identical to that of 12 months earlier – and...

6.2K

1972

“‘Hello Ask’, a small boy greets Aspel.” ITV launched their Christmas Day with an ambitious carol service recorded at the Royal Festival...

7.4K

6

1973

“A cast of 362 animals, birds and lords a-leaping.” If there was one person above all who was responsible for the BBC’s...

6.8K

4

1974

“Music composed and conducted by Ronnie Hazelhurst.” As ever, BBC1’s morning schedule ran to form: some carols, kids programmes –Camberwick Green, and Cartoon...

7.2K

7

1975

“A sort of Christmas bonus, you might say.” After their botched effort last year, the BBC rallied in 1975 to deliver another...

6.1K

1976

“400 brownies are yelling ‘We want Leslie Crowther’.” The Radio Times noted that a key element of Christmas was “being able to...

7.0K

1977

“Both parties contemplate divorce.” 25 December fell on a Sunday this year, so that meant a slight re-working of the traditional menu...

8.4K

10

1978

“People actually send spies to the rehearsal rooms.” Christmas 1978 was one of those pivotal moments in television history, where a number...

9.9K

16

1979

“Best switch off – if you don’t believe in laughter.” This final year of the decade found the BBC enjoying renewed popularity...

9.1K

15

1980

“For whom the jingle bells toll” Mike Yarwood can be found wearing a red cardigan, reclining on a rug in front of...

7.5K

9

1981

“He pulls the rabbit of verbal spontaneity from the hat of immediate circumstance.” After last year’s great showing, Christmas ‘81 was a...

7.6K

7

1982

“Every year for the last seven years we’ve had the wife’s family up for Christmas dinner. This year, for a change, we’re...

7.0K

1983

“And no royal Christmas party would be complete with charades, popular with the Royal Family through five generations. As in television’s Give Us...

6.7K

5

1984

“Eric Morecambe has gone, but the laughter he left behind is still ringing in our ears.” Christmas 1984 saw the end of...

8.7K

14

1985

“I’ve never known a year like it. Talk about hectic … To be honest, the fuss that is sometimes made when we’re...

7.2K

11

1986

“Anything can happen in Last of the Summer Wine and Christmas is no exception – especially when Compo is persuaded to clamber on...

5.3K

1987

“Will the Liverpool canniness of Sheila and Billy Grant be enough to counter Lancashire bluntness from Jack and Vera Duckworth or Yorkshire...

7.0K

10

1988

“Cilla Black introduces another selection of lonely young men to similarly placed young ladies.” Behind a traditional Christmas cover, Radio Times revealed...

9.0K

10

1989

“We both knew immediately Oswestry was just right. I mean there are times when Kilburn can fit the bill and others when...

407

1990

A futuristic dystopian britain provides the setting for a hard-bitten "and-the-moral-is" fantasy runaround,

6.9K

1990

“Elliot has a new friend.” “There are some terrific films on over Christmas … But wouldn’t it be great if the films...

6.4K

1991

“Continued after the Queen.” If a viewer had been out of the country for a whole year, a look at the Christmas...

5.8K

1992

“At Christmas, Freddie is disillusioned.” The schedules for the early part of Christmas Day by this point had settled into a predictable...

9.1K

1993

“An ITV/Diet Coke Movie Premiere.” The fact that advertisers were not really interested after the pre-Christmas spending spree tailed off began to...

4.6K

1994

“An unashamedly sentimental festive offering.” ITV’s failure in 1993 did not go unnoticed by the press or the ITC. They may have...

5.6K

1995

“The first of tonight’s two offerings from Albert Square.” 1995 was when things got dirty, as both channels battled it out over...

6.6K

1996

“Don is consumed by despair.” After all their good attempts, ITV seemed to crumble again in 1996, with another pretty comprehensive BBC...

4.0K

1997

“A day spent lying in front of the telly in a self-induced coma.” ITV by this point had seemed to have hit...

5.5K

1998

“Contains violence, swearing and sex scenes.” 1998 saw ITV make similar mistakes to before, but the early evening was the best for...

5.0K

1999

“The family gathers to celebrate Christmas.” 1999 saw a revival on both channels – perhaps they were disappointed at the distinctly average...

3.7K

2000

“I’m the king of the world!” The first Christmas Day of the 21st century harked back a few decades, with the main...

5.0K

2001

“Home for Christmas” Lorraine Heggessey became BBC1 controller in early 2001 and before she’d even adjusted her swivel chair to the correct...

3.8K

2002

“I’m sure we watch TV, but I just don’t remember it.” Turn back the clock a decade and soaps play but a...

3.3K

2003

“Del Boy and family face eviction.” It’s always very easy to hark back nostalgically to Christmases past and suggest that television on...

3.8K

2004

“Loved and loathed in equal measure.” For those who are fascinated by Christmas television, one of the main attractions is finding out...

3.6K

2005

“And it’s a Happy New Year from him” It always used to be said that people judged the quality of their Christmas...

3.1K

2006

“Life really doesn’t get much better” One of the reasons why Christmas Day television remains so important and unique in the telly...

3.0K

2007

“Christmas is all around” On Christmas Eve 2007, BBC2 screened The Comedy Christmas – the latest in what appears to be a never-ending...

3.4K

2008

“What more do you need?” One aspect of Christmas Day television seems to be rather rarer throughout the rest of the year...

4.1K

2009

“Jim favours buying an HD satellite box” Another decade of festive television comes to an end. Anyone predicting the future of Christmas...

4.8K

2010

“Everyone’s home for Christmas” Christmas Day 2010 brought us a familiar Christmas Day line-up on BBC1. Some may argue, in fact, rather...

4.7K

2011

“Everything you could want for Christmas Night” Over the past few years it’s been fairly easy to predict the ITV1 schedules for...

5.1K

2012

“A story of lifelong sorrow and abandonment” The BBC1 Christmas Day line-up is often held up as the perfect example of the...

4.8K

2013

“Agnes finds the festive spirit lacking” Christmas Day, at least on BBC1, has long been held up as the most important broadcasting...

4.4K

2014

“Will Santa offer the gift of salvation?” The main battle for audiences on Christmas Day has always been sold as BBC1 vs...

4.5K

2015

“The world is a different place” Despite declining ratings and the rise and rise of other entertainment options, festive telly continues to have...

5.9K