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As Wednesday is regarded as the most ordinary day of the week, I am looking forward to Christmas Day as a result as it will fall on that day.
Highlights either side of Christmas Day include the new version of Worzel Gummidge, and Dr Hannah Fry becoming the first woman to do a Mathematics themed series of Christmas lectures for the Royal Institution on BBC Four.
Now that the Christmas Day television schedules have now appeared on Digiguide (and hopefully they will also appear in the TV listings magazines in the shops very shortly), I thought I would have a look at the highlights of what I think would be worth watching on Christmas Day. I wouldn't be able to watch all of them myself as they do clash with what is on other channels of course. For the record, I have Sky Digital, an incumbent TV Licence, and something to record them on. (Sky Digital channel numbers in brackets).
BREAKFAST - BBC ONE (101) - 6.00 AM
Nothing really to add, but no doubt that Pope Francis, Justin Welby and the Queen will be mentioned in the news. I prefered it when BBC One used to have children's television in this slot.
MOOMINVALLEY - SKY ONE (106) - 6.00 AM
Those Finnish "George-out-of-Rainbow" lookalike creatures which were based on the books by Tove Jansson are revived for Sky One - a double bill here. Does anyone remember the Moomins Children's ITV series from the mid 1980s, shown around 4.10 pm after the lunchtime repeat of whatever was on?
IT'S CHRISTMAS LIVE [sic] FROM THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL - SKY ONE (106) - 7.00 AM
A live perforrmance which is apparently a repeat - or is it that an oxymoron - "recorded live"? Chrissie Hynde, the Vamps and Holly Johnson perform. A better alternative to the BBC One's Breakfast and the cartoons on most other channels.
THE TWO RONNIES - GOLD (110) - 7.35 AM
And it's a Merry Christmas from me - and a Merry Christmas from him. In addition to Barbara Dickson, it does also seem to have a cameo from Jenny Logan, famous at the time for appearing in the Shake 'n' Vac adverts.
CAROLS FROM KING'S - BBC 2 (102) - 8.40 AM
A repeat of the Christmas Eve broadcast, shown a bit earlier this year. Mind you, I don't think that I would be able to tell apart this year's from last year's, or the year before for that matter.
DISNEY'S A CHRISTMAS CAROL - ITV (103) - 9.25 AM
Disney uptake on the traditional Charles Dickens book. At least one can look at 9.25 am on a Wednesday morning and be thankful that Jeremy Kyle will never have be seen in this slot again. This Morning also gets a day off as well!
CHRISTMAS DAY MASS - BBC ONE (101) - 10.00 AM
It is truly refreshing not to see Homes Under the Hammer at 10.00 am on a Wednesday morning for once! If I cannot be bothered to get myself down to one of the local churches, I might just stay in and watch this. They are at St Joseph's Catholic Church in Bradford this year.
CAROLS AT CHRISTMAS - CHANNEL 5 (105) - 10.50 AM
Songs of Praise a la Channel 5, perhaps? Aled Jones and Josie D'Arby present two hours of favourite Christmas carols from different choirs, including Only Men Aloud (well, Girls Aloud couldn't, thank goodness).
WALLACE AND GROMIT: A CLOSE SHAVE - BBC ONE (101) - 11.00 AM
Ironically enough, I have asked for a Philips wet and dry electric shaver from Boots for Christmas in order to try control my own facial hair (something that Father Christmas himself could also do with), and so this is rather apt for Christmas Day this year. (A similar irony was made back in 1986 when I had got a Petite typewriter for Christmas - and Reet Petite by Jackie Wilson was the Christmas number one!)
ONLY WHEN I LAUGH - ITV 4 (120) - 11.30 AM
I have always said that hospitals and doctors make great comedy subjects, and Only When I Laugh is no exception. This Christmas 1981 episode gets an outing here where the infamous three middle-aged men, Figgis, Binns, and Glover, who always seemed to be stuck in bed in a hospital ward, still managed to mark the festive season. Anyone who enjoys this should also enjoy Carry On Again Doctor on ITV 3.
TOP OF THE POPS - BBC ONE (101) - 11.35 AM
Or "Top of the Pops: 1982 Big Hits" as it says on Digiguide which feels more like a BBC Four title, and as Top of the Pops on BBC One usually focuses on the incumbent year, one wonders why 1982 is referred to? A couple of years ago, this could have easily been renamed as the Ed Sheeran Show.
Continued in the next post.
Highlights either side of Christmas Day include the new version of Worzel Gummidge, and Dr Hannah Fry becoming the first woman to do a Mathematics themed series of Christmas lectures for the Royal Institution on BBC Four.
Now that the Christmas Day television schedules have now appeared on Digiguide (and hopefully they will also appear in the TV listings magazines in the shops very shortly), I thought I would have a look at the highlights of what I think would be worth watching on Christmas Day. I wouldn't be able to watch all of them myself as they do clash with what is on other channels of course. For the record, I have Sky Digital, an incumbent TV Licence, and something to record them on. (Sky Digital channel numbers in brackets).
BREAKFAST - BBC ONE (101) - 6.00 AM
Nothing really to add, but no doubt that Pope Francis, Justin Welby and the Queen will be mentioned in the news. I prefered it when BBC One used to have children's television in this slot.
MOOMINVALLEY - SKY ONE (106) - 6.00 AM
Those Finnish "George-out-of-Rainbow" lookalike creatures which were based on the books by Tove Jansson are revived for Sky One - a double bill here. Does anyone remember the Moomins Children's ITV series from the mid 1980s, shown around 4.10 pm after the lunchtime repeat of whatever was on?
IT'S CHRISTMAS LIVE [sic] FROM THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL - SKY ONE (106) - 7.00 AM
A live perforrmance which is apparently a repeat - or is it that an oxymoron - "recorded live"? Chrissie Hynde, the Vamps and Holly Johnson perform. A better alternative to the BBC One's Breakfast and the cartoons on most other channels.
THE TWO RONNIES - GOLD (110) - 7.35 AM
And it's a Merry Christmas from me - and a Merry Christmas from him. In addition to Barbara Dickson, it does also seem to have a cameo from Jenny Logan, famous at the time for appearing in the Shake 'n' Vac adverts.
CAROLS FROM KING'S - BBC 2 (102) - 8.40 AM
A repeat of the Christmas Eve broadcast, shown a bit earlier this year. Mind you, I don't think that I would be able to tell apart this year's from last year's, or the year before for that matter.
DISNEY'S A CHRISTMAS CAROL - ITV (103) - 9.25 AM
Disney uptake on the traditional Charles Dickens book. At least one can look at 9.25 am on a Wednesday morning and be thankful that Jeremy Kyle will never have be seen in this slot again. This Morning also gets a day off as well!
CHRISTMAS DAY MASS - BBC ONE (101) - 10.00 AM
It is truly refreshing not to see Homes Under the Hammer at 10.00 am on a Wednesday morning for once! If I cannot be bothered to get myself down to one of the local churches, I might just stay in and watch this. They are at St Joseph's Catholic Church in Bradford this year.
CAROLS AT CHRISTMAS - CHANNEL 5 (105) - 10.50 AM
Songs of Praise a la Channel 5, perhaps? Aled Jones and Josie D'Arby present two hours of favourite Christmas carols from different choirs, including Only Men Aloud (well, Girls Aloud couldn't, thank goodness).
WALLACE AND GROMIT: A CLOSE SHAVE - BBC ONE (101) - 11.00 AM
Ironically enough, I have asked for a Philips wet and dry electric shaver from Boots for Christmas in order to try control my own facial hair (something that Father Christmas himself could also do with), and so this is rather apt for Christmas Day this year. (A similar irony was made back in 1986 when I had got a Petite typewriter for Christmas - and Reet Petite by Jackie Wilson was the Christmas number one!)
ONLY WHEN I LAUGH - ITV 4 (120) - 11.30 AM
I have always said that hospitals and doctors make great comedy subjects, and Only When I Laugh is no exception. This Christmas 1981 episode gets an outing here where the infamous three middle-aged men, Figgis, Binns, and Glover, who always seemed to be stuck in bed in a hospital ward, still managed to mark the festive season. Anyone who enjoys this should also enjoy Carry On Again Doctor on ITV 3.
TOP OF THE POPS - BBC ONE (101) - 11.35 AM
Or "Top of the Pops: 1982 Big Hits" as it says on Digiguide which feels more like a BBC Four title, and as Top of the Pops on BBC One usually focuses on the incumbent year, one wonders why 1982 is referred to? A couple of years ago, this could have easily been renamed as the Ed Sheeran Show.
Continued in the next post.
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