Christmas Television 2011

The current look is only scheduled to be on air until August 2012, but the director of the idents Guy Soulsby said it could even be earlier in February 2012.

So they're simply a stop gap to fit sky 1 into the branding of the other channels? Presumebly it's only sky 1, as the other channels are looking lovely imo.

Is it just me, or was Christmas Day telly this year (in a programming sense) about the worst ever - I can't remember tv so bad and uninspiring.

No family films of note really or any other programming that made me feel they've pushed the boat out, it felt like a regular weekend, at a stretch Easter bank holiday.

Do the 20 or so million people who'll be slouched in front of the telly on Chirtmas night, really want to watch the queen vic burn down for the umpteenth time or a "past it" Joanna Lumly, Jennifer Saunders et all playing the same worn out unfunny 1990s characters?

It just seemed like regular tv to me, I find Dr Who and those sorts of things monumentally boring, but even if it really tickles your winkle, it's on every sodding Saturday night anyway.

And as for Downton Abbey what sort of half wit wants to watch a load of fat wrinkly transvestites playing dress up for two hours? Again, if that sort of recycled hormonal teenage angst in fancy dress floats your boat, it's on every week anyway.

Is it just me ?

It's just you. Other people can still feel joy y'see. I'm sure others would be included to agree it wasn't a great turnout because it didn't reflect the programming of their childhood or preceding it because we all know the further back in time you go the better TV gets somehow.

I do have to admit that I found the Telly this year shockingly bad. At least tonight seems better with The Borrowers and The Royal Bodyguard. In my opinion I feel tonight's telly should have been on last night.

Its not just him, actually, and it doesn't have anything to do with cynicism.

There were several points in the day I remarked there wasn't much special to watch - largely the early evening, where I would have hoped to be spoiled for choice, and came up disappointed.

Did anybody else see the repeat of Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings from Xmas 2000 on Christmas Eve? They showed a brief clip of the BBC One Christmas ident from that year, as well as parodies of the BBC's new digital channels (BBC Upmarket, BBC Downmarket, BBC Braindead, BBC Wartime, BBC Knittime, BBC Teatime, BBC Good Old Days).

Wouldn't be the first time. They introduced the "two part" idents idents in 1997 (I think) to fit in with the revised corporate look, then ditched them less than a year later for the much nicer square logo.

Yeah that was when Sky decided that it's channels should have separate individual looks instead of following the same format, which they've now reversed with this last rebrand.

Indeed, thank you Gavin - my comments explicitly pertained tv itself, not me being grumpy.... And actually, I love Christmas. I have two young children, its a magical time for them and it's really the only time of the year most people really do stop, unwind and catch up for a few days.

And that was the point I was trying to make, nothing that really stood out that the family could enjoy together.

In truth, the only thing we watched on Christmas day was Disney's Aladdin.

Now let me say this, i'm not one of those dull anti bbc licence fee naysayers, indeed, I believe the BBC to be the finest broadcaster in the world, a jewel in our crown and envy of every country on this earth, I think the number of repeats on BBC ONE are criminal. It's like being in a time warp.

What on earth were the schedulers thinking when they decided that we needed another chance to watch total wipeout, just in case we were so astounded by its brilliance the chrimas day showing was too much for us to take in and we needed to see it again? It's banial mindless drivel. If your the sort of person who likes to see a person wearing a cycle helmet constantly fall into a swimming pool, fair play to you, but really, it should be on cbbc and we don't need to see it again.

And a second showing of a strictly come dancing special? I mean why, who wants to watch it again? I didn't want to watch it the first time. What dross and how unimaginative. the same as the regular show, but with Christmas songs and Father Christmas outfits?

But what gets me is with PVRs and iPlayer, this level of repeats is not necessary, if they really want to repeat these sort of generic schedule fillers, stick them on in the early hours of the morning so the night shift workers catch them.

The BBCs archive is a treasure trove, if they really must repeat something to fill a bit of dead time during the day at least do it with something we've not seen for 24 hours.

Right, I understand what wasn't liked but what did you want to see?

The BBC really needs to get a load of new shows. Many of them won't work, but some will. And who knows, we could have the next Morecambe or Wise, or Victoria Wood, or The Royle Family.

I have to agree TV wasn't very good this Christmas, for me anyway. I never really enjoyed Ab Fab when it was on the first time so I didn't see it, nor did I watch Strictly, or Downton, in fact I think the only things I watched this Christmas were Top of the Pops (I'm still in the target range, for a few years at least haha) and The Queen.

I am looking forward to The Royal Bodyguard and The Borrowers tonight though. They probably should have put them on yesterday, but I guess Strictly got in the way. Why do they have a Strictly Christmas show anyway? The show's supposed to be a competition, not a one-off thing. Well, anyway. I have enjoyed the Morecambe and Wise repeats. And the Victoria Wood repeat on Christmas Eve, even if a lot of people in it have either sadly passed away by now or have changed quite a bit in appearance.