christmas telly

I suspect that "Terrestrial" premieres will be repackaged as "Network" premieres being that they are being shown for the first time on non subscription TV. A premiere movie still attracts moderately large audiences so a premiere by whatever name is a big audience grabber and easy to advertise.

In accordance to all of this christmas television talk, I thought i would add that just last week I managed to pick up a copy of some old film magazines - Empire, Total Film, and in one for christmas 1995 it listed tv highlights. I just wondered, being a bit of a tv freak for the schedules that i am, whether anyone on this forum has kept any old Christmas issues of Radio Times from years gone by, particularly from 80s and 90s and could post some of the christmas schedules up on the forum, as it would be interestign to look for general themes that the terrestrial tv channels come up with for christmas each year and the changes they make yearly to their festive schedules.

I have copies of every Christmas Radio Times from 1976 right up until last year. Let me know what years you would like to see from that time range.

As many as you can put up would be superb. Notable films shown over christmas in the early 90s and the 80s are what i'm looking for.

i read on ITV Teletext today that ITV1 are to groom "Midsomer Murders" as the new Christmas day Only Fools must see event. They are showing a special festive edition on Christmas Day at 9pm. this would certainly give BBC1 a run for their money and makes you wonder how the beeb can compete with that.

Anyway, as requested here are a couple of schedules from 1981 and 1982 on BBC1. I will list 1983 and 1984 later.

1981
8.40am Star Over Bethlehem
9.40 The Flumps
9.55 ROLF AT CHRISTMAS Christmas songs and entertainment.
10.30 Christmas Morning Worship
11.50 THE DONALD DUCK STORY: Two part walt Disney special.
continues on Boxing Day.
12.30 FILM: TOM THUMB: Musical fairy tale with Russ Tamblyn.
2.00 Top of the Pops 1981
3.00 The Queen
3.10 Larry Graysons Christmas Generation Game
4.10 FILM PREMIERE: IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS
Disney adventure with Hayley Mills.
5.45 Jim'll Fix It For Christmas
6.25 BBC News, Weather
6.35 Paul Daniels' Magical Christmas
7.15 Last of The Summer Wine
7.45 THE TWO RONNIES CHRISTMAS SHOW: With Chas and Dave.
8.35 DALLAS: Classic USA soap opera.
9.25 FILM PREMIERE: LOOPHOLE:
British film about a daring bank robbery starring Albert Finney and Martin Sheen.
11.05 BBC News,weather
11.15 PARKINSON ON COMEDY: Parky with an array of comedy stars.
12.15 Christmas Night with the Spinners
12.45 Closedown

1982
8.40am The All-New Pink Panther Show
9.00 Carols From Buckfast
9.45 CHRISTMAS PARADE: Ceremonial parade from hyde Park Barracks.
10.35 Christmas Morning Service
11.40 Raccoons On Ice
12.05 FILM PREMIERE: MISTER QUILP
Entertaining musical version of Dickens' "Old Curiosity Shop"
2.00 Top of the Pops 1982
3.00 The Queen
3.05 FILM PREMIERE: INTERNATIONAL VELVET
Sequel to "National Velvet" starring Tatum O'Neal and Christopher Plummer
5.10 BBC News
5.20 Jim'll Fix It For Christmas
6.00 The Paul Daniels Magic Christmas Show
6.55 Last of the Summer Wine
7.30 The Two Ronnies Christmas Show
8.15 FILM PREMIERE: DEATH ON THE NILE
An all star cast in this Agatha Christie murder mystery
10.30 BBC News
10.40 Christmas With Perry Como
11.30 THE SIGNALMAN
A Ghost Story dramatisation for Christmas night.
12.10 Christmas Night With The Spinners
12.40 Closedown.

In those days there was much heralding about new run films. They were not described as "FILM PREMIERES" as I have listed here. After the listing in the Radio Times, a little statement in brackets would read (First Showing on British Television). Those were the days.

I also have a number of Christmas TV Times' issues from the 1990's.
Here are the BBC1 Christmas Day schedules for 1994 & 1995:

BBC1:
1994:
6.45am Children's BBC.
10.00 Songs of Praise: Christmas Special.
11.00 FILM: Jetsons: The Movie. 1990.
12.20pm Tom & Jerry: Festive Episode.
12.30 BBC News, Weather.
12.35 EastEnders Omnibus.
2.00 Top of the Pops: Christmas Episode.
3.00 The Queen's Festive Speech.
3.10 Noel's Christmas Presents.
4.10 Animal Hospital Christmas Special.
4.45 BBC News, Weather.
4.55 FILM: The Wrong Trousers. 1993.
5.25 Keeping Up Appearances: Christmas Special.
6.15 EastEnders.
6.45 FILM: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. 1991.
9.00 One Foot in the Grave: Christmas Special.
9.40 Victoria Wood: Live in Your Own Home.
10.30 BBC News, Weather.
10.40 The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show: 1971.
11.25 Christmas Spirit: Festive Video.
11.30 FILM: Trading Places. 1983.
1.20am Weatherview.
1.25 Close.

1995:
6.00am Children's BBC.
10.00 Christmas Day in the Morning.
10.55 FILM: The NeverEnding Story. 1984.
12.25pm Neighbours.
12.50 BBC News, Weather.
12.55 Top of the Pops: Christmas Episode.
1.55 Only Fools and Horses: 1992 Christmas Episode. Rpt.
3.00 The Queen's Christmas Speech.
3.10 Noel's Christmas Presents.
4.20 BBC News, Weather.
4.30 FILM: Hook. 1991.
6.45 Auntie's Brand New Bloomers.
7.30 EastEnders.
8.00 Keeping Up Appearances Christmas Special.
8.30 EastEnders.
9.00 One Foot in the Grave Christmas Special.
10.00 BBC News, Weather.
10.10 FILM: Indecent Proposal. 1992.
12.00am I Hate Christmas: Short Festive Drama.
12.05 The Greatest Music Party in the World: 1 of 2.
1.35 Weatherview.
1.40 Close.

Thanking you very much. By the way i'm surprised Indecent Proposal was shown as soon as 1995 on BBC1 as it was only released in cinemas in 1993, only two years previously.

Yup it's true, I still have the trailer for Xmas Evening 1995, I'd like to know why Neighbours was on Christmas Day in 1995, it's usually off for like 2 weeks at Christmas!

But it's not the first time this has happened as the BBC showed Titanic on Christmas Day 2000 (A boring one too!) but Titanic only got relased in 1998, though I guess the BBC paid alot of money for it.

It'll be because of the closeness as it were that the BBC now is to the transmition date in australia, if we went through christmas, we'd be virtually on top of them, which would mean that we would have to take breaks as long as they do.
But I'm sure that last Christmas they extended the run by a bit and so they had a few christmas storylines.

But at the moment the BBC take breaks whenever they can. Such as now, they have dropped it whilst the Olympics is airing, even though they could do like CBBC and air it on BBC Two at 5:35. I'm sure that they dropped it for Wimbledon as well, though they may have transferred it to BBC Two then.

This will be the case for five and home & away soon. When they started to broadcast it, they had the difference in transmition date from australia and the year gap when they couldn't show it due to the ITV contract.
But now I'm sure that it's been mentioned that they are only just over 6 months or something similar, but they are gaining, due to the fact that five have been showing it every weekday including christmas day.

Any more news on christmas tv for 2004? Getting a bit excited. I love the festive season for tv esp. big movies shown on bbc and ITV1. Also can ne1 post the christmas listings - ie: Christmas eve, christmas day and boxing day for BBC1 and ITV for 1987 and all the 90s years if you get a chance or email them to me - James1987106@hotmail.com. Wud v much appreciate this. J

Well, the BBC have announced that "The Vicar of Dibley" will be the jewel in the Christmas Day comedy crown this year and apparently is being recorded at Shepperton studios on 3rd and 10th of October. Along with Harry Potter, Bend it like Beckham, brand new Doctor Who and EastEnders, Christmas day should be great on BBC1 if it is being topped off with Dibley chaos! then for Boxing Day, it is highly likely that the Christmas special of "Auf Wiedersehen Pet" will be screened. All that AND the probability of a brand new BBC1 Christmas ident! What a great Christmas 2004 on BBC1.

Apart from the apprant special christmas midsomer murders on christmas day night, does anyone know what ITV1 have got planned?