Christmas TV 2019

I don't remember there being an ad break in The Snowman at any point, or at least not on the occasions where I've seen it on Channel 4 anyway. There were no adverts anyway on today's airing. Sure you're not getting mixed up with the follow-up, the Snowdog? That's always gone out with adverts in the normal way.

I'd love for there to be a 4:3 remaster with the Briggs introduction. Unfortunately, I believe the Blu-ray release was also cropped and only featured the Briggs introduction as a bonus feature. Given how well it sets the mood and tone for the story, it really is a shame that the version Channel 4 broadcast uses a much inferior introduction produced only to sell to the international market.


One interesting thing about the current print though, is if you have overscan turned off, in one of the scenes you can see handwritten frame numbers in the bottom right of the picture.

There is surely an argument in this day and age to put archive programme out on HD versions of channels with vertical black borders, 4:3 in a 16:9 frame given how it will be auto-Shatliffed on Sky boxes connected via HDMI.

Nope, it was definitely the original two or three years ago, it annoyed me enough that I tweeted C4 to complain as it was so jarring. The warning sign was it being scheduled in a 35 minute slot, but last year - and this year it seems - its back as it should be.


What is interesting in the article about Bowie’s introduction is that Raymond Briggs preferred Bowie’s introduction, I wasn’t aware of that. I’ll be more prepared to accept it now!

Briggs or Bowie introduction, a 4:3 HD remaster would be great, I’d buy that for sure, but I won’t be buying a 16:9 cropped version (which the Blu Ray is).

I forgot Newsroom South East gets a mention on The Vicar of Dibley in the Nativity episode they’re currently airing.

Lives on nearly 20 years after death!

And a joke about digital TV letting you choose the camera angles during football. That didn’t last long.

Most things digital TV promised didn't last long, if they materialised at all. Did the interactive card slot in the original Sky Digital boxes ever get used?

I brought the Open keyboard, not sure why now really

Isn't that what happens on the HD channels anyway? There was no Shatliffing at my end.

It was a handy dust collector, much favoured by Marjorie Dawes

Apart from Nickelodeon HD anyway, which for some reason started cropping when the SD channel went 16:9.

Nuts TV used it. I’m not joking.