Just because it makes interesting reading, here's Christmas 2001's schedule (don't have last years).
Last years BBC One schedule on Christmas Day was...
0600 CBeebies
0700 CBBC
1015 No Room at the Inn?
1115 Morecambe and Wise
1220 FILM: The Santa Clause
1350 BBC News; Weather
1400 Top Of The Pops
1500 The Queen
1510 Legend of The Lost Tribe
1540 Bargain Hunt
1620 Outtake TV
1650 FILM: Chicken Run
1810 BBC News; Weather
1820 EastEnders
1855 My Family
1925 Ground Forces Goes Festive
2025 The Big Impression
2100 BBC News; Weather
2105 EastEnders
2140 Only Fools and Horses
2255 French and Saunders' Christmas Puddings
2235 FILM: The Wedding Singer
0105 Theres Something about Mary (and Joseph)
0110 FILM: Steptoe and Son
0250 BBC News 24
Here's what I think of last Christmas Day's schedule on BBC1
0600 CBeebies
0700 CBBC
1015 No Room at the Inn?
Fair enough...
1115 Morecambe and Wise
Just what you'd expect, and just what you want on xmas morning - classic comedy...
1220 FILM: The Santa Clause
OK, I can live with that, for the kids sakes....
1350 BBC News; Weather
1400 Top Of The Pops
1500 The Queen
Yep, ok, but TOTP is crap now...
1510 Legend of The Lost Tribe
er, starting to go a bit wayward here...
1540 Bargain Hunt
OH FOR FUXX SAKE!!!! Why oh why oh why must we put up with this pants on xmas day???
1620 Outtake TV
This is really lame for xmas, going further downhill...
1650 FILM: Chicken Run
Seen it before, but at least it's good, just about going back up again..
1810 BBC News; Weather
1820 EastEnders
Yeah, it's getting better, until...
1855 My Family
1925 Ground Forces Goes Festive
oOH NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! They've fudged it again!!!...
2025 The Big Impression
Even worse still...
2100 BBC News; Weather
2105 EastEnders
concluding the earlier episode I hope, but we don't need 2 lots of the same thing. It's still not getting any better, just leveling out on the floor...
2140 Only Fools and Horses
2255 French and Saunders' Christmas Puddings
This was ok. I remember being at my mates house at this time, he fell asleep...
2235 FILM: The Wedding Singer
Might just recover from the badly planned early evening with this..
0105 Theres Something about Mary (and Joseph)
0110 FILM: Steptoe and Son
Hmm, OK, Steptoe is good, but it's not much of a finale to the day...
0250 BBC News 24
Why? What the hell is there to report on xmas day anyway? Just close down and give the newsreaders a break.
For contrast, here is 1981's listing...
8.40am Star Over Bethlehem
Well, it is xmas...
9.40 The Flumps
Excellent...
9.55 Rolf at Christmas with special guests Keith Harris and Orville
Would have loved it as a kid, I'm sure. Top marks..
10.30 Christmas Morning Service
Boring for kids, but I bet my mum and my gran loved it...
11.47 Weather
11.50 The Donald Duck Story
Good stuff, keep the kids happy...
12.30pm tom thumb
Not sure about this...
2.00 Top of the Pops with Peter Powell and Dave Lee Travis
The music would've been better then...
3.00 The Queen
3.10 Larry Grayson's Generation Game
can't really comment, but it'd be better than Jim Davidson...
4.10 FILM: In Search of the Castaways
can't comment, havn't seen it...
5.45 Jim'll Fix It
Yep, keep going...
6.25 Evening News
6.35 Paul Daniels' Magical Christmas
You may laugh at him, but he is quite a good illusionists really..
7.15 Last of the Summer Wine
Ok, it had to fall down somewhere, although I would've liked it as a kid...
7.45 The Two Ronnies
Gets better again...
8.35 Dallas
my parents loved this, so it would've been a hit I'm sure...
9.25 FILM: Loophole
Can't comment...
11.05 Main News
11.15 Parkinson on Comedy
Good 'ol Parky...
12.15am Christmas Night with The Spinners
OK, droops a bit, but it was the early 80's after all...
12.45-12.50 Weather
time for bed. don't forget to turn off your tv set.
I like the 1981 line-up better, and there was very little complete crap compared with 2002.
Last years BBC One schedule on Christmas Day was...
0600 CBeebies
0700 CBBC
1015 No Room at the Inn? 1115 Morecambe and Wise 1220 FILM: The Santa Clause
1350 BBC News; Weather
1400 Top Of The Pops
1500 The Queen
1510 Legend of The Lost Tribe 1540 Bargain Hunt 1620 Outtake TV 1650 FILM: Chicken Run 1810 BBC News; Weather 1820 EastEnders 1855 My Family 1925 Ground Forces Goes Festive 2025 The Big Impression 2100 BBC News; Weather 2105 EastEnders 2140 Only Fools and Horses 2255 French and Saunders' Christmas Puddings 2235 FILM: The Wedding Singer 0105 Theres Something about Mary (and Joseph) 0110 FILM: Steptoe and Son 0250 BBC News 24
Well, thats how I feel about BBC1 schedule last year! It was damn poor and certainly much poorer than previous years. I know everyone says that each yea, but it just has to be said about last year's effort!!!
I mean, who wants on Xmas day to sit in and watch:-
Yes, a very sad day when Lifestyle programming such as Bargain Hunt, Changing Rooms & Ground Force were introduced into the Christmas Day schedule.
It is sad when they have to revert to this schedule, if I want to have lifestyle on Christmas Day I would watch UK Style, but I don't. If the schedule is awful this year, ie Harry Potter (Sorry but I can't stand the book or the film) or if ITV show The Great Escape again, I'm just going to rely on the DVD and Sky Movies on Christmas Day, as it seems to be awful on most channels. Apparently Sky One is going to have an awful schedule as they're apparently running a night of Fear Factor.
When we watched last year we were appauled that Bargain Hunt was on in prime time on Christmas Day (Which really is 12pm-1am), the only good things on BBC One last Christmas Day were Out Take TV and Chicken Run, a good funny film which doesn't last too long, unlike Potter.
Yes, a very sad day when Lifestyle programming such as Bargain Hunt, Changing Rooms & Ground Force were introduced into the Christmas Day schedule.
It is sad when they have to revert to this schedule, if I want to have lifestyle on Christmas Day I would watch UK Style, but I don't. If the schedule is awful this year, ie Harry Potter (Sorry but I can't stand the book or the film) or if ITV show The Great Escape again, I'm just going to rely on the DVD and Sky Movies on Christmas Day, as it seems to be awful on most channels. Apparently Sky One is going to have an awful schedule as they're apparently running a night of Fear Factor.
When we watched last year we were appauled that Bargain Hunt was on in prime time on Christmas Day (Which really is 12pm-1am), the only good things on BBC One last Christmas Day were Out Take TV and Chicken Run, a good funny film which doesn't last too long, unlike Potter.
I disagree with all this - I and my family all enjoy Bargain Hunt, it's good family entertainment, and we enjoyed settling down to watch it last Christmas Day after dinner. I'd certainly rather watch it than Top of the Pops or some cliched "Christmassy" movie.
Ground Force may have been taking it too far though...
I notice today that the regular TV listings up to 14 days ahead have been confirmed and there are no TBA's in the schedule. This probably means that the BBC and ITV are starting to schedule ahead of themselves in the run up to Christmas. We should get the rough early Christmas TV guides soon in the papers, probably around the 27th or 28th of Nov.
I think it would be good to have the Pop Idol finale on Christmas Day - could have Pop Idol at 6pm followed by Emmerdale at 7, then Corrie at 8 and the Pop Idol Results at 9pm!
There's no way they'd put the Pop Idol final on Christmas Day - firstly it would mean getting all the cast crew and others working on Christmas day, which wouldn't be popular or cheap.
Secondly it will be a popular programme so they'll put it on when there's loads of advertising not on Christmas Day when there is less demand for advertising - that's why ITV doesn't really make an effort at chriatmas
On the question of the Harry Potter film rumoured to be going out BBC One this Christmas. Sky Premier 1 has it in it's schedule for Christmas Day at 6pm.
Isn't this fairly unprecedented, a Sky subscription channel and the BBC showing the same film on the same day ? I presume that with Sky listing there showing at 6pm, the likelihood is the BBC will show it straight after the Queen to avoid a clash.
