Terrestrial Xmas Listings

Interesting that this year the children's programmes are going to be on BBC2 rather than BBC1, with Breakfast on BBC1. If I remember rightly, this is the first year this has happened.

In the Mirror's listings, it says that TOTP is on at 2pm, with the queen's speech at 3pm, followed by Robbie the reindeer in the legend of the lost tribe at 3:10pm (is this a repeat?) and then Dear Father Christmas at 3:40 (which I think is the show where Dale Winton goes and surprises kids who have written to santa or something.

itv seem to be giving a lot of time to CiTV, especially with them continuing to show it in the afternoons up to and including christmas eve, (where they have two slots). BBC One's schedule seems to be very good, and I feel a bit let down by itv1. It seems full of soaps, old films, and a few specials (including Tony & Tara's Xmas Animals Do The Funniest Things on Boxing day!).

Is this 'Christmas Night With the Stars' on Christmas Day, BBC One, the variety show type programme which the cast of Eastenders are included in? I wonder whether they are doing this because itv had the royal variety performance.

I was expecting more from itv, especially with this being Nigel Pickards first Christmas. I like how they are putting World Idol in, but it could have been better without 2 hours of soaps, 1 hr 30mins together would have been better. And what's this Senora Beckham programme at 5:30pm? I can't see how festive that's gonna be!

It also looks as though five are having their classic comedy boxing day again this year with On The Buses, Rising Damp, Morecambe & Wise Christmas Show, and Carry on Christmas from 7pm on Boxing Day.

There's no end of the year programme on BBC One on New Year's Eve neither, as its Hogmany Live thats doing the bong's from 11:50.

Though itv1 have a to be announced section on new year's eve from 11:15 to 2am followed by an Entertainment Now review of the Year. It would be great if they could put on a show in here. Perhaps they are gonna get ant & dec to do something, or a Harry Hill TV Burp year, or could it be this National Television Awards end of Year Party that they have started advertising, asking for your best TV moment of 2003.

Remember that these schedules bare no relation to what really will happen. For example I doubt that Breakfast will air on BBC1, this is just them guessing, also I doubt Trisha will air on ITV1 on random days across the xmas period, again they are just guessing based on what is normally on. Also even more doubtful is Turn on Terry appearing at Midnight on Christmas Day!. Again according to those schedules Daytime christmas eve on ITV1 is a almost normal daytime schedule, even more doubtful!

BBC plans sing-along-a-Christmas
Leigh Holmwood
26 November 2003 08:15

The Sound Of Music and The Wizard Of Oz are to be given on-screen lyrics by the BBC to allow digital viewers to sing along this Christmas.

The innovation comes as the BBC unveiled its Christmas schedule. BBC1 will have a focus on comedy with the last of the Only Fools and Horses trilogy and the final two episodes of The Office, which are transferring from BBC2. My Family, Posh and Becks' Big Impression, French and Saunders, Absolutely Fabulous and Dame Edna Everage will also feature.

BBC1 controller Lorraine Heggessey said: "A range of comedy performances to make the nation laugh are the key to the BBC1 schedule this Christmas."

Entertainment highlights include a Test The Nation end of year quiz, family fun with Dear Father Christmas and I Want To Be Mary and a behind the scenes look at The Story Of Absolutely Fabulous.

Other musical highlights include a special All New Top Of The Pops, an EastEnders extravaganza featuring the cast and celebrity fans and Michael Parkinson presenting Christmas Night With The Stars.

Live performance includes Matthew Bourne's production of The Nutcracker making its television debut and Cirque du Soleil while drama will see Jim Broadbent and Hugh Laurie star in The Young Visiters and a new adaptation of Nine Bawden's wartime classic Carrie's War starring Pauline Quirke.

BBC1 will also screen the terrestrial premieres of Stuart Little, Mulan, Galaxy Quest, What Women Want and Meet The Parents.

BBC2 will feature a Restoration special, the premiere of BBC Films movie Iris, starring Dame Judi Dench, Kate Winslet, and Jim Broadbent, and a new Celebrity Mastermind featuring David Blunkett and Shaun Williamson.

Bruce Forsyth's return to the BBC will be celebrated in Brucie Night which will include a documentary on his life, his edition of Room 101 and previously unseen footage of his appearance on Have I Got News For You.

Comedy includes two topical Dead Ringers, The Kumars' and a special Doubletake while Porridge and The Good Life return with A Life On The Box in which viewers can see how comedy icons Fletcher and Margot Leadbetter have fared in the years since they were last seen on screen.

Performance highlights include Johann Strauss's opera Die Fledermaus and the Prokofiev ballet Cinderella.


Source:broadcastnow.co.uk

I wouldn't read a lot into these schedules, as is usual there are loads of gaps, for instance 3.10pm, after the Queen on ITV1. Bond film perchance ?

Anyway, ITV seem to be playing to their strengths again with many new single drama's airing over Christmas, whether or not these will be any good up against BBC's big guns remains to be seen.

I saw the 2pm Totp in the The Mirror later on, and going on previous years, I'd say that is as about as close as a confirmed programme as you are going to get at the mo.

3 other interesting points to wonder about..

ITV1 Sat 20th Dec 6.45-10.30 Pop Idol Final.
3 and 3/4 hours! There'll only be two of em singing by then, for goodness sake. Have they missed an edition of WWTBAM at around 8.45 i wonder.

BBC1 Xmas Eve 4.50 The Weakest Link (ends:5.40)
BBC2 Xmas Eve 6.10 The Weakest Link
Rather aggessive Queen of Mean overload don't you think?

BBC1 Xmas Day 6.40 My Family. Hmm. Miles too early for some of the jokes in that show.
Likewise a few hours later Ab Fab on Christmas Day - dangerous, when It's up against WWTBAM at 10.00

Also there's no Final Score schduled on Sun 28th at 4.40 - when there's a full football fixture list!

And to prove how early these schdules are - listed at 10.35 on Mon 29th on BBC1 is the Andy Hamilton penned com-drama 'Bedtime'. That is now schduled to run in the same slot 2 weeks earlier!

BTW, the radio highlights (with transmission dates and times) on BBC Radio are now on line at the BBCi press Office programme info mini-site.

I must say that Lorraine Hedgehog has actually chosen some fairly good programmes this year for Xmas Day - no Bargain Hunt or Ground Force specials like last year!

Probably the only thing on BBC1 I will be missing is "The Tigger Movie"... and what's on ITV1 at the same time doesn't really appeal to me either...

I didn't know "Legend of the Lost Tribe" was a Nick Park animation programme - I thought that was "Hooves of Fire"?

Also worth noting that BBC1 have Chicken Run scheduled on Christmas Eve - didn't they have this on last year?

Also worth pointing out that Channel 4 are doing their traditional Christmas thing of having The Snowman on on Christmas Eve (2:55pm) - and I thought Channel 4 were covering this Beagle thing on Mars on Christmas Day (presuming it gets there then) It's not listed in their provisional schedule...

I am surprised to see that The Learning Zone is scheduled throughout the Christmas period on BBC2. It is even being scheduled for Christmas Day. Surely this can't be true, if it is it will be the first time BBC2 has shown learning programmes over Christmas.
There looks to be a lot of potential where the TBA's are in the schedules, with more films probably being confirmed on all channels when the schedules are confirmed in a couple of weeks.
All in all I think this year's Christmas schedule is very good, with the BBC probably looking the best at this early stage.
I believe the schedules will be confirmed on DigiGuide from the 5th or 6th December which is only one week away. The Christmas editions of TV Times & Radio Times will probably be released from around the 9th or 10th December.

Christmas isn't Christmas on Channel 4 without The Snowman, pure, class TV, I'm glad it gets shown every year, probably in widescreen, but who gives a sh*t. Though it's a shame it doesn't get a Christmas Day showing anymore.

BTW When was the last time that Channel 4 showed Grandpa? As I thought that was a very nice cartoon, but like The Snowman it is a very sad ending.

Isn't that called "Subtitles"!!!


Re: Pop Idol - I noticed the schedule was 6.45-10.30 and presumed it was a mistake (as it most of the guide), but the ITV2 repeat is also scheduled for the same length on Sunday. Maybe it'll be a Pop Idol night, with the final, the result, a catch up show on the ex-contestants and maybe a look back at Will Young.

Also, a programme that features on BBC2 most nights over Christmas looks of interest to people round here. THAT WAS THE WEEK WE WATCHED takes a week in history and looks at what was on the box that week, seeing how it reflects the nation at the time. It's scheduled most nights between Christmas and New Year around 11pm.

Any guesses on who'll do the alternative Xmas speech - Avid Merrion???

Are you sure about that? Looking at The Sun's TV Guide yesterday it says BBC2's late evening schedules are still TBA every day from 21st Dec-1st Jan with BBC2's listings saying TBA between about 11:30pm and 7am (some days 6am) and on a few days the last programme listed is about 2:30am-7am so I don't think they will start the Learning Zone as late as 2:30am... but who knows...

Sorry peeps
I've just had a look at last years BBC1 Christmas Day Schdule again, and My Family was broadcast at 6.50.!

The rest of my comments stand, though...