Christmas telly - was it really better in the old days?



It's just nistalnos isn't it. I used to love getting the radio times and TV times 2 weeks before Xmas and planning out the data viewing . It kinds added to the excitement as you could see with every page turn you were getting closer to Xmas . But then again it might just have been me that was excited cause all I used to get for an advent calender was one of those with just a picture of some religious bollox instead of being like me mates who all got chocolate ones
 
Laeotaekhun said:
I could never stand Morecambe and Wise (I found them embarrassing, not funny) although I fully accept many loved them.

Please don't forget the Wizard of Oz, which we seemed to be subjected to every year. GRRRR!
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The breakfast scene was genius. As well as 2 grown men in the same bed with no gay connotations whatsoever.
I can't remember what Ernie was reading but it was something like Dante's inferno, Eric was reading the Dandy, Ernie quotes something from the book showing his interlectual prowess and asks Eric about his choice of reading material, he replies with "Desperate Dan has eaten 3 cow pies and he's still hungry" with an air of astonishment.
 
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Top of the Pops 1969 xmas special
2.15pm Top of the Pops '69
Part 1
A round-up of the year's top sellers, featuring
discs by The Beatles, Blue Mink, Creedence
Clearwater Revival Fleetwood Mac,
Marmalade, Thunderclap Newman, Clodagh
Rogers, The Rolling Stones, Scaffold, Peter
Sarstedt, Zager and Evans.
Introductions by Pete Murray and Jimmy
Savile
 
Colour TV was a huge attraction around 1970 onwards, after so many years of B&W.

Everyone wanted it, but few could afford it and I think the vast majority of people had TV rental agreements because they were very pricey to buy outright at that time, even though picture quality was fairly poor.

Didn’t matter much what was on back then. Folk were so obsessed with being able to watch in colour,
they’d sit and lap up almost any old garbage that was put before them.

Christmas ads seemed much more entertaining back then also, mostly for the various drinks on offer.
Who remembers these from even earlier, the early days of ITV and Christmas Ads,
still stuck in my mind from all those years ago ?

Du bo, du bon, du bonnet.
De Kuyper Cherry Brandy, the drink that goes a Long Way.
Very Cheering, Cherry Heering
 
This year: Eastenders and Mrs Brown's Boys from mid to late evening :mad:

It's no Morecombe and Wise.
 
Christmas with a new Only Fools was mint, they don’t make em like that anymore.

Can always remember me Da blubbing away to Noel’s Christmas pressies knocking his after 8’s back sat in his chair :lol::lol:
 
It was different up up until the 90s.we hadn't necessarily seen the big movies. Now we've seen them all by the time they're on telly so it's no a big deal anymore.
 
Tin Soldier said:
The biggest misses now are the BBC ghost stories like 'the signalman' and of course the regular showing of laurel & hardy films
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The Xmas eve ghost story was always the highlight of the year for me. Back from Xmas eve Mass, bikes assembled, carrot out for rudolph, kids in bed in New jammies, our lass in bed early and me sat with a decent brandy and cigar watching "whistle and I will come to you my lad " looking forward to happy kids.
I use audio books now and just listen to MR James in a quiet house (brandy but no cigar :cry:) , the kids are putting their own bairns bikes together now and I just turn up for dinner :cool:
 
Loved Christmas TV as a kid, these days our TV rarely gets switched on, no different at Christmas. I just go on the internet, eldest lad hasn't even got a TV in room, just goes on his gaming laptop. Youngest, has TV but not connected to the channels, just used for his Xbox, other times he just watches youtube stuff. Only time i watch a TV is down the pub, and the racing/betting channels are on.
 
Posh/ODvM said:
Found this website while bored at work.

UK Christmas TV

I always looked back on the 70's as a golden age of family Christmases and everyone gathered round the telly. By god the truth is very different. Black and White minstrels every year, tv movies being shown instead of proper films. Other than classic Morecambe and Wise it was a sea of grim.
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Could not wait for TV & Radio times
 
chriswallace85 said:
Used to love getting the Christmas telly mag n gannin' through it circling all the films n that I was gonna watch.
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I still buy one for nostalgic purposes. I don't think I've read it in at least 10 years but it would feel odd not having one just lying on the little chabble next to the settee . I also buy nuts, dates and figs no one ever eates and demand the broons or oor wullie as a present despite the fact I've never read it for decades.

The lot of it is a complete and utter waste of money like but they've all been part of my Christmas since I can remember so hey ho.
 
burb said:
Christmas day not the same without Del Boy and Rodney.
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True.

Lefty Frizzell said:
Aye, same here. Was basically only looking for Santa Claus the Movie with Dudley Moore and National Lampoons. Had to schedule everything around these two.
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I Sky plussed that one the other day so it's ready. I have National Lampoons, Home Alone (watched last night putting the tree up), Home Alone 2, Love Actually and Jingle All The Way on DVD ready to go. Just need to watch out for The Santa Clause and Elf on the planner and that's it sorted. :lol:

Ginger John said:
My Dad used to highlight things in different colours depending on if he wanted to watch it live, tape it to watch later or tape it to keep. He sat there for ages planning it all out and making sure we had enough video tapes. Didn't seem to have any logic with taping though, so we'd end up with three completely different genre films on one extended play tape. Those were the days :lol:
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:lol: Used to love doing this like. My taped version of Home Alone had some brief highlights of England vs Germany in Euro 96 before it started.

And my Spaghetti Western DVDs have never been the same without the classic sponsored by Stella Artois vignettes at the ad breaks. :lol:
 
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