Hello Dave…
There is something about Christmas that makes the world of television really come into its own. Sitcoms, quiz shows, variety shows, reality television, cookery shows; you name it there is a Christmas special for it.
All of us of a certain age will remember the likes of Mark Curry or Janet Ellis making Christmas decorations out of old coat hangers on Blue Peter. Or the Crackerjack (Crackerjack) Christmas Special with Stewpot handing out cabbages as booby prizes.
Who can forget the Telly Addicts Christmas Special, or Big Break, Bob’s Full House or Blankety Blank, Family Fortunes or 3-2-1.
If ever you wanted to see a minor celebrity dressed as a pantomime character, without going to see a panto, all you needed to do was tune into a Christmas edition of any quiz show and Bobs yer uncle.
Cannon and Ball, Morecambe and Wise, The Two Ronnies, Val Doonican…they all loved a Christmas special, and we lapped it up!
Sitcoms also fill their boots at Christmas and I would, and will, happily watch the Christmas episodes of programmes that I didn’t watch that much ordinarily. Shows like One foot in the Grave, or Keeping up Appearances. Are You Being Served, 2point4 Children and Birds of a Feather.
There are some sitcoms that are my favourites, though. The Christmas episodes of Men Behaving Badly, Bottom, Not Going Out, Father Ted, Porridge and The Office to name but a few.
But there is one British sitcom that seems to rise to the top. Only Fools and Horses. The Trotters and their friends were a part of our lives for two decades, and waiting for their Christmas specials was as much a part of Christmas as Turkey and Quality Street.
There were 16 Christmas specials over the years, not all necessarily about Christmas may I add, but we watched as a family on Christmas Day and happily watch the repeats that are played weekly on GOLD.
Christmas telly is some of my favourite television, and I look forward to opening up the festive edition of the Radio Times every year to look out for new episodes, specials and one-off programmes that will be on. And I also keep an eye out for the repeats of those old classics that are repeated too.
We would love to hear your Christmas memories, family traditions, favourite films and television shows, anything at all. Leave your messages or stories on our social media, or comment below, as we’d love to share them.
You can also send an email to goldstitch@agoldstitchchristmas.com.
And, don’t forget to check back tomorrow for day eight…
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