The best Christmas ever?

I thought that 1973 would have been the best Christmas ever, because, well, the two best Christmas Records were released: Merry Christmas Everybody by Slade and I Wish it Could be Christmas Every Day by Wizard.

I thought I knew what would be on the telly, so with those records and the best of British TV, it must have been great, no?

Well, not quite as good as I remembered, as this is the BBC 1 schedule for Tuesday 25th December 1973.

9.35am Along the Trail. Canadian wildlife, including caribou and timber wolves.

I have no memory of this.

Also, I thought TV started at 08:00 with Santa visiting kids sick in hospital and handing out toys.

But no.

9.50am The Selfish Giant. Cartoon film of the fairy tale by Oscar Wilde. The children used to play in the Giant's beautiful garden. One day, he came back and put up a notice "Trespassers will be prosecuted."

I am aware of the story. Indeed I once was down to play the giant in an adaption of it until I realised I hate to be the centre of attention, and so was replaced.

10.15am News Headlines, Weatherman.

10.20am Christmas Morning Service. for Christmas Day from Wimborne Minster, Dorset.

11.25am Harry Secombe. appeals on behalf of the National Council for One-Parent Familie By now Mum would be busy as hell cooking Christmas Dinner, grandparents would be sipping sweet sherry and eating mince pies. Not only the bird had to be roasted, but all the vegetables washed, chopped and prepared. And wait hand on foot her parent's and Dad's Mother.

11.30am A Stocking Full of Stars. opened by Michael Aspel and Hope and Keen direct from the National Children's Home at Harpenden including Blue Peter, Roy Castle Charlie Cairoli,The Goodies, The Osmonds, Tom and Jerry, Top Soccer Stars, Vision On,, Walt Disney.

This must be what I remember, though sick and injured children having to wait until half eleven to get a present and open it seems a tad cruel. Maybe it was pre-recorded. I have no idea who Hope and Keen were in order to get second billing.

1.30pm The Black and White Minstrel Show starring The Mitchell Minstrels.

The Black and White Minsrels were a troupe of white singers who donned black face paint to sing Paul Robeson songs and the such. Yes, this was mainstream TV in 1973 and it continued, I think, for another 13 years to 1985, being broadcast to a multi-cultural nation.

Racism bot deliberate and casual was a trope on UK television. 2.15pm Top of the Pops 73 A review of the year's No 1 hits introduced by Tony Blackburn and Noel Edmonds. In our house, Christmas dinner was served at half one, so we cauld all eat up and plates cleared away for this, the Top of the Pops reviews of the year, with Slade having the Christmas number one.

Your parents and Grandparents could say things like: "call this music?" or "Is it a boy or girl?."

3.00pm The Queen speaks to the Commonwealth.

Recently changed from "speaks to the Empire."

3.15pm Billy Smart's Christmas Circus

Back when there would be elephants, lions and horses, and clowns. Always the clowns. But this was the prime Christmas slot, that would soon give way to recent blockbuster film. Or The Wizard of Oz.


4.20pm Christmas Pantomime : Robin Hood. starring Terry Scott and Anita Harris.

This would have been good.

Oh no it wouldn't.

6.05pm Bruce Forsyth and the Generation Game. with Anthea Redfern.

Bruce was at his peak. With his new wife, Anthea, he had four father/daughter or Mother/son teams try to carry out tasks like make crackers having been shown once by an expert how to do it. Then the two winning partnerships from the first round did a short play featuring Frankie Howerd. Yes. No. Oh, Misses. Titter ye not.

And then the winning team went forwad to the "converyor belt", where items passed along and had to be recalled at the end to be won.

We would have been eating tea at this time: sandwiches made with cold turkey, sherry trifle followed by Christmas cake.

7.05pm The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show.

Mike was an impressionist. Sadly, they most sounded the same. And he sang. Badly. Was a huge star, not offensive, at least.

7.35pm Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show. A star-studded holiday special starring Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise with special guests Vanessa Redgrave, Hannah Gordon, The New Seekers, John Hanson and guest appearances of Yehudi Menuhin, Rudolf Nureyev, Laurence Olivier, and Andre Previn/

Andre Preview.

Once of the best episodes, much repeated of course. Much copied too, but never bettered. And look at that line up!

8.35pm Film : The Odd Couple (1968). starring Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon.

10.30pm Gala Performance. Michael Flanders introduces: Norma Burrowes Jacques Loussier Play Bach Trio, Galina Samsova, Andre Prokovsky Ballet, Folklorico of Mexico, Nigel Kennedy, New Philharmonia Orchestra.

Some culture, then.

11.35pm Lost Hearts. a ghost story for Christmas by M. R. James.

Closedown