It was available on my iPad this evening as a download from Apple's Newstand. If you subscribe via Apple you should be able to download immediately.

judomole, I'd like to congratulate you on your victory in the guess the cover contest.
I would like to thank Claire's Dad for running the contest, and I hope that he can do the same again next year.

I understand the Christmas Radio Times will be available from tomorrow in London and the Midlands. Does anyone know if that's all of the Midlands or just part?

We've always got the same edition as London here in the Midlands, but I don't think I've ever seen the Christmas RT on sale here on the Saturday.

Wow, so after another 364 days we are on the eve of the Christmas radio times being in our grasps. I look forward to seeing who gets a copy first; another tradition of this thread

I also agree that the total TV guide with Santa trumps the radio times (they are very close to loosing their self proclaimed legendary status)

I saw the countryfile magazine in the shops today and longed for something like their traditional design to grace the radio times again ( see link)

https://pocketmags.com/viewmagazine....yfile+Magazine

Total TV Guide Christmas was always by far a better mag than RT in my opinion, from the festive cover to channels covered. And looks like they didn't disappoint this year either.

My time hosting this thread is coming to an end .....

However, a huge congrats to the winner of the Radio Times Cover this year!

I think the cover is pretty good actually but I find it slightly odd that a programme they feel is popular and mainstream enough to put on the front cover of RT has not even got a Christmas Day slot . I would have loved to see STS slotted in somewhere on the big day itself.

For the first time ever, I am really not engaged and excited about this years Christmas Day schedule. Everything feels even more 'samey' than usual. Ratings are down every year and most are putting that down to more channels, DVDs etc. However, I think a huge contributing factor is that people are just bored of the same old programmes. Christmas Day used to feel special and unique - there is nothing special or unique about this years schedule IMO.

There's not a chance Christmas Day telly would ever be a match for years gone by, there's just too much choice nowadays what with Sky and the likes. And besides, there's little money being pumped into Christmas by BBC or ITV and that much is evident probably because Satellite killed Christmas.

I for one won't be tuning into any terrestrial channel on Christmas Day, not even for 5 minutes. Christmas RT is nothing more than a formality now.

That is a much better cover than the Radio Times one, I like buying it for the cover and im thinking for the first time in 10 years i will buy that TV Mag instead.

Just bought Christmas Radio Times.

Just bought Christmas Radio Times. As proof, Kylie is the inside back cover interview and Christmas Day listings start on p.170.

Lucky git lol

what area are you in and where did you buy it from?

I'm in North London - got it from High Barnet!

Well done, looks like you're the first this year!

Damn, beaten to it!

Went into my newsagents, couldnt see it on the shelf. Asked if they had it, they said no but spotted the newly delivered batch right by my feét. Managed to persuade them to let me have one from it!

Here it is in-hand

http://i.imgur.com/qe5bzdh.jpg

RT Xmas edition still not showing in RT app

At work, but no Radio Tines cane in. So gutted that I have been beaten this year.

I wonder if the first day distribution is smaller this year.

No sign of the Christmas Radio Times in Derby as yet, I've been into several places but no sign. Have seen one or two other Christmas tv magazines out but they've only just arrived by the look of it.

Ask the shopkeeper if they'd kindly check the newly delivered stock. I went into three newsagents and none of them had it. I went back to the first shop and just asked straight out if they'd had a radio times delivery. As luck would have it, they had but just hadnt got round to putting it on shelf. Chances are the places you went into do in fact have it

Seconded!

And I'm sure someone said "Saun the Sheep in full Christmas mode"! Can't think who it might have been though...

Congrats to judomole!

Yes indeed you did and you came a close 3rd, if only you'd mentioned it would be based on the new Farmers Llamas episode or the other characters as well!

got mine in my local newsagents in Leicester so looks like im the first one to get one outside london

Ah! Very good point. Sadly, my knowledge of Shaun doesn't stretch that far! Looking forward to next year's competion already and thrilled to know you will still be running it!

Spotted in a bulkflow in Morrisons, Redditch, still in polythene wrap and nylon ties at 7am. Neither Sainsburys nor Tesco seem to have them