YAY!!

Front cover of RT for January 9-15

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-...ks-radio-times

Just arrived from the 2015 thread.
Happy new year!

Looking forward to the many posts throughout the year.

What Went Wrong:

Too many repeats. The BBC, in particular, always show the same old computer-animated films every Christmas, year in, year out. I remember a time when the BBC used to get a whole hatful of premieres on at Christmas-this year, they only had 6. The BBC's government-imposed spending cuts are obviously hitting them hard in more recent years, and it shows. Good as they undoubtedly are, do we really need the Indiana Jones films screened on the main channel three times in one year?

ITV had no premieres whatsoever, and theirs was by far the worse line up, film wise, all the usual suspects. It was the first Christmas in many years that I didn't watch a single film on ITV at Christmas.

What Went Right:

The BBC, conversely, were bang on the money as always. Despite the repeats, nobody provides high quality, varied TV at Christmas quite the way they do. They are the one broadcaster who "get" Christmas. Channel 4, in particular, also deserve a special mention-I watched more films on them than BBC 1 for the first time, 11 films to the BBC's 10-it was 11-a-piece last year. I watched 33 films this year, down on on last year's 34. A bit excessive, I know, but I love watching films at Christmas-the most I watched in one Christmas was about 44 back in around 2006!

Where have the viewers gone?:

Technology such as catch-up services online appears to be changing the way we watch TV rapidly. That Downton Abbey and, in particular, Stick Man time-shifted so spectacularly well speaks volumes.


Could the BBC with the cuts on the way decide what's the point of spending millions on special programmes if no one is going to watch them?

The BBC may have to cut their cloth accordingly, but, unlike the commercial sector, they will always invest at Christmas. That's why they're the best at that time of year.


Best Programme on during Christmas 2015:

Out of new programming, I enjoyed the Aardman documentary, also Snow Chick and Hedgehog Hotel, some good documentaries in there. Out of the films, like Wizzy, I also particularly enjoyed Oz The Great And Powerful. I've seen it a couple of times before, but it's the perfect kind of movie for that time of year. At least it was a premiere. I also enjoyed revisiting old classics such as What Women Want and Catch Me If You Can on BBC 2.

Most Disappointing programme on TV Christmas 2015 (thats one you were looking forward to but was a let down)

Peter And Wendy. ITV obviously thought it was the mutt's nuts, but I found it somewhat bland, dull and uninspiring. It was lit too darkly as well. Aslo didn't like the casual misandry in it, and also Peter Pan speaking in a Mancunian accent. Not appropriate.

Also, Abba's Christmas Party on Christmas Eve was very poor. A glorified karaoke love-in with the wrong arrangements for most of the songs, sung by ITV's usual "stars". Also Paddy McGuinness. Aarrgh!

Most surprising progamme ( the one you didnt expect to like but did)

None really. All the (73) programmes I selected to watch at least matched my expectations of them.

Well over all I thought it wasn’t a bad Xmas showing this year.

The big day was its usual predictable fare and I wasn’t impressed that they chose Brave over Wreck it Ralph as their big Christmas day premiere.

High-lights for me were:
Catherine Tate's Nan's Christmas Specials, BBC 2’s Back in Time for Christmas and Stick Man.

Also it was pretty nice putting out my kids prezzies with BBC 4’s All Aboard: The Sleigh Ride in the background.

Roll on next Christmas lol

What do we reckon this year’s big Christmas Day film will be? It’s bound to be Frozen imo.

All the best for 2016 everyone

I have looked into my crystal ball and have seen the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day schedules for BBC1 next year. Brace yourselves:

CHRISTMAS EVE:

3.00pm Film: Oz: The Great and Powerful
5.00 Pointless Christmas Celebrities
5.50 BBC News
6.05 Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes 1/2
6.30 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special
7.45 Doctor Who
8.45 Casualty
9.35 Mrs. Brown's Boys 1/2
10.10 The John Bishop Christmas Show
11.10 The National Lottery Draws
11.20 BBC News
11.40 Midnight Mass

CHRISTMAS DAY:

12.25 Film: Wreck-It-Ralph
2.00 Top of the Pops
3.00 The Queen
3.10 Countryfile Christmas Special
4.10 Film: Monsters University
5.35 BBC News
5.45 Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes 2/2
6.15 EastEnders
6.45 Film: Frozen
8.25 EastEnders
9.00 Call The Midwife
10.15 Mrs. Brown's Boys 2/2
10.50 Catherine Tate's Nan at Christmas
11.30 BBC News

Of course my crystal ball might be broken and all this may change drastically!

Have BBC got the rights to Frozen as it's not a Pixar film just a Disney?

Rumour is that season 10 of Doctor Who starts filming in May with the first episode being the 2016 Christmas Special, so I expect that to be on Christmas Day.

Expect BBC programmes to be very similar again as consolidated ratings were good but be interesting to see what ITV replace Downton Abbey with.

If that crystal ball was a Christmas present i would take it back and ask for a refund

I hope Wizz has got the receipt!

That's a bit ominous. Does it mean no Doctor Who in the autumn? In effect a Doc free year??

I can't see this happening. Remember that Strictly, Call the Midwife, Doctor Who, Eastenders, Mrs Browns Boys and a show attiring michael Mcintyre HAVE to be screened by BBc1 on Christmas Day. This is now set in stone and cannot be altered in any way. This has been the line up for four years running and will continue until at least 2030!

With the BBC losing the Voice next January it may be that they keep back Dr Who until then and possibly schedule it against the ITV version of the Voice

Thanks marke09. Thoroughly distressing!

The UK Christmas TV Twitter account ran a survey earlier regarding the BBC1 Christmas night schedule.

The question was should BBC1 change its Christmas night schedule, or keep it the same in 2016.

76% of responders, including myself said, yes, it should be changed as it is too predictable.

as i commented on there too - the BBc has always shown its most popular programmes on Christmas Day going back to the 1970's and surely would be a big gamble to put something original and new out on Christmas Day but having seen the viewing figures no matter what they do millions of us will now watch what we want WHEN we want to watch
But what do you replace them with?
The era of a big blockbuster film has gone as most ppl would have seen it
replace Midwife with something like Last Tango in Halifax?
replace Michael McIntyre with a Peter Kay variety show?

If the BBC have the rights to Frozen they would be mad not to show it next Christmas Day as adults could get the kids to watch it and leave them to enjoy peace for 90 minutes

You are right, the big and popular programmes have always had a place in the Christmas night schedules.

I had a look at the BBC Genome website, the website by Claires_dad would work just as well!!!, and picked 4 consecutive years, 1980 until 1984. There were not two consecutive years that had the same running schedule. Of course there were programmes that appeared on a couple of years, The Two Ronnies, Paul Daniels, even Dallas, but the schedules were different. Nothing wrong in keeping the big shows for Christmas evening, but not the same big shows for 4/5 consecutive years.

As for alternatives, you have offered two just off the top of your head. I am pretty sure other alternatives could be found. And depending on what that big blockbuster is, if it is a terrestrial premier, it could still attract an audience.

Someone (I think it wason the Ratings thread) suggested ITV should put the Royal Variety Show (Christmas it up a bit) on in the Downton Abbey slot - it has music, dance, comedy, magic etc just what may be needed for Christmas night

the christmas tv was deperate agin this year.
I always book the week before the big day off work to sit
back and watch tv.
I liked the fact BBC had all the Indiana Jones' films on 3 days in a row, but i wold have liked maybe a Only Fools and Horse thrown in too, or some old Christmas movies.
Channel 4 wasnt too bad but too many cooking programmes and Come Dine with Me.
Tv after the big day doesnt bother me as im usually out drinking or visiting people and rarely get to see anything

Stick Man, And then were none, and BBC 4s Sleigh Ride were the stand out programmes for me last Christmas.

I really hope we can have some original new shows, one-offs, Christmas orientated dramas etc this year. Surely it can't be too hard to come with some original Christmas specials

According to this weeks RT Charlie Higson who dramatises the Professor Branestrawn books says he hopes to make them a festive feature and have a special Christmassy episode which would be hot and daffodils would be out - no so far fetched after the December we have just had

Just over 8 months until the 2016 Big Quiz starts! The prize is sorted - and it's a good one too! So, check back in a few months for more details. In the meantime, here's hoping for some decent Easter telly for a change.

my 2015 tv quiz starts very soon guys very sorry about the delay

Splendid quiz news. Can't wait!

According to tomorrows Daily Telegraph the date of Easter could become fixed in the next five to ten years

Good or bad idea?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/reli...-10-years.html

How could you fix it when it has to be a Sunday?