I hope to be continually updating the website. Just looking at the films so far and between 1981 and 1999 the film that has been shown the most* over the Christmas 2 week period was surprisingly :

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) (8 times) All on BBC.

followed by

7..............The Wizard of Oz (1939) All on BBC
7..............White Christmas (1954) All on BBC
6..............Dumbo (1941) All on ITV
6..............Mary Poppins (1964) 4x BBC 2xITV
6..............National Velvet (1944) 4x BBC 2xC4
6..............Porridge (1979) All on BBC

I'll be going right up to 2008 so this list will change!

As for the Christmas Radio Times since 1981 Father Christmas has been the focus on the cover 8 times, a snowman twice and a robin once (2002).

I'll be detailing the covers on my website eventually.

*NB I haven't got all ITV & C4's details for every year but I have most so this list is just an indication.

Now I would have guessed the Wiz of Oz would have been No.1, so I would have been wrong! Great idea to get the covers on as well.

I wonder if davads realised what he/she might set in motion by starting this thread?! Anyway, thank you very much for doing so, it's made for a really cheerful day (I was still missing the Christmas decorations and lights in the street!!)

over in the USA, they show "it's a wonderful life" every year. i can't recall us ever showing it?

My favourite film! It was shown 4 times on the BBC between 1981 and 2000.

I'll check between 2001 & 2008.

Hmmmm ... not sure I've seen it at Christmas, but it is on from time to time. Could be one of the Sky channels, or TCM.

Not sure what year but have a VHS of it from BBC 2 in the 90s I think.
Think it was when the BBC had the RKO library.

Wow Christmas is early this year!

It was shown in 2002 as well, which from a quick look through my Radio Times was the last time it was on terrestrial TV.

Once I've collated all the information my website will give actual broadcast dates.

I'm up to 2003 now and in the lead now are


9 Mary Poppins (6x BBC 3x ITV)
9 The Wizard of Oz (All on BBC)

Ah! Perhaps I was right about the Wiz of Oz after all!

I have Radio Times Christmas issues dating back to 1973 and some TV Times (not sure of dates) so if you need any help etc get in touch

I have Radio Times from 1981 to 2008 and TV Times from 1985 to 1991 (when they started listing all channels) so I'll work on them first.

Once I've done that I may well take you up on your offer of help, thank you.

I've had an idea! It doesn't happen often, but I've had one! Does anybody fancy having a countdown like the one below? I have countdowns to Christmas, birthdays etc. on my laptop in MS Word, and I find them really good fun. When each milestone arrives, I change the font to light grey strikethrough italic, and put a big red tick by the entry, and the time whizzes by.

I have just spent ages trying to format this, but the message board doesn't retain the formatting. Can anyone else do better and add to it, or delete anything you don't think is suitable? I have started it on 1st January even though some events have passed, that way it can be recycled for 2010!

COUNTDOWN TO THE CHRISTMAS DOUBLE RADIO TIMES:

1st January New Year’s Day

16th January Half way through January = half
way through winter

14th February St. Valentine's Day

28th February Less than 300 days to Christmas
1st March Spring!

5th March Quarter way to the Legendary
Christmas Double Radio Times!

21st March First official day of Spring

22nd March Mother’s Day

25th March ¼ way to Christmas

29th March Clocks go forward

10th April Good Friday

12th April Easter Sunday

1st June Ace Christmas catalogue due;
½ way to Advent

5th June Half way to the Legendary
Christmas Double Radio Times!!

25th June Half way to Christmas!

25th July QVC’s Christmas in July

5th September ¾ way to the
Legendary Christmas
Double Radio Times

25th September ¾ way to Christmas!!

25th October Clocks go back

28th October Diwali!

31st October Halloween!

5th November Bonfire Night

1st December ADVENT!!

5th December The Legendary Christmas
Double Radio Times is due NOW!!

I'm up to 2008 with the films now using my Radio Times since 1981 and TV Times since 1985, the films that have been shown the most during the Christmas 2 week period* were :

12 Mary Poppins
12 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
11 The Wizard of Oz
11 Santa Claus

I'll be updating my website with a comprehensive list in the next few days and also working out which film has been shown most times on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

*Unless you count "The Snowman" as a film (Radio Times did for a few years) then this has been shown the most times. It's been on every year since 1982, usually on Christmas Day but more recently on Christmas Eve and bizarrely once on Boxing Day.

Blast! WizOz slipping again!

Shown most times on ITV Christmas Day (since 1985)

5. Alice in Wonderland (1987, 1996, 2001, 2005 & 2006)

Shown most times on BBC2 Christmas Day (since 1981)

7. White Christmas (1987, 1991, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2001 & 2004)

Shown most times on BBC1 Christmas Day (since 1981)

3. The Santa Clause (2000, 2002 & 2005)

Film shown most times on different channels Christmas Day (since 1985)

5. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1993 ITV, 2000 Five, 2003 Five, 2005 Five, 2008 ITV)

Most shown programme on Channel 4 Christmas Day (since 1985)

14 The Snowman (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2004, 2005 & 2006)

(The Snowman was shown on Christmas Eve in 1985, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007 & 2008 and
on Boxing Day in 1999)

Don't forget the Autumn/Winter Argos catalogue!! Realeased July I think and has the Christmas decorations in it...

Good one!

The Christmas Radio Times covers from 1981 complete with my brief reviews and marks out of 10 are now available to view on my website.

http://christmastvpastpresentfuture....iotimescovers2

In the next few weeks I'll be putting up the TV Times covers from 1985 to 1990 and updating more Christmas TV listings.

Nice one Claire's Dad.

I will be a regular visitor to your site. Hope you don't get into the same trouble as that wonderful radiotimes covers site.

I remember seeing people on these xmas tv threads mention they'd got the xmas issues dating back to the 50's/60's. As a kid I kept the xmas radio times issues from 1979 to the late 80's. I never threw them out but couldn't find them at my parents house when I looked a few years ago. I started again in 1998 and have got them all since then. They are fascinating to look at (cover and inside) and are a curious time piece.

Also - Allan - we always call November 6th 'the xmas slide' - after bonfire night the xmas build up starts in earnest and accelerates, more each day, until your launched into that wonderful xmas week (you know you've had a good xmas if you forget what day of the week it is - rather '2 days after boxing day'). The xmas slide defines that feeling you get where one minute it seems xmas is too far away and the next minute there are only 4 more shopping days to xmas. On Nov 6th shops & supermarket's focus is entirely on xmas, xmas TV adverts are in almost full bloom and nearly every garden centre in the land has its xmas section lit up. It also comes a week or so after halloween and when the clocks go back. This 7 week period (for it is exactly that, with Nov 6th always falling on the same day of the week as xmas day) is the very fruit of the year.

Yes, excellent point Mikejd1972, I will add it. It's a bit sad that we can't add the Woolworths catalogue a bit later, as that was always really Christmassy, as were their TV commercials!

The Ace/Studio/Web Ivory websites go into Christmas mode in May, with the hard copy catalogues arriving in early June (I don't buy anything, but the catalogues are fun!)

Links here:

http://www.24ace.co.uk/ss/index.jsp

http://homeshopping.24studio.co.uk/

http://www.webbivory.co.uk/ss/index.jsp

I know exactly what you mean digiblade, it's as if time is compressed towards the end of the year. I love the 'Xmas slide' idea and will add it. My birthday is just a few days later, so for me it's a really exciting time!

You had to mention the C word, didn't you?

Paddy

As in CCCHristmas??

A great website Claires-dad well done. It's interesting to see how many times the 'classics' have been shown over Christmas on terrestrial TV.
It's a Wonderful Life was last shown on BBC2 in 2002 at 17:45 on Christmas Eve. Sadly it hasn't been shown since for some reason. It's long overdue a showing for Christmas 2009 I reckon

Perhaps we should start a campaign for BBC to show it every Christmas Eve, it's that good a film!

Why were theer complaints about the 200 Harry Potter Cover?