Advent Stories

3. The Christmas Day film.

There was something magical about my childhood at Christmas. It centred around the publication of the Radio Times bumper edition, with all the listings available on the three channels. For me, it was the films.

For many years, those in charge of the schedules would do their duty and ensure that there was a staple diet of films to entertain the entire family. Well, except for mum, who would be busy in the kitchen all day.

Back then, you couldn’t pause the action for a comfort break or record for future viewing. You had to be ready. Once the Queen had finished, get a spot on the comfortable chairs ready for the big Christmas Day feature film. Any BBC1 executive suggesting a ‘Rom-Com’ would have been flayed alive.

Christmas Day films had to be exciting, something to grab the attention. Those afternoons were for The Great Escape, this time, hoping a few more might make it to freedom, Von Ryan’s Express, Zulu or The Dirty Dozen. Another family could switch to BBC2 for The Sound of Music or The Wizard of Oz, if that was their thing. It was family bonding time, while Men of Harlech was sung once more.

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