Post Christmas over-indulgence, what does today has to offer? Well, there’s Two-Way Stretch on BBC2 for starters. Another entry in the Sellers over Christmas season, this brisk early sixties film saw Peter Sellers joined by Bernard Cribbins, Lionel Jeffries, Wilfrid Hyde White and David Lodge (not to mention a supporting cast full of familiar faces). Good stuff, and just the sort of thing to while away a quiet afternoon.
He-De-Hi!‘s Christmas special (Eruptions) didn’t quite make the grade for Christmas Day, but it’s been given a plum spot on the 26th. Highlight of the episode has to be Jeff and Gladys’ enforced night spent in the Three Bears’ Cottage. As I’ve said before, nobody could squirm quite like Simon Cadell and both he and the recently departed Ruth Madoc are on fine form here.
Over on ITV there’s Pop Goes Christmas to enjoy (rather oddly given an early timeslot of 4:45 pm). It has a mixture of oh-so 1982 acts (Mari Wilson, Toto Coelo, Musical Youth) and others (Dexys Midnight Runners, David Essex) who’ve managed to last slightly younger. Some tackle Christmas classics (Dexys’ version of Merry Christmas Everyone and Toyah’s I Believe In Father Christmas are two standouts) whilst others perform their hits from earlier in the the year (although Mari Wilson indulges in a spot of lyric re-writing to give her hit a more festive tinge).
David Essex, with A Winter’s Tale, has a current Christmas song, of course, and it gets another airing today (having already enjoyed a prime slot yesterday with The Two Ronnies).
Archive Television Musings 
Was this also the debut of The Snowman over on Channel 4?
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Yes, I believe so.
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1982 was the first time that TV Times carried listings for more than one channel.
Channel 4 was launched in November and with the new channel came a new tv tradition.
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1982 was the first time that TV Times carried listings for more than one channel.
Channel 4 was launched in November and with the new channel came a new tv tradition.
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Ah yes, lovely David Essex.
It wasn’t just snow melting that Christmas, was it now ladies? Many a heart too.
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The last ever All Star Record Breakers got tucked away between Cheggars P;lays Pop and Disney Time. And Keith Chegwin was in the All Star Record Breakers which was actually more like the All Star Saturday Superstore, which for once was made up to look like a department store.
Rolf Harris presented Disney Time from Longleat. The programme included a clip from Tron, which he introduced from Longleat’s Doctor Who exhibition. He was wearing a wide brimmed hat and a scarf, and he said “I’ve got the right hat and scarf.”. But he hadn’t because Tom Baker had left Doctor Who over a year earlier.
Longleat of course hosted a big Doctor Who event the following year. The Doctor Who exhibition closed after the old Merquess of Bath died, and the hippy Marquess converted the Tardis into a bat cave.
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