Things kick off today with that hardy Christmas perennial The Good Life (Silly But It’s Fun). Later there’s The Paul Daniels Magic Show in which Paul gets out his magic kettle (not the most thrilling of illusions it has to be said). Still, there’s some good specialty acts as well as the chance to see the largest Christmas Pudding ever (that should be worth the price of admission alone).

Kenny Everett is joined by The Police (as well as Frank Thornton, Sheila Steafel, Willie Rushton, Lennie Bennett, Lionel Blair, Billy Connolly and Fern Britton). Expect to see naughty bits.

There’s another chance to see The Treasure of Abbot Thomas, a Ghost Story for Christmas from 1974 starring Michael Bryant, Paul Lavers, Frank Mills and Sheila Dunn.

Give Us A Clue, Coronation Street and The Spy Who Loved Me on ITV are followed by Eric and Ernie’s Christmas Show. In retrospect, this is a melancholy watch as (apart from Night Train To Murder, broadcast after Eric’s death) this was their last hurrah.

I’ve gone through the whole card this December  – all their Xmas specials from 1969 to 1983. I haven’t changed my opinion about the likes of 1972 (a very disappointing effort) although these days I hold the Thames era in a little more esteem. Yes, the recycled material is never quite as good the second time around, but the magic’s still there (albeit flickering faintly at times).

I may catch Minder’s Christmas Bonus although it’s fairly disposable – new linking scenes in the Winchester which wrap around recycled clips from previous stories.