Well, the Christmas TV guides are out but don’t waste your money on one. At one time one could spend a good hour going through it and circling the shows not to miss. Not anymore. I have used this phrase in a recent blog already but what a pile of Winnie.

ITV’s morning programming is exactly the same as tomorrow for instance – not that many people are watching at that time I admit. ITV though do not have one single film on during the whole day. We have cooking, quizzes, two hours of soap and BGT.

BBC are just as bad. They have a couple of kid’s films on in the afternoon but nothing in the evening more game shows, Call the Midwife and Eastenders.

Christmas TV used to be special but now it’s just like any other day. This absolute rubbish made me look up past Christmas listings. Christmas Day 1980 had four films on ITV; Digby (73), George and Mildred (80), The Man with the Golden Gun (74) and Touch of Class (73). The year of release is in brackets because in those days it took 8 years for a film to get on TV so these would all have been premieres. The George and Mildred one was brand new anyway but that was a TV film so I guess not released in the cinemas.. BBC had at least one premiere that day too – Airport (74).

There was always also variety too though on at Christmas be it, Morecambe and Wise, the Two Ronnies or Mike Yarwood. Most importantly though, there were no soaps. That was one of the good things to be grateful for. They did raise their heads though on Christmas Day 1990, but only a normal episode length. There were still premieres that year; Beverley Hills Cop 2, ET and Baby Boom.

Yes, there are no premieres now because we have all seen them on Sky or another premium provider before they get on terrestrial TV, but there should still be some exclusive programming. Believe it or not there are some of us are not interested in soaps and watching people spending ten times as long cooking a meal than it takes to eat it – shows which are on every normal day anyway.

Boxing Day is even worse. BBC’s evening fare is repairing second hand tat, sewing and soap, although there is a film tagged on at the end. ITV is all quizzes plus another one of the interminable singing shows. Why do we need so many? This is taking the wearing of masks rule a bit too far.

This year especially there will be more people around the TV – well, those that adhere to the rules anyway – and as a single person with no bubble, there is nothing else to do. What a jolly old time we will have. Back to the Dempsey and Makepeace DVD’s I think.

Just an aside, whilst mentioning older but far better TV. It is funny how sometimes you watch an old show and see someone who is famous now but was just a bit part player then. I recently watched an episode of Crazy Like A Fox from 1985 in which who should appear but … ER … a mullet haired, 24 year old George Clooney, playing a clueless loafer who gets into trouble. Wonder where he is now?