h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Having just scanned through the Christmas edition of the radio times is it just me or is it true that with more choice we are getting poorer quality and choice of television over the Christmas period.

In the days when we only had three TV stations (younger readers should note this was before Channel 4 started in 1984) all funding went into creating a Christmas spectacle. Morecombe and Wise, the Two Ronnies, Mike Yarwood et al all putting on a Christmas show with big stars and showcase numbers. Now we seem to have drivel and dilution of product. There is very little currently highlighted in our edition of that radio times and yet with 3 channel we longed for the ability to watch one station and record another to watch later at times. For some of our younger readers this was also the time before the video recorder was a household essential.

So tell me what I am missing is there a must see programme on over Christmas that I may have missed on my look through the schedules? I do have most of the freeview output on offer. Also what are things like outside the UK with television scheduling?

There's a Vicar of Dibley xmas special coming. What more could you want??

And maybe you should visit the 'Points of View' board with this message, they love your sort.

Granted there is a visit to the Parish of Dibley, but not a lot else really. Also there is the Gardeners World Christmas Special

I don't watch that these days. Makes me feel guilty about the time I *don't* spend in my garden!

Has your new place got a garden? You'll be too busy to watch telly this year anyway if you move in soon.

I agree. Christmas telly used to be great, with the Only Fools and Horses special being the highlight in our family and as a kid I loved the Morecame & Wise and Two Ronnies shows too - still do! Now it's three hours of Eastenders, Coronation Street et al and as I don't watch them I'm bored to tears.

However, the cable channels might have something better to offer

Precisely. When did soaps become so dominant that we ahve to see them to the exlusion of everything else on Christmas day?

Some of the population don't watch soaps we just don't have the time to commit.

Agreed about the soaps ... oh, BTW, Channel 4 started in 1982 - for some reason I have the image of Richard Whiteley etched permanently in my mind ...

Actually, as far as Christmas goes, I don't think any current show has a Christmas special particularly worth watching and the best ones are going to be repeats on UKTV Gold (which I can't actually get, BTW ).