Christmas TV

For many years now, families have gathered together on Christmas Day to enjoy Christmas lunch and Christmas telly.
Below you can find listings of every programme broadcast on British television on December 25th during the twentieth century.

<< Christmas Day 1956 >>

Both channels offered a similar line-up this year, starting with a church service in the morning then closing down until the Queen's Christmas message (audio only) at 3pm. In the evening you could choose from Dick Whittingdon on the BBC or a musical version of A Christmas Carol on ITV.


\| BBC Television Service \| Associated-Rediffusion \|

	BBC Television Service
	01.00	Weather and Close Down
	11.00	A Family Service
			for Christmas Day from the Warwick Road Congregational Church, Coventry, uniting with the Queen's Road Baptist Church. Conducted by the Rev. R. W. Hugh Jones Call to Worship Versicles and Responses Prayer of Invocation The Lord's Prayer O come. all ye faithful (C.P. 85) Junior Church Talk He smiles within his cradle (C.P. 722) Reading: St. Luke 2, w. 1-16 Offertory O little town of Bethlehem (C.P. 718) Sermon Prayers Hark! the herald-angels sing (C.P. 84) Benediction Organist, Norman Swain
	14.55	His Royal Highness THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH
			Sound only
			speaking from the Royal Yacht Britannia in South Pacific waters The final message in the programme 'Voices Out of the Air' broadcast throughout the Commonwealth as a prelude to A Christmas Message from Her Majesty THE QUEEN at 3.0
	15.15	The Variety Theatre of China
			A BBC telerecording of some of the outstanding and unusual acts from the recent London stage production
	15.30	Grand Circus
			from Paris A direct relay of part of the Grand Circus from the Palais des Sports in Paris including: aerial acts, clowns jugglers, chimpanzees and the dance of thirty elephants
	16.30	Puss in Boots
			A new filmed story for children told by Johnny Morris . Get me a pair of boots,' said the cat. The miller's A son arranged for a pair of cat's boots to be made and from that moment his fortunes change.
	16.50	The Lone Ranger
			Who is he? What is he? Why is he masked? In this exciting film of the wild West the Lone Ranger and Tonto, his faithful Indian friend, fight a gang of bank robbers and come to the rescue of a lonely family at Christmas. with
	17.15	Max Wall in ICE CRACKERS
			A Christmas party on ice featuring young British skating stars from Queens Ice Club, London Introduced by David Jacobs Music by the Jackie Brown Sextet Designer, Lawrence Broadhouse Produced by Robin Scott
	17.45	Today's Sport
			Kenneth Wolstenholme gives today's football and major sporting results
	17.50	Weather
			followed by WHAT'S ON TONIGHT with Michael Barry Patricia Foy and Ronnie Waldman
	18.00	Opera from Germany
			Act 2 of THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO
			An opera by Mozart to a libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte after Beaumarchais (Sung In German) The action takes place in the Countess's boudoir Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio CONDUCTOR, MEINHARD VON ZALLINGER Producer, Kurt Wilhelm Presented by the German Television Service from their Munich studios
	19.00	News
	19.10	Christmas Disneyland
			Walt Disney brings along some old friends and invites you to meet some new ones in a film programme specially prepared for BBC Television's Christmas Day
	19.45	Pantomania
			or DICK WHITTINGTON
			Written by Eric Sykes Jean Kent as Dick Whittington Sylvia Peters as Alice Fitzwarren Billy Cotton as Alderman Fitzwarren Frankie Howerd as Idle Jack Hattie Jacques as the Good Fairy Sam Kydd as King Rat and more than a helping hand from: David Attenborough, Roger Avon Fred Emney, Edward Evans Bill Greenslade, Peter Haigh John Hall, Philip Harben The Max Jaffa Trio Jacqueline Mackenzie Mary Malcolm, Spike Milligan Freddie Mills, Robert Raglan Nancy Roberts, Bruce Seton Eric Sykes, Jimmy Wheeler The Mitchell Singers Orchestra conducted by George Clouston Music arranged by Alan Bristow Choreography by Leslie Roberts Comedy direction by Eric Sykes Produced by John Street
	20.45	Home is the Sailor
			A comedy specially written for the BBC Television Service for Christmas Day by Arthur Macrae
			starring Brenda Bruce, Charles Victor with Richard Pearson The play takes place in a small house in South London on Christmas Day Designer, Gordon Roland Produced by Michael Barry
	22.00	Eric Robinson introduces MUSIC FOR YOU
			with Joan Hammond Ferruccio Tagliavini Anneliese Rothenberger Jose Greco and members of his Company Beryl Grey and members of the Ballet Rambert Eileen Joyce Larry Adler Marcel Cornelis Audrey Attwood, Jean Allister Elizabeth Boyd, Joan Bramhall Ursula Connors, Ellen Dales Gillian Knight, Nora Ogonovsky Betty Felstead Bowles Be van, Edward Darling Derick Davies, Edgar Fleet John Ford, John Mitchinson Brendan O'Dowda David Oddie, Donald Scott The Concert Orchestra (Leader, David McCallum ) Musical associate. James Turner Orchestrations by Arthur Wilkinson Decorations by Bruce Angrave Designer, Richard Levin Producer, Patricia Foy
	23.15 - 23.30	News Summary
			Weather and Close Down

	Associated-Rediffusion
	11.30	Christmas Morning Service
			from St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London. Address: The Rev. Austin Williams (Vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields) An Associated-Rediffusion Network Production
	12.10	Close-down till 3.0
	15.00	Her Majesty The Queen; Commonwealth Prospect
			The Queen's Christmas Day message to all her peoples is broadcast, on sound only, from Sandringham. Followed by Commonwealth Prospect The Independent Television News cameras bring to the screen the faces and voices of people throughout the Commonwealth telling what they have accomplished this year and what they plan for 1957. An ITN Network Production
	15.30	Close Up
			A special musical programme for Christmas introduced by Stephen McCormack. (Acknowledgements to 20th Century-Fox, Warner-Brothers, Columbia Pictures) An Associated-Rediffusion Network Production
	16.00	The File on Voronov
			a thriller by Sheilah Ward and Peter Ling. When Russian military attache Maxim Voronov left his Embassy to attend a hush-hush international conference, he did not suspect that a network of high-level intrigue was about to ensnare him. Thanks to three small boys, it all began as a practical joke-but in the end Scotland Yard, M.I.5., and the Security forces of a nation were all involved before "the File on Voronov" could be finally closed.
	16.30	Buffalo Bill Jnr.
			Six-Gun Symphony
			In another exciting episode of this thrilling series.
	17.00	Time signal; Jolly Good Time
			Jimmy Hanley invites you to a Jolly Good Party among the guests you will meet are Mick and Montmorency, Rolf Harris, Dorothy Smith and Woolf Goldberg with Snoozy the Sealion, Eric Spear, Desmond Morris. An Associated-Rediffusion Network Production
	18.00	Close-down till 7.0
	19.00	About Religion
			Some Thoughts on Christmas Day
			Prebendary Douglas Owen, with the use of films, shows the different ways that Christmas is celebrated all over the world. An ATV Network Production
	19.25	News
			The latest from the studios of Independent Television News.
	19.31	Do You Trust Your Wife?
			starring Bob Monkhouse not forgetting Denis Goodwin. Christmas celebrities include Cyril Fletcher and Betty Astell, Leslie Randall and Joan Reynolds, Peter Sellers, Pat Coombes. An ATV Network Production
	20.00	Time signal; My Wife's Sister
			starring Eleanor Summerfield in television's light, bright comedy series. with Helen Christie and Martin Wyldeck. A Granada TV Network Production
	20.30	A Christmas Carol
			by Charles Dickens. Musical adaptation by Maxwell Anderson of this well-known heartwarming Christmas story. starring Fredric March.
	21.30	The Pay Off
			by Barbara S. Harper. with Edward Chapman, Avis Scott. Running a cafe in Brixton is normally a peaceful occupation. What happened to lift this little cafe into the headlines?
	22.46	Time, News
			The latest from the studios of Independent Television News.
	23.00	Epilogue and close-down
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<< Christmas Day 1956 >>