Christmas Day on BBC1 1946-2020

[Billy Smart]

Interesting infographic from Mark Gibbings-Jones: The programmes shown on Christmas Day BBC1 on the most occasions, 1946-2020 https://twitter.com/BrokenTV/status/1338548250656301056 . (enlarged version here - https://postimg.cc/N2XvpB0z )

[JezR]

Billy Smart's Circus was billed but actually not transmitted (at least not for long) in 1957 as the link to the live performance in Windsor failed after only 3 minutes.

[squidney]

Living in Windsor as a kid, going to the Christmas Circus was a part of my childhood for several years, though by the 1970s they had learnt their lesson and the circus was pre recorded months in advance.

[stearn]

All good family entertainment - don't have nightmares!



NB: Not my scan, this is from transdiffusion.org

[Mark]

Aww...that's nice!

Stephen king's got a lot to answer for, hasn't he!

[Mark]

Billy Smart's Circus was billed but actually not transmitted (at least not for long) in 1957 as the link to the live performance in Windsor failed after only 3 minutes.

...But what was it replaced with?...

[stearn]

A thriller film starring Ronald Coleman. There were audience complaints that is was hardly suitable viewing for Christmas.

[Mark]

Interesting, so if it wasn't for the complaints, we wouldn't know what the replacement was?

[Ian Wegg]

.

[brigham]

Living in Windsor as a kid, going to the Christmas Circus was a part of my childhood for several years, though by the 1970s they had learnt their lesson and the circus was pre recorded months in advance.

Pre-recorded? What did they show it on?
Multi-screen Eidophors?

[stearn]

The PasB records held by the BBC would tell you exactly what was broadcast, but without access to those, consulting the popular press is the next best thing. This was what The Birmingham Daily Post (and a few other papers using the same syndicated copy) published 27 Dec:

Protests to B.B.C. The B.B.C. television service had "quite a large number" of telephone calls protesting about programmes it showed after the Queen's broadcast. Because of transmitter trouble it was unable to televise the scheduled circus programme. Instead there was a film featuring Ronald Coleman, followed by light songs from Elton Hayes. A scheduled play which also caused protests was Mrs. Mike. A B.B.C. spokesman said about the Ronald Coleman film: "It was a thriller but it was a moral tale and we thought that this moral tale was suitable."

One other paper says it was a 10 year old film, so it could have been 'A Double Life', although I haven't found a title mentioned yet.

[AndrewP]

Interesting infographic from Mark Gibbings-Jones: The programmes shown on Christmas Day BBC1 on the most occasions, 1946-2020 https://twitter.com/BrokenTV/status/1338548250656301056 . (enlarged version here - https://postimg.cc/N2XvpB0z )

Nice one Billy - thanks for flagging this up! Much appreciated! :)

All the best

Andrew

[Brock]

The biggest surprise for me was that Top Of the Pops is only eight behind The Queen. That means that they could overtake her during my lifetime!

[stearn]

After a bit more digging, it would appear the film was "The Chess Game" which looks to only be a year old and from a TV series entitled The General Electric Theater.

Daily Express, 27.12.57

TV film angers parents
Hundreds of people telephoned protests about violence in a Ronald Colman film, "The Chess
Game," which the.B.B.C. screened because transmission from Billy Smart's Circus broke down on
Christmas afternoon. Viewers said the film was unsuitable for children to watch

[Mark]

Brilliant...thanks for that...it does seem to have been an odd choice as a replacement.

Forgot about the PasB's.

[squidney]

Living in Windsor as a kid, going to the Christmas Circus was a part of my childhood for several years, though by the 1970s they had learnt their lesson and the circus was pre recorded months in advance.

Pre-recorded? What did they show it on?
Multi-screen Eidophors?

I meant we went to the Christmas Circus but we went in August or whenever it was recorded - - can’t remember exactly how far in advance it was done. I think sometimes they recorded the Easter circus at the same time!

[brigham]

Sorry! I was having a laugh.
The idea of showing a pre-recorded circus inside a big top somehow tickled me.
Did you see Billy's grand-daughter, Yasmin? She was wonderful. She could stand up on a horse!
I wanted to marry her, but the Guv'nor wouldn't let me.
I WAS only seven at the time.