The Den Of Geek TV Time Machine has now landed in the Britpop era. So what was a typical Christmas Day TV like in the 90s? Unless you had BSkyB there were still only four main TV channels in the UK. Channel Five wouldn't arrive until Easter 1997 and digital broadcasting wouldn't be available until October 1998. Just don't go with ON Digital...

In The News: The sudden death of Labour leader John Smith, at just 55, put the political spotlight on two young MPs who were seen as potential successors: Tony Blair and Gordon Brown...  Radio One was in turmoil after losing millions of listeners as old favourites resigned before they were sacked. Steve Wright was drafted into the Breakfast slot and beleaguered BBC bosses hoped he could turn around the station's fortunes.

Meanwhile, the BBC secured the National Lottery Show. 'King of Saturday Night', Noel Edmonds launched the Lottery with an hour long spectacular in September. The identity of some of the first winners was of great interest.  Almost within hours, the lottery brought out the worst in people as, inevitably, the tabloid interest forced the family abroad. Radio 2 DJ and newsreader, Alan Dedicoat (who also voiced BBC1 promos and the amounts raised for the Children In Need appeal) was installed as 'the voice of the balls', surely history's most dubious nickname!

In Sport: England didn't qualify for the World Cup and the contest (held in the USA) was deemed of so little interest, the early group stages were transmitted on BBC2! Domestically the second full season of the new Premier League was won by Manchester United, At the other end of the table, relegated Swindon Town had 100 goals scored against them. Damon Hill had a very successful motor racing season and picked up 1994's BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Top Of The Charts: East 17's Stay Another Day claimed the Christmas top spot. The year began with D-Ream's Things Can Only Get Better (the charts among many other things certainly needed to!) The rise of Britpop and the rivalry between Blur and Oasis provided the anticipated invigoration. Meanwhile 80s band Wet, Wet, Wet returned to the charts for a run of 15 weeks at number one with Love Is All Around from the year's biggest film Four Weddings and A Funeral.

At the Box Office: Junior starring Arnold Schwarzennegger was top of the film charts on Christmas Day. Just about everyone saw Four Weddings and a Funeral,  opening the floodgates to a stream of Brit rom-coms with barely a tenth of the charm of the original. Star Hugh Grant's then girlfriend Liz Hurley (who wasn't even in the film) became famous for attending the premiere in 'that dress'. Mrs Doubtfire and The Flintstones completed the top three films for the year...

On TV - Christmas Day (Sunday December 25th 1994)

BBC1
6.45am Children's BBC
10am Songs Of Praise
11am The Jetsons
12.20pm Tom and Jerry
12.30pm News followed by EastEnders
2pm Top Of The Pops with Take That
3pm The Queen
3.10pm Noel's Christmas Presents
4.10pm Animal Hospital at Christmas
4.45pm News
4.55pm The Wrong Trousers
5.25pm Keeping Up Appearances
6.15pm EastEnders
6.45pm FILM: Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves
9pm One Foot In The Grave
9.40pm Victoria Wood: Live In Your Own Home
10.30pm News
10.40pm Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show
11.25pm Christmas Spirit
11.30pm FILM: Trading Places

ITV
6am GMTV
9.25am Scooby Doo
10.30am Christmas Matters
11am Morning Worship
12.30pm News
12.40pm Mole's Christmas
1.10pm FILM: The Christmas Star
3.10pm FILM: Mary Poppins
5.45pm Loony Tunes Christmas
5.55pm News
6.05pm FILM: Sleeping Beauty
7.30pm Coronation Street
8pm Blind Date
9pm Heart Beat
10pm Robin Williams: In The Wild With Dolphins
11pm Kiri's Coventry Carols
12.45am FILM: My Blue Heaven

BBC1 premiered The Jetsons Movie in the morning then Take That hosted a special TOTP review of 1994. Late afternoon saw Animal Hospital at Christmas. 60s and 70s favourite Rolf Harris was back at the heart of the Christmas Day schedule. Aardman Animations' much-admired The Wrong Trousers made the first of many appearances in the early evening. After the inevitable trip to Walford, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves was BBC1's big film of the day.

One Foot In The Grave replaced Only Fools... as the centrepiece Christmas Day show. This was the first of a new series, which saw grumpy Victor Meldrew befriend Mr Foskett (George and Mildred star Brian Murphy). Foskett somehow ended up naked on a snowy rooftop! BBC1's other major show was Victoria Wood: Live In Your Own Home, one of several shows the comedienne produced in the 90s and early Noughties. Comedy tradition returned to the schedule at 10.45pm with a showing of the 1971 Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show.

ITV put up a reasonable defence to BBC1's schedule for the big day. Mole's Christmas was based on The Wind In The Willows, then came the children's film classics Mary Poppins, and Sleeping Beauty. The inevitable Christmas day visit to the cobbles of Coronation Street was followed by Cilla Black's Christmas Blind Date. Nick Berry was the star of Heartbeat, the main drama of the evening. Robin Williams swam with dolphins then Dame Kiri Te Kanawa fronted a carol service from Coventry Cathedral. The unloved Steve Martin mafia comedy My Blue Heaven completed the ITV line-up.

BBC2 celebrated the heroes of The Great Escape with a documentary telling the true story behind the legendary film. A Dickensian adaptation followed, this year Hard Times got the nod. Next came a celebration of the 25th anniversary of Rowan and Martin's Laugh In, the influential American sketch show. The main event was Verdi's opera Aida. Later BBC2 screened Siren Spirits, a collection of ghost stories. The Demi Moore film The Butcher's Wife premiered at 10.30pm and then at midnight, there was a rare showing for classic 60s psychological ghost story, The Haunting.

Reviving a tradition of Christmas Ghost Stories, BBC2 began this short season on Christmas Eve with the excellent MR James story Lost Hearts, originally transmitted as A Ghost Story for Christmas in 1973.

Channel 4 kicked off with The Big Breakfast Christmas Special which lasted most of the morning. A season of programmes under the banner 'Black Christmas' occupied the afternoon slots. The Reverend Jessie Jackson delivered the Alternative Christmas Message. Weirdly, directly opposite The Wrong Trousers, Channel 4 scheduled War Story, an earlier Aardman animation! Zig and Zag's Christmas Special featured The Big Breakfast's alien puppet superstars then at 6pm former host Chris Evans fronted a special Christmas edition of Don't Forget Your Toothbrush.

Classic animation The Snowman appeared at 7pm. A Puccini Opera, Turandot, was put directly up against BBC2's Aida! A Harry Connick Jr special showcased the 'Sinatra of the 90s' and was followed by The Woman In Black. a ghost story, adapted by Nigel Kneale. Channel 4 rounded-off the night with Chinese ghost story, Mr Vampire.

Some great shows and the minor channels in a suitably spooky mood late night but the biggest thing that strikes me this year is the sheer lack of choice. The Aardman animation clash is bad enough but  at 8pm if you didn't own a satellite dish and weren't an opera buff, a fan of Cilla or Robin Hood then there wasn't a lot on British TV for you! On Christmas Day too!

All of which may explain why the 90s saw a trend of families videoing the best shows to watch later and spending a quiet Christmas night playing games or talking to relatives...
 
And in the Radio Times...
Radio Times surprised everyone with a delightful evocation of an early Christmas cover (first used by the magazine in 1924). Skilled illustrator Bob Venables, who is particularly adept at 20s and 30s style artwork, produced arguably one of the very best Christmas covers for the magazine in many a year.

CHRISTMAS GEEK RATING:

Next time we make one final trip and revisit a classic Noughties Christmas: 2005...
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