On the 4th Day of Christmas my true love sent to me...


The double edition of the Radio Times (Santa? No Santa? Naff Photo or cutesy illustration? Why did they say the 8th when everywhere only starts putting it out on the 11th? These questions have haunted me all week!)

One of my traditions from literate and numerate age is to be the keeper of the Radio Times. We buy it every week because as well as all the listings it is actually a really good read without being soap obsessed (we don't do soaps) and hey, it's useful to have something somewhere to look up what time that programme you watch that nobody else does is on. And I come into my element especially at Christmas. I know when the double edition is out, I haunt newsstands to find it and snap up a copy as soon as I can. I am happier now that one magazine does all instead of my early days as the TV Chronicler when I needed two separate books for the BBC and ITV. But as soon as the magazines came out I used to move into megamotivated mode.

A cup of decent coffee, a highlighter pen and a pad of paper and I was off. I used mark down what I want to watch, list it all in the pad and work out what I may have wanted to video (in olden times) or hard drive, nowadays and whether I would have the space, tapes or time. One year I had two videos, two televisions and a DVD recorder to work with. Was I confused!
Now we have a Virgin media box that will tape two sides and let us watch another, the video doesn't record off the TV and this year my DVD recorder has gone kaput. Besides, the days of desperately filling time with TV are behind me. I choose quality against quantity now.... well, usually. So Christmas Eve will find me listening to the Nine lessons and carols while I peel potatoes while the highlight of Christmas will be the meeting of the Giants... Minogue and Tenant 6.50pm BBC1. How I anticipate the fun!

Comments

  1. There is something great about the Radio Times at Christmas, although ours invariably falls apart within a day or two.
    I'm wondering if we too should start buying it weekly, instead of having no guide at all and asking each other constantly if we know what's on - when we quite obviously don't as we don't have a guide!!
    Happy viewing ;)

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  2. I'm so excited about Minogue and "my" Mr Tennant that I can't quite sit still!!! I love the Radio Times too, I remember the days of having to the the TV times and the Radio Times to see what was on!

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  3. I think theres a few things worth watching Looking forward to "To the manor born " loved the original series hope the preparations going well. I suppose the children are very excited now

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  4. Hi Jo

    How I miss the good old Radio Times! Still, I can enjoy the service of nine lessons and carols online, so there are some compensations.

    Happy Christmas!

    Marie x

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  5. I always remember the excitement of Dad coming home with a copy of both the radio and TV times. Then spending hours working through it deciding what we were going to watch. I'm afraid I'm just not as bothered anymore as I find Christmas television to be a bit of a let down. Having said that I'm very much looking forward to 'Ballet Shoes' on Boxing day.

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  6. Hope you all have a great Christmas and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2008 mary

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  7. Definetly Dr Who for us! Merry Christmas to you all.
    carolyn
    http://willowhouse.typepad.com

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