Maurice

The BBC, now planning Christmas schedules, should include more seasonal films.

The Box of Delights, based on John Masefield's fantasy novel, is described,
on the DVD, as a "BBC Children's Classic".

So why has the series not been repeated for over 20 years?

Shown in six episodes in 1984, the series was repeated, in three episodes, in 1986.

jaycad

this is a subject i feel strongly about! christmas tv has gone down the pan due to the bbc and itv wasting their budgets on hollywood blockbusters-if i want to see 'spiderman 2' then i will hire/buy it on dvd,it's just a lazy lack of respect for their viewers! ok,some may argue that they're put on for the children,but there's plenty of good childrens tv that hasn't been shown for years and plenty of seasonal productions not to mention the opportunity to show new drama.

''no diggin'!!!!!!''

faginsgirl

As long as they show `Oliver` thats all that matters

No, seriously Maurice, `box of delights` would be lovely to see again. As would a lot of proper childrens programmes which aren`t Americanised with modern slants on everything and taste of sheer consumerism.

xx

We`re changin` lodggggggggings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jaycad

hear hear!
i never tire of 'a christmas carol' and 'scrooge' unless it's that bill murray one!

''no diggin'!!!!!!''

bhowells

One of the old nostlagic telly sites shows old Christmas schedules for BBC from the fifties and sixteid and seventies reading these schedules will make us all weep for those halcyon days.

Noticed that Laurel and Hardys Way Out West was on festive tv long before I discovered the wonderful duo as an eight year old in 1968, when all the old two reelers were shown on a Saturday morning.

bhowells

Festive Top Of the Pops and Generation Game with Brucie and Anthea on a luncthime on Christmas Day.

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer with Burl Ives on the sountrack on Christmas Eve.

PS68060

There seems to have been a lot of dramas that were shown once and then shelved forever depsite the obvious production costs.

It would have been sensible to re-run this 2-3 years later before the special affects started to look a bit old.

There must be someone, a committe maybe, that chooses which programmes to run. Why do they pic the same films, dramas and comedies over and over ?

"Oh! Pete!"

maturin

Living abroad, one of the few joys of non-BBC Christmas is the fact that so many films and shows are available these days, either through the forum or elsewhere, that you can create your own utterly nostalgic schedule. My family watched Eric and Ernie, Box of Delights, a slew of John Mills and the Goodies.
'Truth were told, they probably would have prefered Van Damm movies and re-runs of Rosanne. But what's Christmas for if not for fermenting family feuds?

Maurice

A well-chosen documentary on Christmas Day, 2006, was Lucy Blakstad's
"The Royal Ballet: Dreams to Reality" BBC2.

A repeat broadcast would be appreciated, particularly if viewers are informed of the dancers' progress since then.

Dai Bando

There was a wonderful programme on a few years ago about some mishaps people had had over the christmas period ie a horse coming into the kitchen during christmas lunch, a snake hiding in the trees of a real christmas tree and a microwave exploding when cooking a christmas pudding. It was entertaining and different, my family really enjoyed it. I think it was shown on C5 or C4 then again may also have been Sky 1 definately wasnt on the Beeb.

Never seen Box of Delights but seems like it would be my sort of thing.

batman

We rented it from our local library last Christmas .... TBW loved it!

"Do you know why fattries are called fattries .... it's because they are big and people make things in them."

billy farmer

the box of delights is one of my favourite children's drama's of all time great story, magical atmosphere and great acting from devin stanfield (kay harker), patrick troughton (cole hawlings), robert stephens (abner brown), patricia quinn (sylvia daisy pouncer), james grout (inspector) and the rest of the cast, also wonderful special effects. i have this children's drama on dvd and on cassette with lionel jeffries as cole hawlings and donald sinden as abner brown and i also have the book by john masefield.

catch me if you can, hunt me if you dare!