The Legendary Double Issue

My Dear Fellow,

I don't know about you, but the arrival of the double issue in our house was always a moment of great excitement. It meant Christmas was really coming and you could start planning your family telly schedule over the festive season. And of course it always came with the special holiday pull-out section for Hoeseasons canal boat holidays that I don't think anyone ever went on.

But never mind that. When the double-issue would arrive, the big red pen would come out and we'd circle our way happily through Xmas, bearing in mind that Dad wanted to see "Lawrence of Arabia", Mum couldn't bloody stand that Julie Andrews so no "Sound of Music" and Mam had to see the seasonal episode of "Coronation Street" but would talk all the way through. And of course we'd end up watching "The Wizard of Oz" every year because it just isn't Christmas without Bert Lahr and Margaret Hamilton.

Back in the 70's of course, you had to get both the Radio and TV Times because BBC and ITV didn't talk to each other or even acknowledge each other's existence. It was like the USA and the USSR. You'd get both and then fold them around each other through all the days of Xmas. Then you'd have the entertainingly complex task of plotting your way through the schedules so that you could see The Bond Movie on ITV without missing too much of Top of the Pops, and then stay with the Beeb for The Two Ronnies special but then back to ITV for the Big Film which would be "Earthquake!" or "The Poseidon Adventure!" Something with an exclamation mark, anyway.

And every morning, there would be a Larry "Buster" Crabbe serial,  a Laurel & Hardy season and a series of classics by James Cagney or Fred & Ginger. And every New Year's Eve, "The Italian Job" with Michael Caine.

I still buy the Radio Times, but it's not really the same. For a start, it is now way too complicated with all these extra channels (and ITV). Also, while TV on Demand is very convenient, I can't help but feel sad that we've lost "occasion" tv, when everyone sat down together and watched all of the same things. I'm sure I sound really old saying that, but there really was something special about making a point of sitting together after Xmas dinner to watch Eric & Ernie.

So I doubt I shall be circling much this year. But I had to buy it anyway. Old habits die hard. 

Die Hard! Now there's a Christmas film. Mother! Fetch the red pen!

El P.