It might not be the kind of big screen TV sets that we’re used to these days, but if you were lucky enough to have one of those tiny boxes in the corner of your living room at Christmas 1956, you were somebody. Actually, you were somebody who was going to have to put up with the neighbours coming round to gawp at your telly while laying waste to your mince pies and your best bottle of scotch, but we digress.

 

The TV Times from Christmas 1956 was also a long way from the giant magazines that we became accustomed to in later years, but it still gave the viewers the lowdown on what they could watch across the festive period.

 

On the big day itself, it was spartan fare, though you can check out the full listings here. The first programme of the day was the 11.30 Christmas Morning Service, after which ITV shutdown again until the Queens’ Speech at 3pm. Later in the day, Jimmy Hanley invited you to a ‘Jolly Good Time’ at 5pm, after which ITV took another breather from 6pm until 7, when ‘About Religion’ offered some thoughts on Christmas Day.

 

‘Do You Trust Your Wife’ was the big entertainment on Christmas night, featuring Bob Monkhouse and Peter Sellers, before a musical adaptation of ‘A Christmas Carol’ featuring Frederic March. The giddy carousel of entertainment finally ground to a halt with closedown at 11pm.

 

I don’t suppose there was anything any good on BBC was there?

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