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Christmas 1981

 Christmas Eve 1981 - Thursday 24th December 1981 - BBC-1 Television
9:20am Gymnast (women's floor exercises)
9:45am Jackanory: Sinead Cusack reads The Black Lamb of Bethlehem (repeat)
10:05am The Perils of Penelope Pitstop (repeat)
10:25am Why Don't You ...? Games for Christmas
10:50am Play Chess: combinations
11:00am Go With Noakes: Rathin Island
11:30am King of the Rocket Men
11:40am The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Mysteries
12:30pm News After Noon
12:45pm King Rollo (repeat)
12:50pm Stop-Go
1:00pm El Cid (1961 film) starring Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren
3:55pm Play School
4:20pm Mighty Mouse (cartoon)
4:25pm Jackanory: Cheryl Campbell reads The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen
4:40pm A Very Merry Cricket (cartoon)
5:05pm Bluer Peter
5:35pm Willo the Whisp
5:40pm News, with Moira Stuart
5:55pm Tom and Jerry (cartoon) The Night before Christmas
6:05pm The Little and Large Show: guests, Lulu, Madness, Stutz Bear Cats
6:35pm Top of the Pops: with David Jensen and Zoo
7:15pm Are You Being Served? A difficult 90th birthday gift for old Mr Grace. It's a coat of arms.
7:45pm The Kenny Everett Television Show (his first show for the BBC after his long run on Thames Television)
8:15pm The Poseidon Adventure (1972 film) starring Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters
10:10pm News, with Moira Stuart
10:25pm The Good Old Days: Old-time variety from the City Varieties Leeds
Chairman: Leonard Sachs
Guests: Roy Castle, John Inman, Barry Howard (of Hi-de-hi), Eira Heath, Jimmy Cricket, Richard Aranciba,
Cismotheka and members of the Players Theatre in London
11:15pm Peace in No Man's Land: Christmas time on the Western Front 1914
11:50-12:50am Midnight Mass of the Nativity: from the Chapel of the Convent of Mercy, Strabane, Northern Island.

Christmas Eve 1981 - Thursday 24th December 1981 - BBC-2 Television
11:00-11:25am Play School
2:50pm Harold Lloyd: Girl Shy (1924 film)(b-w)
3:55pm Summer Holiday (1962 film) starring Cliff Richard, Lauri Peters, David Kossoff, Ron Moody
5:40pm All Creatures Great and Small (repeat)
6:35pm The Belstone Fox (1973 film) starring Eric Porter, Jeremy Kemp, Heather Wright
8:15pm News, with Moira Stuart
8:20pm One Hundred Great Paintings, with David Piper: Raphael's Madonna on the Meadow
8:30pm Christmas Eve with Pam Ayres and Fivepeny Piece, from the Spectrum Theatre, near Warrington
9:00pm Star Over Bethlehem: A multi-nation Christmas satellite link.
10:00pm The Old Grey Whistle Test: Toyah Wilcox, live concert from Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (also in stereo on Radio 1)
11:05pm News, with Moira Stuart
11:15pm Russell Harty at Home: from Settle, Yorkshire
12:05-12:50am Liszt's Christmas Tree Suite: Pianist Rhondda Gillespie

Christmas Eve 1981 - Thursday 24th December 1981 - ITV - Thames Television (London)
9:30am Little Blue: tale of a baby elephant
9:40am Get Up and Go! Beryl Reid and Mooncat
9:55am Chorlton and the Wheelies
10:25pm Clapperboard: Clips from the Superman films
11:00pm Christmas Lillies of the Field (1979 TV film) starring Billy Dee Williams
12:30pm Abolish Christmas! The case for and against Christmas.
Bill Grundy is against, Dr John Rae, headmaster of Westminster School is for
1:00pm News
1:20pm Thames News
1:30pm Morris with Music and Ulster: Christmas concert in Belfast with host Johnny Morris
2:30pm Jason and the Argonauts (1963 film) starring Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, Gary Raymond
4:15pm Ad Lib: The Christmas trees of Castle Howard in Yorkshire
4:45pm Theatre Box: You Must Believe All This: musical play based on Dicken's story Holiday Romance
5:45pm News
6:00pm Thames News
6:35pm Crossroads
7:00pm Give Us A Clue: host Michael Aspel, team captains Lionel Blair, Una Stubbs, guest Terry Scott
7:30pm Only When I Laugh (comedy series): Christmas celebrations in the hospital ward,
with James Bolam, Peter Bowles, Christopher Strauli
8:00pm London Night Out: host Tom O'Connor
guests: Rolf Harris, Jenny Lee Wright, Basil Brush, choir of Winchester Cathedral
9:00pm Scrooge (1970 film) starring Albert Finney
10:15pm News
10:30pm Scrooge (film continued)
11:25-12:30am Midnight Communion from Newcastle Cathedral

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Christmas Day 1981 - Friday 25th December 1981 - BBC-1 Television
8:40am Star Over Bethlehem (repeat of last nights BBC2 seven-nation musical link up)
9:40pm The Flumps
9:55pm Rolf at Christmas: Rolf Harris in Chester with 200 children, guests: Keith Harris, Darts
10:30am Christmas Morning Service: The Royal Family at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
11:50am The Donald Duck Story. part 1 (cartoon biography) (part 2 tomorrow)
12:30pm Tom Thumb (1958 film) starring Russ Tamblyn, Peter Sellers, Terry-Thomas, Jessie Matthews, June Thorburn
2:00pm Top of the Pops '81: with Peter Powell, Dave Lee Travis, and Zoo
3:00pm The Queen's Christmas Message to the Commonwealth
3:15pm Larry Grayson's Generation Game: with Isla St. Clair
4:10pm In Search of the Castaways (1961 Disney film) starring Hayley Mills, Maurice Chevalier
5:45pm Jim'll Fix It: Jimmy Savile
6:25pm News, with Moira Stuart
6:35pm Paul Daniels' Magical Christmas
7:15pm Last of the Summer Wine
7:45pm The Two Ronnies: guests Sheena Easton, Chas and Dave
8:35pm Dallas: Bobby and Miss Ellie put some difficult to the no-good JR.
9:25pm Loophole (1981 film) starring Albert Finney, Martin Sheen
11:05pm News, with Moira Stuart
11:15pm Parkinson on Comedy: Some of the best moments from Michael Parkinson's past shows featuring comedians
including Bob Hope, Dave Allen, Rowan Atkinson
12:15-12:45am Christmas Night with The Spinners: from the Royal Hall, Harrogate

Christmas Day 1981 - Friday 25th December 1981 - BBC-2 Television
11:00-11:25am Play School: Carol Leader and Ben Thomas read The Christmas Story
2:05pm Harold Lloyd: The Freshman (1925 film) (b-w)
3:15pm A Charlie Brown Christmas
3:40pm Uproar in Heaven (Chinese cartoon) featuring Monkey
5:25pm Joseph and Child: scultor Arthur Dooley
5:40pm Sounds of Christmas: carols and festive music from the Royal Albert Hall, London, introduced by Richard Stilgoe
6:35pm The Queen's Christmas Message to the Commonwealth
6:50pm One Hundred Great Paintings, with Edwin Millins: Leonardo Da Vinci's Virgin and Child with St. Anne
7:00pm Dersu Uzala (1975 Russian film)
9:15pm News, with Moira Stuart
9:25pm Margot Fonteyn introduces the London Festival Ballet
10:30pm Country Holiday: Country music show
11:15-1:05am The War Between Men and Women (1972 film) starring Jack Lemmon

Christmas Day 1981 - Friday 25th December 1981 - ITV - Thames Television (London)
9:00am Worzel's Christmas Special
10:00am Christmas Family Worship: from Duke Street Baptist Church, in Richmond, Surrey
11:00am The Dazzle: Edna O'Brien reads her story
11:30am We Six Kings: The King's Singers, from Nostell Priory, Yorkshire
12:00noon The Three Lives of Thomasina (1964 Disney film) starring Patrick McGoohan, Susan Hampshire
1:45pm A Wedding in the Family: An unusual view of the July 29 royal wedding
3:00pm The Queen's Christmas Message to the Commonwealth
3:15pm Dr. No (1962 James Bond film) starring Sean Connery, Ursula Andress
5:15pm This is Your Life
5:45pm News from ITN
5:50pm The Muppet Movie (1978 film) starring Mel Brooks, Bob Hope, James Coburn, Telly Savalas

Christmas Day 1981 - Friday 25th December 1981 - ITV - London Weekend Television (LWT)
7:40pm Game for a Laugh: Henry Kelly, Sara Kennedy, Jeremy Beadle
8:30pm It'll be Alright on the Night (3): Dennis Norden
9:35pm Harry and Walter Go tO New York (1976 film) starring Michael Daine, James Caine, Diane Keaton
11:40pm Rising Damp: Leonard Rossiter, Richard Beckinsale (repeat of Christmas edition)
12:10-12:20am Star in the Sky: carols sung by children of St Richard's with St Andrew's School, Ham, Richmond, Surrey

==============================================

Boxing Day 1981 - Saturday 26th December 1981 - BBC-1 Television
9:00am Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales
9:20am The Curious Cat: narrated by Eleanor Bron
10:10am The Three Musketeers (1948 MGM film) starring Gene Kelly, Lana Turner
12:10pm The Donald Duck Story: part 2
12:45pm News, read by Jan Leeming
12:50pm Junior Kick Start
1:25pm How The West Was Won (1962 film)
3:50pm The Junior Superstars: Final
5:00pm Final Score
5:10pm News, read by Jan Leeming
5:20pm The Magic of Lassie (1978 film) starring James Stewart, Mickey Rooney
7:00pm Blankety Blank. Comedy Quiz programme
7:35pm The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show: guests Marti Caine, Bucks Fizz, Suzanne Danielle
8:15pm Gone With The Wind (1939 film) starring Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard
9:55pm News and Sport
10:10pm Match of the Day, introduced by Jimmy Hill
11:10pm Perry Como's French-Canadian Christmas Special: guests Debby Boone, Canadian folk singer Diane Tell,
and Olympic ice-skating champion Dorothy Hamill
12:00midnight Golf: Men v Women: Sally Little v. Severiano Ballesteros, intrduced by by Peter Alliss
12:50-1:15am Barbara Mandrell, with the Mandrell Sisters, guests Bobby Vinton, Andre Crouch

Boxing Day 1981 - Saturday 26th December 1981 - BBC-2 Television
12:45pm Horse Racing from Wincanton
2:15pm Many Moons (cartoon)
2:25pm Harold Lloyd in Movie Crazy (b-w)
3:50pm Wonderful Life (1964 film) starring Cliff Richard
5:40pm Strange Sickness (Chinese cartoon)(repeat)
6:00pm Sky at Westminster Abbey: concert
7:25pm Arena: Superman
8:15pm News, with Jan Leeming
8:25pm One Hundred Great Paintings: Piero Della Francesca's The Nativity
8:35pm New York City Ballet: George Balanchine's production of Jewels
9:15pm The Levin Interviews: Bernard Levin talks to members of the Amadaeus Quartet
10:10pm How to Murder Your Wife (1965 film) starring Jack Lemmon, Virna Lisi, Terry-Thomas
12:05-1:30am The Phantom of the Opera (1962 film) starring Herbert Lom, Heather Sears

Boxing Day 1981 - Saturday 26th December 1981 - ITV - London Weekend Television (LWT)
9:15am Disney Classic
9:25pm Once Upon a Time: Mark Wyner tells the story of Dick Whittington
9:40pm Emmet otter's Jug Band Christmas: Jim Henson animated story
10:30pm Tiswas: festive edition introduced by Sally James and Gordon Astley
12:00-2:20pm World of Sport: introduced by Dickie Davies
- On the Ball, with Ian St John
- Ice Hockey from Moscow
- Horse Racing from Kempton Park, introduced by Brough Scott
- Magic Moments: looking back at Sporting happenings in 1981
2:20pm Paint Your Wagon (1969 film) starring Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood
4:55pm Sports Results
5:05pm Metal Mickey: pantomime
5:35pm News from ITN
5:45pm Family Fortune: introduced by Bob Monkhouse. Special edition.
Teams from Give Us A Clue v. It Ain't Half Hot Mum
6:30pm Russ Abbot's Christmas Madhouse
7:15pm The Thirty Nine Steps (1978 film) starring Robert Powell, David Warner
9:10pm News from ITN
9:15pm Tales of the Unexpected: Hijack, starring Dennis Quilley, Simon Cadell
9:45pm An Audience with Dudley Moore
10:45pm Salute to Fred Astaire: host David Niven, guests Gene Kelly, Audrey Hepburn
12:30pm Close, with Claire Rayner

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