Childhood excitement when Christmas TV guides came out...

mikedublin

As a child and even as a young teen I can remember the excitement when the Christmas TV guides came out. Back in the early 80's you would have needed seperate ones for RTE, BBC and UTV (this was in the days before SKY / TV3 etc).

They would be big thick glossy magazines, and when my ma or da brought them in, i would dive on them and go through each of the big days - planning what mega movies to watch. (this was before video recorders so you had to plan carefully so you didn't miss something). There was always a classic James Bond 007 movie on Christmas day, and something like Back To The Future as an evening treat. And Top of The Pops countdown of the year.

I'd always be trying to persuade my parents to move the Christmas Dinner to fit in with some movie !

To me Christmas really began when they came out. Anyone else remember the excitement of the Christmas TV magaizines ?

sold

mikedublin wrote: »

As a child and even as a young teen I can remember the excitement when the Christmas TV guides came out. Back in the early 80's you would have needed seperate ones for RTE, BBC and UTV (this was in the days before SKY / TV3 etc).

They would be big thick glossy magazines, and when my ma or da brought them in, i would dive on them and go through each of the big days - planning what mega movies to watch. (this was before video recorders so you had to plan carefully so you didn't miss something). There was always a classic James Bond 007 movie on Christmas day, and something like Back To The Future as an evening treat. And Top of The Pops countdown of the year.

I'd always be trying to persuade my parents to move the Christmas Dinner to fit in with some movie !

To me Christmas really began when they came out. Anyone else remember the excitement of the Christmas TV magaizines ?

Yes, that was 20 years ago, since the internet arrived I gave up on buying the RTE guide, (its all on the internet)

Ann22

This is one of my favourite Christmas memories:). The Rte Guide, Tv Times and Radio Times. We'd be soooo excited looking through them to see when the likes of The Wizard of Oz and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was on. It used to be so sad looking back over it when Xmas was over. I got the Xmas Rte Guide last week, I still love to read through the film guide. Whoever writes it always adds little 'did you know' bits to it.

lord lucan

Our house was a TV Times house,as soon as the xmas edition came out we'd go to town on it with markers marking out all the movies and xmas specials that we wanted to watch. Great days.:)

Dudess

Oh I still get really excited over the Christmas RTE Guide.

steveone

yes I had a routine. and I still do it.

1) find the 7am Tarzans, sinbads and marx brothers.
2) Willy Wonka (gene wilder)
3) Poseidon adventure (gene hackman)
4) Great escape
5) map out christmas day with selection box for brekfast.

Dudess

sold wrote: »

Yes, that was 20 years ago, since the internet arrived I gave up on buying the RTE guide, (its all on the internet)

Welcome to All Things Retro - the forum for nostalgia/reminiscing.

Ruu_Old

It was the only time we ever got the RTE TV guide, it was too expensive to be buying it every week!

BluesBerry

Ruu wrote: »

It was the only time we ever got the RTE TV guide, it was too expensive to be buying it every week!

Same....The RTE guide gave 2 weeks listings in the christmas one and the mammy thought that to be good value...... thrifty as ever:p

BostonB

I think the programming especially at christmas was much better years ago. In recent years its been woeful. Hardly worth buying the guides. I don't really care whats on the TV anymore.

Run_to_da_hills

You might as well use last years guide this year with the amount of repeats that will be shown. :mad:

Capt'n Midnight

BostonB wrote: »

I think the programming especially at christmas was much better years ago. In recent years its been woeful. Hardly worth buying the guides. I don't really care whats on the TV anymore.

yeah in the past they pulled out all the stops for christmas but not anymore

used to love the Chinese ghost films / Jackie chan ones Channel 4 used to show

*Blames SKY and DVD's for ruining the big event*

FatherTed

That used to be our once a year issue of the RTE Guide too.

As for Christmas on TV, who remembers having to watch Billy Smarts Christmas Circus right when we'd be sitting down to our feast on Christmas day?

FatherTed

That used to be our once a year issue of the RTE Guide too.

As for Christmas on TV, who remembers having to watch Billy Smarts Christmas Circus right when we'd be sitting down to our feast on Christmas day?

blastman

We used to get the three (Radio Times, TV Times, RTE Guide) as we lived in 5 (later 6)channel land. Used to love reading through them and seeing what the big movies were. This year for the first time we haven't even bothered getting the RTE Guide, which is kind of sad, really.

Vas_Guy

thanks for reminding me of that, i also had a routine, for the TV, great memories

Son Of A Vidic

We only ever got the RTE guide for the Christmas T.V. viewing, it was like seeking out the Holy Grail. First thing we used to check to see was - is Willy Wonka on again? oh surprise, it is Yippee....

Nea

medicman2009 wrote: »

First thing we used to check to see was - is Willy Wonka on again? oh surprise, it is Yippee....

Thats the first thing I looked for in the free mag with The Star at the weekend (only saw the remake listed but didnt look too hard)