Which decade had the best Christmas television and festive specials?

[Kickinthenostalgia]

so I make nostalgic Christmas videos for tik tok, I’ve started doing research so I’m ready come November when they all start circling. This year I’m focusing on Christmas tv. I can remember vividly certain tv shows we watched every year without fail, I’ve started at 1936 (bbc) up to the 70’s so far. It’s crazy to me how much it changes from, decade to decade. I was just wondering what decade stands out to you for Christmas and what were some of your fave Christmas tv shows.
the Christmas specials were always a thing for me, I was born late 80’s and my faves were the royal family and goodness gracious me. Used to love the Christmas game show specials., Noel’s Christmas presents. The kids tv they’d show on Christmas Eve morning, and Boxing Day. Watching eastenders Christmas Day episodes whilst playing cards. I honestly believe that the best era for Christmas was 80’s, 90’s and early 00’s.

I think a lot will depend on when you consider your prime.

But for me, even as a kid in the 80s, I was never a fan of Christmas specials. It's like weddings: stick a magic word in front and the quality drops right off.

I'm a mid 80s kid so I'd say early 90s was prime for me. Christmas films (or films that weren't Christmas related but seemed to be on tv at Christmas) was a big thing in our house - Hook, Home Alone, Muppets Christmas Carol, The Santa Claus and Miracle on 34th Street stand out for me.

I can't remember much about tv specials. My parents always watched the Christmas soaps but they're just depressing, it was always a big argument or someone died.

I did enjoy top of the pops though. I think they did extended specials for Christmas.

Only specific Christmas specials I can think of that I’ve been keen to watch (as has all sides of my family and ILs) have been in the last decade really, and that’s Gavin & Stacey.

I was born in the 70s and I think the 80s were the ultimate in terms of Christmas tv and specials plus I remember Coronation Street and Emmerdale just showing families at Christmas rather than having to have huge dramatic and depressing storylines.

I was born in the 1960s. The only Christmas specials I can remember were Morecambe and Wise, which it felt like everybody watched and then talked about afterwards. The other thing I remember about TV at Christmas was that some recent blockbuster films would be shown. In those far off days before the internet, before it was even possible to video what was on TV, this was a big deal if you didn't get to to the cinema very much. They weren't screened on TV until months and possibly years had gone by since they were released in the cinema. I vividly remember seeing Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid for the first time at Christmas. That might even have been before we had a colour TV!

I was born in the 60s and think 70s and early 80s were the best. It probably depends on our age tbh.

Yeah top of the pops was prime tv, I was gutted when they stopped it, and the poor excuse they put out now is just not the same. I always watch the old ones on bbc3 during Christmas 🎅

Eastenders Christmas used to be epic back in the day

The days before the online Spoilers , when programmes weren't on Catch Up or IPlayer . You had to plan and sit down.

When my DS was little (he's 27 now ) we'd have dinner when it got dark but before the Christmas Day Dr Who . The Christopher Ecclesone and David Tennant era ,

Born in the 1950s. I think I enjoyed the 1980s and 1990s Christmas TV the most - we had Eastenders in its hey-day, Only Fools and Horses, The Two Ronnies, The Vicar of Dibley, A Miss Marple mystery and so on. There was always a big blockbuster film on Christmas Day or Boxing Day and there was often a period drama and a ghost story. Lots to see that appealed to me.

Oh , Christmas Eve Ghost Story