[tellyblues]

Sometimes I get the impression some posters don’t even know what point they’re they’re trying to make, they just want to complain about something. Anything.

Aye aye, captain. Talk for yourself.

Two of the examples you've given are redundant because it wasn't always the case and you've said so yourself. The 1994 OFITG Christmas Special only became that because David Renwick didn't have time to write an entire new episode so he extended what was already going to be the first episode of the fifth series.

I just don't think what the BBC have to offer is that different to what they they normally put out nor is it fresh enough compared to past Christmases. A point I've continually seen being made to defend the BBC1 Xmas Day line-up every year and it's happened again (you'll probably have seen it...) is that it contains the BBC's most popular entertainment show, gameshow, drama, sitcom and so on, so is somehow pitched right. Well, the popularity of shows is helped by the circumstances of regular episodes being shown let's just say and for each genre there isn't exactly a barrowload of choices. Again, Mrs Brown's Boys...