Christmas Night with the Stars
is a television show broadcast each
Christmas
night by the
BBC
from 1958 to 1972 (with the exception of 1961, 1965 and 1966).
[1]
[2]
The show was hosted each year by a leading star of BBC TV and featured specially-made short seasonal editions (typically about 10 minutes long) of the previous year's most successful BBC sitcoms and light entertainment programmes. Most of the variety segments no longer exist in accordance with the BBC's practice of
discarding programmes
at the time.
From 1969 to 1973,
ITV
countered with its own annual Christmas variety show,
All Star Comedy Carnival
, while the BBC itself resurrected the format in 1982 with a special titled
The Funny Side of Christmas
.
Since its original run,
Christmas Night with the Stars
has been revived twice, with
Fry and Laurie
in 1994, and with
Michael Parkinson
in 2003.
In 2005, the show was voted 24th in
Channel 4
's 100 Greatest Christmas Moments.
[3]
Some featured television programmes
[
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Chronological listing of episodes
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1958
Christmas Night with the Stars
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Broadcast on Thursday 25 December 1958. Introduced by
David Nixon
and starring
Charlie Chester
with Eric 'Jeeves' Grier, The George Mitchell Singers and The Television Toppers, The
Beverley Sisters
,
Charlie Drake
with Dave Freeman,
Perry Como
,
Ted Ray
with
Kenneth Connor
, David Nixon with Sheila Holt,
Tony Hancock
with
Totti Truman Taylor
,
Alec Bregonzi
and
Percy Edwards
,
Vera Lynn
with The Lynnettes,
Jimmy Edwards
with
Arthur Howard
, John Stirling, David Langford and Jeremy Roughton, Billy Cotton and his Band with
Alan Breeze
and The Leslie Roberts Silhouettes, Jack Warner with
Arthur Rigby
, Jeannette Hutchinson,
Peter Byrne
, Anthony Parker, Moira Mannion and
Graham Ashley
.
1959
Christmas Night with the Stars
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Broadcast on Friday 25 December 1959. Introduced by David Nixon and starring
Ken Mackintosh
and his Orchestra,
Jimmy Logan
,
David Hughes
,
Charlie Drake
,
Jack Warner
,
Joan Regan
,
Jimmy Edwards
, and
The Black and White Minstrels
.
1960
Christmas Night with the Stars
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Broadcast on Sunday 25 December 1960. Introduced by
David Nixon
and starring The Mitchell Minstrels, The Television Toppers,
Sid James
with
Bill Kerr
,
Liz Fraser
,
Sydney Tafler
, Nina and Frederik, Harry Worth with
Deryck Guyler
, Hugh Lloyd, George Roderick,
Kenneth McKellar
with The Showtime Dancers, David Nixon and
Robert Harbin
, Stanley Baxter and
Betty Marsden
,
Joan Regan
, Jimmy Edwards with Arthur Howard,
Cyril Fletcher
, Pip Hinton,
Eric Robinson
,
Johnny Vyvyan
,
Chan Canasta
, The Showtime Dancers and the George Mitchell Singers
1962
Christmas Night with the Stars
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Broadcast on Tuesday 25 December 1962.
Eamonn Andrews
introduced contributions from the casts of the
Billy Cotton Band Show
,
The Black and White Minstrel Show
,
Dixon of Dock Green
,
Steptoe and Son
,
The Rag Trade
and
The White Heather Club
.
[4]
- The
Billy Cotton Band Show
? Billy Cotton and his Band with Alan Breeze,
Kathie Kay
, The High-Lights and The Leslie Roberts Silhouettes
- The Rag Trade
?
Peter Jones
,
Miriam Karlin
,
Reg Varney
,
Esma Cannon
, with
Barbara Windsor
,
Sheena Marshe
, Patricia Denys,
Claire Davenport
- A Song for Everyone
? Kenneth McKellar with Tom McCall at the organ.
- Sykes and his Sister
?
Eric Sykes
and
Hattie Jacques
- Adam Sings
?
Adam Faith
with
Susan George
- Raise Your Glasses
?
Arthur Askey
and
Alan Melville
with
Mary Hignett
, Alec Bregonzi, Ken Grief
- Juke Box Jury
?
David Jacobs
, Sid James, Sydney Tafler, Terry Scott, Hugh Lloyd and
Jill Curzon
- It's A Square World
? Michael Bentine
- Cartoon by Biographic Cartoon Films Ltd.
- Russ's Requests
? Russ Conway with The Billy Cotton Band
- The Christmas Face of Jim
? Jimmy Edwards with
June Whitfield
,
Ronnie Barker
,
Michael Brennan
,
Eunice Black
- The White Heather Club
? Andy Stewart with The White Heather Dancers,
Ian Powrie
and his Band
- Steptoe and Son
?
Harry H. Corbett
,
Wilfrid Brambell
- The Black and White Minstrel Show
? The Mitchell Minstrels and The Television Toppers
- Dixon of Dock Green
? Jack Warner with Arthur Rigby, Peter Byrne, Jeannette Hutchinson, Geoffrey Adams, Anne Ridler, John Hughes, Christopher Gilmore, Jocelyne Rhodes
1963
Christmas Night with the Stars
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Broadcast on Wednesday 25 December 1963.
Eamonn Andrews
introduced contributions from
Stanley Baxter
,
Michael Bentine
,
The Black and White Minstrels
,
Marriage Lines
featuring
Richard Briers
and
Prunella Scales
,
Russ Conway
,
Billy Cotton
, the cast of
Dixon of Dock Green
,
Dick Emery
,
Kenneth McKellar
,
Nina & Frederik
,
Terry Scott
and
Hugh Lloyd
and
Andy Stewart
, with the
Harry Rabinowitz
orchestra.
1964
Christmas Night with the Stars
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Broadcast on Friday 25 December 1964.
Jack Warner
introduced
The Barron Knights
,
The Black and White Minstrels
,
Roy Castle
,
Billy Cotton
,
Dick Emery
,
Benny Hill
,
Kathy Kirby
,
The Likely Lads
with
Rodney Bewes
and
James Bolam
,
Marriage Lines
(as 1963),
Meet the Wife
with
Freddie Frinton
and
Thora Hird
,
Terry Scott
and
Hugh Lloyd
and
Andy Stewart
, with the
Harry Rabinowitz
orchestra.
1967
Christmas Night with the Stars
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Broadcast on Monday 25 December 1967.
Rolf Harris
introduced
Cilla Black
,
Val Doonican
,
Billy Cotton
,
Roy Hudd
,
Lulu
,
David Nixon
,
Beryl Reid
,
Sandie Shaw
,
Kenneth Williams
and
Harry Worth
with the casts of
Beggar My Neighbour
,
Steptoe and Son
and
Till Death Us Do Part
with the
Alyn Ainsworth
orchestra.
1968
Christmas Night with the Stars
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Broadcast on Wednesday 25 December 1968.
Eric Morecambe
and
Ernie Wise
introduced
Louis Armstrong
,
Petula Clark
,
Rolf Harris
,
Jimmy Logan
,
Lulu
,
Kenneth McKellar
,
Nana Mouskouri
,
Cliff Richard
,
The Seekers
and
The Young Generation
with excerpts from
Ray Alan
’s Ice Cabaret,
Marty Feldman
,
Oh Brother
,
Not in Front of the Children
,
Dad's Army
(see "
Santa on Patrol
") and
Harry Worth
. With the
Alyn Ainsworth
orchestra.
1969
Christmas Night with the Stars
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Broadcast on Thursday 25 December 1969.
Val Doonican
introduced
Moira Anderson
, Cilla Black, Roy Castle,
Wendy Craig
, Rolf Harris, Mary Hopkin, Lulu, Kenneth McKellar, Kenneth Williams, and The Young Generation. Choreography by
Douglas Squires
. Also featured:
- Dad's Army
? Script by
Jimmy Perry
and
David Croft
, starring Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier and Clive Dunn, featuring John Laurie, James Beck, Arnold Ridley and Ian Lavender, with Bill Pertwee,
Robert Aldous
. Directed by David Croft.
- Dick Emery ? with Peter Elliott. Script by Peter Robinson. Directed by
Ernest Maxin
.
- Marty
? Written by Marty Feldman and
Barry Took
, starring Marty Feldman with
John Junkin
,
Tim Brooke-Taylor
and
Roland MacLeod
. Directed by Roger Race.
- Kenneth McKellar and Moira Anderson ? Orchestra directed by
Peter Knight
. Directed by
Yvonne Littlewood
.
- Not in Front of the Children
? by
Richard Waring
, starring Wendy Craig and
Ronald Hines
, with
Hugo Keith-Johnston
, Verena Greenlaw, Jill Riddick and
Reginald Marsh
. Directed by Graeme Muir.
- Monty Python's Flying Circus
? Conceived, written and performed by
John Cleese
,
Graham Chapman
,
Michael Palin
,
Terry Jones
,
Eric Idle
, with
Carol Cleveland
. Animations by
Terry Gilliam
. Directed by
Ian McNaughton
.
- The
Cliff Adams Singers
? Orchestra directed by
Ken Thorne
. Script by Austin Steele, David Climie and Val Doonican. Graphics by
Bernard Lodge
. Design by Brian Tregidden. Associate producer Colin Charman. Produced by
Terry Hughes
.
1970
Christmas Night with the Stars
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Broadcast on Friday 25 December 1970 at 6:45pm. Introduced by
Cilla Black
. Special guests:
Bob Hope
,
Mary Hopkin
,
Graham Kerr
,
Jerry Lewis
,
Nana Mouskouri
,
Clodagh Rodgers
,
Frank Sinatra
,
Jack Warner
.
1971
Christmas Night with the Stars
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Broadcast on Saturday 25 December 1971. Hosted by
Ronnie Barker
and
Ronnie Corbett
, with special guests
Engelbert Humperdinck
,
Lulu
,
Vera Lynn
,
Harry Secombe
, and
The New Seekers
. Also featuring contributions from
Till Death Us Do Part
,
Bachelor Father
,
Dick Emery
,
The Young Generation
, and
Look: Mike Yarwood!
1972
Christmas Night with the Stars
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Broadcast on Monday 25 December 1972. Hosted by Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett, with special guests
Cilla Black
, The Young Generation, Lulu, and
The Breakaways
. Also featuring contributions from
The Goodies
,
The Liver Birds
,
Dad's Army
, and
Look: Mike Yarwood!
1994
Christmas Night with the Stars
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Broadcast on Tuesday 27 December 1994.
Stephen Fry
and
Hugh Laurie
hosted the show. Performers included
Sandie Shaw
,
Vic and Bob
,
The Fast Show
,
Ronnie Corbett
,
Alan Partridge
,
Rab C. Nesbitt
,
Felix Dexter
and
Alexei Sayle
.
2003
Christmas Night with the Stars
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Broadcast on Thursday 25 December 2003. Hosted by
Michael Parkinson
. Performers included
The Kumars
,
Will Young
,
Jo Brand
,
Ricky Tomlinson
,
Victoria Beckham
,
Jon Culshaw
and
Ronnie Corbett
.
[5]
References
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