Thursday 4 December 2014

Boggen's Advent Calender (Day Four and Five): Festive Stuffing (19th December 1998)

Day four sees the first of out look at what was on the television on a certain day before Christmas and we've landed in 1998 at the last Saturday before the big day itself. So Saturday 19th December 1998, well the biggest day of the week for BBC 1 and that means phone-ins, pop and cartoons. Providing that is Live and Kicking with Zoe Ball and Jamie Theakston, now she does Strictly Coming Dancing's accompanying programme and he's now presenting history programmes for the Freeview channel Yesterday. I know, its a strange world isn't it? 

So what did they have to offer on this morning? Boyzone and The Spice Girls, but let's not forget their biggest guest, Brian Blessed hopefully in full 'GORDON'S ALIVE!' mode though knowing Mr Blessed, he would have seen it as great fun to muck about with the likes of Mr Blobby. Is that the last we see of them today, ooh no, not at all. But to bring us down to earth is Grandstand with Steve Rider in the chair featuring Short Track Speed Skating, Skiing from Italy and the annual Show Jumping from Olympia, save for a bit of tinsel in the Grandstand studio. This is hardly very festive at all, you could say snow is festive but then again I know I would have been watching it. Who's the fool then? Ah, OK.

As with most late 90's Saturdays then after the early evening news comes a repeat of a well love sitcom from the David Croft stable, surprising its not Dad's Army. But it is 'Allo 'Allo, where Herr Flick captures Rene and the rest of them for his own pleasure, the Fallen Madonna with the Big Boobies must be in there somewhere or as the BBC Genome puts it 'Unknown: Herr Flick'. Talking about unknowns, Jim Davidson turns up with the Generation Game after that. To link 'Allo 'Allo to the Generation Game, comedian Roger Kitter turns up with Bobby Crush and yes, its the second appearance of Brian Blessed on this day. No doubts in full Captain Hook costume and Jim's co-host Melanie Stace dressed as Peter Pan. Hmm, I don't know what to make of that, but hey Brian Blessed again!

Talking of men with beards, Noel and his House Party come onto the air at 7pm, the usual NTV and Gotcha shenanigans happen with interactive fun in Sofa Soccer, the likes of Steve Harper trying to save balls from a mechanical machine firing footballs at the behest of the viewers to win prizes. This was exciting, you know.. As usual someone turns up at the front door to carry on the illusion that they live in Crinkly Bottom with Noel, making it a strange comedy Stella Street or a dramatic Tickle on the Tum. If you were wishing your luck would change, Dale Winton brings the National Lottery draw to life with Drawmaster John Willan in full effect and to bring everyone back to earth is Rick Adams visiting another lottery winner. Lucky them, that's what I say.

After Rick Adams' horror comes Casualty, well you've got to have a Goose at Christmas and Claire Goose would be as good as any around the festive time of the year. But you can always rely on Charlie Fairhead like the passing of the seasons to come up with a festive quip as usual to make it all warm and cosy. But that's not cosy enough at all, The Vicar of Dibley has the true meaning of Christmas as well as cake. If that's sweet enough, be warned the programme of the evening may not be suitable for those of a nervous disposition. As Dale Winton has Winton's Wonderland, very similar to those festive entertainment specials of the past and look who turns up, its only Jimmy Tarbuck who's done so many of these types of programmes he's having flashbacks to that satellite link-up with the stars of Hart to Hart. Well, its almost like 'I remember something about Christmas and seem to have forgotten about it right at this moment..' as Barbara Windsor turns up with Jimmy Nail to make it more like 'A Krusty the Klown Christmas' than any other programme in the past twenty years.

So top off the evening is more news, Match of the Day, Michael Caine as Harry Palmer trying not to blow the doors off in 'Funeral in Berlin' and a repeat of Top of the Pops from the Friday night. A varied back for our first look back at how we built upto Christmasses past, so don't have nightmares about Rick Adams.

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