Christmas Night with the Stars

{{Short description|British television show}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

Christmas Night with the Stars was a television show broadcast each Christmas night by the BBC from 1958 to 1972 (with the exception of 1961, 1965 and 1966).{{cite book|title=The Kaleidoscope British Christmas Television Guide 1937–2013 |author=Chris Perry |date=3 February 2016 |edition=2nd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IJQACAAAQBAJ |publisher=Kaleidoscope Publishing |isbn=978-1-900203-60-9 |pages=129–135}}{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051265/ |title=Christmas Night with the Stars |website=imdb.com |access-date=15 November 2008}} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest/christmas_moments/1-25.html |title=100 Greatest Christmas Moments |website=Channel 4 |access-date=15 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212132140/http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest/christmas_moments/1-25.html |archive-date=12 December 2008 |url-status=dead }}

Chronological listing of episodes

=1958 ''Christmas Night with the Stars''=

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''=

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''=

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''=

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.{{Cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/93e06e3c35714e8cb4da591f8e123c3b|title=Broadcast - BBC Programme Index|website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk|date=25 December 1962 }}

=1963 ''Christmas Night with the Stars''=

=1964 ''Christmas Night with the Stars''=

=1967 ''Christmas Night with the Stars''=

=1968 ''Christmas Night with the Stars''=

=1969 ''Christmas Night with the Stars''=

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:

=1970 ''Christmas Night with the Stars''=

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''=

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''=

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''=

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''=

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.beyondthetitle.co.uk/2018/12/14/a-memorable-christmas-night-with-the-stars/ |title=A Memorable Christmas Night With The Stars |first=Josh |last=Barry |date=14 December 2018 |website=beyondthetitle.co.uk |access-date=14 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190308170844/http://www.beyondthetitle.co.uk/2018/12/14/a-memorable-christmas-night-with-the-stars/ |archive-date=8 March 2019 |url-status=dead}}

References