A television show broadcast each Christmas night by the BBC from 1958 to 1972 (with the exception of 1961, 1965 and 1966), and returning in 1994 and 2003. 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 programs.
A television show broadcast each Christmas night by the BBC from 1958 to 1972 (with the exception of 1961, 1965 and 1966), and returning in 1994 and 2003. 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 programs.
Miser Ebenezer Scrooge (Sid James) makes the life of his clerk, Bob Cratchit (Bernard Bresslaw) a misery. A visit from the spirit of Christmas Past (Charles Hawtrey) warns him that he will be shown the error of his ways by visits from the Spirits of Christmas present (Barbara Windsor) and future (Bernard Bresslaw) Becoming generous and helpful Scrooge finances Dr Frank N Stein ( Terry Scott) for his experiments. Scrooge is then thrown into the world of pantomime and meets poor Cinderella (Barbara Windsor) at the beck and call of her ugly sisters(Peter Butterworth and Terry Scott) With some camp help from Buttons (Charles Hawtrey) and the Fairy Godmother (Frankie Howerd) Scrooge resolves to embrace the spirit of Christmas. Unfortunately he lavishes affection on a passer-by (Hattie Jacques) and is arrested by a policeman ( Bernard Bresslaw).
All Star Comedy Carnival was an annual Christmas-special produced by ITV, containing new mini-episodes of popular British sitcoms and light entertainment programmes with some musical interludes. This was broadcast annually on 25 December on ITV, from 1969 to 1973. All Star Comedy Carnvial was a direct competitor to the BBC's Christmas Night with the Stars. All had short five-minute sketches devised and produced for transmission within the festive period, written by the original writers of each comedy series.
1969: Presented by Des O'Connor
Doctor in the House / Mr Digby Darling / Cribbins / Please Sir! / Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width / Jokers Wild / On the Buses / Father Dear Father / Two in Clover / The Dustbinmen / Coronation Street / Dear Mother...Love Albert / Mike Yarwood
In this fourth and final annual Christmas TV special, Sid is a working as saucy Santa in a department store grotto. He reflects on how Christmas has been celebrated though the ages, aided by sketches from the team set in prehistoric, Georgian, World War 1 and Robin Hood times - not to mention a dance routine that's a real nutcracker.
Sidney James
/ Santa (Mr Belcher) Sidney James
/ Seed Pod / Sir Henry Sidney James
/ Sgt Ball / Robin Hood Joan Sims
/ Virginia's Mother / Senna Pod / Bishop's Wife / Adelle / 6th Ballerina Joan Sims
/ Salvation Army Collector / Maid Marion / Traffic Warden Barbara Windsor
/ Virginia / Crompet / Fanny / Fifi / 1st Ballerina / Lady Frances Kenneth Connor
/ Mr. Sibley / Anthro Pod / Bishop / Pvt Parkin / 2nd Ballerina / Will Scarlet Bernard Bresslaw
/ Bodkin Pod / Boll / 1st Dart Player / Capt Ffing-Burke / 5th Ballerina / Little John / Policeman Jack Douglas
/ 2nd Singing Caveman / Crapper / 2nd German / 4th Ballerina/ Alan A'Dale Peter Butterworth
/ 1st Singing Caveman / Guest / 2nd Dart player / 1st German/ 3rd Ballerina / Friar Tuck
Jack Douglas
/ Various Characters (archive footage) Sally Geeson
/ Various Characters (archive footage) Anita Harris
/ Nurse Clarke (archive footage) Carol Hawkins
/ Various Characters (archive footage) Charles Hawtrey
/ Various Characters (archive footage) Sherrie Hewson
/ Carol (archive footage) Julian Holloway
/ Various Characters (archive footage) Frankie Howerd
/ Various Characters (archive footage) Hattie Jacques
/ Various Characters (archive footage) Sidney James
/ Various Characters (archive footage) Valerie Leon
/ Various Characters (archive footage) Julian Orchard
/ Various Characters (archive footage) Patsy Rowlands
/ Various Characters (archive footage) Terry Scott
/ Various Characters (archive footage) Joan Sims
/ Various Characters (archive footage)
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