Christmas Night with the Stars

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).^[1] 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 popular BBC sitcoms and light entertainment programs. Most of the variety segments no longer exist in accordance with the BBC's policy of wiping at the time, prevalent into the late 1970s.

ITV countered with its own annual Christmas variety show (All Star Comedy Carnival) from 1969 to 1973, while the BBC itself resurrected the format in 1982 with a special titled The Funny Side of Christmas.

Since its original run, the show has been revived twice, with Fry and Laurie in 1994, and with Michael Parkinson in 2004.

The show was voted 24th in the Channel 4 100 Greatest Christmas Moments.^[2]

Some featured television programmes

• All Gas and Gaiters
• Bachelor Father
• Beggar my Neighbour
• Dad's Army
• Dixon of Dock Green
• Faces of Jim
• Hugh and I
• The Likely Lads
• The Liver Birds
• Marriage Lines
• Not in Front of the Children
• Oh, Brother!
• On the Buses
• Steptoe and Son
• Sykes and a...
• The Rag Trade
• Till Death Us Do Part
• The Two Ronnies

Chronological Listing of Episodes

• 1958 Christmas Night with the Stars

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 Tottie 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.

• 1960 Christmas Night with the Stars

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, John Vyvyan, Chan Canasta, The Showtime Dancers aand the George Mitchell Singers

• 1962. Eamonn Andrews introduced contributions from the casts of the Billy Cotton Band Show, The Black and White Minstrels, Dixon of Dock Green, Steptoe and Son, The Rag Trade and The White Heather Club.

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

Rise Your Glasses
Arthur Askey and Alan Melville with Mary Hignett, Alec Bregonzi, Ken Grief

Juke Box Jury
David Jacobs, Sidney 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 Minstrels 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. 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. 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. 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. 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, Dads Army and Harry Worth, with the Alyn Ainsworth orchestra.
• 1969.introduced by Val Doonican

A gala programme featuring stars of BBC Light Entertainment in 1969

The stars include:

Moira Anderson
Cilla Black
Roy Castle
Wendy Craig
Rolf Harris
Mary Hopkin
Lulu
Kenneth McKellar
Kenneth Williams

The Young Generation

Choreography Douglas Squires
and:

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 Carole 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: Friday 25 December at 6.45 pm introduced by Cilla Black Special guests Bob Hope, Mary Hopkin, Graham Kerr, Jerry Lewis, Nana Mouskouri, Clodagh Rodgers, Frank Sinatra, Jack Warner. Dad's Army (Script by JIMMY PERRY and DAVID CROFT)and starring Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier and Clive Dunn, featuring John Laurie, James Beck, Arnold Ridley and Ian Lavender with Bill Pertwee. Produced by DAVID CROFT Stanley Baxter Script by KEN HOARE Produced by ROGER RACE Dick Emery Script by WARREN AND SINGER and GARY CHAMBERS Produced by COLIN CHARMAN Bachelor Father Script by RICHARD WARING starring Ian Carmichael with Pauline Yates Ian Johnson, Briony McRoberts, Beverley Simons, Roland Pickering Produced by GRAEME MUIR Terry Scott and June Whitfield Script by DAVE FREEMAN Produced by PETER WHITMORE Script by RONNIE TAYLOR Choreography IRVING DAVIES Vocal backing THE BREAKAWAYS Orchestra directed by RONNIE HAZLEHURST Design VIC MEREDITH Associate producer JAMES MOIR Produced by MICHAEL HURLL

• 1972. Featured The Goodies, Lulu, The Young Generation, The Liver Birds, Dad's Army, Cilla Black, Mike Yarwood and The Two Ronnies.
• 1994. Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie hosted the show. Performers included Sandie Shaw, Reeves and Mortimer, The Fast Show, Ronnie Corbett, Alan Partridge, Rab C Nesbitt, Felix Dexter and Alexei Sayle.

References