10 iconic Radio Times Christmas issue covers over 100 years

1923

The first ever Christmas cover of Radio Times with a Christmas message from John Reith, General Manager of the BBC. The family clustered around their wireless became a theme often repeated on the cover of RT in the years which followed. ‘Just a song at twilight’ is the first line from the Victorian parlour song Love’s Old Sweet Song. Its performance on early radio station 2LO on 20th December 1923 as part of a concert by The Band of His Majesty’s Grenadier Guards was surely not a coincidence. Christmas Day radio programmes included Children's Hour with Uncle Caractacus (Cecil Lewis) and a concert featuring the London Wireless Orchestra. Illustrator: Keith McKay Edmunds.

1933

Broadcasting House, which opened just one year before, featured regularly on the cover of RT. Its form was already so recognisable that it was sufficient to just show it in outline. On Christmas Day 1933 at 2pm, Absent Friends reunited families and friends and concluded with a broadcast from Sandringham by King George V. Later in the evening there was a radio pantomime called Sindbad and an appeal for Wireless for the Blind by David Lloyd George.

The artist, S.C. Johnson, went on to become an actor appearing in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Little Dorrit and an episode of Doctor Who. Illustrator: SC Johnson.

1940

An injection of seasonal humour for the wartime readers of RT, printed in just two colours to save on ink. On the radio on Christmas Day 1940, Stars in the Shelter, described as ENSA Christmas entertainment, was on the British Forces Network, and Christmas Star Variety with Arthur Askey, Richard Murdoch and Jack Warner on the bill, went out on the Home Service. Illustrator: John Gilroy.

1957

RT Christmas covers remained two-colour throughout the 1950s, but artists found effective ways of using this. On television on Christmas Day, the schedule included opera from Germany (Don Juan Act 1), Gene Kelly and ‘Television’s Annual Frolic’ Babes in the Wood with a host of BBC stars including Tony Hancock and Benny Hill. On radio there was a full football programme on Christmas Day so Sports Report appeared as usual at 5pm. This was followed by Educating Archie, Semprini’s Christmas Serenade and Arthur Askey’s Hello Christmas Playmates on the Light Programme. Illustrator: James Hart.

1965

This cubist-influenced cover reflected the changing times. On television, Disney Time was presented by Maurice Chevalier, Doctor Who appeared in a seasonal story called The Feast of Steven, Max Bygraves and Ken Dodd appeared in specials, and Top of the Pops 65 came on at 10:35pm and featured 75 minutes of hits including The Beatles, The Byrds, Tom Jones and The Rolling Stones. On radio, there were specials from Spike Milligan, Richard Murdoch and Kenneth Horne, Cliff Richard on Saturday Club and Gracie Fields singing seasonal songs and hits. Illustrator: Gaynor Chapman.

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1979

As RT bid farewell to the 1970s, Christmas Day BBC1 had no Morecambe and Wise (who had gone to ITV), but the channel still fielded a strong line-up including Blankety Blank, All Creatures Great and Small, Mike Yarwood, To the Manor Born and Paul Newman and Robert Redford in The Sting. BBC2 offered Babushka, Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti in Recital, Face the Music and the TV premiere of the film Cabaret. Radio 2 had Abba in Concert and Jimmy Young Sings for Christmas. On Radio 4 Kenneth Williams discovered the wonders of rural life in Fresh Air on 4. Illustrator: Peter Brookes.

1982

The cover is loosely based on the Carol 'I saw three ships come sailing in' and the flags on the stern read ‘Merry 25’. Christmas Day 1982 featured Peter Ustinov in Death on the Nile and seasonal editions of Paul Daniels, Last of the Summer Wine and The Two Ronnies. BBC2 had Richard Baker presenting carols and music whilst Radio 2 was in the Falklands with Ed Stewart and Radio 4 had highlights from The Ambridge Christmas Revue. Mark Reddy designed this cover when he was just 24. The figurehead is his sister Amanda. The cat in the prow went by the name of 'Bodger and on the horizon, you will spy 'Snowman's Land'. Illustrator: Mark Reddy.

1992

Since March 1991, Radio Times had included ITV and Channel 4 listings. On Christmas Day, the ill-fated soap Eldorado was shunted to an 11:30am showing whilst Bruce Forsyth, Del Boy and Victoria Wood headlined the BBC1 evening. ITV had a Christmas Blind Date whilst later, after Brookside, Channel 4 had a tribute to the music of Bob Dylan. Jason Donovan was in concert on Radio 1 and Emma Freud began a series on Radio 4 that talked to “partnerships that achieved great things but ended in divorce” – called The X-Factor. Illustrator: Mick Brownfield.

2007

Father Christmas turns into a snow angel! Christmas Day offered fans of Kylie Minogue a double treat: a Radio 1 special in the morning and a rare TV acting role later on, guest-starring with David Tenant in a spectacular, Titanic-set Doctor Who. Christmas-night comedy on television included a return to the Grantleigh estate in a special To the Manor Born and a festive visit to Nan in The Catherine Tate Christmas Show. On radio, Humph in Wonderland let loose Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue team on Lewis Carroll's famous work, David Beckham had his own Radio 2 special and Classic FM found Simon Bates hosting Christmas music and readings in Buckingham Palace. Illustrator: Nigel Buchanan.

2011

This Christmas number was produced with two covers. Readers could either choose between a green tree on a red border or red tree on a green border. On Christmas Eve on Radio 2, Dermot O'Leary told the story of the Pogues' evergreen Christmas hit featuring Kirsty MacColl, Fairytale of New York. On Christmas Day television, children enjoyed the endearing animation The Gruffalo's Child, a sequel to the original Gruffalo. For the grown-ups, Absolutely Fabulous returned with the first of three specials, while in Downton Abbey, lovers were separated and reunited as the snow fell at Christmas 1919. Illustrator: Kate Forrester.

Archive research by Ralph Montagu, David Hodges and Glenn Reuben

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