Viewers prefer TV classics at Christmas

Once the Christmas meal is over, their taste for the familiar doesn't desert them.

Settling down in front of the TV, they again show their preference for tradition and look forward to seeing a host of old faces in the shape of Only Fools and Horses, EastEnders and The Vicar of Dibley.

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Some 2,000 viewers took part in a survey to help draw up the ideal Christmas TV schedule. And they proved the festive season is not the time for schedulers to plump for the unusual.

A special edition of Top of the Pops secured enough votes to kick off the running order of the fantasy schedule at noon on Christmas Day.

That would be followed by an episode of The Simpsons and the classic film Mary Poppins before the Queen's Speech at 3pm.

Next up would be episodes of Coronation Street and EastEnders, sandwiching an installment of the Dawn French comedy, The Vicar of Dibley.

Morecambe and Wise, who remain hugely popular years after their deaths, were chosen to start the evening schedule at 6pm.

The film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone would come next before an airing of Only Fools and Horses at 9pm.

The survey, carried out by YouGov on behalf of the software firm ANT, revealed that a blockbuster film was deemed the most important viewing of the day.

Nearly half of all adults put it top of their must-see list just ahead of Only Fools and Horses.

A classic film was the third most popular choice followed by The Vicar of Dibley in fourth and Coronation Street in fifth.

EastEnders came next with the Queen's Speech and Desperate Housewives also making the top ten.

The Simpsons made it into the fantasy line-up because viewers in the 18 to 24 age group voted it their number one choice for Christmas Day.

This year's festive schedules will be providing the usual diet of classic repeats as all major channels ransack the archives.

The BBC will be bringing out perennial favourites Dad's Army, Blackadder, The Good Life and Porridge as well as Wallace & Gromit.

Elsewhere, viewers will have another chance to see The Snowman and other classic animations such as Creature Comforts.

BBC viewers are being offered a raft of repeated family movies including The Santa Clause parts one and two, Titanic, The Great Escape, My Fair Lady and the Thomas Crown Affair starring Pierce Brosnan.

Christmas Day will see TV premieres of the films Finding Nemo and Shrek 2 as well as new Doctor Who and Catherine Tate specials.

The corporation has also recorded a special edition of To the Manor Born which last aired in 1981.

At its peak, the comedy starring Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles drew audiences of 24million.