Families will be gathering around the TV set once again this Christmas Day in what is always one of the biggest viewing nights of the year — but could you name the year just from the programmes on BBC1?

Ipswich Star: Past bumper Chritsmas issues of the Radio Times. Photo: SubmittedPast bumper Chritsmas issues of the Radio Times. Photo: Submitted (Image: Archant)

On Christmas Day millions of us will once again squashed on the sofa next to aunts and uncles, grandparents and kids tuned into TV.

It is the biggest viewing day of the year and one of those increasingly rare occasions when different generations gathering to jointly watch — if youngsters can be dragged away from their mobile phones that is.

But what we have watched has changed radically over the decades. Christmas Day telly in the 1950s was a rather gentler affair with a much bigger proportion of it devoted to religious programming.

In 1950 the BBC television schedule read 11.30am Service from St. Martin/5pm For the Children/5.20pm Children's Christmas Party/8pm Newsreel/8.15pm The Season's Greetings/9pm A Christmas Carol/10.30pm News (sound only).

Subsequently it has become synonymous with Morecambe and Wise's long-running festive programmes, chaotic Christmas happenings in Albert Square, festive specials of comedy favourites like Only Fools and Horses, blockbuster films, Strictly, Doctor Who and more.

But could you name the year just from the BBC1 Christmas Day schedule?

• More on BBC schedules of years gone by at genome.ch.bbc.co.uk