Victoria Wood - Saviour of Christmas TV

I also enjoyed the hour long run of Victoria Wood sketches, which was on before When We Sang. I saw the musical when it was part of the Manchester Festival, for which it was written. Loved it then and enjoyed knitting in a rather sleepy fashion as I watched it again yesterday evening. I enjoyed the relationship that develops between the little boy and the grumpy male teacher, who is suffering the ongoing physical and emotional effects of service in WW1. It was also restorative to see a male character showing emotional warmth and responding to offers of physical support "you can lean on me sir" - we need more of this to counter balance the horrors about child abuse that accompany every daily news item currently.

I'm a bit of a Corrie fan, but have avoided it over the Christmas period - it's grim up north I know, I live here, but eh up, not that grim Kaylie lass.

Otherwise, the only thing I've watched and enjoyed was the re-run of Toy Story 3 I had on as I wrapped my final gifts on Christmas Eve. I love the way Barbie morphs into Action Girl

Yes, I enjoyed That Day We Sang too, not least because going to the Free Trade Hall to see the Halle was one of the treats of my student days. Those children must have been in complete awe.

However, I think that though Victoria Wood is a very clever lyricist, but she could do with some help with the actual tunes!

The only thing we enjoyed was the re-run of a Victoria Wood sketch show (not a fan of musicals).

Oh, and I did enjoy Wall-e - clever and touching.

I watched That Day We Sang and enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. Victoria Wood certainly does have a way with words!

I thought the 1969 parts really captured the era, not so sure about the parts set in 1929 though.

Agree Ana my mother grew up in Salford and would have been 6 in 1929, and I'm sure it was a lot grimmer than depicted!
1969 was spot-on though, the furniture, decor, clothes, hairstyles, and menu at the Berni Inn

I thought it was lovely nostalgia for the time of year, certainly one of the best shows over the Christmas Period. We enjoyed Toy Story 3 too, but there was little else except repeats and not very funny comedy shows.

I watched the programme about VW making the show. It showed Manchester as it was when I was a girl. I was in my school choir and our Speech day was always held at the Free Trade Hall, so I was on the stage in my gym slip just like the photo of that children's choir.
It was really interesting to watch.

I love Housewife 49 it was brilliant and reminded me so much of how my Mum and sisters were.

I fell asleep at the start of That Day We Sang and still haven't got iplayer up and running yet. I did love what I saw, though, especially as something similar happened at my school, and my class ended up singing on the telly. Victoria Wood has somehow managed to tap into that era in a way that is just the right side of sickly. Next Year Peaky Blinders the Musical perhaps?

janea we are probably older than most of you but loved the Berni inns , the Cafe Royal and The Hole in the Wall. And for you in the choirs, how many remember Nymphs and Shepherds? I think I could sing it to this day.

And the first choir audition song featured in the programme - 'Oh, no John!' (On yonder hill there stands a maiden...)

That was the very song used for our primary school choir auditions in 1961!

"Let's do it" has to be one of the cleverest comic songs ever written.

I feel rather embarrassed when you are talking about the 60's.I am talking the late 40's with Nymphs and Shepherds.

We still sang it at school in the 60s though, ann, so it obviously stood the test of time . I doubt many schoolchildren have heard of it these days...

annsixty. I am a seventy. The Manchester School Choir recording of Nymphs and Shepherds is part of the soundscape of my childhood. It was one of the few records my parents owned and after tea in front of the fire on Sundays out would come the gramophone, this record, a one or two others and we would all sit around and listen to them.

The only disappointment with 'That Day We Sang' was that we didn't hear the record in full at any point. I, for one, would so have enjoyed it.

I remember singing Nymphs & Shepherds when I moved to a new school in the Suffolk countryside from a London suburb when I was around 14. I thought it very old fashioned at the time but I can still remember some of the words and the tune.

I've just caught up with That Day We Sang and thoroughly enjoyed it. We didn't have a Berni Inn near us so my parents' big thing for celebrations was the Angus Steak House (and then only for things like their silver wedding!) I have a very vague memory of going to sing with awhole lot of other schools when I was at primary school. I've no idea if it was a competition or just a concert, or what - I know it was never repeated

I have thoroughly enjoyed all the Victoria Wood offerings this Christmas. She is still brilliant. Particularly the sketch shows which were well worth seeing again. It's her observational comedy that is best.

Just caught up with That Day We Sang on iPlayer. What a joy - especially the Berni Inn sketch.

VW is so clever. Far more deserving of a damehood than Joan Collins.

What an excellent idea merlotgran and you are so right that VWis far more deserving of a dame hood than Joan Collins.

Absolutely! Dame Victoria. Do you not think that she's the sort of person who would turn it down? There's various people in public life who I reckon MUST have been offered an honour but say no thanks. I know one in private life who did.

Victoria Wood has such a way with words, pricks so many balloons (Berni Inn, Avocado Bathrooms etc)
I also loved watching 'The Quartet' again.... does that count, it was on over the New Year.
Good racing too, Tegan

The Brief Encounter send-up was brilliant! I particularly liked Richenda Carey's tea-room manageress (originally Joyce Carey in the 40s movie).
Pitch perfect, all of them!