0:00:02 > 0:00:03Meet the Robshaws.
0:00:03 > 0:00:06They're about to embark on a whistle-stop tour of Christmas past.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10For Brandon, Rochelle,
0:00:10 > 0:00:11Miranda,
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Roz
0:00:13 > 0:00:14and Fred...
0:00:14 > 0:00:16It's Christmas!
0:00:16 > 0:00:17It's Christmas!
0:00:17 > 0:00:19It's Christmas Day!
0:00:19 > 0:00:21..it really will be Christmas every day.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25They are travelling back in time
0:00:25 > 0:00:27to celebrate six decades of festive fun.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Oooh!
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Ho, ho, ho!
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Oh, my Lord, look at that!
0:00:37 > 0:00:40- From dinner...- It's ox heart.
0:00:40 > 0:00:41..to decorations.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43I think people might be quite impressed by that.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46It's exploded in a tinsel timebomb.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48And party games...
0:00:48 > 0:00:49Fat goose.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51..to presents.
0:00:51 > 0:00:52He's got a Johnny Seven!
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Whoa!
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Fantastic.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59It sometimes feels like, the more you give them, the more they want.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01As they fast forward through
0:01:01 > 0:01:03the changing food and fads of each era...
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Oh, it is La-La!
0:01:05 > 0:01:08..will the Robshaws discover the ingredients
0:01:08 > 0:01:10of a perfect family Christmas?
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Da-na!
0:01:12 > 0:01:15# Let the bells ring out
0:01:15 > 0:01:19# For Christmas... #
0:01:27 > 0:01:30The Robshaws are only halfway through their Yuletide journey.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33They've gone from a frugal wartime Christmas,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36through the communal celebrations of church and footy in the '50s,
0:01:36 > 0:01:40to tinsel, Twister and their very first turkey, in the 1960s.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44But, after 30 years of no telly and some unusual Christmas dinners,
0:01:44 > 0:01:47has what they've learnt prepared them for the festive frolics
0:01:47 > 0:01:48of the decades to come?
0:01:51 > 0:01:54I think the Christmases that we've had
0:01:54 > 0:01:59have shown a marked movement from austerity to plenty.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02So I can only assume, from this point onwards,
0:02:02 > 0:02:07it goes beyond the Christmas scale.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09I feel nervous!
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Mum might not agree, but I'm looking forward to more chocolate,
0:02:13 > 0:02:15more sweets and, hopefully, more presents.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17I'm really enjoying Christmas,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20and I think, so far, every year, it's only got better.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26This time, the Robshaws will experience
0:02:26 > 0:02:29the festive season in the '70s, '80s and '90s.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34First up, I'm sending them to a house stuck in a time warp.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37I was nine at the beginning of the '70s, and I was 19 at the end
0:02:37 > 0:02:40of the '70s, so that was the decade in which I did my growing up.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43I remember it with a lot of affection.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45I'm excited about going back to the '70s for Christmas.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47It's going to be a lot of fun.
0:02:47 > 0:02:48Wow!
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Dad, you've moved up in the world.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Oh, it's amazing.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55This is the most '70s house that I've ever seen.
0:02:55 > 0:03:00- It's all brown and cream. I had that telly. Isn't it strange?- Yes.
0:03:00 > 0:03:01Oh!
0:03:03 > 0:03:09- Oh, wow. This is a fantastic kitchen, isn't it?- Really sleek.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Deep fat fryer. You could cook chips in there.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16- Oh, that's a nice big chest freezer there.- What have we got?
0:03:16 > 0:03:19I've left them a box of everything we ate and drank
0:03:19 > 0:03:21at Christmas in the '70s.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23- Frozen carrots.- After Eights!
0:03:23 > 0:03:26- Frozen Brussels sprouts.- Frozen sprouts, that's not right!- No.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29- Look at that, that's getting a bit exotic.- Look at that.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31French cheese.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35We have sausages and bacon, so we can make pigs in blankets.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39- That's good, that's good. I'm looking forward to that.- Leave it.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43- I will smack you.- You could do that in the '70s!- Honestly, put it back.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45It's not after eight, you idiot!
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Oh yes, look. Creme de Menthe.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51- Everything is sweet. - Can I have some Babycham?
0:03:51 > 0:03:53It's for babies, it isn't for you!
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Their Christmas box might be full of delights,
0:04:00 > 0:04:04but in December 1973, not everything looked so rosy.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Festive preparations were undertaken
0:04:07 > 0:04:10against the backdrop of industrial action,
0:04:10 > 0:04:11and the Opec oil crisis,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14resulting in shortages of both petrol and electricity.
0:04:15 > 0:04:16In terms of comfort,
0:04:16 > 0:04:20we shall have a harder Christmas than we have known since the war.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25But we weren't prepared to let the doom and gloom
0:04:25 > 0:04:26ruin our festive fun.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29I think the vast majority of people have decided that,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32whatever the country's economic troubles are,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34they are going to have their Christmas first.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Hurray!
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Happy Christmas, everybody.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Social historian Polly Russell
0:04:46 > 0:04:51is delivering one crucial ingredient missing from their Christmas box.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55- Hi!- How are you? - Come in.- Good to see you.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00- I've got something really exciting for you here.- Wow.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02- Do you want to help me get it out?- Yes.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06It's a large frozen turkey. Try to contain your excitement.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07Here you are.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Frozen food really takes off in the 1970s
0:05:10 > 0:05:14and many people would have relied on a frozen turkey for Christmas.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- Is it free range?- I think there's no chance that that is free range.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19I'll have to cook it, I suppose.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22You need to defrost it first or you will poison everyone.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24So, you need to be really careful.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27So, there's a bit of jeopardy in this Christmas!
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Great.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34Freezer ownership grew from 3% to 50% over the decade
0:05:34 > 0:05:37and supermarkets responded to their new popularity
0:05:37 > 0:05:41by offering up a host of frozen products - turkeys included.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45The '70s is thought of as this period often of shortages,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47strikes, you know, blackouts.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Actually, it was the period where people had much more
0:05:50 > 0:05:54disposable income, for the first time, and more leisure time,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57so this becomes the time when Christmas as we know it,
0:05:57 > 0:06:01this kind of a festival of three, four, five days of indulgence
0:06:01 > 0:06:02really begins.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07# Santa Claus is coming to town... #
0:06:07 > 0:06:10What better way to start a festival of indulgence
0:06:10 > 0:06:12than writing your '70s Christmas list?
0:06:12 > 0:06:16I'm going to get a racer. No, I'm getting a Chopper.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18I want a Polaroid.
0:06:18 > 0:06:19Yeah, so do I.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Wish lists have come a long way since the modest requests
0:06:27 > 0:06:29made in the grottos of the late '50s.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32What you want for Christmas?
0:06:32 > 0:06:33A pencil sharpener.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36A dolly that wees itself.
0:06:36 > 0:06:37A sewing set.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39- Are you quite sure?- Yes.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43In 1973, a new arrival on the high street
0:06:43 > 0:06:45helped supersize kids' demands.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Argos offered a shopping revolution,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51with its analogue version of click and collect.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Its portable catalogue opened up a new world of dreams,
0:06:56 > 0:06:59tempting us all to want more and more.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Lots more choice from previous decades
0:07:02 > 0:07:06and all these nice glossy pictures makes you want it, doesn't it?
0:07:06 > 0:07:10- I want a lava lamp. - Can you get me a metal saw, please?
0:07:10 > 0:07:12No, you're having a Tiny Tears!
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- Hi.- We've written our lists.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20- OK, what have you got them? - I want a video camera...- What?!
0:07:20 > 0:07:21A lead LED watch.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23A bike. A BB gun.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27For the piece de resistance, I would like a tent.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29I want Pifco curlers,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32a radio, a television, a Polaroid,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34tennis racket, some clothes, some perfume...
0:07:34 > 0:07:37What perfume? Is it like Tramp? Do you remember Tramp?
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Yes, what a great name for a perfume.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42"She's wearing Tramp and everybody loves her." That was the slogan.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I want a single-stone diamond ring, electric hairstyler,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48electric watch, a red radio, a record player and records,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50a Polaroid camera, an electric blanket,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53an egg poacher, earrings in the shape of a cross, a deckchair,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56a rowing machine, and those arm strength things.
0:07:56 > 0:07:57Right.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02I think, given that list, and you only got them one thing
0:08:02 > 0:08:05out of that list, you would feel a bit sort of mean, wouldn't you?
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- You don't want to disappoint them, do you?- No.- That's the thing.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11You want to have this glistening array of presents.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13The Argos catalogue is really fun.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15There's something very Christmassy about catalogues,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19looking at all the different things and reading the descriptions
0:08:19 > 0:08:20and thinking what they'd be like.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22It is quite...
0:08:22 > 0:08:25It's like an early form of internet shopping, really.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28# Santa Claus is coming to town... #
0:08:30 > 0:08:31It's Christmas Eve!
0:08:33 > 0:08:36One thing you couldn't buy at Argos was a real tree.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38This is a fine tree, isn't it?
0:08:38 > 0:08:41In the '60s, artificial trees were all the rage,
0:08:41 > 0:08:45as people feared natural trees would catch fire and shed needles.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49But in '73, the spruce and fir fought back,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51as a chemical was developed
0:08:51 > 0:08:53that made them fire retardant and non-drop.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Having overcome the problems, the Forestry Commission reckon
0:08:57 > 0:09:00they'll be able to sell about 200,000 Norway spruces
0:09:00 > 0:09:03to a public that is eager to buy, which means that,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06for them at any rate, it's sure to be a very merry Christmas.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12- Shall we just put all this tinsel on?- I think tinsel it up.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15The tree wasn't the only thing that had got safer.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Invented in Germany in 1610,
0:09:17 > 0:09:21tinsel was originally made from real silver and, later, lead.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Luckily for the Robshaws, by the '70s,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28all new decorations were lead-free.
0:09:28 > 0:09:29Ho, ho, ho.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33It's in your face a bit.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36It has exploded in a tinsel timebomb.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38We've got this lovely, natural green tree.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41The aim is to completely camouflage the tree.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Perfect. And you've done that really well!
0:09:48 > 0:09:50However, in the midst of the energy crisis,
0:09:50 > 0:09:55there was one Christmas decoration that had to be used sparingly.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59We are asking you to cut down to the absolute minimum
0:09:59 > 0:10:03the use of electricity in your homes.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05# Gaudete, gaudete... #
0:10:05 > 0:10:09Christmas 1973 was a less sparkly affair.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Parts of Britain had power cuts,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14fancy lighting displays and festive street lighting were banned
0:10:14 > 0:10:17and even the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree
0:10:17 > 0:10:19was only lit for three days.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24Brandon was a teenager at the time.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26There was a government minister who said, "You've got to clean
0:10:26 > 0:10:30"your teeth in the dark. Don't waste the bathroom light."
0:10:30 > 0:10:33They issued a guideline saying you can only have Christmas tree lights
0:10:33 > 0:10:34on for three hours a night
0:10:34 > 0:10:36as a kind of, you know, responsible citizens that,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38that's what they were supposed to do.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41But not everyone took the government's pleas
0:10:41 > 0:10:43for restraint seriously.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47We're supposed to be saving power at the moment,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49but somebody coming into this room might think
0:10:49 > 0:10:51you're trying to use as much as possible.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53Well, shall I put it this way?
0:10:53 > 0:10:54I love Christmas
0:10:54 > 0:10:58and I couldn't care less for any government, at the present moment.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01# Hosanna in excelsis. #
0:11:01 > 0:11:03- # Umba, umba, umba... - # Tra-la-la-la
0:11:03 > 0:11:06# Tra-la-la-la Tra-la-la-la... #
0:11:06 > 0:11:07From Wales to the West End,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10nothing was going to stop us getting into the Christmas spirit
0:11:10 > 0:11:14and 1973 had a festive soundtrack all of its own.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16# He's on a sleigh ride All around the world tonight... #
0:11:16 > 0:11:18I've sent the Robshaws record shopping,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20to get the lowdown on that year's epic battle
0:11:20 > 0:11:23for the coveted Christmas number-one spot
0:11:23 > 0:11:24from a familiar face.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26# Rockin' and a rollin'... #
0:11:26 > 0:11:27Oh, wow.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29It's Kid Jensen.
0:11:29 > 0:11:30- Is that...- You must be Brandon?
0:11:30 > 0:11:32I am Brandon, Yeah, pleased to meet you.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34TOP OF THE POPS THEME TUNE
0:11:36 > 0:11:37On this very special day,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Legs & Co have invited a special friend along,
0:11:40 > 0:11:42to help them move to the sounds of Stevie Wonder...
0:11:42 > 0:11:44DJ David "Kid" Jensen
0:11:44 > 0:11:48was a presenter on Christmas Top Of The Pops in the 1970s.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52The 1970s was really THE golden age of Christmas number ones.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54The whole thing started in 1972.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57It was John Lennon, with Happy Christmas, War Is Over,
0:11:57 > 0:11:59- which was his anti-Vietnam war anthem.- Yeah, yeah.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02That, kind of, started the trend for purposely-written songs
0:12:02 > 0:12:05to be played at Christmas time and, hopefully,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07from the artist's point of view, to be bought at Christmas.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10The Christmas number one meant you were probably going to score
0:12:10 > 0:12:11in excess of a million sales.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14And how about the 1973 Christmas number one,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17when you had three major acts in the '70s competing with each other?
0:12:17 > 0:12:19# So here it is Merry Christmas... #
0:12:19 > 0:12:21You had Slade, Merry Christmas Everybody.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24# Well, I wish it could be Christmas every day... #
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Wizzard, featuring Roy Wood.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30And Elton John, no less, who in '73 was being established
0:12:30 > 0:12:33around the world as the global superstar he would go on to become.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36It was a real competition. The papers were full of it,
0:12:36 > 0:12:37the radio stations were hyping it up.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39The Christmas number one used to be a really big thing
0:12:39 > 0:12:42and would be debated weeks in advance of Christmas,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45what's going to be the Christmas number one, in that top slot?
0:12:46 > 0:12:50With no computers, calculating the Christmas number one in 1973
0:12:50 > 0:12:51was an epic feat.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Motorcycle couriers raced around the country
0:12:54 > 0:12:56collecting handwritten sales figures
0:12:56 > 0:13:00from 250 randomly-selected record shops.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03At the British Market Research Bureau,
0:13:03 > 0:13:05after two days of frantic calculations,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08on the 18th of December, the anxious wait was over.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11When the chart is compiled on Tuesday morning,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13it's phoned through to the BBC.
0:13:13 > 0:13:14Good morning.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Are you all ready?
0:13:16 > 0:13:17Right...
0:13:17 > 0:13:19- It was won, of course, by...?- By Slade.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Merry Christmas, Everybody.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25# Does your granny always tell ya
0:13:25 > 0:13:28# That the old songs are the best...
0:13:28 > 0:13:34# And she's up And rock 'n' rolling with the rest?
0:13:34 > 0:13:36THEY LAUGH
0:13:36 > 0:13:37# So here it is
0:13:37 > 0:13:40# Merry Christmas
0:13:40 > 0:13:43# Everybody's having fun
0:13:44 > 0:13:47# Look to the future now... #
0:13:47 > 0:13:51'Listening to that Slade song today really got me into the spirit of'
0:13:51 > 0:13:53the excitement of Christmas.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58Hearing that record does give you a certain sort of tingle.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01# Look to the future now
0:14:01 > 0:14:05# It's only just begun... #
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Spin. Woo!
0:14:09 > 0:14:12That was fun. I think I need to learn the chords
0:14:12 > 0:14:14- for that on my ukulele. We can play it tomorrow.- No.
0:14:14 > 0:14:19MUSIC: A Winter's Tale by David Essex
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Despite all the frivolity,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24one responsibility is still hanging over Rochelle.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27'You know, I feel that there's going to be just a slight
0:14:27 > 0:14:28'edge on the whole day.'
0:14:28 > 0:14:31I might just kill everybody with a sort of, a turkey
0:14:31 > 0:14:33that hasn't been cooked through properly.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40It's Christmas!
0:14:40 > 0:14:45# Oh, I wish it could be Christmas every day...
0:14:47 > 0:14:51# So let the bells ring out
0:14:51 > 0:14:55# For Christmas. #
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Before they can open their presents,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Rochelle's got to tackle the turkey.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01What have I got to do?
0:15:01 > 0:15:04See if it's got any ice particles inside it? Oh!
0:15:04 > 0:15:06I'll go into its cavity...
0:15:06 > 0:15:08THEY LAUGH
0:15:08 > 0:15:09..and check it out.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Oh...look.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16- Ooh...- That's ice.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Oh, it's an icy bird.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20My hands are freezing off, I need a mitten.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25A large bird like a turkey really does need proper de-freezing.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Along with the popularity of frozen turkeys
0:15:27 > 0:15:30came a spike in food poisoning.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33In 1975, there were around 7,000 cases
0:15:33 > 0:15:35of salmonella poisoning recorded,
0:15:35 > 0:15:37double the numbers of ten years earlier.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39If the centre is still frozen,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42it will never become hot enough to kill the bacteria.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45With no instructions, and no particular guidance,
0:15:45 > 0:15:47this is death on a plate.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Perhaps if I run it under the hot tap for a bit,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53just to speed up the defrosting.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55What's the worst that could happen?
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Well, I'm a bit nervous about eating it now.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02The turkey might be causing palpitations,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05but Rochelle's got a host of convenience foods
0:16:05 > 0:16:08to ease her Christmas dinner preparations.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Oh...
0:16:10 > 0:16:11- Oh.- Oh.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14- Nothing to see here. - That's not stuffing.
0:16:14 > 0:16:15There's nothing to see.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19Frozen veg has certainly made my life easier.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Having the frozen turkey,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25I don't see how it's saved me any time, whatsoever,
0:16:25 > 0:16:27cos it added in worry time.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33It's in. It's done.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40# And I believed in Father Christmas... #
0:16:40 > 0:16:42'While the turkey's cooking,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45'I've adopted a cunning disguise, to deliver the Robshaws' presents.'
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Ho, ho, ho!
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Have you been a good boy?
0:16:49 > 0:16:50THEY LAUGH Naa!
0:16:50 > 0:16:51It is actually me.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54My word, and what have you chaps come as? The Brady Bunch?
0:16:54 > 0:16:56HE STRAINS
0:16:59 > 0:17:03'It's the decade of Rochelle and Brandon's childhood Christmases.'
0:17:03 > 0:17:04Aw!
0:17:04 > 0:17:07I actually had one of those for Christmas.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Has it got the little dancing lady?
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Doesn't she look a bit creepy?
0:17:12 > 0:17:13Oh.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17It's a really boring game, Battleships.
0:17:17 > 0:17:18Battleships is a great game.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Remember the ads for that? They were playing it at the opera.
0:17:22 > 0:17:23- B6.- Ssh!
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Miss.
0:17:26 > 0:17:27- D5.- Ssh!
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Just at the moment when it all goes quiet on stage,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32"You sunk my battleship!"
0:17:32 > 0:17:34- Yes!- Do you remember? - I do remember that.- Proper ads.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36INDISTINCT
0:17:36 > 0:17:39- It is Mastermind.- That's it.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Oh, my God, that was a game for really brainy people, wasn't it?
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Oh, I usually, kind of, got it, by about there, by about seven.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49If you put five in, it would be very hard to do.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52It's very hard. You're supposed to try and pull it like that.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Sit down, you might do yourselves some damage.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57You can do it sideways like that, sideways like that,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00but hardest one of all was to do both at once.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03I had one of those when I was about 15, I remember
0:18:03 > 0:18:05if you closed it wrong, it would pinch a nipple.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07BRANDON LAUGHS
0:18:09 > 0:18:12- Frustration. - Oh, the pop-o-matic dice.
0:18:12 > 0:18:13- I love that.- Can we do it?
0:18:13 > 0:18:15THEY TALK OVER EACH OTHER
0:18:15 > 0:18:19- No, no, no.- Go on, then. Go on, then.- You've got a little...
0:18:19 > 0:18:21That was like, just sort of a modern present,
0:18:21 > 0:18:23- to have that dice in there like that.- Want a go?- Yeah.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25- Six! There. - SHE LAUGHS
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Where's the frustration bit come in?
0:18:27 > 0:18:29- It's frustrating if you don't get a six.- Oh, right.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Some '70s fads, they might not remember.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Got the sort of built-in cap.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36I think you put that on your head.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39- You put that on your head?- Yeah.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40And you turn it on
0:18:40 > 0:18:43- and it fills up with hot air, does it?- That's it, yeah.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46- HE MAKES GURGLING NOISES - Now...put hot air in there.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48- ROCHELLE LAUGHS - Wow.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51'At least Fred is getting one thing on his Christmas list.'
0:18:51 > 0:18:53What about that? Do you know what that is?
0:18:53 > 0:18:54It's a Commando.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57- It's a Commando.- It's a Commando. - It's great, isn't it?
0:18:57 > 0:19:00'And I haven't been left out of the nostalgia fest, either.'
0:19:00 > 0:19:02Oh, he can't wait.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05- Ooh.- Ooh.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07I might actually cry.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13- See, now that is a genuine, bona fide awesome thing.- Look.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15- There he is!- Evil Knievel. - That's Evil Knievel.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18This was the toy that I wanted all through my childhood.
0:19:18 > 0:19:19"What a jump!"
0:19:19 > 0:19:21"Evil's riding the amazing Stunt Cycle.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23- "He's..."- "Evil Knievel!
0:19:23 > 0:19:25- "He's a..."- "K-nockout!"
0:19:25 > 0:19:26- "He's..."- "Ideal!"
0:19:28 > 0:19:29WHIRRING SOUND
0:19:30 > 0:19:32LAUGHTER
0:19:32 > 0:19:33Yes!
0:19:35 > 0:19:36# Jingle Bells
0:19:36 > 0:19:37# Jingle bells
0:19:37 > 0:19:40# Jingle all the way... #
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Rochelle's being just as much of a daredevil,
0:19:43 > 0:19:48with a classic 1970s recipe from The Complete Avocado Cookbook.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51These are avocado
0:19:51 > 0:19:55stuffed with Camembert, then deep-fried.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58This is the first time that we've had a starter on Christmas Day.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01It's a nice '70s treat.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Never thought of deep-frying an avocado before,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07but this just seems like a good idea at the time!
0:20:07 > 0:20:10In the '70s, avocados cost the equivalent
0:20:10 > 0:20:14of more than £3, compared to just £1 today.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17But what's Christmas for, if not for splashing out?
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Oh. Ooh la la. What is it?
0:20:20 > 0:20:22THEY LAUGH
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Strange-looking object, isn't it?
0:20:24 > 0:20:26- Yeah.- So, you can eat everything?
0:20:26 > 0:20:29- Yeah, the crispy outer crust... - Replaces the skin.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33It is, sort of, nice.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36- I think it's really nice. - It just feels very rich.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38- So, I may not actually finish it.- OK.- But it is...
0:20:38 > 0:20:40don't be offended, it's nice,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43I think half of one is... would be just right.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47In the '70s, we ate 40% more saturated fat than we do today
0:20:47 > 0:20:50and the dinner Rochelle is serving up
0:20:50 > 0:20:53contains more than 4,000 calories.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56- Look at the size of that bird.- Way!
0:20:56 > 0:20:58# Have yourself
0:20:58 > 0:21:01# A merry little Christmas...
0:21:03 > 0:21:05# Make the Yuletide... #
0:21:05 > 0:21:07- Merry Christmas, everybody. - Merry Christmas.- Merry Christmas.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09I won't try it,
0:21:09 > 0:21:11in case I need to go for medical assistance!
0:21:11 > 0:21:12- THEY LAUGH - So...
0:21:12 > 0:21:15- What's that, the turkey? - Yeah.- I think it's cooked.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Yeah, I think that is cooked through.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19But there is such a lot, isn't there?
0:21:19 > 0:21:23- Look at this table.- Mm, lot of food, isn't it?- It's a lot of food.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25The other thing is, it's not just this huge spread,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27we've got a dish of mince pies over there,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30satsumas next to the telly and a dish of peanuts up there.
0:21:30 > 0:21:31That's what it was like,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34you'd just wander through the house, grazing on things as you passed.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37- Is that all you did all day? - Well, that and watch telly.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39# Hark, now hear... #
0:21:39 > 0:21:40Pour the brandy, liberally.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42Watch this.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44- Whoa!- Whoa!
0:21:46 > 0:21:48THEY LAUGH
0:21:48 > 0:21:50I actually feel so full,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54I might have to, um, sort of, loosen my belt by a notch.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57- Couple of notches. - THEY GIGGLE
0:22:00 > 0:22:01After a massive dinner,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04flopping in front of the telly became a tradition,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07even though there were only three channels.
0:22:07 > 0:22:08There's a load of comedy on.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12We've got The Two Ronnies, the Mike Yarwood Christmas Show
0:22:12 > 0:22:15and we've got The Morecambe And Wise Christmas show.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17APPLAUSE
0:22:17 > 0:22:18In 1977,
0:22:18 > 0:22:2240% of us, over 28 million people,
0:22:22 > 0:22:23were united around the box,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26watching The Morecombe And Wise Christmas Show on BBC One.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30This went on to become a Christmas classic
0:22:30 > 0:22:32and is repeated to this day.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Do you know, I think I remember this.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37- ERNIE:- We've got a wonderful show for you tonight,
0:22:37 > 0:22:39- which I'm sure you're going... - ERIC:- All the names up in lights...
0:22:39 > 0:22:42..wonderful lighting there, some wonderful scenery,
0:22:42 > 0:22:44costumes, beautiful dancing girls...
0:22:47 > 0:22:49I've written a special play just for the show.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51I'm sure you're going to enjoy it.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53I spent a couple of weeks working very hard on this play...
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Who's Mr Wrecambe?
0:22:55 > 0:22:57LAUGHTER
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Ah, that's much better!
0:22:59 > 0:23:02- Now, wait a minute, there's just one thing wrong...- Yes.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04SHE LAUGHS
0:23:04 > 0:23:06There you are, "Moecambe and Wiser", because I am.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08LAUGHTER
0:23:08 > 0:23:09- You've almost got it right. - Almost...
0:23:09 > 0:23:11- ..there's one other thing missing. - And what's that?
0:23:11 > 0:23:13LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE
0:23:13 > 0:23:14THEY LAUGH
0:23:14 > 0:23:16That was quite funny.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20The 1970s has been a really enjoyable Christmas.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23'It's had the excessive Christmas dinner,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25'absolute, kind of, mountains of presents
0:23:25 > 0:23:27'and we've spent an evening just lazing about,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29'absolutely, completely full up.'
0:23:29 > 0:23:31It's, it's been a very, kind of, enclosed,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34intense, kind of, domestic family Christmas.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Has it got cranberry sauce in it?
0:23:37 > 0:23:38I've enjoyed the 1970s.
0:23:38 > 0:23:43I think it's been...a really, sort of, fun...Christmas.
0:23:43 > 0:23:44THEY LAUGH
0:23:44 > 0:23:47'It's taken me back to my youth. It's been nostalgic.'
0:23:50 > 0:23:52THEY LAUGH
0:23:52 > 0:23:55I've really, really enjoyed the '70s.
0:23:55 > 0:23:56Favourite decade so far.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00'If this Christmas is anything to go by, most families,'
0:24:00 > 0:24:03they're not really looking to a higher power any more,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06they're not looking for comfort in times of austerity,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08or comfort through a war.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10They're just looking for fun, at this point.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15# Rockin' around the Christmas tree
0:24:15 > 0:24:17# At the Christmas party hop... #
0:24:17 > 0:24:20For the next stage of the adventure,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22the Robshaws will be celebrating Christmas
0:24:22 > 0:24:25in their new 1980s time capsule.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Wow, this is classy, isn't it?
0:24:30 > 0:24:33It's all, sort of, like...squishy and pink.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36- It feels quite, kind of, big and bright and airy, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38There'll be enough room for our hair...
0:24:38 > 0:24:40- THEY LAUGH - ..and our shoulder pads!
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Look at this, this is the real '80s, the executive toy.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46All these, kind of, high-flying City types
0:24:46 > 0:24:47would have these on their desks.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50- How often do you think they played with them?- Well, they played with
0:24:50 > 0:24:52them in between deals, I suppose.
0:24:52 > 0:24:53We've got a video,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56so now can actually watch films that aren't on the telly,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58- if we've got videos of 'em. - SHE GIGGLES
0:24:58 > 0:25:00- It's a breakthrough! - THEY LAUGH
0:25:00 > 0:25:03It looks like we're quite well-to-do in the '80s.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Yeah, it does.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09By the middle of the decade, we were well and truly Thatcher's Britain.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12An aspiration to have it all defined the decade
0:25:12 > 0:25:15and never more so than at Christmas.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19- NEWSREADER:- The shops are already talking about a bonanza Christmas.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24But not everyone could afford an excessive '80s Noel.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Pauline is unemployed.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28She and her boyfriend have to think about Christmas
0:25:28 > 0:25:31very carefully indeed if they're to celebrate, at all.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33It's Wednesday today and I've got that much in my purse
0:25:33 > 0:25:35to see me through till Monday.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Britain was a nation of haves and have-nots.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Today, the government announced that the unemployment figures
0:25:42 > 0:25:46have now risen above 2,800,000.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48- Ooh.- Ooh.- Ooh!
0:25:48 > 0:25:50With a plethora of festive treats,
0:25:50 > 0:25:54the Robshaws' Christmas box makes it clear which camp they're in.
0:25:54 > 0:25:55Vegetable samosas
0:25:55 > 0:25:57and...vegetable spring rolls.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59- Mango.- Wow.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02- That would've been extremely... - That would've been very exotic.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05- And kiwis.- Look at that.- Yeah. The kiwi! That is, I think
0:26:05 > 0:26:07the kiwi was a completely new fruit in the '80s.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10I was shocked when I saw a kiwi. Couldn't believe it.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Exotic fruit imports more than trebled during the decade,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16and were an expensive Christmas indulgence.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19I think we are part of a very opulent society.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22MUSIC: Driving Home For Christmas by Chris Rea
0:26:22 > 0:26:25What it needs is a little bit of magic.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29TV and magazine features encouraged us
0:26:29 > 0:26:33to make our homes stand out, with ever-more elaborate decorations.
0:26:33 > 0:26:34That's not right, mate.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Well, I don't think we want to get, too... Just shove it on, all right?
0:26:37 > 0:26:39No.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42And how about this for novelty? A four-star loo?
0:26:44 > 0:26:46When choosing decorations, the expert's advice
0:26:46 > 0:26:48is to try and go for a theme.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50You might prefer something a little cooler.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53"Ice blue is a dramatic theme,
0:26:53 > 0:26:55"yet it is soft and full of charm."
0:26:55 > 0:26:56THEY LAUGH
0:26:56 > 0:26:58I think having a theme's a really cool thing.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01- Yeah.- Don't you think? We've never had a theme before.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04- No, never...- We never have themes. - And also, it's getting away from
0:27:04 > 0:27:07- all the red and green of Christmas. That traditional...- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10- ..and it's creating, like it's a Conservative blue.- Yeah.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13So, we're going to celebrate the Tories.
0:27:13 > 0:27:14Tory Christmas.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18# I'll have a blue
0:27:18 > 0:27:20# Christmas...
0:27:20 > 0:27:22# Without you... #
0:27:22 > 0:27:24That looks quite nice, you look like an ice maiden.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28In the '80s, an average set of decorations cost £96,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31over 65% more than in the 1970s.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Mrs Thatcher's probably got her kitchen like this.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39- Will that do it?- No! - What's wrong with it?- Look at it!
0:27:39 > 0:27:40It looks like it's been on the whisky.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42BRANDON LAUGHS
0:27:42 > 0:27:44Certainly says something, doesn't it?
0:27:44 > 0:27:48- That we've probably got more money than sense.- Mm.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52Having perfected their blue and silver winter wonderland,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56the Robshaws are free to relax in front the telly.
0:27:56 > 0:28:01- NEWSREADER:- Mekele, a village swamped by 85,000 starving people...
0:28:01 > 0:28:04However, in the lead-up to Christmas 1984,
0:28:04 > 0:28:08a disaster unfolding in a country thousands of miles away
0:28:08 > 0:28:11had us all questioning our excesses.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14The people lie without food, without water and without hope.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Most relief agencies are not allowed here because of the war...
0:28:17 > 0:28:19- BRANDON:- Do you remember seeing this, back in the '80s?
0:28:19 > 0:28:21I do remember it,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23but I feel like the impact of seeing it now
0:28:23 > 0:28:25is, kind of, more shocking.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Maybe it's the fact that I've had children
0:28:28 > 0:28:31and it actually makes me feel really, really sick.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33- It's almost unbearable. - It is, it's hard to watch.
0:28:33 > 0:28:34It makes you feel bad,
0:28:34 > 0:28:37just sitting here with all this surplus food, doesn't it?
0:28:37 > 0:28:38Fred, is this shocking to you or not?
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Cos stuff like this is on the news all the time now.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43I mean, I find it shocking,
0:28:43 > 0:28:47but cos there's so much coverage of it, I find it just like another
0:28:47 > 0:28:50bad news story that I don't really know what to do,
0:28:50 > 0:28:54like, what can I do apart from just look at it and be like, that's sad?
0:28:54 > 0:28:57You'd heard of Band Aid, had you? You must have heard that song.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00- Yeah.- So, that was, that was a response to this.- Yeah.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03# It's Christmas time... #
0:29:03 > 0:29:05Pop stars Bob Geldof and Midge Ure
0:29:05 > 0:29:08were the masterminds behind Band Aid.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12It's not acceptable for us to sit by while 11 million people die.
0:29:14 > 0:29:15Pulling together a galaxy of stars,
0:29:15 > 0:29:17they released Do They Know It's Christmas
0:29:17 > 0:29:19on December 7th, 1984.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24'There's no question that Band Aid have caught the mood of the moment,
0:29:24 > 0:29:26'not only with the song itself
0:29:26 > 0:29:29'but also with the motives that inspired it.'
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Britain's brand-new number one, Band Aid,
0:29:31 > 0:29:33Do They Know It's Christmas Time?
0:29:35 > 0:29:39# Feed the world... #
0:29:39 > 0:29:43Following in the footsteps of the Christmas number ones of the '70s,
0:29:43 > 0:29:46this charity record became the fastest-selling single of all time,
0:29:46 > 0:29:50raising £5 million for famine relief.
0:29:52 > 0:29:53# Feed the world. #
0:29:53 > 0:29:56- Did you buy it?- Oh, yeah.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59I think the fact that pop stars were suddenly saying,
0:29:59 > 0:30:02"Look, even we want to do something,"
0:30:02 > 0:30:05that had so much power over the sort of youth,
0:30:05 > 0:30:07you wanted to make things different.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10Why I did find quite different is it was the first
0:30:10 > 0:30:13sort of distressing thing you see at Christmas,
0:30:13 > 0:30:16and I think it was quite clever to do it at Christmas
0:30:16 > 0:30:18cos that's when people
0:30:18 > 0:30:21are spending the most money on things they don't need.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27Our donations to charity practically doubled in the '80s,
0:30:27 > 0:30:30but we were spending even more on ourselves.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35Inspired by one '80s family's Christmas list,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38I've sent Brandon a pile of presents to go under the tree.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43I think that people might regard this
0:30:43 > 0:30:46as a kind of overindulgent Christmas,
0:30:46 > 0:30:49especially when you know that at the time, you know,
0:30:49 > 0:30:52side-by-side with all this affluence
0:30:52 > 0:30:56there was a lot of poverty even in Britain, let alone overseas.
0:30:56 > 0:31:02Um...so maybe there's a slight undertow of...of feeling guilty.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07The guilt didn't stop people wanting to flaunt their wealth
0:31:07 > 0:31:10and there was one must-have luxury item.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14That would have been a controversial present in the '80s.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17In real life, I wouldn't have been very comfortable buying a fur coat.
0:31:17 > 0:31:23The early '80s saw Brits spending £190 million on fur.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25# Merry Christmas Merry Christmas
0:31:25 > 0:31:27# But I think I'll miss this one this year. #
0:31:27 > 0:31:30There's been a heavy demand for luxury items such as fur coats.
0:31:30 > 0:31:35- How do you feel about splashing that out?- Well, it's once in a lifetime.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39- Yeah.- She's worth it, is she? - Yes. Oh, yes.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42I think, in the 1980s, there was this idea
0:31:42 > 0:31:46that if you had lots of money, you were supposed to flaunt it.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49And maybe that would be seen to be in bad taste now.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51But at the same time, you know,
0:31:51 > 0:31:55if you can afford it, it is nice to spoil your family, isn't it?
0:31:55 > 0:31:57EASTENDERS THEME PLAYS
0:31:57 > 0:31:59The '80s saw the advent
0:31:59 > 0:32:02of a brand-new Christmas family tradition.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04ALL HUM EASTENDERS THEME
0:32:07 > 0:32:09Before this, Christmas television
0:32:09 > 0:32:13was dominated by star-studded light entertainment shows.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15Look at that woman's hair.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17You know who Pat is.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19Who's Pat?
0:32:19 > 0:32:24In 1986, EastEnders transformed festive TV for ever...
0:32:24 > 0:32:26You know that daughter of ours, she's a diamond.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29..as the nation was gripped by its first seasonal dose
0:32:29 > 0:32:31of adultery, divorce and depression.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33HE HOLLERS
0:32:36 > 0:32:38I've sent Rochelle and Brandon
0:32:38 > 0:32:41for a Christmas drink at the country's most famous boozer.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47THEY LAUGH
0:32:47 > 0:32:52- Rochelle, Brandon, I've set 'em up for you.- It's Pat!- Hello, my dear.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56- Hello.- Please, have a drink. And welcome to the Vic.
0:32:56 > 0:32:57ALL: Cheers.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59- G & T, is that all right for you? - Yeah, absolutely perfect.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02- Thanks very much.- Cheers.- Thanks. - A pint of lager.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04This is the Vic at Christmas time.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07I can't believe I'm actually having a pint in the Queen Vic.
0:33:07 > 0:33:08PAM LAUGHS
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Pam St Clement is the longest-serving
0:33:10 > 0:33:11female cast member...
0:33:11 > 0:33:14- Merry Christmas! - Merry Christmas, doll.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17..playing Pat Butcher for over 25 years.
0:33:17 > 0:33:18I suppose we'd better keep Simon...
0:33:18 > 0:33:20Christmas '86 was the story
0:33:20 > 0:33:22of Den serving Angie with the divorce papers.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25- "Happy Christmas, Ange." - Is it?- That's the one.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27- That's the one.- Where were you? You weren't...
0:33:27 > 0:33:28I was working in the bar.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32- Oh, that's it. Yeah, yeah. - I loved it. I absolutely loved it.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36- And they were such a toxic pair, weren't they?- Yeah.
0:33:36 > 0:33:37But it was brilliant.
0:33:37 > 0:33:42This, my sweet, is a letter from my solicitor
0:33:42 > 0:33:45telling you that your husband has filed a petition for divorce.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49The epic climax had 30 million Brits glued to their sofas.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51You need to get yourself a solicitor.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54It remains the most-watched Christmas television of all time.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56Happy Christmas, Ange.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59Doing that story was pretty bold.
0:33:59 > 0:34:04To have a story that had that sort of grimness about it
0:34:04 > 0:34:07- for the first Christmas episode ever.- Yeah.- Hmm.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10- On Christmas Day?- On Christmas Day. - It was brilliant, wasn't it?
0:34:10 > 0:34:12- A stroke of brilliance.- Yeah. Yes.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15It probably stopped a lot of families killing each other,
0:34:15 > 0:34:18because they were just watching it on the telly and just thought,
0:34:18 > 0:34:21- "Why should we bother because we can watch it being shown."- Absolutely.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24You've touched on the very, very thing
0:34:24 > 0:34:28that I have always thought about the Christmases on this show,
0:34:28 > 0:34:31is that how many people do you know who think,
0:34:31 > 0:34:34"Oh, Lord, it's Christmas time! I've got to do this,
0:34:34 > 0:34:37"I've got to see so-and-so, I've got to do that"?
0:34:37 > 0:34:42So I've always thought that this programme does a great service
0:34:42 > 0:34:46to the British viewer and that's to actually say to them,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49"You think you're having a bad time, honey, look at that."
0:34:49 > 0:34:52- It's even worse.- Yeah, absolutely.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54THEY LAUGH
0:35:00 > 0:35:02It's Christmas Day!
0:35:03 > 0:35:05MUSIC: Last Christmas by Wham!
0:35:11 > 0:35:13They're nice colours, aren't they? Look at that.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17- A cassette! Those were the days. Nice bright colours.- Yeah.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20A few balloons and some bouncy balls.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22Whoa!
0:35:22 > 0:35:24- A jumper!- So cute!
0:35:24 > 0:35:28That is what I call a Christmas cardie!
0:35:28 > 0:35:29Ohh!
0:35:29 > 0:35:33- What is it?- A SodaStream!
0:35:33 > 0:35:34THEY LAUGH
0:35:34 > 0:35:38- That's great.- Duran Duran! - Duran Duran!
0:35:38 > 0:35:41- They're nice, aren't they? - Hmm. Oh, my power beads.- Yeah.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44- Wow!- Oh, Trivial Pursuit! - Great game.- Yeah.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47Ohh!
0:35:47 > 0:35:50- It's the dog! - LAUGHTER
0:35:52 > 0:35:55- Oh, my goodness!- Oh, wow!- Wow!
0:35:55 > 0:35:56It's very ostentatious, isn't it?
0:35:56 > 0:35:59I mean, it is really in a time of when there was, like,
0:35:59 > 0:36:03some people getting a fur coat and some people getting nothing.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06There's one big present, which is for all three of you to share.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09- Yeah?- So...
0:36:09 > 0:36:11here it comes.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14- Are you ready?- Yes.- Drumroll.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17Just imagine that. Thank you.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19- Da-nah!- Whoa!
0:36:19 > 0:36:23- What is it?- A computer.- Wow!
0:36:23 > 0:36:26Sales of home computers hit the one million mark in 1984,
0:36:26 > 0:36:29when the BBC Micro, ZX Spectrum
0:36:29 > 0:36:33and Commodore 64 were all top sellers.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36Home computers have come a long way in a short time, but the makers
0:36:36 > 0:36:39claim there's no point in hanging back
0:36:39 > 0:36:41waiting for prices to come down.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45Costing nearly £700 in today's money,
0:36:45 > 0:36:50the Robshaws' pricey PC looks basic compared to today's tech.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53It would take 16 of their Commodore 64s
0:36:53 > 0:36:55to match the smartphone in your pocket.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57Oh!
0:36:57 > 0:37:00- They are playing together. - But we're not.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03This is in a way... This is something that they do and we don't.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05It's the dawn of a new age.
0:37:05 > 0:37:10The '80s have been fun, we've had lots of presents,
0:37:10 > 0:37:12it's the first proper technology.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15I thought that computer was a really amazing gift, actually,
0:37:15 > 0:37:17If you'd have been children in the '80s
0:37:17 > 0:37:19and you got that as a Christmas present
0:37:19 > 0:37:21it would have really been something.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24# And now it's Christmas
0:37:24 > 0:37:26# Yes, it's Christmas
0:37:26 > 0:37:28# Thank God it's Christmas! #
0:37:28 > 0:37:32Christmas dinner was no exception to the '80s bigger-is-better ethos.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36And that could only mean one thing -
0:37:36 > 0:37:37leftovers.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43The Robshaws are preparing a Boxing Day buffet
0:37:43 > 0:37:46following a recipe from a 1986 copy of Ideal Home.
0:37:46 > 0:37:51You're going to make the tropical turkey salad.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53- Tropical?- Tropical.- Strange.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55People were so fed up with the turkey,
0:37:55 > 0:37:56they're trying to jazz it up a bit.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59Promising to make their Boxing Day one to remember
0:37:59 > 0:38:03the recipe contains tinned mandarin segments, tinned peaches,
0:38:03 > 0:38:08peanuts, mayonnaise, glace cherries and a tin of pineapple chunks.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10They might be going to sort of far-flung places,
0:38:10 > 0:38:12Caribbean-type holidays,
0:38:12 > 0:38:16- and then recreate it with a tin of pineapple chunks...- Hmm.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19..for Christmas.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21This is so weird!
0:38:21 > 0:38:23People were just desperate to show off
0:38:23 > 0:38:26and they didn't actually clock that they'd actually be eating it.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29- You know what I mean? - THEY LAUGH
0:38:29 > 0:38:32- That is gross. - THEY LAUGH
0:38:32 > 0:38:34Urgh!
0:38:34 > 0:38:36- A bit mad, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39For dessert, Rochelle's been inspired
0:38:39 > 0:38:42by the Christmas issue of Woman's Own.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45She's making a trifle from sherry-drenched Swiss rolls,
0:38:45 > 0:38:47fresh pear, tinned custard,
0:38:47 > 0:38:49and an ingredient so novel in the '80s,
0:38:49 > 0:38:51we put it in everything, kiwi fruit.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55I suppose it's quite an indulgent recipe, isn't it?
0:38:55 > 0:38:56- BOTH:- Yeah, it is.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00- Yeah.- Looks messy, doesn't it? - It looks messy and sad.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02What's the opposite of festive?
0:39:02 > 0:39:04- Depressive.- Depressive.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08- Underwhelming.- Underwhelming! - THEY LAUGH
0:39:08 > 0:39:10MUSIC: A Fairytale Of New York by The Pogues
0:39:12 > 0:39:15- Hi. - ALL:- Hi.- Hi.
0:39:15 > 0:39:17Their guests have arrived to help the Robshaws
0:39:17 > 0:39:20- toast the end of their '80s Christmas.- Whoo!
0:39:20 > 0:39:22- Cheers! - ALL: Cheers!
0:39:22 > 0:39:25- Tropical turkey with pineapple. - What's it like?
0:39:25 > 0:39:28- It looks interesting.- Yeah, it's got a totally tropical taste.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32It feels strange in the '80s, actually, I think it's gone so far
0:39:32 > 0:39:35into wanting to show off that it's just tipped right over the edge.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39I think the less said about that trifle the better.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44I think that Christmas is about excess
0:39:44 > 0:39:48and I think that that has reached a new level in the '80s.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51I suppose the danger is you might actually start to get jaded with it,
0:39:51 > 0:39:54you might have so much that you cease to enjoy it.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58# And the bells are ringing out for Christmas Day. #
0:40:01 > 0:40:04For the final Christmas in their time-travelling adventure,
0:40:04 > 0:40:08the Robshaws are leaving the opulent '80s behind to enter the 1990s.
0:40:11 > 0:40:16They're returning to the family home they moved into in 1997...
0:40:16 > 0:40:18which has had a '90s festive makeover.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23"Dear Robshaws. You've come a long way since the 1970s -
0:40:23 > 0:40:26"average income has grown by 40%,
0:40:26 > 0:40:29"so there is more money to spend on drinking, feasting and presents,
0:40:29 > 0:40:32"and there is pressure to get the must-have items of the year.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34"Your Christmas table becomes about indulgence.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38- "Merry Christmas. Love, Giles." - Aw. That's nice.- Aw.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42By the 1990s, preparations for Christmas
0:40:42 > 0:40:44were starting earlier than ever.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46MUSIC: 2 Become 1 by The Spice Girls
0:40:49 > 0:40:51In 1996, when the Spice Girls
0:40:51 > 0:40:55switched on London's famous West End lights, it was November 7th,
0:40:55 > 0:40:59three weeks earlier than the original illuminations of 1954.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04There were still seven weeks of shopping to go until Christmas.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08No wonder one survey reported that 64% of us
0:41:08 > 0:41:11now felt the countdown to Christmas was starting too soon.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19It's the 1st of December.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24I've arranged delivery of one of the latest fads sweeping the nation.
0:41:24 > 0:41:25- ALL:- Ohh!
0:41:25 > 0:41:27What have we got here, then? Look at these. Look.
0:41:27 > 0:41:32- We've got a reindeer.- I love these so much.- Yes!- Father Christmas.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36- He's on a ladder.- Look, one of these inflatable one. I like 'em.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39Decorating your home with thousands of glitzy lights
0:41:39 > 0:41:41was becoming increasingly popular.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47With electricity bills falling more than 30% in real terms
0:41:47 > 0:41:51between 1995 and 2003, more and more Brits were choosing
0:41:51 > 0:41:54to light up their neighbourhoods in neon.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58Some people obviously think we're mad,
0:41:58 > 0:42:00but we enjoy doing it as well.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04So, as a general rule, we get a very good reaction towards it.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06A far cry from the early '70s,
0:42:06 > 0:42:09when we'd had to conserve power and turn lights OFF at Christmas.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16That is the most insane-looking thing.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18He's head's on backwards and his feet's on backwards.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21- What is she doing?! - SHE LAUGHS
0:42:21 > 0:42:23- Stop!- That'll do. Pull him up now.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25- My arm's going to come off! - Pull him up!- No!
0:42:25 > 0:42:28He looks like he's had a few drinks, doesn't he?
0:42:28 > 0:42:32- Put it round the tree.- What's the point?- No!- What do you mean?
0:42:32 > 0:42:34Where do these go, on the walls or the tree?
0:42:34 > 0:42:36I think they go in the bin, to be honest with you.
0:42:36 > 0:42:37THEY LAUGH
0:42:37 > 0:42:39It is all very crafty, isn't it?
0:42:39 > 0:42:43What the hell is he doing in there?! Is that Pinocchio?
0:42:43 > 0:42:45THEY LAUGH
0:42:46 > 0:42:48- All right, are you ready?- Yeah.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51- Ready for the grand switching on? - Yep.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53- ALL:- Ohh!
0:42:53 > 0:42:55I declare these illuminations open.
0:42:55 > 0:42:56I think they're beautiful.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59I feel very pleased and proud of this, actually.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02I do. I look up at it with a feeling of pride.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06It's kind of tacky and tasteless but it's supposed to be, isn't it?
0:43:06 > 0:43:08It's not quite Oxford Street,
0:43:08 > 0:43:11but Brandon's efforts are getting the neighbours talking.
0:43:11 > 0:43:12Father Christmas. Look!
0:43:12 > 0:43:14How do you feel about living in a road with all this?
0:43:14 > 0:43:16It's really nice at Christmas
0:43:16 > 0:43:18to come home to a road that's got some Christmas lights.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21So, yeah, if you do them, that'd be great.
0:43:21 > 0:43:22THEY LAUGH
0:43:22 > 0:43:25It's interesting that pretty much all this stuff is nonreligious.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28It's Christmas symbols with the religion bit taken out, really.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31- ALL:- Yeah. - It's just kind of festive cheer.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33MUSIC: Stay Another Day by East 17
0:43:33 > 0:43:36# If you've got to go away... #
0:43:36 > 0:43:39You didn't need to light up your house to spread festive cheer,
0:43:39 > 0:43:42you could just send a few Christmas cards.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45The Post Office say it's been a bumper year.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48They're handling more Christmas cards and parcels than ever before.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51First introduced in 1843,
0:43:51 > 0:43:56when a modest run of 1,000 was produced, by the end of the 1990s,
0:43:56 > 0:44:01we Brits were sending over a billion Christmas cards a year.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03Get a little closer together, please.
0:44:03 > 0:44:04- ALL:- Cheese!
0:44:04 > 0:44:05THEY LAUGH
0:44:05 > 0:44:09The Robshaws' festive greeting will include a family portrait
0:44:09 > 0:44:10and a seasonal round robin.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14OK, everybody. How do you write these things?
0:44:14 > 0:44:17Put "Season's greetings, the Robshaws."
0:44:17 > 0:44:20You're supposed to sort of brag about all your accomplishments,
0:44:20 > 0:44:22- all the things your family's done. - That's it.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25- Shall we make things up? Just to make it fun.- Yeah.
0:44:25 > 0:44:28We've had a large extension with a very nice patio.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31I've won Young Musician of the Year.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34So why don't you say, "Brandon won the Eurovision Song Contest."
0:44:34 > 0:44:36THEY LAUGH
0:44:36 > 0:44:39- We've probably been doing better than you.- Yes, that's it.
0:44:39 > 0:44:40THEY LAUGH
0:44:40 > 0:44:44- Happy or glad?- The first festive e-card was sent in 1992,
0:44:44 > 0:44:47but broadband was still ten years away.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53By the end of the decade, only 20% of us had internet access at home,
0:44:53 > 0:44:56so the Robshaws' festive message will have to go in the post.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59"We are happy for you to take such an interest
0:44:59 > 0:45:02"in our recent happenings and await a reply."
0:45:02 > 0:45:05We don't want to reply. Take that last bit out. We don't want a reply.
0:45:05 > 0:45:06THEY LAUGH
0:45:06 > 0:45:08I think that just about sums it up.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15It's Christmas Eve.
0:45:16 > 0:45:19And with online grocery shopping still to be invented,
0:45:19 > 0:45:21the Robshaws are heading to the supermarket
0:45:21 > 0:45:23for their festive food shop.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27You're on sprout detail.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31Don't you think that is just... That's Christmas, isn't it?
0:45:31 > 0:45:34That's the meaning of Christmas - sprouts, nuts and oranges.
0:45:34 > 0:45:36That's not the meaning of Christmas.
0:45:36 > 0:45:38Food was now cheaper than ever,
0:45:38 > 0:45:43costing just 12% of our income compared to 33% in the '50s...
0:45:43 > 0:45:45- What are you doing? - THEY LAUGH
0:45:45 > 0:45:48- It's Christmas!- Honestly, he doesn't need that.- We'll have it!
0:45:48 > 0:45:50- It's Christmas. - THEY LAUGH
0:45:50 > 0:45:53..leaving us free to splash out.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55MUSIC: Stars by Simply Red
0:45:58 > 0:46:01It's the decade of abundance. Right, put it in.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03Innovations in food production and packaging
0:46:03 > 0:46:07were changing the contents of our festive trolleys.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09That is a turkey crown,
0:46:09 > 0:46:11so it's got no bones, you can just cut straight through that.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13- Amazing.- It's all just meat.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15I don't know what they do with the rest of it,
0:46:15 > 0:46:17they probably make turkey sausages out of it.
0:46:17 > 0:46:19It wasn't just the turkey that was changing -
0:46:19 > 0:46:22vegetables, fish and meat were now packed with a combination of gases
0:46:22 > 0:46:24to slow down decay.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26And sophisticated chilling techniques
0:46:26 > 0:46:28helped produce brand-new products.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30Look, you can actually get roast potatoes,
0:46:30 > 0:46:32you don't even have to bother to roast.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35I would feel embarrassed to buy crispy roast potatoes.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37It's just lazy. It's just laziness.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39I think we're lucky to have it,
0:46:39 > 0:46:43- we're lucky to live in a place where we can have so much choice.- Yes.
0:46:43 > 0:46:47- And, you lot, you've never known anything different, have you?- No.
0:46:47 > 0:46:48We've got to the stage now where things
0:46:48 > 0:46:51that really would have been real luxury goods back in, say, the '70s
0:46:51 > 0:46:55- are within almost everybody's price range.- Yes.- Yeah.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58And there was one thing we were buying more than ever.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00- I think we need something bubbly, don't we?- Yes.
0:47:00 > 0:47:04A 1997 survey saw 81% of Britons
0:47:04 > 0:47:08name drinking as their favourite Christmas activity.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12Right, I tell you what, we'll get a cava cos that's a bit cheaper,
0:47:12 > 0:47:14we can give that to guests, can't we?
0:47:14 > 0:47:16And I think we'll get champagne that we can have ourselves.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20- Yeah, we could have that. We'll have that.- We'll have that.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22Oh, this is painful.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58It's Christmas Day!
0:47:58 > 0:48:01# A ray of hope...
0:48:01 > 0:48:02It's the big day.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04# Flickers in the sky. #
0:48:04 > 0:48:08I've arranged a special visitor to get their '90s Christmas
0:48:08 > 0:48:10off to a truly indulgent start.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14- Brandon.- Gary Rhodes! What an honour.
0:48:14 > 0:48:15- How are you?- Great to see you.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18- A couple of pressies here for you. - Fantastic. Come in.
0:48:18 > 0:48:19So what are we going to have today?
0:48:19 > 0:48:22We're going to do the Christmas breakfast, aren't we?
0:48:22 > 0:48:23Right. Christmas breakfast.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26Because that was one of the things that really changed in the '90s.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29It was incredible, you know, because everybody before
0:48:29 > 0:48:32you'd read hours on end going through pressies,
0:48:32 > 0:48:35- everybody was eating at four or five o'clock.- That's true,
0:48:35 > 0:48:37- Christmas dinner got later and later.- That's right.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39And you were never going to take lunch as well,
0:48:39 > 0:48:41- so breakfast became the thing.- Yeah.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44So I thought perhaps that we should do something
0:48:44 > 0:48:46that was really quite special. Eggs Royale.
0:48:46 > 0:48:50- OK.- So that is with smoked salmon. - Ah!
0:48:53 > 0:48:56Lemon juice, water, a couple of egg yolks.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59It's making me hungry just listening to you talk about it.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01Do you know, this is what was happening,
0:49:01 > 0:49:04everybody suddenly was watching cookery on TV.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06- They wanted to see, "How do you do that?"- Yeah.
0:49:06 > 0:49:08- "How do you make these little secrets?"- Yeah.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11And chefs... You were suddenly on TV and people are recognising you
0:49:11 > 0:49:13- as you're walking down the street. - Yeah.
0:49:13 > 0:49:17Before you know it, I'm being invited to movie premieres.
0:49:17 > 0:49:21And I'm thinking, "What on earth is going on?! I'm only a cook!"
0:49:22 > 0:49:27'90s TV schedules were packed with celebrity chefs like Gary
0:49:27 > 0:49:30offering advice on how to have the perfect Christmas...
0:49:30 > 0:49:32We're definitely in the Christmas spirit here.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34It is true - they do put the lead in your pencil.
0:49:34 > 0:49:37..and their cookery books made perfect gifts.
0:49:37 > 0:49:41Delia spent an incredible 202 weeks on the bestseller list.
0:49:42 > 0:49:45Hey, you lot, breakfast time.
0:49:45 > 0:49:49Gary's festive eggs are served with ham or smoked salmon,
0:49:49 > 0:49:52previously an expensive luxury.
0:49:52 > 0:49:56This is the decade when this became an everyday ingredient
0:49:56 > 0:50:01- but something that was unheard of until the '90s.- Yeah.
0:50:01 > 0:50:02It's phenomenal.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05Marks & Spencer had first introduced vacuum-packed salmon
0:50:05 > 0:50:08into a few of its stores in 1982.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11Its popularity prompted a huge expansion
0:50:11 > 0:50:12in domestic salmon farming.
0:50:12 > 0:50:14By the end of the '90s,
0:50:14 > 0:50:18Scotland produced well over 120,000 tonnes a year,
0:50:18 > 0:50:21six times more than a decade earlier.
0:50:21 > 0:50:22That's absolutely delicious.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24Smoked salmon became something
0:50:24 > 0:50:26that was on every shelf in every supermarket,
0:50:26 > 0:50:29rather than having a go to a delicatessen to find it.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32- Everybody could afford to buy smoked salmon suddenly.- Yeah.
0:50:32 > 0:50:33- CORK POPS - Whoo!
0:50:33 > 0:50:35Served up with buck's fizz,
0:50:35 > 0:50:38it's a decadent start to a whole day of indulgence.
0:50:38 > 0:50:40This is the best Christmas breakfast I've ever had.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43- ALL:- Happy Christmas! - Cheers.
0:50:47 > 0:50:49Yeah, do stockings first, yeah.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51Yeah!
0:50:51 > 0:50:54- What sweets have you got? - Why have you taken so many? You pig!
0:50:54 > 0:50:56I'm not going to eat 'em, I just want to look at 'em
0:50:56 > 0:50:59Mmm. Nice! This'd be a good stocking now.
0:50:59 > 0:51:01- There's my socks. - Oh, Christmas socks!
0:51:01 > 0:51:04Is it one of those snappy bands? Oh, yeah.
0:51:04 > 0:51:07Hmm. Lovely.
0:51:07 > 0:51:09They are definitely a lot more expensive
0:51:09 > 0:51:10than in previous years, aren't they?
0:51:10 > 0:51:14What is in that stocking would have been the presents,
0:51:14 > 0:51:16but now this is just an...an extra.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20In the 1940s, the Robshaws' presents were mostly home-made.
0:51:20 > 0:51:22- What is it?- It's a seed drill.
0:51:22 > 0:51:25You make little holes in the earth and you put the seeds in.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27Right, I'm going to give out the presents.
0:51:27 > 0:51:31By the mid-'90s, families were splurging the equivalence of £135
0:51:31 > 0:51:33per child at Christmas.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35My goodness! Nintendo!
0:51:35 > 0:51:37- Oh, wow!- Luxury goods.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40Oh, it's Laa-Laa.
0:51:40 > 0:51:41And...
0:51:41 > 0:51:44- ALL:- Tinky Winky!
0:51:44 > 0:51:46TV and movie tie-ins topped Christmas lists
0:51:46 > 0:51:48and prompted a shopping frenzy.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52At some shops scuffles have broken out as frustrated parents
0:51:52 > 0:51:56try to get their hands on Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po.
0:51:56 > 0:51:58Thanks to easier access to credit,
0:51:58 > 0:52:01the abundance enjoyed by the wealthy in the 1980s
0:52:01 > 0:52:04was now available to everyone.
0:52:04 > 0:52:05By the end of the '90s,
0:52:05 > 0:52:08Britons were spending well over £30 billion on Christmas,
0:52:08 > 0:52:10much of it on credit.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12It was normal just to get out your card
0:52:12 > 0:52:14and buy things and pay for them later, wasn't it?
0:52:14 > 0:52:17And there was no shame in that, cos everybody was doing it.
0:52:17 > 0:52:21Tamagotchi! In the 1940s, that would have seemed like magic, wouldn't it?
0:52:21 > 0:52:24- I do think it was better when there was less.- Do you?
0:52:24 > 0:52:26That's it, finished. Yeah, I do. I do.
0:52:26 > 0:52:30There's also this thought, if we get this amount every year,
0:52:30 > 0:52:33- eventually we're not going to have space for it in our house.- No.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35So, really, you'd have to have a house for this stuff
0:52:35 > 0:52:38- and a house to live in. - And have a house to keep it all in.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41# Bells will be ringing
0:52:41 > 0:52:45# The glad, glad news. #
0:52:45 > 0:52:47- After this, it's my go. - How did I get down?
0:52:47 > 0:52:49- It's my game!- No!
0:52:49 > 0:52:51While the kids enjoy the new festive tradition
0:52:51 > 0:52:53of fighting over the games console,
0:52:53 > 0:52:56Brandon and Rochelle can embrace the spirit
0:52:56 > 0:52:57of a ready-made Christmas.
0:52:57 > 0:52:59Put that in a small bowl,
0:52:59 > 0:53:01and then if we can sort of chisel out this gratin
0:53:01 > 0:53:02without breaking up the top of it...
0:53:02 > 0:53:07I think if I was doing it, I'd like to do a little bit more myself.
0:53:07 > 0:53:08If everything's out of a packet,
0:53:08 > 0:53:11everybody's Christmas tastes exactly the same.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13Obviously, the trade-off is you gain
0:53:13 > 0:53:15- at least two or three hours in time, don't you?- Yeah.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17# Just hear those sleigh bells jingling
0:53:17 > 0:53:20# Ring-ting-alingaling too. #
0:53:20 > 0:53:23Polly and I are joining the Robshaws for their final festive meal
0:53:23 > 0:53:25to find out if they're any closer
0:53:25 > 0:53:28to discovering the recipe for a perfect family Christmas.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32- Hello.- Happy Christmas. - Merry Christmas.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35- CORK POPS Whoo!- Merry Christmas, everybody.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37- ALL:- Merry Christmas!
0:53:37 > 0:53:39THEY LAUGH
0:53:39 > 0:53:42- Oh!- Yeah!
0:53:42 > 0:53:45"What did the alien say to the garden?"
0:53:45 > 0:53:49- No-one's going to...- It's going to be a bit like "leader".
0:53:49 > 0:53:53- Take me to your...weeder.- Yes! - THEY LAUGH
0:53:56 > 0:53:58- Did you have to prepare the potatoes?- No, they were like that.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01They were in a foil tray and we just shoved 'em in the oven.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03- Did you brown 'em? - No, we didn't have to do anything,
0:54:03 > 0:54:05they were already brown. We just put 'em in the oven.
0:54:05 > 0:54:09'In the '40s, the family's Christmas dinner came with just two trimmings.
0:54:09 > 0:54:13'Today, they're serving up ten, most of them out of a packet.'
0:54:13 > 0:54:16Actually, it's delicious. It's literally all delicious.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19My dear friends and relations who invite me round for Christmas lunch,
0:54:19 > 0:54:21it's never any nicer than this.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24I think that's why the '90s is really specific,
0:54:24 > 0:54:28in that processed food in the '70s and '80s was quite low quality,
0:54:28 > 0:54:31it was not particularly tasty. By the 1990s,
0:54:31 > 0:54:34the food industry has worked out how to do processed food
0:54:34 > 0:54:37that says almost the same as the food
0:54:37 > 0:54:39that you might have spent all morning
0:54:39 > 0:54:40labouring to produce yourself.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44- Who's ready for some pud?- Me!
0:54:44 > 0:54:47- Oh, wow! And, obviously, you made yourself?- Well, obviously.
0:54:47 > 0:54:48THEY LAUGH
0:54:48 > 0:54:50As we get to the end of the experiment,
0:54:50 > 0:54:51are any of these decades so good
0:54:51 > 0:54:53that you would want to live them again?
0:54:53 > 0:54:56- What about you, Miranda, what's the best decade for you?- Er...
0:54:56 > 0:54:58I liked the '70s,
0:54:58 > 0:55:02cos I think you had a nice combination of family all together,
0:55:02 > 0:55:05board-game presents and that kind of thing
0:55:05 > 0:55:08and you also have Quality Street... et cetera.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10THEY LAUGH
0:55:10 > 0:55:12So is there anything after all this experiment,
0:55:12 > 0:55:14all these meals, all these experiences,
0:55:14 > 0:55:16is there anything you'll take away with you?
0:55:16 > 0:55:18Is there anything you'll do differently this year?
0:55:18 > 0:55:20I don't think I'll do anything differently this year,
0:55:20 > 0:55:23but I do think that I'm going to sort of appreciate
0:55:23 > 0:55:27those sort of layers of tradition that have brought us to where we are
0:55:27 > 0:55:28and why we sort of do things.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30And everything that we do every year
0:55:30 > 0:55:33puts another little bit of the tradition layer
0:55:33 > 0:55:35into the sort of Christmas box.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38Like Rochelle, I don't think I'll do anything differently,
0:55:38 > 0:55:40but I think I will think about it in a new way.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43I think what this experiment has really taught me
0:55:43 > 0:55:44is how valuable Christmas is,
0:55:44 > 0:55:46cos in all sorts of different times,
0:55:46 > 0:55:48when people had different problems to contend with,
0:55:48 > 0:55:51from the war in the 1940s to the economic crisis in the 1970s,
0:55:51 > 0:55:55it's always a kind of light shining in the darkness, I think.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57And I'm going to really make up my mind
0:55:57 > 0:55:59to have a great Christmas this year and every year.
0:55:59 > 0:56:02# The fire is so delightful... #
0:56:02 > 0:56:06And there's one thing that can make any Christmas magical.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09# Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. #
0:56:09 > 0:56:12Oh, it's snowing!
0:56:12 > 0:56:15It's snow!
0:56:15 > 0:56:20Oh, look at this! Look at the snow! It's snowing!
0:56:20 > 0:56:22Over the course of their festive adventure
0:56:22 > 0:56:25the Robshaws have seen huge changes in the way we celebrate Christmas.
0:56:25 > 0:56:27It's gone from a short holiday when the buses still ran
0:56:27 > 0:56:30and Christmas dinner was modest and presents were mostly home-made,
0:56:30 > 0:56:32to a week of festive indulgence
0:56:32 > 0:56:36when parents spend an average of £135 per child on presents
0:56:36 > 0:56:38and the abundance of luxury goods available
0:56:38 > 0:56:40means that we all eat and drink far more than we ought to.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42THEY CHEER
0:56:42 > 0:56:47I started the experiment feeling anxious about Christmas,
0:56:47 > 0:56:50but I'm strangely looking forward to Christmas this year.
0:56:50 > 0:56:53So I'll probably end up being a Christmas bore,
0:56:53 > 0:56:55probably go on Christmas Mastermind.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57- ALL:- # ..to the future now... #
0:56:57 > 0:56:59I wish I could say that it's made me learn
0:56:59 > 0:57:03that you don't need presents to be happy but, to be honest,
0:57:03 > 0:57:06in the '40s it wasn't that nice getting a home-made spinning top.
0:57:06 > 0:57:09You know, you would rather have a Game Boy than that.
0:57:09 > 0:57:11I think having gone through this,
0:57:11 > 0:57:14I'll put more thought into what I buy people,
0:57:14 > 0:57:16because it's part of a Christmas tradition,
0:57:16 > 0:57:18it's not just about throwing things at people
0:57:18 > 0:57:20whether they want them or not.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23Really, you've sort of whetted my appetite for Christmases to come
0:57:23 > 0:57:25and I think that I'm going to make sure
0:57:25 > 0:57:27every Christmas is great from now on.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30Even though I've lived through six decades of it,
0:57:30 > 0:57:32I still love Christmas.
0:57:32 > 0:57:35It's become less of a religious thing and more of just a giving day.
0:57:35 > 0:57:38It's still probably my favourite day of the year.
0:57:38 > 0:57:40I think what we've learned is that
0:57:40 > 0:57:43it doesn't really matter who you're with, whether it's family, friends,
0:57:43 > 0:57:45whether it's the 1940s and there's a war on or it's today,
0:57:45 > 0:57:47Christmas is just the best time of year.
0:57:47 > 0:57:49- ALL:- Merry Christmas everybody!
0:57:49 > 0:57:52Gawd bless us, everyone!
0:57:52 > 0:57:55# Here it is Merry Christmas
0:57:55 > 0:57:59# Everybody's having fun
0:57:59 > 0:58:02# Look to the future now
0:58:02 > 0:58:08# It's only just begun
0:58:08 > 0:58:13# So here it is Merry Christmas
0:58:13 > 0:58:16# Everybody's having fun
0:58:16 > 0:58:19- # It's Christmas! - Look to the future now... #