Many households don’t buy a printed TV listings magazine anymore, but the special Christmas double issue is an exception.
But before you get the highlighters out to mark what to watch, the Christmas double issue of the Radio Times, TV Times and every other major TV listings magazine is coming out later than in previous years.
Normally, the Christmas Radio Times and other TV listings guides arrive in newsagents and on supermarket shelves between 6th and 8th December each year. This year, the publishers say you’ll need to wait until around the 13th December.
The reason for the delay: the World Cup.
The football tournament has caused big changes to the normal TV line-up at this time of the year.
To allow for the double issue to appear around the 6-8th December, in most years the preceding weeks listings are also published earlier, starting in late November.
TV listings are already uncertain during football tournaments with publishers having to print alternative schedules. Publishing them earlier would have resulted in even more uncertainty.
This year’s changes to publication dates also means publishers also get to celebrate the World Cup final in a separate edition to the Christmas issue.
▶ UK TV listings magazines publication schedule
TV magazines usually appear the Tuesday beforehand. Before Christmas this changes. Usually, publication dates start changing in November. This year the first magazine to appear early is the 10-16th December edition:
10-16 December: On sale Saturday 3rd December
17-23 December: On sale Thursday 8th December
24 December-6 January: On sale around Tuesday 13th December. Regional variations may apply.
But there’s an upside to the delay, one that will add extra value if you buy a magazine this year:
This year’s double issue will cover the entire holiday season, after all
You might think the double issue always covers both Christmas and New Year, but that’s not always the case if Christmas Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday:
- Normally, if Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, as it last did in 2005, 2011 and 2016, the double issue TV listings magazine covers Saturday 17th December to Friday 30th December, meaning New Year isn’t included.
- But not this year: the TV listings will cover Saturday 24th December 2022 to Friday 6th January 2023, meaning the full set of holiday listings will appear in one place, including the first listings for the broadcaster’s new year season of programmes.
So if you’re spending money on a double issue listings magazine this year, be it the Radio Times or one of its cheaper rivals, at least you’re getting the entire Christmas and New Year period for your money.
The anomaly also usually happens if Christmas Day falls on Saturday. Last year’s Christmas TV magazines covered 18th to 31st December – leaving New Year’s TV to appear in the following edition.
How much will the Christmas Radio Times cost?
Immediate Media, publishers of the Radio Times say this year’s Christmas issue will cost £5.25.
How does that compare to the price of other Christmas TV magazines?
Prices for this year’s Christmas TV magazines will range between £1.50 and £5.25, with What’s On TV and TV Choice the cheapest.
| Magazine | Price |
|---|---|
| Radio Times | £5.25 |
| TV & Satellite Week | £4.99 |
| TV Times | £4.75 |
| Total TV Guide | £4.40 |
| What’s On TV | £1.50 |
| TV Choice | £1.50 |
Which of the Christmas TV magazines is best for me?
What’s On TV and TV Choice will invariably lead with a soap-related theme. However their listings pages are some of the most simple, clear to follow and compact covering all major channels, plus Freeview and a selection of the biggest Sky, NOW, BT and Virgin channels.
Worth knowing: TV Choice and Total TV Guide share the same TV listings for the main five channels, Freeview channels and top pay channels. Total TV Guide has additional pages with listings for further pay TV channels and selected radio stations. So if you only have Freeview and don’t need Sky or Virgin TV listings, you’ll get the same listings for your channels – word-for-word – in TV Choice.
TV & Satellite Week and Total TV Guide offer the most detailed listings for Sky, BT TV and Virgin Media TV users. If most of your TV viewing revolves around Sky, Virgin and Streaming, TV & Satellite Week offers more for you. It lists more channels than any other TV magazine.
Total TV Guide is an all rounder, with more space given to Freeview channels and the main 5 channels. It also offers a detailed overview of the main Sky and Virgin channels. And it includes a dedicated radio section, after the TV listings, second-only to the Radio Times.
The Radio Times, is the traditionalists’ choice of magazine. It doesn’t offer the clearest of TV listings, although the publishers did revamp the listings in October to add Food Network and Blaze. However, it offers the most comprehensive radio listings of any magazine, plus more pages of features and streaming TV details.
The Christmas TV Times is the first double issue since its listings were revamped in March. It provides a large overview of the main channels, plus all main Freeview, Sky and Virgin channels. It now also provides a small radio section.
by Iain Hatton