There once was a time when the arrival of the Christmas edition of the Radio Times and TV Times was as exciting as the thought of Father Christmas visiting. An entire afternoon spent circling the shows that wanted watching, the ones that wanted recording, in different coloured pens depending on who chose it. This was also joined by the purchase of a packet of fresh new videotapes to record your 'special' programmes. For a few years, I wrote a blog detailing the good and bad points of the festive schedule. However, I gave up when it became apparent that the five main channels, (have a look if you don't believe me, there are still five terrestrial channels), don't tend to make much effort these days.

Nobody waits for the Christmas television schedules with the anticipation of Christmas past anymore, because these days there's only one reason to own a television at this time of year. I am referring of course to the adverts.

Last night I think I managed to catch the bulk of them, the John Lewis adverts of course being the best of the lot. They once again have managed to produce a classy commercial that produces tears at the payoff. The snowman advert had a lot to live up to after last year's little boy wanting to give his parents a present raised the bar so high, but it managed. Another ingredient here is of course the song; every year a female singer slows down and rearranges a well known song, and makes it work to such a degree that even I don't object to 'Sweet Child Of Mine' or 'Please Please Please' being used in this way. I've always found it interesting that they don't use a Christmas song, but there's something to be said for what they do. In fact, John Lewis miss the same trick every year by not bringing out a CD of their past hits.

Marks and Spencer have dropped a bollock this year with their festive offering. For the last couple of years, M&S have been making, for all intents and purpose, a Woolworths advert. Not this year, which means that on the fourth anniversary of the closure of Woolworths, we can't observe its passing. Once again I have hit a brick wall with Shop Direct, and my campaign to get them to return to tradition with a full on, celebrity packed, Christmas advert like they used to do. Nobody did it like Woolworths, and that has been the missing piece of Christmas ever since. Shop Direct say they aren't interested. So who can replace them in the advert stakes? As we've seen, M&S haven't even tried this year, and they wouldn't have outclassed John Lewis. All of the others try their best, but is it really the same?

I had the idea to go ahead and do it anyway. Gather together a collection of willing celebs, (my theory being that the Woolworths Christmas advert was such an honour that they would offer to bring it back for no fee), hire a sound stage, and film a guerilla Woolworths advert and put it on YouTube. It would melt YouTube's view counter and hopefully make them see the error of their ways.