HOGMANAY telly – a festive treat or a total disaster?

Opinion is regularly divided. Over the years, lots of famous faces have graced our screens as we sing out the old year and drink in the new one, from Jimmy Shand to Jackie Bird, from Rikki Fulton to Susan Calman.

Glasgow Times: Jackie Bird, former host of Hogmanay Show on BBC. Photographer: Alan Peebles

Here are some of our Times Past favourites over the decades…

WHITE HEATHER CLUB

Glasgow Times: THE WHITE HEATHER CLUB 1991 BBC SCOTLAND

Who remembers the BBC’s White Heather Club, with Andy Stewart?

Not just for Hogmanay, this show ran during the year too but a special New Year’s Eve edition featuring regular host Andy Stewart and the likes of Jimmy Logan, Moira Anderson and Stanley Baxter, heralded the bells.

(Older readers might remember a similar show called The Kilt is My Delight, which ran from 1957 until 1963.)

READ MORE: Spot the Glasgow footballing legend with Santa in 1967...

THE STEAMIE

Glasgow Times: Cast of The Steamie, L to R Sheila Donald, Katy Murphy, Peter Mullan, Eileen McCallum and Dorothy Paul

The Steamie is regularly given an airing at Hogmanay because this tale of women in a Glasgow wash-house is set on December 31. It’s still an absolute joy to watch – Tony Roper’s play will have you in tears of laughter and sadness.

SCOTCH AND WRY

Scottish sketch show Scotch and Wry was the top-rating annual Hogmanay special for more than a decade, giving early platforms to emerging stars such as Gerard Kelly and Miriam Margolyes. Starring Rikki Fulton in some of his most memorable character roles (Rev I M Jolly, the motorbike cop…) it sent up stars like Sydney Devine, took digs at the ‘proper’ Hogmanay Show which always followed, and was much-loved by millions.

ONLY AN EXCUSE

Glasgow Times: Jonathan Watson as Frank MacAvennie with Judy Murray

Only an Excuse bowed out just last year, after almost 30 years of taking a well-aimed kick at Scotland national obsession – football. Star of the show was actor and comedian Jonathan Watson, whose hilarious impressions of the great and good of Scottish football included Denis Law, Tommy Burns, Barry Ferguson and, famously, Frank McAvennie.

CHIC AND JAN

Glasgow Times: Chic Murray and Jan Wilson

Less well-known, perhaps, but a hit on radio, was Chic and Jan, the inventive name for a show fronted by Chic Murray, legendary comic, and Jan Wilson, supremely talented actor who would go on to star in City Lights, in 1977.

In our archive publicity shot, they are hamming it up for the cameras, and the show by all accounts was a success.

CHEWIN’ THE FAT

Glasgow Times: Chewin' the Fat

For five glorious years, the Chewin’ the Fat Hogmany Special was a new year’s eve delight, building on the success and popularity of the awardwinning show’s regular series. Written by Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill, it starred the duo alongside, amongst others, Karen Dunbar, Paul Riley, Mark Cox, Julie Wilson Nimmo and Tom Urie as a host of weird, wacky and wonderful characters. And of course, it spawned Still Game, for which the nation will forever be grateful.