Merry Christmas from YSTV

A compilation VT with a funky version of "Jingle Bells" apparently written by YSTV member Phil Toms used as a bed. The version in the archive (see below) credits it to "Chris and Phil" and is dated 12th December 1998. The original was created at Christmas 1995 when "Chris and Phil" (Chris Parker and Phil Toms) were both new to YSTV, and was played repeatedly over the Christmas period that year.

The promo appears to be a kind of visual-Christmas card, featuring various clips from the station output of the period, including Campus Today. Some of the clips were Christmas related, many were not. Re-used on Open Day programmes and the like as a filler for years afterwards.

Dug out of the vaults at Christmas 2004 to be re-screened on Small Screen.

In the Archive

The version used for Small Screen was in fact a "remaster" as seems to have been the vogue in 1998 (c.f. Breakthru (digital remaster)). The Umatic tape (!) it came off refers to it as the "Christmas Clips Compilation", and provides two versions, in 4:3 and "widescreen", i.e. the top and bottom of the picture have been blacked out, as it's only a 4:3 VT deck!


YSTV Productions
Series • Events Coverage • One-offs