You know that crushing feeling you get when someone says to you, "It's only four week 'till Christmas"? That happened to me the other week. It was like someone had pulled the rug from under my feet. I was flabbergasted; a man incredulous. I mean, I knew it was the end of November and I sort of know that Christmas happens at the end of December. But still, the news that it was only four weeks till the big day blew my socks off. Suddenly images of barging people out of the way on Oxford Street (the London one) and last-minute present buying at my local Shell garage filled my mind. I dropped to my knees and wept. But then something happened. The power of TV lifted me up and made me soar in the clouds - yes! This is the time of year that we get titbits of Christmas TV goodies pushed our way. And Christmas TV is always brilliant and magical, isn't it. Isn't it?

The BBC has gone a bit crazy and announced lots of things, so rather than blather I'll list them in handy, digestable, bite-sized bullet-point form, with my own hurrah/excitement rating next to each one).

Gavin & Stacey
Hurrah rating: 9 (out of 10)]

The Royle Family
Hurrah rating: 9

Strictly
Hurrah rating: 9

Shooting Stars
Hurrah rating: 7

My Family
Hurrah rating: 0

Rab C Nesbitt
Hurrah rating: 7

Peter Serafinowicz
Hurrah rating: 2

Lead Balloon
Hurrah rating: 5

Blackadder Rides Again
Hurrah rating: 10

The 39 Steps
Hurrah rating: 8

Doctor Who
Hurrah rating: 9

Crooked House
Hurrah rating: 7

A Matter Of Loaf And Death
Hurrah rating: 10

Lark Rise To Candleford
Hurrah rating: 7

Jonathan Creek
Hurrah rating: 6

Around The World In 20 Years
Hurrah rating: 7

OK, let's fill in some of the blanks. Blackadder Rides Again is one-off documentary, much like the G.O.L.D. one earlier in the year, which celebrates the show's 25 anniversary. The crucial difference is that Rowan Atkinson is taking part.

Vic and Bob return in Shooting Stars, The Royale Family is back, as is Jonathan Creek, Rab C Nesbitt and Michael Palin in Around The World In 20 Years.

The 39 Steps stars Ruper Penry-Jones stars in a new version of the classic spy thriller, while Crooked House is BBC Four's annual Christmas ghosts story spectacular (this time written by Mark Gatiss).

All sounds like a lot of fun.