Television has been part of people’s homes and lives for decades. And that makes it an intriguing part of everyday life and cultural history – even if you don’t think there’s anything on worth watching.

So what was TV sending into Australian homes and lives 65 years ago, on Christmas Eve in 1960? And why is it still such an interesting night of television today?

Plenty of the usual 1960 shows were still on the schedule for those who, as the Australian Women’s Weekly put it,

are agin [sic] Christmas and want to suffer without the sound of a carol or joy bell.

Unsurprisingly, many were from the United States, and many of those shows give early glimpses of future pop culture icons.

Schedules varied considerably from region to region, although with some shared content.

GTV9 in Melbourne aired shows like jazz-detective series Johnny Staccato (an episode featuring a pre-Bewitched Elizabeth Montgomery) and Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer. HSV7 shows included Hawaiian Eye (an episode with a pre-Star Trek George Takei) and ABV2 had undercover agent series Tightrope.

You couldn’t count on timely viewing, though. According to The Age’s schedule, future independent filmmaking legend John Cassavetes wouldn’t wish Melbourne viewers a very awkward merry Christmas on Johnny Staccato until New Year’s........

© The Conversation