BROADCASTING Minister Janet Anderson has given Christmas and New Year television a good report after having spent much of her festive season in front of the box.

Her seasonal highlights were Walking With Dinosaurs: the Ballad of Big Al, Waking Ned, Seeing Red and Sinatra -- Good Guy, Bad Guy.

And the Rossendale and Darwen MP's Christmas turkeys were The 100 Greatest TV Moments from Hell and Bond Film On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Mrs Anderson also had a good word for the classic older films dotted around the schedules.

She said: "On New Year's Day I started watching The 100 Greatest TV Moments from Hell. It was awful.

"I thought it was the TV programme from hell and it went on for far too long.

"So I switched over and watched the excellent British film Waking Ned. I thought Walking With Dinosaurs was just brilliant. I'd never had the chance to see it before and it showed just what the BBC can do at its best.

"The best thing that I saw over the whole period was a programme called Seeing Red, starring Sarah Lancashire, who played Raquel in Coronation Street. It was the second time I had seen it and it was simply excellent. "It's the story of a woman called Coral Atkins who set up a country house retreat for deprived children. It shows just what a fine and varied actress Sarah Lancashire is.

"As a big Sinatra fan, I also enjoyed the programme Sinatra -- Good Guy, Bad Guy which was the story of his life, his involvement with the Mafia and other things. I also saw On Her Majesty's Secret Service -- the one James Bond film in which George Lazenby stars. I thought it made plain why he never did another one.

"I thought there was something for everyone over the Christmas season.

"The family watched a bit of Millionaire, as Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? is known in the trade.

"I also watched Titanic. It's a nice film but not a great one. I first saw it on the big screen two or three years ago and it's quite clear that movie special effects have come on a long way since then. It was OK but didn't play as well on the small screen.

"I also enjoyed some of the older classic films such as Marnie, Casablanca and North By North West. There were a lot of them being shown over the Christmas season and people often complain, but I think they are worth their place in the schedules. They are excellent -- I can watch Casablanca again and again.

"Overall I thought the TV over Christmas and New Year was pretty good and very varied.

"I have enjoyed my time as a couch potato and I am now looking forward to going back to work in the office. I shall be a very well informed Broadcasting Minister having comprehensively refreshed my knowledge of TV over the break."