JANET Anderson will be spending her Christmas and New Year break glued to the television -- to make sure the festive shows are up to scratch.

As Broadcasting Minister she wants to make sure that the programmes being viewed by millions are as good as the ones she remembers watching in previous years.

And the Rossendale and Darwen MP revealed her family are just like TV slobs The Royle Family -- sitting around the box drinking snowballs!

She said: "I shall be taking the opportunity of the Christmas break to have a good look at what's on TV.

"I am so busy for most of the rest of the year I don't really get the chance to watch it much.

"So I shall be taking the opportunity to flop down in the chair and have a good look at what's going out.

"I want to make sure that the standards are good enough. In an emerging digital age where we could soon have 200 channels, the quality of terrestrial TV is very important.

"I want to make sure also that the 9pm watershed for adult material is observed. We made that absolutely clear in our White Paper. Mrs Anderson said she would not be wallowing in nostalgia in the belief that TV was better in the old days.

She said two must-see programmes would be The Royle Family and the Queen's broadcast.

She said: "Indeed, watching the Royle Family sometimes reminds me of us. Last year they were drinking snowballs just like our family used to when I was young because they were considered to be posh.

"And I shall watch the Queen's Broadcast with added interest as I used to be the Government Whip who had to write to her about what was going on in the Commons.

"I shall also be watching Titanic to see how it plays on the small screen. I've only seen it in the cinema and as it's a film full of special effects it will be very interesting to see how they work when not on a big screen. I recall some great highlights from past years -- notably Morecambe and Wise's Christmas shows, especially the one where Angela Rippon danced and showed off her legs.

"It was just so unexpected.

"I also recall watching the Great Escape many times at Christmas. It was a wonderful film which you could watch time and again."