After years of speculation, it’s finally here – the Royal Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton. Congratulations and all that.

If you’ve been looking forward to this, the networks are giving you every change to warm into it as quickly and as easily as you like. Apart from the inevitable stories on all the Breakfast, News and Current Affairs shows (they are ALL in London already), there’s kind of a little bit of stuff on the telly…

  • MOVIE: The Queen – Mon 8:30pm, Ch7
  • The House of Windsor: A Royal Dynasty – Tue/Wed/Thu 6pm, ABC1
  • William & Kate – Inside the Royal Wedding – Tue 7:30pm, Ch7
  • William & Kate: a Royal Love Story – Tue 8:30pm, ABC1
  • William & Kate: A Modern-Day Fairytale – Wed 8:30pm, Ch9
  • William & Kate: The Royal Wedding Countdown – Thu 7:30pm, Ch9
  • Q&A: Is The Royal Romance Over? – Thu 8:30pm, ABC1
  • William & Kate: The Royal Wedding – Fri 4pm, Ch7
  • William & Kate: The Royal Wedding – Fri 4pm, Ch9
  • The Royal Wedding – Fri 6pm, ABC1
  • William & Kate: The Royal Wedding – Fri 6pm, 7Two
  • William & Kate: The Royal Wedding – Fri 6:30pm, Ch7
  • The Royal Wedding – Fri 7pm, ABC1
  • William & Kate: The Royal Wedding – Fri 7pm, Ch9
  • William & Kate: The Royal Wedding – Fri 7pm, GEM
  • Celebrate Will & Kate: The Wedding Project – Fri 7pm, Ch10
  • The Ceremony: With Fitzy, Wippa and Lucy – Fri 8pm, Ch10
  • Celebrate Will & Kate: The Wedding Circle – Fri 9:30pm, Ch10

Get that into you. There’s lots on, certainly on the big day – some serious (ABC), some less so but still mostly dignified (Ch7/Ch9), some not even attempting to be serious (Ch10) and some straight out pulling the piss (ABC2). Coverage to suit all tastes. For mine, it’ll be a mix of the Ch9 and ABC2 coverage, but I will not miss The Wedding Circle on Ch10. That should be very special and so much fun.

If you’re on Twitter, it’ll be well worth following some of the journalists & producers who are over in London for the event – it’s like a big school trip for those kids, with fun, pranks, pictures and inside goss to boot. I’m growing a list, and you can access it here. Please let me know if I’ve missed people who should be on it.

Now, if you choose not to watch the Royal Wedding at all… firstly, good luck. Secondly, it’s not impossible, but it will require you to be creative. The easiest way will be to go analog for most of the week, absolutely not watch the evening news, and avoid all media on Friday & Saturday. If you’d like to watch the telly, the digital multi-channels like 7Two, 7mate, GO!, One HD & Eleven will see you right on Friday night. For East Coast dwellers who watch AFL, the Sydney Swans vs Carlton Blues game from the SCG will be broadcast live on 7mate to allow the Wedding to air on Ch7, thanks to special approval from the Minister for Communication’s office. Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey gets a run. There’s stuff, but you’ll mostly have to deal with repeats.

Friday night will be a great night to go out places that are normally packed. Go do your shopping. Take a loved one (or friends of a common mindset) out to dinner at that local restaurant. Get started on your next tax return. Take up scrapbooking. Consider a PhD. Plan that next Antarctic adventure. Whatever it is, just make sure it’s all about you and nothing about the Royals.

Just remember, once this is out of the way… Australian Television Royalty will rush into frame as the Logies are but a breath away. Be alert but not alarmed.