Apologies for the lack of festive content, the next instalment of my weekly show, with the odd bonus, is all I (barely) had time to manage. 🙂
17:07 – Sheepy’s opening music.
17:11 – Thames TV morning start-up music.
17:16 – TISWAS Volume 3 – Tiswas Comedy Capers – The final batch of excerpts from the famously anarchic children’s television show that originally aired on Saturday mornings from 5 January 1974 to 3 April 1982, and was produced for the ITV network by ATV. Originally a sell-through VHS released in 1994, then rereleased on DVD in 2005 …with clearly no further attempt to clean it up for DVD, as even the opening quality disclaimer seems to have been ripped from the original VHS!
18:08 – Michael Bentine’s Potty Time S01E16 – Sherlock Holmes – a British children’s TV show, written by and starring Michael Bentine, and directed and produced by Leon Thau for Thames Television. This week, Mr. Bentine and the Potties head off to 221b Baker Street. First broadcast on Mon 25th Feb 1974 by ITV.
18:20 – NEW! – Ace of Wands S03E01/20 – The Meddlers: Part 1/3 – a British fantasy children’s television show broadcast on ITV between 1970 and 1972. It was created by Trevor Preston and Pamela Lonsdale and produced by Thames Television. It ran for two seasons of thirteen episodes each, and a third season of twenty, which is the only series that still exists. Telepathic stage magician, Tarot, and his two assistants solve mysteries and crimes of a bizarre or magical nature, and battle against villains with various powers. This week, with his new companions, Nikki and Chas, Tarot investigates a strange curse which has frightened the smallholders away from a London street market. Mr Dove, who watches from a nearby tower block through his binoculars, and Mockers, the local ‘prophet of doom’ are determined to hamper his progress. First broadcast on Wed 19th July 1972 by ITV. This episode was written by P. J. “Sapphire and Steel” Hammond.
18:45 – Clangers S02E03 – Glow-Honey – the famous Oliver Postgate / Peter Firmin stop-motion children’s television series about a family of mouse-like creatures who live on, and inside, a small moon-like planet. This week, Small Clanger wanders off into some caves, looking for glow-honey, and gets lost. First broadcast on Sun 2nd May 1971 at 5.05pm by BBC1.
18:55 – Star Trek (The Original Series) – S02E01 – Amok Time – This week, in the throes of his Pon Farr mating period, Spock must return to Vulcan to meet his intended future wife, betrothed from childhood. First broadcast in the USA on Fri 15th Sept 1967 by NBC. This is the only episode of The Original Series to depict scenes on the planet Vulcan. It was also the first episode to: feature Ensign Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) as the ship’s navigator; use the Vulcan Salute; list “DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy” in the opening credits.
19:45 – Only When I Laugh – S01E05 – Let Them Eat Cake – A sitcom made by Yorkshire Television for ITV, written by Eric Chappell (Rising Damp, Home to Roost). It stars Christopher Strauli as Norman, a rather naive middle-class man who is admitted to a hospital ward and finds that he is sharing it with a working-class layabout called Figgis (James Bolam) and an upper-class hypochondriac called Archie (Peter Bowles). All three of them cause headaches for the hospital staff, led by Richard Wilson with Derrick Branche. This week, the trio can stand the daily menu no longer and go on hunger strike. What they hadn’t bargained for, however, was how hungry they would get… First broadcast on Mon 26th Nov 1979 by ITV.
20:10 – Special Branch – S02E04 – Miss International – Groundbreaking British police drama series following the exploits of the Special Branch of the Metropolitan Police: an elite group of officers tasked with protecting London from spies, terrorists, and subversives. This week, what appeared to be a straightforward case – protecting the wife of a foreign VIP, who has entered a beauty competition in the cause of female emancipation for her own country – turns into a nightmare situation for DCI Jordan. First broadcast on Tue 1st Sept 1970 by ITV.
21:03 – Eurotrash S02E03 – The legendary late-night magazine show starring Antoine de Caunes and Jean-Paul Gaultier, exploring unusual and bizarre topics from Europe and around the world. This week we have Tabatha Cash, Swedish Naked Blind Date, Male Brothel, Jordy, Los Bestias Restaurant, Vienna Funeral Museum/Autopsy Artist. First broadcast on Fri 22nd Apr 1994 by Channel 4.
21:26 – A Bouquet of Barbed Wire E03/07 – Diversions – a drama series based on the novel by Andrea Newman published in 1969. Starring Frank Finlay, Susan Penhaligon and Sheila Allen, it was produced by London Weekend Television for ITV. The series is known for its treatment of family and sexual dynamics, focused on the relationship between father and daughter. This week, while his wife and daughter are away on their holidays, Peter starts spending more time with Sarah, who is looking for a father figure. When things between them heat up, he takes her to Prue’s apartment. First broadcast on Fri 23rd Jan 1976 by ITV.
22:16 – NEW! – Rock Follies S01E01 – The Show Business – a musical drama shown on ITV in the 1970s. The storyline followed the ups and downs of a fictional female rock band called the Little Ladies, as they struggled for recognition and success. The series starred Rula Lenska, Charlotte Cornwell and Julie Covington as the Little Ladies, with support from Emlyn Price, Beth Porter, Sue Jones-Davies, Bob Hoskins, Stephen Moore, Derek Thompson, Denis Lawson and Little Nell among others. The series was made on a small low budget for Thames Television, with a style inspired by fringe theatre. It was based on an original idea by Annabel Leventon, Diane Langton and Gaye Brown. The series was a success and won three BAFTA Awards, and the soundtrack album reached No. 1 in the UK chart. This week, a disastrous attempt to revive an old musical brings together three girl singers, who form a group. First broadcast on Tue 24th Feb 1976 by ITV. I have doubts about this already, given the rather tasteless opening titles, but we’ll see how it goes.
23:09 – NEW! – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (TV Series) E01/06 – The infamous TV adaptation of Douglas Adams’ award-winning radio series, largely ruined by Alan J. W. Bell’s production, although Rod Lord’s brilliant Book animations save it. This week, Arthur Dent is not convinced when his best friend, Ford Prefect, tells him that the world is about to end in 12 minutes. Should he remain lying in front of the bulldozers intent on demolishing his house to make way for a bypass? Or should he accept the offer of rescue from Ford, who reveals that he is an alien from the planet of Betelgeuse (pronounced Bee-tle-jooce), and not from Guildford after all? First broadcast on Mon 5th Jan 1981 at 9pm by BBC2.
There may be extras! But if not (EDIT: and there weren’t):
23:42 – Closedown music.
23:47 – Closedown.