18:00 – Sheepy’s opening caption, then music.
18:06 – Thames TV morning start-up music.
18:11 – Michael Bentine’s Potty Time S01E17 – On the Pirate Buses – 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 investigate the world of pirate buses. First broadcast on Mon 4th Mar 1974 by ITV. This is a fabulous piece of synchronicity! Only a week or so ago, somebody showed an old current affairs report about bus deregulation in the 1980s, and how it led to wars between rival bus companies on the South Coast. Well, nearly ten years earlier, here’s Mr. Bentine’s potty take on a similar war that was actually going on at the time, again on the South Coast!
18:22 – Ace of Wands S03E02/20 – The Meddlers: Part 2/3 – 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 companions Nikki and Chas, Tarot continues to investigate 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 26th July 1972 by ITV. This story was written by P. J. “Sapphire and Steel” Hammond.
18:45 – Clangers S02E04 – The Teapot – 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, a teapot fished from space is less useful than the Clangers thought it would be. First broadcast on Sun 9th May 1971 at 5.00pm by BBC1.
18:55 – Star Trek (The Original Series) – S02E02 – Who Mourns for Adonais? – This week, a powerful being claiming to be the Greek god Apollo appears and demands that the crew of the Enterprise disembark onto his planet to worship him. First broadcast in the USA on Fri 22nd Sept 1967 by NBC.
19:45 – Only When I Laugh – S01E06 – Tangled Web – 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, Norman is reading ‘Tangled Web’, a hospital romance, when he sees new nurse Sally, who is exactly like the book’s heroine. He is keen to express his feelings for her but finds he has rivals in Archie, Dr Thorpe and Gupte, who are all keen to pursue. First broadcast on Mon 3rd Dec 1979 by ITV. I shudder to think how dodgy this might get… :-/
20:10 – Special Branch – S02E05 – Warrant for a Phoenix – 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, an accusation of theft against a highly respected Greek historian sets the Special Branch team a problem. Interpol have requested his extradition from England – but Inman isn’t satisfied with the facts of the case. First broadcast on Tue 8th Sept 1970 by ITV. With Clifford Rose and Stephen Grief, both recently deceased; R.I.P.
20:59 – Eurotrash S02E04 – 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 Attack of the Pornosaurs, Claude Francois, Male Models Sing For Bosnia, Robert Crumb, Erotica Exhibition. First broadcast on Fri 29th Apr 1994 by Channel 4.
21:22 – A Bouquet of Barbed Wire E04/07 – Festivities – 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, when Prue finds out about Peter’s affair, she begins feeling jealous of Sarah and hurt that he doesn’t pay as much attention to her as he used to. Things come to a head over a birthday dinner. First broadcast on Fri 30th Jan 1976 by ITV.
22:12 – Rock Follies S01E02 – The Little Ladies – 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, first attempts at launching “The Little Ladies” are not promising. First broadcast on Tue 2nd Mar 1976 by ITV.
23:05 – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (TV Series) E02/06 – 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, rescued from Earth moments before its destruction to make way for a vast hyperspace bypass, Arthur Dent and his alien friend, Ford Prefect, find themselves on board the actual demolition spacecraft in the capture of the evil, heartless, callous, slimy-green Vogons. But all is not well. They have a major decision to make! Should they face certain death by being flung into the cold vacuum of space? Or should they tell the Vogon captain how good they think his poetry is? First broadcast on Mon 12th Jan 1981 at 9.00pm by BBC2.
Running a little short this week, so resurrecting this from when I paused it back in August. I may continue the run until the next major schedule change, or I run out, whichever happens sooner:
23:40 – Secret Diary of a Call Girl S01E04 – a British drama television series based on the blog and books by the pseudonymous Belle de Jour. It stars Billie Piper as Belle, a high-end London call girl. This week, Belle is taken aback when her accountant informs her that he is into punishment and would like to engage in a sado-masochistic scenario with himself as her slave. She is inexperienced and is put in touch with the domineering Madame Sirona, who turns up at Belle’s flat with her ‘slave’, a scantily-clad, shaven-headed man, whom she humiliates to his satisfaction by way of demonstration. Before the accountant returns, Belle meets her friend Ben, who tells her he is getting married. She is annoyed that he had not told her sooner… First broadcast on Thu 18th Oct 2007 by ITV2.
00:03 – Closedown music.
00:08 – Closedown.