17:35 – Sheepy’s opening music.
17:40 – Thames TV morning start-up music.
17:45 – Only When I Laugh – S02E01 – Whatever Happened to Gloria Robins? – 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, in the first of the second series, Glover is thrilled when Gloria Robins, the beautiful film star, is admitted to a woman’s ward and is soon romancing her with flowers. Characteristically Figgis is cynical but even he falls under Gloria’s spell – as do Norman and Dr Thorpe… First broadcast on Tue 29th Apr 1980 by ITV. I’ve changed my mind and decided to keep going with this, see if it improves given a second series. I won’t be offended if it gets no viewers. 🙂
18:10 – Michael Bentine’s Potty Time S01E19 – Hadrian’s Wall – 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 investigate the legendary boundary. First broadcast on Mon 18th Mar 1974 by ITV.
18:21 – Ace of Wands S03E04/20 – The Power of Atep: Part 1/4 – 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, a strange dream about Egypt, shared by Tarot and Mikki, and a powerful voice at a séance, lead Tarot and friends to the tomb of Atep in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. There Tarot confronts his former stage partner and double, Quabal. First broadcast on Wed 9th Aug 1972 by ITV.
18:45 – Clangers S02E06 – The Chicken Egg – 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, the Iron Chicken lays an egg, and the Clangers try to look after it. First broadcast on Sun 23rd May 1971 at 5.05pm by BBC1.
18:55 – Star Trek (The Original Series) – S02E04 – Mirror, Mirror – This week, a transporter accident places Captain Kirk’s landing party in an alternate universe, where the Enterprise is in the service of a barbarically brutal empire. First broadcast in the USA on Fri 6th Oct 1967 by NBC. Yes, the mirror universe, and the whole concept of the evil goatee, starts here!!
19:45 – Spaced S01E02 – Gatherings – the famous British sitcom created, written by and starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, and directed by Edgar Wright, about the (comedic and sometimes farcical and action-packed) misadventures of Daisy Steiner and Tim Bisley, two twenty-something Londoners who, despite only having just met, decide to move in together after she gives up on squatting and he is kicked out by his ex-girlfriend. Supporting roles include Nick Frost as Tim’s best friend Mike, Katy Carmichael as Daisy’s best friend Twist, Mark Heap as lodger Brian who lives downstairs and Julia Deakin as landlady Marsha. This week, Daisy decides to throw a party to shirk responsibility. Tim reluctantly agrees. First broadcast on Fri 1st Oct 1999 by Channel 4. Still with the bonus “Homage-O-Meter” subtitles track switched on.
20:09 – Special Branch – S02E07 – Not to Be Trusted – 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, is an eminent scientist, on lone to a top-secret research establishment, a security risk? That’s the question facing Inman and his team. The research establishment is suddenly prone to ‘leaks’. Has the man been got at? First broadcast on Tue 23rd Sept 1970 by ITV.
21:00 – Eurotrash S02E06 – 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 Queen’s Day, Pedro Almodovar, Shit Artist, Stephane Sedanoui/Jan Kounen, Sabrina, La Camilla. First broadcast on Fri 13th May 1994 by Channel 4.
21:25 – A Bouquet of Barbed Wire E06/07 – Premonitions – 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, Prue goes into labor and everyone starts having premonitions of her death. Sarah, tired of Peter living with her, receives an offer to move to Frankfurt. First broadcast on Fri 13th Feb 1976 by ITV.
22:15 – There’s Nothing to Worry About! E02/03 – a sketch comedy show that was the first screen collaboration between the comedy duo Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. Other cast members include Emma Thompson, Ben Elton, Paul Shearer and Siobhan Redmond. The show was designed by ITV as an answer to the popular BBC series Not the Nine O’Clock News. Rik Mayall was initially approached to star, but he dropped out. Just three episodes of the show were produced, and it was only broadcast in Granada Television’s ITV region. The same cast was then used for the sketch show Alfresco (1983-4), albeit with Shearer replaced by Robbie Coltrane, which ran for two series nationwide. There’s Nothing to Worry About effectively worked as a pilot for Alfresco and several sketches from the former were reproduced in the latter. First broadcast on Fri 11th Jun 1982 by ITV, in the Granada region ONLY. Previously shown on CABTV by Phil_A on Sun 19th Jan 2020. Once I’ve shown the three episodes of this, I will then be doing a full run of Alfresco itself.
22:40 – Rock Follies S01E04 – The Talking Pictures – 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, the girls get involved with some very dodgy film-makers. First broadcast on Tue 16th Mar 1976 by ITV.
23:34 – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (TV Series) E04/06 – 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, deep down inside the planet Magrathea, coastline designer Slartibartfast is working on Earth, mark II. It seems the previous version was destroyed just before it managed to complete its purpose. Arthur Dent is astonished to learn that the Earth was not what it had seemed, and astounded to learn that the small creatures he had called mice were not what they had seemed either… First broadcast on Mon 26th Jan 1981 at 9.00pm by BBC2.
00:06 – Closedown music.
00:11 – Closedown.