NOTE: Slightly earlier start time than usual.
17:25 – Sheepy’s opening caption & music.
17:30 – Thames TV morning start-up music.
17:35 – Only When I Laugh – S04E05 – Escape – 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, Glover is charmed by new admission Harry Bridgewater – until it transpires that he is a prisoner who has come in for an operation with a guard in attendance. Having tried to pass himself off as a hardened criminal Bridgewater has to admit he is but a getaway driver but asks the patients to cover for him whilst he escapes – for a night – to have sex with his wife. They agree and persuade Dr Thorpe to assist them but will the convict return next day? First broadcast on Thu 2nd Dec 1982 by ITV. With Neil McCarthy (Where Eagles Dare, Zulu, Clash of the Titans) as the criminal, in what proved to be his last-ever role.
18:01 – Michael Bentine’s Potty Time S02E12 – Postmen / Japanese – a British children’s TV show, written by and starring Michael Bentine, and directed and produced by Leon Thau for Thames Television. This week, we discover the supreme test facing apprentice Potty postmen and meet the Japanese Potties, who give us a demonstration of the little-known martial art of Potitsu. But how do they protect their beautiful miniature gardens from the devastating attacks of the Kamikaze beetle? Uh-oh, here we go again… First broadcast on Wed 26th Mar 1975 by ITV.
18:23 – NEW! – The Gemini Factor S01E01 – The Forerunner – a 1987 six-part children’s serial starring Louisa Haigh and Charlie Creed-Miles, written by Paula Milne, directed by Renny Rye, and produced by Sheila Kinany for Thames TV. A twin brother and sister separated at birth. Two halves forming the Yin and Yang. Two telepathic minds. An ancient clock tower. A mystery to keep the mind alert. This week… well the series is obscure enough to have no Wiki page and a fairly minimal IMDb presence, so your guess is as good as mine! First broadcast on Mon 2nd Nov 1987 by ITV. Have never seen this, and indeed had never heard of it until OTH told me about it and very kindly offered me the files, as he thought it would suit my schedule better than his.
18:48 – Clangers (New CBeebies Version) S01E12 – Lonely as a Cloud – the 2010s reboot of the famous early-1970s 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, Tiny, Small, the Froglets and Baby Dragon are having great fun playing games with the Cloud. But when Major calls them all in for bed, the Cloud is left alone and sad. First broadcast on Tue 30th Jun 2015 at 5.30pm by CBeebies.
19:00 – Star Trek (The Original Series) – S02E24 – The Ultimate Computer – This week, Kirk and a sub-skeleton crew are ordered to test out an advanced artificially intelligent control system – the M-5 Multitronic system, which could potentially render them all redundant. First broadcast in the USA on Fri 8th Mar 1968 by NBC.
19:50 – Tales of the Unexpected S01E05 – The Landlady – a British television series that aired between 1979 and 1988. Each episode told a story, often with sinister and wryly comedic undertones, with an unexpected twist ending. Every episode of series one, eight episodes of series two, and one episode of series three were based on short stories by Roald Dahl, who provided introductions for the first two series. This week, arriving in Bath to take up his first job away from home, young Billy Weaver decides to take a room with a charmingly maternal, if eccentric, landlady. Her dog and cat are both stuffed and the only other names in her guest-book seem vaguely familiar to him from the newspaper but he cannot think why… First broadcast on Sat 21st Apr 1979 by ITV. Now with proper old-fashioned Anglia intro and end-cap. 🙂
20:15 – Special Branch S03E02 – Round the Clock – After a two-and-a-half-year break (Nov 1970 – Apr 1973) on original transmission, this show returned in a completely revamped form, now made by Euston Films in their first-ever production for Thames TV. It now stars George Sewell as DCI Alan Craven, with support from an on-off combination of Roger Rowland as DS Bill North and Patrick Mower as DCI Tom Haggerty. This week, tensions mount as Craven and Haggerty are on a stakeout. Haggerty believes Craven is hunting for a dead suspect while Craven sees his new colleague as the source of bitter setbacks in his career and life. First broadcast on Wed 11th Apr 1973 by ITV. This episode was directed by Douglas Camfield, and features Patrick Fyffe as a pub drag queen, although not in his better known persona of Dame Hilda Bracket.
21:06 – Eurotrash S06E01 – 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 4 Guyz, Tabatha Cash, Nordic Rabbit Showjumping, Romeo Cleaners, European King of Phone Sex, Supermodel Shopping: Karen Mulder, Gym Tonic, Jean Paul Waxwork, Captain Jack. First broadcast on Fri 12th Apr 1996 by Channel 4.
21:30 – Lytton’s Diary S02E05 – National Hero – A drama series made by Thames Television for the ITV network, about the life of a newspaper gossip columnist, played by Peter Bowles, who also co-created the show with Philip Broadley. Scripts were by Ray Connolly, the journalist, interviewer, author, Beatles enthusiast, and screenplay writer of That’ll Be The Day and Stardust. Whether consorting with banking tycoons and ex-dictators or investigating a gang of skinheads, Lytton strives to expose the high and mighty, the corrupt and the crooked – and to make sure “God” (his editor at the Daily News) is happy with his work. All the while, Lytton struggles to keep his love life in order, write the one novel he feels he has in him, and fend off constant machinations and maneuvers of an old rival at the Daily Post. This week, the new editor hires a trendy young reporter for the diary, but Lytton’s own interests are stuck firmly in the past – on a revered war hero with skeletons in his closet. Meanwhile, a professional rivalry gets personal with Lytton’s competitor at the Post. First broadcast on Wed 5th Feb 1986 by ITV. With Richard “Slartibartfast” Vernon and Patrick “Inspector Lestrade” Newell. WARNING: the opening title sequence contains flashing images.
22:21 – Girls on Top S01E06 – Skankin’ – a British sitcom, broadcast on ITV in 1985 & 1986, made by Allan McKeown’s Witzend Productions for Central Independent Television. It starred Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Ruby Wax and Tracey Ullman with Joan Greenwood. It was written by French, Saunders and Wax, with additional material for two episodes written by Ullman. It was produced & directed by Paul Jackson (S1) and Ed Bye (S2). Both theme and incidental music were written and perforned by Chris Difford & Glenn Tillbrook. This week, looking for an act for the community fayre, Amanda ‘discovers’ a reggae band. First broadcast on Wed 27th Nov 1985 at 8.30pm by ITV. This show will be broadcast at 75% volume. 🙂
22:46 – Agony S02E06 – Second Time Around – An ITV sitcom that aired from 1979 to 1981. Made by London Weekend Television, it stars Maureen Lipman as Jane Lucas who has a successful career as an agony aunt but whose own personal life is a shambles. It was created by Len Richmond and real-life agony aunt Anna Raeburn, both of whom wrote all of the first series. The second and third series were written by Stan Hey and Andrew Nickolds. This week, Andy returns but he’s not the same person anymore. He’s now a devout christian and he’s changed his name to Andrew Love. First broadcast on Sun 18th May 1980 by ITV.
23:11 – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Further DVD Extras – as follows:
23:11 – Hidden Extra: Original Title Sequence.
23:12 – Live introduction by Peter Jones at an NFT screening of the first episode.
23:21 – “Don’t Panic!” – additional “Making of…” material.
23:47 – Tomorrow’s World presents Zaphod’s extra head… (Thu 12/02/1981)
23:50 – Rod Lord and Alan J.W. Bell on Pebble Mill at One (Fri 23/01/1981)
23:57 – “Communicate!” – Behind the Scenes of the Radio Series.
00:07 – Outtakes.
00:17 – Hidden Extra: Heart of Gold onscreen graphics; look out for Easter Eggs…
00:20 – Closedown music.
00:25 – Closedown.