18:00 – Thames TV morning start-up music.
18:05 – Sheepy’s opening music.
18:09 – Michael Bentine’s Potty Time S01E02 – King Arthur – 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 look at the story of King Arthur. First broadcast on Mon 19th Nov 1973 by ITV.
18:21 – Shadows S01E07 – The Other Window – a British supernatural television anthology series produced by Thames Television for ITV between 1975 and 1978. This week, a scientist brings home a high-tech lens to amuse his children. The children can see scenes from the past through the lens. First broadcast on Wed 15th Oct 1975 by ITV. Great cast this week, starring John Woodvine (oodles of things, including Marshal in Doctor Who: The Armageddon Factor, Master 468 in The Tripods, Ross in Edge of Darkness, Prior Mordrin in Knights of God), Gwyneth Strong (Cassandra in OFAH, the lead role in Nothing But The Night (1973)), Nigel Bradshaw (Dennis Cruickshank in PCBH S6 & S7) and Sophie Ward (Dr. Helen in Heartbeat, and 68 other things I’ve never watched) in her first ever role. This is one of the few I remember seeing as a child; unlike most of the rest of the series, I’ve not seen it as an adult. It made a big impression on me as a child, because around the same time, my Dad had brought home a Fresnel lens from work for me to play with.
18:45 – Clangers S01E02 – The Visitor – the famous British stop-motion children’s television series, consisting of short films about a family of mouse-like creatures who live on, and inside, a small moon-like planet. They speak only in a whistled language. They eat only green soup (supplied by the Soup Dragon) and blue string pudding. It was made by Smallfilms, the company set up by Oliver Postgate (who was the show’s writer, animator and narrator) and Peter Firmin (who was its modelmaker and illustrator). Firmin designed the characters, and Joan Firmin, his wife knitted and “dressed” them. The music, often part of the story, was provided by Vernon Elliott. This week, a passing object makes life a bit too exciting; the Clangers find a television set. First broadcast on Sun 23rd Nov 1969 at 5.55pm by BBC1.
18:55 – Star Trek (The Original Series) – S01E16 – The Galileo Seven – This week, the Galileo shuttlecraft, under Spock’s command, crash-lands on a hostile planet. As the Enterprise races against time to find the shuttlecraft, Spock’s strictly logical leadership clashes with the fear and resentment of his crew. First broadcast in the USA on Thu 5th Jan 1967 by NBC.
19:45 – …And Mother Makes Three – S03E04 – Thank Heaven for Little Girls? – More gentle middle-class Thames sitcom, starring Wendy Craig as the newly-widowed Sally Harrison, doing her best to bring up her two boisterous sons, Simon and Peter. This week, Sally worries that the boys will be horrible to David’s peculiar daughter, Simon hits it off with her when she turns out to have a filthy mind, and Auntie can see no harm in spending a night at a hotel with a bit of a lad. First broadcast on Thu 5th Oct 1972 by ITV.
20:10 – Special Branch – S01E04 – A Date with Leonidas – 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, a teenager’s vow of vengeance leads to Inspector Jordan interrupting a wedding and Superintendent Eden accepting a parcel that contains death. Before the day is over both men have cause for concern. First broadcast on Wed 8th Oct 1969 by ITV.
20:59 – A Very Peculiar Practice S01E03 – Wives of Great Men – a surreal black-comedy drama set in the health centre of a British university, produced by the BBC. It was written by Andrew Davies and was inspired by his experiences as a lecturer at the University of Warwick, and it has been interpreted as a commentary on contemporary trends in education. It was one of only two original television series that he wrote. In 2010, The Guardian ranked the serial at number 5 in their list of “The Top 50 TV Dramas of All Time”. This week, Professor Furie (played by Timothy West) demands Stephen give him dexedrine so he can work harder. First broadcast on Wed 4th Jun 1986 at 9.25pm by BBC2.
21:50 – The Beiderbecke Affair E03/06 – We Call It the White Economy – A six-part drama by Alan Plater. Trevor Chaplin (James Bolam) teaches woodwork and likes to listen to jazz. Jill Swinburne (Barbara Flynn) teaches English and wants to help save the planet. A tale of “Black Economies”, council corruption and many strange characters all set to a background of Bix Beiderbecke. This week, Trevor gets his records. A greenhouse is smashed. A dead cat and a hangman’s noose. A bomb doesn’t explode. A super grass. A church is raided. A meeting is canceled. But Helen of Tadcaster turns up. First broadcast on Sun 20th Jan 1985 by ITV.
22:41 – Snub TV S03E01 – This week featuring:
• 11.59: “3 AM” (video)
• Ultra Vivid Scene: “Special One” (video)
• Jah Shaka & Mad Professor: interview
• Jah Shaka & The Fasimbas: “My Song” (live studio)
• Parchman: “Ride” (SnubTV video)
• Definition of Sound: “Now is Tomorrow” (video)
• Teenage Fanclub: interview, “Everything Flows” (live)
• The Fall: “High Tension Line” (video)
• Fortran 5: “Love Baby” (video)
From 1st generation off-air VHS > Panasonic HD recorder > DVD-R > MPEG Streamclip > MPEG4
Video compression: H.264, 352 x 288, deinterlaced
Audio compression: AAC, Stereo (L R), 48.000 kHz, 192 kbps
First broadcast on Mon 14th Jan 1991 at 6.55pm by BBC2.
23:11 – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Original Radio Series) – The Tertiary Phase 5/6, Fit the Seventeenth – In which Zaphod is very, very brave. First broadcast on Tue 19th Oct 2004 at 6.30pm by BBC Radio 4.
23:38 – COMMENTARY TRACK VERSION of The Tomorrow People S01E11 – The Vanishing Earth (Part 2/4) – More interesting, amusing, sometimes scandalous, and as of late downright offensive DVD commentary featuring Nicholas Young (John), Peter Vaughan-Clarke (Stephen) and Philip Gilbert (TIM), moderated by Nicholas Briggs. To recap: this is the classic 1970s ITV children’s series about a group of teens with paranormal abilities, who use their special gifts to battle evil. This week, Ginger is brainwashed by the mysterious Spidron, who puts him to work in his mine operation. Meanwhile, Stephen and Lefty return to the pier in search of their friend. First broadcast on Mon 16th July 1973 by ITV. DVD Commentary recorded c. 2002, and I’d like to make it very clear, after last week’s effort, that I don’t endorse the entire content of this. However I’m continuing out of historical interest and morbid curiosity.
00:03 – Closedown music.
00:08 – Closedown.