17:35 – Sheepy’s opening music.
17:38 – Thames TV morning start-up music.
17:43 – Only When I Laugh – S01E07 – Is There a Doctor in the House? – 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 last of the first series, Glover is discharged and Figgis is unhappy as he has nobody with whom to argue so he goes to the local pub pretending to be a doctor and diagnosing people with terrible illnesses. First broadcast on Mon 10th Dec 1979 by ITV. This is the last of these I’ll be showing, as despite some initial interest it has not proved popular.
18:08 – Michael Bentine’s Potty Time S01E18 – Marco Polo – 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 track down the intrepid Italian commercial traveller. First broadcast on Mon 11th Mar 1974 by ITV.
18:20 – Ace of Wands S03E03/20 – The Meddlers: Part 3/3 – 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 2nd Aug 1972 by ITV. This story was written by P. J. “Sapphire and Steel” Hammond.
18:45 – Clangers S02E05 – The Cloud – 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 Cloud is invited to Mother Clanger’s birthday party, and rains on the Froglets. First broadcast on Sun 16th May 1971 at 5.05pm by BBC1.
18:55 – Star Trek (The Original Series) – S02E03 – The Changeling – This week, a powerful artificially intelligent Earth probe, with a murderously twisted imperative, comes aboard the Enterprise and mistakes Capt. Kirk for its creator.. First broadcast in the USA on Fri 29th Sept 1967 by NBC. The plot contains similarities to the later 1979 Star Trek film. The episode is one of only a handful in the original series that take place entirely aboard the Enterprise. The others include “Charlie X”, “Journey to Babel”, “Elaan of Troyius”, and “Is There in Truth No Beauty?”. The director, Marc Daniels, appears on screen as the still photo of Dr. Jackson Roykirk.
19:45 – NEW! – Spaced S01E01 – Beginnings – 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 Steiner and Tim Bisley meet by chance and hatch a plan to pose as a couple to rent an apartment whose landlord requires a professional couple. First broadcast on Fri 24th Sept 1999 by Channel 4. Unless there are complaints, I intend to show these with the “Homage-O-Meter” subtitles track switched on. 🙂
20:10 – Special Branch – S02E06 – The Pleasure of Your Company – 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, Inman meets the CIA’s new man in London. Jordan meets an old friend from Moscow. All perfectly legal – until the two are seen together at intervals and the Special Branch team become involved in international politics. First broadcast on Tue 16th Sept 1970 by ITV. With Bruce Boa (Astronauts, Empire Strikes Back, Fawlty Towers – Waldorf Salad), as said CIA man. There’s also some gallery talkback audible over the closing Thames & Fremantle Media logos!
21:01 – Eurotrash S02E05 – 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 Nude Sports, Village People, Adult Babies, Eva Herzigova, Frank Farian, Swiss Rubber Fetish Weekend. First broadcast on Fri 6th May 1994 by Channel 4.
21:25 – A Bouquet of Barbed Wire E05/07 – Repercussions – 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, Gavin lands Prue in hospital which she uses to guilt Peter into loving her again. Cassie tries to reconcile with Peter by admitting to him her own affair. After this ploy backfires she sleeps with Gavin. First broadcast on Fri 6th Feb 1976 by ITV.
22:15 – NEW! – There’s Nothing to Worry About! E01/03 – 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 4th Jun 1982 by ITV, in the Granada region ONLY. Previously shown on CABTV by Phil_A on Sun 12th Jan 2020. Once I’ve shown the three episodes of this, I will then be doing a full run of Alfresco itself.
22:42 – Rock Follies S01E03 – The Road – 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 band goes on a tour playing pubs, clubs and dive bars around provincial Britain. The band is still raw and often fails to live up to its adopted image of no-nonsense rockers, but despite this the girls realise that playing in front of an audience gives them an incredible buzz, which makes all the travelling and lack of money worthwhile. It’s not all plain sailing, as in some venues they receive a very hostile reception. First broadcast on Tue 9th Mar 1976 by ITV.
23:35 – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (TV Series) E03/06 – 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, Zaphod Beeblebrox is certain he’s located the fabled planet of Magrathea, the richest planet of all time. Here customers could place an order to have their own dream planets constructed. Soon the ‘dead planet’ fires two missiles at the Starship Heart of Gold, leading Beeblebrox to deduce there must be something very valuable and hoopy worth protecting down there. Will they avoid the pursuing nuclear missiles? Will they pull the ship out of its perilous downward spiral? Will Arthur Dent find any tea on board? First broadcast on Mon 19th Jan 1981 at 9.00pm by BBC2.
00:06 – Closedown music.
00:10 – Closedown.