17:35 – Sheepy’s opening music.
17:40 – Thames TV morning start-up music.
17:45 – Only When I Laugh – S02E07 – Last Tango – 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, feeling wistful that they were unable to attend the staff dance with its majority of females, the patients decide to make their own alcohol and have a party of their own, inviting Nurse Eileen. First broadcast on Tue 10th June 1980 by ITV.
18:09 – Michael Bentine’s Potty Time S01E25 – Crown Jewels – 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 chat to some Beefeaters. First broadcast on Mon 29th Apr 1974 by ITV.
18:21 – Ace of Wands S03E10/20 – Peacock Pie: 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, Tarot continues to investigate Mr Peacock, a man with the with the power of suggestion. In Peacock’s hands, torn strips of newspaper become bank notes; people book holidays to places they don’t want to visit – and Tarot’s stage act becomes a shambles. First broadcast on Wed 20th Sep 1972 by ITV. Written by P. J. “Sapphire & Steel” Hammond, and featuring Brian “Foggy” Wilde as Mr. Peacock. Apparently the best regarded of the surviving stories.
18:45 – Clangers S02E12 – The Pipe Organ – 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, when the soup-trolley loses a wheel, Major Clanger tries to make a soup-pump. First broadcast on Fri 3rd Nov 1972 at 4.00pm by BBC1.
18:55 – Star Trek (The Original Series) – S02E10 – Journey to Babel – This week, the Enterprise hosts a number of quarrelling diplomats, including Spock’s father, but someone on board has murder in mind. First broadcast in the USA on Fri 17th Nov 1967 by NBC. This episode features the first appearance of Sarek (Mark Lenard) and Amanda (Jane Wyatt), the parents of Spock, and also introduces two new species, the Andorians and the Tellarites.
19:45 – Spaced S01 – Deleted Scenes – This week, I’m showing Series 1‘s Deleted Scenes from the DVD… twice. Once without the commentary, once with. 15 minutes each time.
20:15 – Special Branch – S02E13 – Fool’s Mate – 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, in the last of the classic series, when Britain’s top code and cypher breaker is forced to mingle with Communist players during a chess tournament, Inman goes along to keep an eye on him. Moxon, meanwhile, is playing a dangerous game of his own: the pawn being Jordan. First broadcast on Tue 4th Nov 1970 by ITV. Featuring David Graham (2957 – the grown-up Simon – in Timeslip, the voice of Brains, Parker and Gordon in Thunderbirds, and that of various 1960s Daleks), as Interrogator #2.
21:06 – Eurotrash S03E06 – 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 Japanese Yodeller, Paintbrush Tonguers, Disco Ball Video Maker, Indra and Whigfield, Amanda Lear, Airport Man, Porn Casting. First broadcast on Fri 18th Nov 1994 by Channel 4.
21:30 – Another Bouquet E05/07 – Resolutions – the sequel to A Bouquet of Barbed Wire, the latter based on the novel by Andrea Newman published in 1969. Starring Frank Finlay and Sheila Allen, it was produced by London Weekend Television for ITV. This week, having unearthed Cassie’s affair with Gavin, Manson kidnaps his own grand-daughter only to be deceived by Vicky and shocked by Sarah. Life for him is becoming unbearable. First broadcast on Fri 4th Feb 1977 by ITV.
22:19 – Alfresco S01E05 – a sketch comedy series starring Robbie Coltrane, Ben Elton, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Siobhan Redmond and Emma Thompson, produced by Granada Television and broadcast by ITV from May 1983 to June 1984. Running for two series, it totalled 13 episodes and was named Alfresco (from the Italian al fresco, meaning “in the fresh air”) because, unusually for a comedy sketch show of the time, it was shot on location rather than in a studio. Like its pilot/predecessor, There’s Nothing to Worry About (from which several sketches were taken and repeated in this), the show was designed by ITV as an answer to the popular BBC series Not the Nine O’Clock News. This week, trolley car passengers go crazy suing one another and Mr. Baker and Mr. Butcher take a stroll on the docks. First broadcast on Sun 29th May 1983 by ITV.
22:44 – Rock Follies of ’77 S01E04 a.k.a. Rock Follies S02E04 – Loony Tunes – 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, after the single fails to make an impact, paranoia sets in. It’s the illness of the moment – and it’s contagious. The Little Ladies catch it one by one, and Kitty decides it’s time to serve up some pretty potent medicine. First broadcast, after a six-month break, on Tue 22nd Nov 1977 by ITV. Featuring Bob Hoskins and Denis Lawson.
23:37 – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (TV Series) E04/06 – RERUN WITH PRODUCTION SUBTITLES – 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.
00:10 – Closedown music.
00:15 – Closedown.