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iwarburton



Joined: 08 Dec 2006
Posts: 2133
Location: Northumberland

PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2007 12:02 pm    Post subject: Watch This Space Reply with quote

This board seems to have gone off the boil a bit but I hope to have some items to put on.

I chanced on a website of Radio Times Back Numbers and decided to treat myself to three issues, one each from 1956, 1967 and 1977.

They're not actually in my hand yet but I've had an email to notify me that they're on the way.

When they come I'll see whether there's anything of nostalgic interest and let you know.

If you fancy checking this out for yourself, it's http://www.radiotimesbacknumbers.com

Ian.
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iknewdavidjacobsmum



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PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There's a brief history of the Radio Times, including Eurovision editions at this site:

http://www.tvradiobits.co.uk/sitemap.htm

But they are only front covers and short programme listings.
Would love to see the articles.
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iwarburton



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PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 4:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've now received and had a browse through the three Radio Times issues referred to above.

There's too much to put everything into one posting so for now I'll concentrate on 1956.

Prior to October 1960 RT printed its programmes from Sunday to Saturday, doubtless in keeping with the view of Sunday as the first day of the week. So my selected edition runs from Sunday 14 to Saturday 20 October.

It's the week in which the Queen opened Calder Hall Atomic Power Station (which she must have done in a tearing hurry, as only 25 minutes of TV coverage was allocated!) so the lead article puts a good word in for nuclear power and allays fears over whether this will adversely affect mining, by declaring that 'the coal mining industry will be our backbone for generations to come'. You don't say.

There's a chummy interview with Tony Hancock, which totally sidesteps his complex personality, and a rather patronising note about Norman Painting, who plays Phil in the Archers (as he still does in 2007), in which he's described as' an eligible bachelor of thirty-two'.

If you fancy working for the BBC as an engineer, you can apply if you're a British subject, preferably not more than 30 years of age, and have completed your National Service obligations. Your salary will be on the scale £675 to £885 per year.

So what's on radio and TV?

Radio gets far more coverage than TV so we'll start there.

The Third Programme is pretty highbrow stuff and has only a few hours per day.

The other two stations are the Home Service and the Light Programme, which are far more interchangeable than R4 and R2 would be today, with quizzes, comedies, talks etc scattered over both. And even the Light Programme has a classical concert on weekday lunchtimes.

Not a sign of the Today Programme in the early morning--that will start in October 1957. The Home service intersperses news and weather with light music and, after a shipping forecast around 6:45am, the Light Programme goes back to sleep till 9am (8am on Sunday).

Highlights include:

Home

Letter from America with Alistair Cooke.

Children's Hour

Desert Island Discs with Roy Plomley. This week's castaway is pianist Peter Katin.

Round Britain Quiz

Choral Evensong, from Tenbury, with an order of service that could as easily come from 2007.

Midday Music Hall.

Workers' Playtime.

The Goon Show.

A Saturday afternoon full performance of Puccini's Tosca.

Light

Wilfred Pickles' Have a Go

Family Favourites

The Billy Cotton Band Show

Movie-Go-Round (including Stargazing presented by Desmond Carrington)

Hancock's Half Hour

Sunday Half Hour (with many of the same hymns as you hear on it today).

Housewives' Choice (introduced this week by popular organist Robin Richmond).

Mrs Dale's Diary--the synopsis shows that Gwen, David and the children have gone to Wales on holiday and Mrs Dale is worried, not on this occasion about Jim, but about Mrs Freeman's rudeness to a visitor.

Top of the Form--which as an 8 year old, I listened to avidly!

Listen with Mother--all three of its storytellers, Julia Lang, Daphne Oxenford and Dorothy Smith, are in evidence sometime in the week. Dorothy Smith is also in the Archers, as Betty Hood.

Educating Archie.

Top of the Pops--no, not quite what you think. This is a showcase for light vocalist David Hughes, with the BBC Variety Orchestra. In fact there's virtaully no dedicated pop coverage at all for the whole week.

Any Questions--some things never change, as one of the panellists is Tony Benn, referred to more formally here as Anthony Wedgwood Benn.

Friday Night Is Music Night, with Sidney Torch as conductor.

The Archers, with the omnibus on Saturday evening.

Light music is as prevalent throughout the schedules then as it is out-of-sight today, with umpteen BBC and independent orchestras on tap to provide it.

I note also that the chimes of Big Ben were missing, doubtless because of some maintenance work. Great Tom kept the nation right.

TV was restricted to one BBC channel. Some areas were getting ITV by this time but the Beeb preferred not to acknowledge this. There were frequent close-downs, most notably for the soon-to-be-axed toddlers truce between 6 and 7, whe it was assumed that not providing programmes at this time would assist parents in gettign the children to bed.

One thing in distinctly short supply was sports coverage, especially football.

Highlights include;

Billy Bunter, the naughty schoolboy, played by Gerald Campion, who was actually 35 at the time!

What's My Line?

This Is Your Life

Panorama, presented by Richard Dimbleby (father of David and Jonathan and a Colossus in broadcasting at the time).

An early appearance on Children's TV by Rolf Harris, drawing a character called Willoughby.

The Grove Family--an episode called the Ladder.

Whack-o with Jimmy Edwards.

Eric Robinson's Music for You.

A serialisation of Dickens' David Copperfield, currently up to episode 4 of 13.

That's about it. If you've persevered this far, well done.

1967 next time.

Ian.
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Fog on the Tyne



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PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 5:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds like a fascinating peek into the past Ian,bit before my time afraid but I'll wait eagerly for your 1967 update. Smile Is it pre Radio 1 and 2?

Educating Archie?? wasn't that the strange experiment "ventriloquism on the wireless"? I mean how would you know if it was any good? Did the vent have to sound dodgy so you knew he was actually doing it... "gottle a geer " and all that stuff.

Some real classics in there though... Goons ,Mrs Dale,Billy Cotton, Hancock.
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John W



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PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 6:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ian, many thanks for this little bit of history.

iwarburton wrote:
If you fancy working for the BBC as an engineer .......Your salary will be on the scale £675 to £885 per year.


Hey, that was a good salary for 1956 ! My dad was on about that in the 1960s.

Quote:

The Third Programme is pretty highbrow stuff and has only a few hours per day.


Didn't it also have cookery and gardening?

Quote:
And even the Light Programme has a classical concert on weekday lunchtimes.


Ah, the days of quality radio Smile

Quote:

Desert Island Discs with Roy Plomley. This week's castaway is pianist Peter Katin.


Gosh! That fine fellow is a MEMBER of our sister forum R3ok !!! I have a couple of his LP's from the 1960s.

Quote:
The Goon Show.

Laughing

Quote:
The Billy Cotton Band Show
Movie-Go-Round (including Stargazing presented by Desmond Carrington)
Hancock's Half Hour
Housewives' Choice (introduced this week by popular organist Robin Richmond).
Friday Night Is Music Night, with Sidney Torch as conductor.


And I would listen to these today - though I'm not a housewife Smile

John W
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Cherskiy



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PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 7:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting stuff there, Ian, thanks for sharing it with us. Awaiting the next instalment.... Smile
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RockitRon



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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 2:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

October 1956 I'd be four and a half, and the TV shows I remember from the list would probably be because they were still running into the early 1960s - Billy Bunter, What's My Line, Whack-O and Eric Robinson.

Quote:
TV was restricted to one BBC channel. Some areas were getting ITV by this time but the Beeb preferred not to acknowledge this.


Radio Times was strictly a BBC publication, and you had to buy the TV Times for details of ITV. They both stubbornly ignored each other until relatively recently - 1991.

As for radio I remember ours was more or less permanently tuned to the Light. Even if I'd known about the Goons then I'm sure it would have been considered too subversive for my ears. As you say, no pop music, that would only crop up occasionally on the request programmes.

Quote:
Mrs Dale is worried, not on this occasion about Jim, but about Mrs Freeman's rudeness to a visitor.


If memory serves wasn't Mrs Freeman Mrs Dale's mother? A stereotypical mother-in-law figure for Jim.
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iknewdavidjacobsmum



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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 4:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I thought Mrs Freeman was "The Help". I have always called my Mother in Law "Mother in Law", much to the amusement of both parties.
Who on earth calls M-in-L by that title?
Anyway Mrs Dales Ma, to my recollection was always M-in-Law or Mother
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iknewdavidjacobsmum



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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 4:21 pm    Post subject: I was wrong Reply with quote

Sorry, it was Jims Mother
http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/radio/mrsdalesdiary.htm
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iwarburton



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PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for interest. Can't find any record of cookery or gardening on the Third 51 years ago.

Re Mrs Dale's Diary, Mrs Freeman was Mrs Dale's mother-in-law and it's said that he called her mother-in-law for the sake of clarity of plot.

I think the help's name was Mrs Mountford. Does anyone know for certain?

Now to write on 1967. Keep watching.

Ian.
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RockitRon



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PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 12:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

iwarburton wrote:


Re Mrs Dale's Diary, Mrs Freeman was Mrs Dale's mother-in-law and it's said that he called her mother-in-law for the sake of clarity of plot.

I think the help's name was Mrs Mountford. Does anyone know for certain?


Ian.


Slip of the finger, Ian. Mrs Dale's mother-in-law must have been Mrs Dale!

The whirligig link has Mrs Maggs as char or help (that rings a bell), but doesn't say what Mrs Mountford was.
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iwarburton



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PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 12:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Moving on, then, to 1967.

The selected edition of RT runs from Saturday 22 to Friday 28 April, so the Light and Home have just over 5 months to go till they become R2 and R4.

But TV is now getting more prominence than radio, so I'll start there.

Saturday: Sport coverage is much more comprehensive than in 1956, thanks to Grandstand.

Juke Box Jury, presented by David Jacobs. The panel includes Paul Jones.

BBC2 has now arrived. Show of the Week features Dickie Henderson. The highlight of the evening is the flagship production of the Forsyte Saga, which has reached episode 16 of 26. The Beeb are adamant that it won't be repeated on BBC1. Needless to say, it ultimately is, several times.

Sunday: Songs of Praise celebrates St George's Day, but curiously it comes from the English Church in Paris. But a good evening's viewing, with John Mills' film version of the History of Mr Polly, followed by Dr Finlay's Casebook.

Monday: Z Cars on 1 (also on Tuesday), also Panorama with Robin Day and the Good Old Days, chaired by Leonard Sachs, with Ronnie Hilton topping the bill. Meanwhile 2 gives most of the evening over to Verdi's opera La Traviata.

Tuesday: Simon Dee in pre-disgrace mode on Dee Time (and on Thursday).

Wednesday: On 1, the Likely Lads followed by Softly, Softly. 2 has a documentary on priests who sin but not a word in the synopsis about child abuse.

Thursday: Soapland offers the Newcomers today and tomorrow. Top of the Pops is presented by Jimmy Savile. Later on you can see the Frost Report, warmly praised in this week's letters column.

Friday: Not a sign of Crackerjack. Joe Brown has a show on in the spot that it might have occupied. Patrick Moore celebrates 10 years of the Sky at Night.

Radio

The Light still looks quite 50s in style but there is a bit more pop music. The Home is beginning to look more like it does today. The Third has been joined by the Music Programme, which has lightened things up a bit. It has also become the focus for sports coverage on Saturdays.

On the Light, all days bar Sunday start with Breakfast Special, hosted on a one-day-at-a-time basis by Bruce Wyndham, Robin Boyle and Peter Latham.

There's Saturday Club, with (of course) Brian Matthew. Tom Jones tops the bill, and next is Brian Poole, now severed from the Tremeloes. One up from bottom is a new group called the Bee Gees--wonder what happened to them?

Two bites of the cherry for Desert Island Discs with Roy Plomley. On Saturday there's a repeat from the previous Monday, with music and cricket writer Sir Neville Cardus, and on Monday you can hear the selection of actor Eric Porter, currently starring in the Forsyte Saga (see above).

Easy Beat on Sunday is hosted by David Symonds. Plenty of vintage comedy, with Round the Horne and the first in a new series of I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again. Alan Keith presents his 100 Best Tunes on the Home and the Sunday 9 to 10 slot on the Light has comedy show the Marriage Lines (with Richard Briers and Prunella Scales) and quiz Many a Slip (one of my special favourites). Then the Light has Eric Robinson's Records for You.

During the week, Housewives' Choice is still going, presented this week by Charlie Chester.

The Home now has the Today programme, but, with studiedly avuncular presenter Jack de Manio, it isn't much like the 2007 version.

Melodies for You has started its long run, introduced and conducted by Eric Robinson, but its timing, on a Wednesday late morning, seems odd. It will move to its hallowed Sunday slot when R2 arrives.

Ray Moore hasn't yet arrived in London but is present in Manchester as the frontman of Pop North. In fact there's pop on at lunchtime on most days.

That's all for now. 1977 still to come.

Ian.
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iwarburton



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PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 12:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Slip of the finger, Ian. Mrs Dale's mother-in-law must have been Mrs Dale!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quite. A senior moment by me!

Ian.
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RockitRon



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PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 1:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good lord, remember most of those!

Missed out on the early delights of BBC2 as we didn't have a new set for the UHF 625-line band it was on, until colour came along. I've never subsequently been able to stick with the whole Forsyte Saga (possibly because it was in black and white?) although appreciated later classic works such as War & Peace and The Pallisers.

Grandstand would presumably be David Coleman's by then.

I remember Dr Finlay's Casebook was almost compulsory viewing in the house. The three principal actors (Bill Simpson, Andrew Cruikshank and Barbara Mullen) were perfect foils for each other. Although ITV tried to revive it in the 90s it didn't work, despite a stellar cast, and Milngavie never became the tourist mecca that Callander was.

Never cared much for David Symonds as presenter of Easy Beat. I always remember listening to ISIRTA on my transistor radio under the pillow at night, (then trying to fine tune the thing to get Radio Luxemburg at its least wayward afterwards).

I think the Today of Jack de Manio's era was more like a radio Nationwide.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Sky at Night celebrating 10 years....bet they didn't think it would last that long Rolling Eyes Sir Patrick's still going -50 years now and only ever missed 1 programme.The old boy was looking pretty chipper when I watched him yesterday lunchtime.

Was there no sign of The Clitheroe Kid or The Navy Lark on Sunday lunchtime,I think I can remember them from about that time ( 7 year old in short trousers). Embarassed
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iwarburton



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PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Answers to queries and comments:

Yes, David Coleman was in charge of Grandstand in 67.

The Navy Lark and the Clitheroe Kid must have been between series at the time. The spots that they sometimes occupied were given over to Round the Horne and Harry Worth.

Appreciate comments about pianist Peter Katin. Around the time that he was on DID, he'd also recorded the two Mendelssohn concerti with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Anthony Collins. They had a very long life in the recording catalogues and may yet be lurking on a cut-price label somewhere.

A very full interview with PK can be found on:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/performers/katin.htm

I'll be back with 1977 when I can find time in a very hectic week!

Ian.
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iwarburton



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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 3:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

And so to 1977.

The selected issue is from Saturday 18 to Friday 24 June. I picked this because 18 June 1977 was our wedding day. R2's early man that day is Tom Edwards, who plays us a dedication in honour of our big event.

It's the first week of Wimbledon and Sue Barker is our cover star--as a player, of course, not a presenter.

There's a stupendous amount of sport all week. Grandstand, now presented by Frank Bough, has a full programme and Wimbledon coverage is rife. R2 covers Wimbledon on Long Wave on weekday afternoons, whilst VHF goes to R1 for the afternoon.

TV

Saturday:

BBC1 has a Seaside Special, starring Roy Hudd. Later on you can see Cannon (US series re private investigator). On BBC2 husband and wife John Alderton and Pauline Collins are in P G Wodehouse's Strychnine in the Soup.

Sunday:

Blue Peter Special Assignment, with Lesley Judd and Peter Purves, starts a series on twin towns.

Songs of Praise must be having a summer break, as the God slot has a story/discussion programme, hosted by David Kossoff.

Monday

Wall-to-wall Wimbledon for a lot of the time.

Dr Finlay's Casebook hasn't been on for some years but one of its erstwhile stars, Bill Simpson, is playing an irascible vet in a serial called the MacKinnons.

The Two Ronnies are on 2, with Barbara Dickson.

Tuesday

Dear old Johnny Morris is in Animal Magic.

Z Cars is still going.

Wednesday

Time for one of my pet hates, Rentaghost.

MASH is well into its run on 2.

Thursday

Top of the Pops with Jimmy Savile.

Max Bygraves starts a 6 part series of songs of the previous 50 years.

On 2, Shirley Bassey has her own series going.

Friday

Wogan is in plentiful supply in the schedules. Here he presents Ballroom Dancing.

Frank Muir joins Patrick C-C-Campbell on 2 for Call My Bluff.

Radio

R1

Stewpot and Junior Choice on both Sat and Sun.

Paul Gambaccini and Fluff Freeman to come later on Sat.

Sunday has Jimmy Savile, with Top Tens from 1957 and 1967, followed by Speakeasy. Real quality later with Anne Nightingale's Request Show (a must for us) and Tim Rice narrating the second of a 5-part documentary on the Everly Brothers.

Monday to Friday you get Noel Edmonds, Tony Blackburn, Paul Burnett and David Hamilton--not to mention John Peel, who's on in the late evening. But the network still takes R2 for a fair bit of the time.

R2

Wogan is on for the third of 5 concerts in the BBC International Festival of Light Music on Saturday evening--can you imagine R2 wanting to broadcast anything like this today?

Ray Moore is on the Saturday late show and returns on Sunday morning with a series that I'd clean forgotten--Banners and Bonnets, which features Salvation Army music.

Still on Sunday, David Jacobs presents Melodies for You and Alan Keith and 100 Best Tunes are now on R2 also. Hubert Gregg and Charlie Chester have tea-time slots.

Mon to Fri: Colin Berry, Terry Wogan, Pete Murray, Jimmy Young and John Dunn. Waggoners' Walk has now superseded Mrs Dale in the soap tray.

Humph is there on Monday evening with the Best of Jazz.

Wednesday evening sees another favourite which the Beeb wouldn't touch with a bargepole today--Command Performance, a programme of popular classical requests presented by Ian Wallace. A few weeks ago we had a pre-wedding request played on it. Unfortunately they played it in the wrong week and we missed it.

On Friday Pete Murray visits Newcastle upon Tyne and that evening Friday Night Is Music Night comes from the same venue. R2 closes that evening with the Late Show, presented by Sarah Kennedy!

R3 is now much like it is in 2007.

R4 has a harder edge to Today now but it is interspersed with a programe called Up to the Hour, which is panned in this week's letters page and isn't destined to last for long. Yet more Wogan on Friday, as he hosts a quiz called Punch Lines, about which I remember precisely nothing, but it stars Kenneth Connor, Bob Monkhouse and June Whitfield.

And that's me. The back issues of RT don't come all that cheap but I might invest in some more at a future date. If I do, you'll be the first to know!

Ian.
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Fog on the Tyne



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PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2007 4:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ahh... Fluff Freeman on a Saturday afternoon....those were the days Very Happy Cool Very Happy
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 13, 2007 7:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fog on the Tyne wrote:
Ahh... Fluff Freeman on a Saturday afternoon....those were the days Very Happy Cool Very Happy


Good music, intellegently played, knew his stuff, did Fluff.
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

yes, Fluff; stuff buff.
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 11:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Remember all the names but not necessarily that month's radio and television - I was working down in London that balmy summer, in the days before hotel rooms all had TVs, and made the most of the fine weather by just going for a walk in the evenings, followed by listening to Nicky Horne's "Your Mother Wouldn't Like It" on Capital Radio.

I'm not sure they were the original pairing, but I thought Frank Muir and P-p-p-Patrick ("Please don't cook with Kerrygold") Campbell were the best team leaders of Call My Bluff (not necessarily the funniest, but the best)
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iwarburton



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PostPosted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 1:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Further to my Radio Times ramblings of last summer, I was clearing out an old built-in wardrobe yesterday and found an issue of RT dated 29 October to 4 November 1988.

I'd clearly kept this as a memento of my one and only appearance on the R4 quiz Counterpoint, in which I was knocked out in the first round! However, I did get my RT listing, which I don't think is given today.

But what else was going on then?

Television

Sat

Usual early evening fare of quizzes and light entertainment. Esther Rantzen started a new series of Hearts of Gold, to celebrate people who had performed unsung acts of outstanding kindness or courage. All Creatures Great and Small was at a high point and films shown included The Odd Couple.

Sun

Evening: Songs of Praise from Hartland, Devon, Last of the Summer Wine, Howard's Way (good-looking soapy nautical serial to provide an answer to Dallas, Dynasty and the like) and Scouse comedy series Bread, with a cameo by Paul and Linda McCartney (which I recall prompted a question to Linda from an unrecognising Mrs Boswell, has your husband got a job, love?).

The serial was First Born, a cross-species birth fantasy, which Mrs W loved but I found a bit hard to take.

Weeknights.

Wogan well into his thrice-weekly stride. Neighbours had started its long run on BBC1 and EastEnders was on twice a week, with a Sunday omnibus. Fawlty Towers was on a repeat run. Sylvester McCoy was taking his turn as Doctor Who. Casualty, oddly, was on Fridays and it was the last in the series. Even then, Charlie was in it. One of my favourite films , the 1952 account of the Importance of Being Earnest, with Dame Edith (A H-A-A-A-A-NDBAG?) Evans was tucked quietly away on daytime TV.

Radio 2

Sat

Graham Knight was in the spot which Mo Dutta occupies today. David Jacobs' 8 to 10 slot had been reduced to 8 to 9. SOTS was on 9 till 10, presented by Simon Dee and including tracks by Duane Eddy, the Capitols, Gigliola Cinquetti and the Alan Price Set. A pre-queen of mean Anne Robinson had the following 2 hours. A Scandinavian-themed concert in the evening included the whole of Grieg's Piano Concerto and pieces by Sibelius and Nielsen--the planners would run a mile from such an event today!

Sun

More Graham Knight and then everyone's favourite cleric, Roger Royle. Richard Baker presented Melodies for You at 9am. Desmond Carrington must have been having a break, as Katie Boyle was sitting in. Charlie Chester was on his soapbox at teatime. Sunday Half Hour, from Coventry Cathedral, was introduced by one Michele Guiness--a cracking selection of hymns, including my favourite, And Can It Be? Needless to say, Alan Keith was then on hand with 100 Best Tunes.

Weekdays

Steve Madden, Chris Stuart, Derek Jameson, Jimmy Young. David Jacobs had an hour from 1pm with more middle-of-the-road fare--WHY can't we have a programme like this today? Then came Gloria Hunniford, Adrian Love and a fort-holding Chris Serle (for John Dunn?). Evenings weren't too far removed from today's. Monday to Thursday evenings ended with Brian Matthew's Round Midnight. Still some network-splitting between Medium Wave and VHF to allow cover of sporting events.

More to follow someday, when I see some more old copies of RT.

Ian.
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RockitRon



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PostPosted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very interesting, Ian.

Although most of the names have changed, and Radio 2 has shifted musically to provide much of what Radio 1 did, the present format of both tv and radio was in place twenty years ago.

Charlie's been in Casualty since Episode 1. I doubt if there are many, or any, casualty nurses in real life who have been doing the same job for 22 years.
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iwarburton



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PostPosted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, Ron.

I worked in the NHS for 32 years and can't think of any A and E nurses of Charlie's longevity.

I thought he'd left but he seems to have come back again. As I only very occasionally watch Casualty now, the nuances of plot can pass me by. Anyone able to explain his movements out and in?

Ian.
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Alas, no. We don't watch it either - just notice he's always shown in the trailers and, like all the soaps, you get the gist from the Radio Times or newspaper summaries. He must have a charmed life, though - I think he's survived more than his fair share of fires, crashes, muggings, drink binges, disciplinary cases and unrequited love affairs.
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