ARCHIVE TV ADVENT CALENDAR DAY NINETEEN: 19 December 1983

(Yes, a day late. Like everyone else in the UK, I was full of cold yesterday. I’ll put the one for the 20th out later on.)

TITLE CARD: The word Eureka! in a very 80s font and colour scheme

Time for Eureka (BBC2), a reliably relatable teatime programme looking at everyday inventions, presented by Sarah Greene and Paul McDowell, aided by Madeline Smith, Sylvester McCoy and the always-welcome Wilf Lunn. Comes with a ‘Produced and Directed by Clive Doig’ guarantee, so you know it’s worth the trouble.

Radio Times listing: 
5.40 Eureka 
Last of six programmes written by CLIVE DOIG 
Presented by Sarah Greene and Paul McDowell 
The last programme in this series on everyday inventions starts with the typewriter (though there are over 100 attested inventors, Eureka pinpoints the six main ones) and finishes with ping-pong. Wilf Lunn presents his alternative inventions. 
Contessa Carolina Fantoni/Boss/ Mrs Gibb.................MADELINE SMITH
Pellegrino Turri/Joseph Bramah/ Baron Von Drais/Roger Hoare/ E. C. Goode.......... SYLVESTER MCCOY
Christopher Latham Sholes/ Petroleum V. Nasby/Manager/ John Jacques/Charles Barter MIKE SAVAGE
Henry Mill/Peter Mitterhofer/ Mark Twain...........BERNARD HOLLEY
Giuseppe Ravizza/Shop assistant/ James Gibb/Percival Bromfield SIMON GIPPS-KENT
Mme Turri/Queen Anne/ Miss Hammerslapper/Manageress/ Mrs Jacques.............. JULIA BINSTED

A clear precursor of Horrible Histories. Arguably.

SCREENCAP: Sarah Greene sat next to a table betopped with many aerosol cans.

The episode on YouTube sadly isn’t that correct Episode Six, but worth seeing nonetheless.

VT CLOCK: EUREKA PROG 3

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