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ARCHIVE TV ADVENT CALENDAR DAY TWELVE: 12 December 1986
Telebugs – Lifo to the Rescue (TVS). More antics for the character count inconveniencing C.H.I.P, B.U.G. and S.A.M.A.N.T.H.A. as they embark on a rescue mission. A programme that really should have been right in my wheelhouse (a cartoon about robots with televisions built into them? All boxes ticked), but it simply wasn’t very good. Wonder…
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ARCHIVE TV ADVENT CALENDAR DAY ELEVEN: 11 December 1988
It’s Sunday, so it must be The South Bank Show (ITV). Here’s a look at “secondmost-trusted face in America” John Houseman: film producer, actor, writer & director. The other person behind the War of the Worlds radio broadcast & Citizen Kane.
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ARCHIVE TV ADVENT CALENDAR DAY TEN: 10 Dec 1969
And, given what’s happening later today, let’s look at International Football – England v Portugal. The first meeting between the two sides since the famous 1966 World Cup semi-final. Despite being a friendly, 100,000 fans packed into the ‘Empire Stadium’ (i.e. Wembley) to see a Jackie Charlton goal separate the sides.
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ARCHIVE TV ADVENT CALENDAR DAY NINE: 9 December 1985
Here’s a find: The Gong Show (C4). Second attempt at a Frankie Howerd-hosted British version of the USTV mainstay (after an unaired pilot for Southern in 1978). This second pilot at least made it to air, Channel 4 putting it out following a mid-afternoon run of the US original, the judging panel comprised Babs Windsor,…
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ARCHIVE TV ADVENT CALENDAR DAY EIGHT: 8 December 1988
Gilbert’s Fridge (Tyne-Tees). An episode of Phil Cornwell’s mighty semi-improvised alien/snotmonster sketch series, featuring Gilbert’s attempting to prove himself as Kim Wilde’s tour manager. WHY I DIDN’T WANT TO BE DADDY’S GIRL, by Kim Wilde It’s taken Kim Wilde eight years to realise what she should have known all along: that she’s a big talent…
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ARCHIVE TV ADVENT CALENDAR DAY SEVEN: 7 December 1969
Monty Python’s Flying Circus (BBC-1), specifically the episode Full Frontal Nudity. Includes Army Protection Racket, Buying a Bed, Hell’s Grannies and… that pet shop sketch. Here it is dubbed into German. BONUS CONTENT: What was the first thing written about Flying Circus in various newspapers? Daily Telegraph, Monday, 25 Aug 1969: A piece on the zany…
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“The Curse of ITV”: A Deeper Dive
With England set to take on reigning world champions France in the Quarter-Finals of the 2022 World Cup in The Place Where Human Rights Go To Die, there’s been a lot of attention paid to the channel set to broadcast the match in the UK. Word is, it’s a channel that – whenever it broadcasts…
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ARCHIVE TV ADVENT CALENDAR DAY SIX: 6 December 1968
First regular episode of The Old Campaigner (BBC-1). Terry-Thomas stars as high-powered salesman/scoundrel F.J., who insists that his advancing years are no barrier to cross-continental caddery. (Video is the Comedy Playhouse pilot, but still. In this episode Derek Fowlds plays F.J.’s youthful charge.) FULL BROADCAST HISTORY Fri 30th Jun 1967, 19:30 (BBC-1)Comedy Playhouse: The Old…
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ARCHIVE TV ADVENT CALENDAR DAY FIVE: 5 December 1978
Get It Together (Granada) Afternoon pop show for YOUNG ADULTS hosted by Roy North and Linda Fletcher, joined by The Jets, The Smirks and Suzi Quatro. First sight of a VT clock at the start of a video so far.
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ARCHIVE TV ADVENT CALENDAR DAY FOUR: 4 December 1980
Cowboys (Thames). Roy Kinnear and company in the builder-based sitcom. This episode sees Joe and his lackeys protect a colleague from the tax collector.
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