Friday 18 December 2009

Youtube Saturday Mornings Sweepstake

Continuation of the Sweepstake series, where i will breathe the first signs of life into this blog, touching every genre of British TV from the 50's-90's.

Saturday mornings refer to the live breakfast, kid-orientated TV that evolved around the presenters and cast that didn't just link up cartoon, but provide us their own entertainment, plus interviews with big names, when Saturdays mornings were a must-see event and people would kill to be on the show. It appealed to adults too, but as ratings and interest dropped, the shows became much more kids-orientated and childish. Either that, or we live in a more fragmented society/viewership these days.

Karen Carpenter on `Swap Shop`



A gem, but not-so-gem. That's because it's a rare interview with the late Karen Carpenter, but only 38 seconds long this clip. This was 2 years before her death, the cause of which, she suffered anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder of believing that you look fat, causing extreme thiness. this resulted in a heart attack at the age of 32. Of course, the highly influential singer of the musical duo of "The Carpenters", and with such hits like "Close To You". "Multi-Coloured Swap Shop" was the first foray of live kids show on Saturday mornings, in which each episode 3 hours in length. Saturday mornings were very boring before 1976. Or should i be saying 1974?

Aha, because if you lived in the Midlands region in 1974, you would be able to enjoy ATV's(ITV regional channel) "Tiswas"!

TODD CARTY INTERVIEW on "Saturday Superstore" MARCH 1983 part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0doWDHH_1nA

At this point, future Eastenders regular Todd Carty. was best known for playing the likeable rogue Tucker, originating from the beginning of kids drama "Grange Hill". His fan base and success of the character, led him to Tucker's own spin-off show "Tucker's Luck" in 1983. The first of three series, was actually suprisingly good, mainly focusing on Tucker and friends exploits after school, and dealing with the harsh reality of making ends meet, and being on the dole. Quite good social commentary on the early 80's. A period of economic gloom.

In the clip, you have to feel sorry for co-actors Paul McCarthy (played Tommy Watson) and George Armstrong (played Alan Humphries). Although viewers are also aware of their characters from the Grange Hill days, all the incoming kids phonecalls are question for Tucker throughout.


8.15 from Manchester - "Tough at the Top" Gameshow section



More obscure fare here, from the short-lived Saturday Morning show, shown in the summer breaks of 1990 and 1991 when sat. morn. goliath "Going Live!" was off-air. Presented by smoothy Glaswegian Ross King and mousey-looking Charlotte Hindle, who was a Saturday morning favourite, fresh from presenting ITV's "Ghost Train" and previously "Get Fresh". In this clip, we have Ross King presenting this gameshow section "Tough at the Top" where 2 teams of 2 kids, 1 answers questions, while the other tries to climb the steps to the top, depending on how many steps they can climb according to the randomisation of some Blankety-Blank-looking number meter.

I remember liking this gameshow section, but that's only after seeing this clip, after forgetting about it for countless years, resting dormant in my mind. Some horribly dated musical soundbites, and just what is the themed setting. It looks sort of Aztec-jungle-country ranch thing going on.

No comments:

Post a Comment