the 1st tv am
From the 1st February 1983, TV-AM breaks onto our screens, 2 weeks after the BBC's first ever foray into plush, cosy sofa and woolly jumpers which was "Breakfast Time. Before then, there was absolutely nothing on daytime TV, never mind breakfast TV! In the very early days it was blank, then came along the test cards and ceefax pages. It felt almost brain dead, not forgetting the no-frills Open University programmes, perhaps interesting for bores like me, but terribly twee and boring for some.
In this clip, it's genuine continuity featuring a long version of the TV-AM theme. If you want to to just go to the iconic TV-AM intro, go to 2 mins 15 secs into the youtube video, and also see those first words by one of 5 presenters for the show, the main, main anchor of the show, David Frost. The team of five were interviewers David Frost and Michael Parkinson and newscasters Angela Rippon, Anna Ford and Robert Kee. The famous five were also shareholders in the TV-AM franchise, believe it or not. The intro is done on a large scale, really pinning down the fact this is a must-see evolution/revolution of Breakfast TV. Frost gives us a lowdown on all the particiapants that helped form the slogan of TV-AM "Good Morning Britain". Parachutists/sky divers, the people of Bristol, the British Navy and "917 pigeons of Trafalgar Square". How do they know that? And how did they get them to form the word "Morning"? Alright, probably carefully designed metal cased lettering frames with snacks in them. Mystery solved.
Now, there is no Anne Diamond or Nick Owen here at this point! This first version of the show was well, you couldn't say a flop with such distinguished stars of the show, but there was no chemistry between the presenters, and Parkinson and Frost, perhaps too stuffy for what was suppoesed be a more relaxed form of news and lifestyle output. TV-AM ran from 6am-9.15am originally, but extended to 9.25 am later.
4 of the 5 presenters were dumped, the exception being David Frost, who would be moved from main presenter to the more familiar territory of Politics. TV-AM still struggled financially and with ratings but gradually improved in 1984 under Diamond's and Owen's chemistry. The best Breakfast TV shows always seem to be the ones where the main male and female are good at fabricating themselves as a married couple, bickering but never awkward for a moment together.
So this is when TV-AM improved, with of course Roland Rat and later Timmy Mallett's "Wacaday" for the kids, and you had a real good cast of some strong presenters like Richard Keys, keep-fit extradinaire Lizzie Webb, Chris Tarrant in the summer, creepy Jeremy Beadle in his "Today's the Day" section, David Icke in the sports department, before he went mad, the bubbly Lorraine Kelly near the end of the franchise's run, Ulrika Jonsson as the weather girl, and who can forget cheerful, mustached Mike Morris, who seems to have disappeared from TV since TV-AM lost the right to broadcast, after being outbidded by GMTV (Good Morning TeleVision)?
TV-AM lost their franchise beginning from New Year's Day in 1993, their last edition the day before. This was also the day Thames Television lost their franchise of ITV's London region, but whose programmes were also known nationally, replace by Carlton Television. The result of this also saw a more centralised ITV as some regional TV regions were merged or their output was reduced.
I hear it all the time, many say TV-AM would've been doing a much better job than GMTV, which is now less news-focused and more about showbiz and entertainment news, but it is now a long time ago over 17 years since TV-AM, when "zleb" culture did not carry about the "famous for nothing" mantle. Who knows?
Showing posts with label 1983. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1983. Show all posts
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Monday, 25 January 2010
From "That's Life!" And Something About Carrots Mimicking Rude Objects!
Robotic Dancing Competition - UK TV, 1983 - RARE!
A very weird and rare segment from the Sunday magazine show "That's Life!", presented by our very toothy but lovely Esther Rantzen. Although sadly, We don't get to see some more creepiness from our zillions of winning Robotic dancers doing their solo's as the tape ends. Metal Mickey, a small-ish robot with a stolen R2D2's head, with a smiley face on it, had his own children's show at the time, (I'm sure I've seen him on Mike Reid's "Runaround" too)voiced and controlled by Johnny Edward. Here we see robotic dancers, young and old, some still affected by the New Romanticism bug, trying to win this bloody thing. End up, Metal Mickey pops up and cruelly zaps the losers, with hundreds still left, being proclaimed winners. A stupid-ending segment, but it's still interesting to see how different we were back then.
A modern day example of that today would be, an urban dance contest. Perhaps better than what could've been a 90's version of a fad dance, "The Macarena".
Robotic dancing was invented in the late-60's by Charles "Robot" Washington, at the time of the soul and funk movement in the US. It was popularised by the teenaged "Jackson Five" in the late-70's in the song "Dancing Machine". It tied in well, with the breakdancing explosion in the early 80's, and also, people in the 80's became obsessed with technology and the future of technology, as electronic gadgets started to be rolled out at breakneck speeds, compared to the more barren 1970's.
And let's not forget "That's Life!". Running from 1973 - 1994 - a nice long run - always presented by Esther Rantzen, frequenting at the weekends. I remember it being mostly on Sunday evenings, it was mostly on Saturday's. It was like a more entertaining, fluffy wuffy version of "Watchdog". The aim of the show was to protect consumer rights, as well as light-hearted elements, like talking dog, vegetables that seemed to make funny faces or looked like a "meat and two veg". It would sometimes try to charm our socks off with amusing anecdotes read from a person's letter, a bit like "Points of View" except less moaning. There was also some Arts thrown in, with poetry by Pam Ayres and comedy songs by Richard Stilgoe.
Esther would be be the main star, while the other 2 (3?) presenters would be behind desks reading the letters from sad and happy aspects of life. There were many that came and went. The ones I most remember are Adrian Mills and Gavin Campbell, In the older 70's version, you had comedian Cyril Fletcher with his gimmick of sitting in a comfy chair with a large book reading "odd odes" and amusing misprints.
Right I won't go on much longer about this, there will be other "That's Life!" here on this nostalgia blog. I liked the show enough, and it was never really replaced, but it was criticised for being dated and now too old fashioned. As cheesy as it was, strangely entertaining, profiling the absurdities of life. Can't see it being revived.
A very weird and rare segment from the Sunday magazine show "That's Life!", presented by our very toothy but lovely Esther Rantzen. Although sadly, We don't get to see some more creepiness from our zillions of winning Robotic dancers doing their solo's as the tape ends. Metal Mickey, a small-ish robot with a stolen R2D2's head, with a smiley face on it, had his own children's show at the time, (I'm sure I've seen him on Mike Reid's "Runaround" too)voiced and controlled by Johnny Edward. Here we see robotic dancers, young and old, some still affected by the New Romanticism bug, trying to win this bloody thing. End up, Metal Mickey pops up and cruelly zaps the losers, with hundreds still left, being proclaimed winners. A stupid-ending segment, but it's still interesting to see how different we were back then.
A modern day example of that today would be, an urban dance contest. Perhaps better than what could've been a 90's version of a fad dance, "The Macarena".
Robotic dancing was invented in the late-60's by Charles "Robot" Washington, at the time of the soul and funk movement in the US. It was popularised by the teenaged "Jackson Five" in the late-70's in the song "Dancing Machine". It tied in well, with the breakdancing explosion in the early 80's, and also, people in the 80's became obsessed with technology and the future of technology, as electronic gadgets started to be rolled out at breakneck speeds, compared to the more barren 1970's.
And let's not forget "That's Life!". Running from 1973 - 1994 - a nice long run - always presented by Esther Rantzen, frequenting at the weekends. I remember it being mostly on Sunday evenings, it was mostly on Saturday's. It was like a more entertaining, fluffy wuffy version of "Watchdog". The aim of the show was to protect consumer rights, as well as light-hearted elements, like talking dog, vegetables that seemed to make funny faces or looked like a "meat and two veg". It would sometimes try to charm our socks off with amusing anecdotes read from a person's letter, a bit like "Points of View" except less moaning. There was also some Arts thrown in, with poetry by Pam Ayres and comedy songs by Richard Stilgoe.
Esther would be be the main star, while the other 2 (3?) presenters would be behind desks reading the letters from sad and happy aspects of life. There were many that came and went. The ones I most remember are Adrian Mills and Gavin Campbell, In the older 70's version, you had comedian Cyril Fletcher with his gimmick of sitting in a comfy chair with a large book reading "odd odes" and amusing misprints.
Right I won't go on much longer about this, there will be other "That's Life!" here on this nostalgia blog. I liked the show enough, and it was never really replaced, but it was criticised for being dated and now too old fashioned. As cheesy as it was, strangely entertaining, profiling the absurdities of life. Can't see it being revived.
Monday, 18 January 2010
Jim Fixes it for London School in 1983...
Culture Club Boy George on Jim'll Fix It
A very "enthusiastic" East Barnet School welcome the surprise offering of Boy "Is it a he? Is it a she?" George, lead singer of Culture Club thanks to Jimmy Saville of "Jim'll Fix It" Fame. The show that is always on the tongues of some retro-loving TV personalities of today, oh the joy. Not to mention the countless Jimmy Saville impressions throughout the 80's and 90's from the likes of Bobby Davro and others.
Anyway, back to the clip. The children are all looking rather despondent(maybe they were expecting "Cowboy George"? - A-Team in-joke there), but we can be assured for some it was shock, as highlighted in a comment below the video. Just double-click on the video to go to that particular youtube page. Meanwhile, the teachers are looking exhilarated as this was the year "Karma Chameleon" became one of the hottest hits of the 80's so far and became a Singles No.1 hit on both sides of the Atlantic for six weeks in UK, and three weeks in the US.
No Jimmy? Well, we'll be seeing more of "Jim'll Fix It" in our Light Entertainment genre, in the months to come.
Also, what I forgot to say was, back in the early 80's, it was a unique era where it was OK for men to wear make-up, and we're talking more than a little "manliner" like what you get today! The music culture of the early 80's, set Boy George as an icon for fad wave called "New Romanticism". A fashon sense that had an androgynous and creative - not clothing simply bought from big brand stores- and was laced with the new technology of synth/electro music that became mainstream. Boy George worked at "Blitz" nightclub that started it all off, along with boss Steve Strange. however, you say David Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes" music video started it all off.
A very "enthusiastic" East Barnet School welcome the surprise offering of Boy "Is it a he? Is it a she?" George, lead singer of Culture Club thanks to Jimmy Saville of "Jim'll Fix It" Fame. The show that is always on the tongues of some retro-loving TV personalities of today, oh the joy. Not to mention the countless Jimmy Saville impressions throughout the 80's and 90's from the likes of Bobby Davro and others.
Anyway, back to the clip. The children are all looking rather despondent(maybe they were expecting "Cowboy George"? - A-Team in-joke there), but we can be assured for some it was shock, as highlighted in a comment below the video. Just double-click on the video to go to that particular youtube page. Meanwhile, the teachers are looking exhilarated as this was the year "Karma Chameleon" became one of the hottest hits of the 80's so far and became a Singles No.1 hit on both sides of the Atlantic for six weeks in UK, and three weeks in the US.
No Jimmy? Well, we'll be seeing more of "Jim'll Fix It" in our Light Entertainment genre, in the months to come.
Also, what I forgot to say was, back in the early 80's, it was a unique era where it was OK for men to wear make-up, and we're talking more than a little "manliner" like what you get today! The music culture of the early 80's, set Boy George as an icon for fad wave called "New Romanticism". A fashon sense that had an androgynous and creative - not clothing simply bought from big brand stores- and was laced with the new technology of synth/electro music that became mainstream. Boy George worked at "Blitz" nightclub that started it all off, along with boss Steve Strange. however, you say David Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes" music video started it all off.
Thursday, 24 December 2009
Around ze World in ze 80 Days, with an oh-so gentleman-like Lion!
Around The World With Willy Fog Ep 2 Part 1
Several episodes have been uploaded for this legendary cartoon. Episode 1 is missing sadly, but episodes 2-8 of 26 episodes are there. It was produced in 1983, but it wasn't until the late-80's, it reached the peak of it's popularity in the UK. It follows the classic Willy Fogg tale, but with a twist, set in a world where animals play the human parts, from the elegant Lion as "Willy Fogg", to a feline playing "Rigodon" and "Princess Romy" and a wolf/coyote, playing "Transfer" the main villain trying to thawrt Fogg's quest.
The cartoon is created by the Spanish animation company BRB International, who were also behind "Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds" and "The World of David the Gnome". The show was co-produced and actually animated by Japanese studio Nippon Animation. The first dub of the cartoon was in Spanish, the English dub came later and may be one of the reasons for the delayed interest in the cartoon in UK, championed by CBBC broom cupboard presenters like Andy Crane.
It's a somewhat intelligent and wholesome cartoon, and what was clever, was the cliffhangers and pomped-up previews of the next episodes, carried by an urgent sounding out-of-vision narrator. The wealth of places they go to, as it is a trip around around the world, from London to Paris, to Bombay to Calcutta, it was a great show. And that theme song, damn catchy. The title character sings solo first as he swings about the street like Fred Astaire, and the rest of the gang, bad and good, join in. A more softer song is played in the ending credits, with some great random, imaginative animations surrounding the credits, like one of the goons falling through a sand hourglass. However, just as memorable with its little whistling tune in the background.
Several episodes have been uploaded for this legendary cartoon. Episode 1 is missing sadly, but episodes 2-8 of 26 episodes are there. It was produced in 1983, but it wasn't until the late-80's, it reached the peak of it's popularity in the UK. It follows the classic Willy Fogg tale, but with a twist, set in a world where animals play the human parts, from the elegant Lion as "Willy Fogg", to a feline playing "Rigodon" and "Princess Romy" and a wolf/coyote, playing "Transfer" the main villain trying to thawrt Fogg's quest.
The cartoon is created by the Spanish animation company BRB International, who were also behind "Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds" and "The World of David the Gnome". The show was co-produced and actually animated by Japanese studio Nippon Animation. The first dub of the cartoon was in Spanish, the English dub came later and may be one of the reasons for the delayed interest in the cartoon in UK, championed by CBBC broom cupboard presenters like Andy Crane.
It's a somewhat intelligent and wholesome cartoon, and what was clever, was the cliffhangers and pomped-up previews of the next episodes, carried by an urgent sounding out-of-vision narrator. The wealth of places they go to, as it is a trip around around the world, from London to Paris, to Bombay to Calcutta, it was a great show. And that theme song, damn catchy. The title character sings solo first as he swings about the street like Fred Astaire, and the rest of the gang, bad and good, join in. A more softer song is played in the ending credits, with some great random, imaginative animations surrounding the credits, like one of the goons falling through a sand hourglass. However, just as memorable with its little whistling tune in the background.
Monday, 21 December 2009
Youtube Adverts Sweepstake
The countless, countless edition of the Sweepstake edition. However, the second last edition/genre!
Ads001
The title may look very ordinary, but this is the beginning of an impressive collection of British Ads from the 80s, in mostly 9 min+ clips, in chronological order, starting from 1987. Some of the greats are in there, and some of memorable but forgotten ones are there! As you wield over the collection, watch as the Christmas ads turn up, and then it gets more summer-y as you go along. Some feature many of the toy ads at the time, so there is a wide spectrum of ads there. There's also regional ads, mostly from i think East Anglia and the East. I've watched all 110 videos, and there are few other single large ad collection like this on youtube.
The ad i remember the most from this collection, is the quite clever Tunes advert (the sweets for blocked noses), where the man on the stereo, pictured, is talking with that numb voice you have when having a cold, and a tune is inserted like a tape, and suddenly everything's better, and the man has got his normal speaking voice once again!
Lego commercial - Kipper
You may know, this ad has been brought back from the dead, and is back on our screens. This ad from the early 80's is great. You're not sure if it's Tommy Cooper, or a Tommy Cooper sound-a-like, as Tommy didn't see through the whole decade having been deceased at the beginning of the decade. However, it is him. And it's a great little run-around of dialogue and imaginative creations from the Lego team, hosted by stock animation.
Ford Orion car advert 1980s
This is in reference to the advert collection mentioned in the first clip. This is one of the best ads I've seen from that collection. Like what it describes in the ad, it's unassuming, almost delicate and subtle. This is coming from someone who isn't one of those petrolheads or car-lovers. In the 80's car ads were more geared to men, but this Ford Orion advert has a really good balance, which for me, runs rings around the 2000's car ads overly aloof, artsy and sometimes arrogant commercials. This tows the line very nicely indeed, and not only is the whole proposal of the car being under-rated, so is this bloody advert!
Ads001
The title may look very ordinary, but this is the beginning of an impressive collection of British Ads from the 80s, in mostly 9 min+ clips, in chronological order, starting from 1987. Some of the greats are in there, and some of memorable but forgotten ones are there! As you wield over the collection, watch as the Christmas ads turn up, and then it gets more summer-y as you go along. Some feature many of the toy ads at the time, so there is a wide spectrum of ads there. There's also regional ads, mostly from i think East Anglia and the East. I've watched all 110 videos, and there are few other single large ad collection like this on youtube.
The ad i remember the most from this collection, is the quite clever Tunes advert (the sweets for blocked noses), where the man on the stereo, pictured, is talking with that numb voice you have when having a cold, and a tune is inserted like a tape, and suddenly everything's better, and the man has got his normal speaking voice once again!
Lego commercial - Kipper
You may know, this ad has been brought back from the dead, and is back on our screens. This ad from the early 80's is great. You're not sure if it's Tommy Cooper, or a Tommy Cooper sound-a-like, as Tommy didn't see through the whole decade having been deceased at the beginning of the decade. However, it is him. And it's a great little run-around of dialogue and imaginative creations from the Lego team, hosted by stock animation.
Ford Orion car advert 1980s
This is in reference to the advert collection mentioned in the first clip. This is one of the best ads I've seen from that collection. Like what it describes in the ad, it's unassuming, almost delicate and subtle. This is coming from someone who isn't one of those petrolheads or car-lovers. In the 80's car ads were more geared to men, but this Ford Orion advert has a really good balance, which for me, runs rings around the 2000's car ads overly aloof, artsy and sometimes arrogant commercials. This tows the line very nicely indeed, and not only is the whole proposal of the car being under-rated, so is this bloody advert!
Saturday, 19 December 2009
Youtube Sports Sweepstake
The umpteenth edition of the Sweepstake series, this time for sport.
Gary Newbon & Jimmy Greaves Football argument Central TV 1983
Let's start off with a lesser-known gem. An argument ensues over whether injustice is being served in Football, when it comes to there being no TV evidence or replay, that a referee and double check with, in certain events in a football match, because even with the ref and linesman monitoring, they still can't see everything, as the view may be obscured by a crowded penalty box.
Gary Newbon in this argument, supports a call for TV evidence, while Greaves is against, as the coverage could be prone to edit and interference. Greaves also attacks Newbon's personal favourite team Birmingham City, in a heated moment. The youtube user claims their friendship was ended after this. Can anybody clarify this? Comment if you know, folks!
Torvill & Dean - 1984 Olympics - Bolero - HQ
Historic moment for Britain at the 1984 Winter Olympics. Probably our most celebrated Gold Medal at the Winter Games. Now 25 years ago, Jean Torvill and Christopher Dean achieved an all-perfect score in Sarajevo. 12 sets of 6.0 for Maurice Ravel's "Bolero"! Never been achieved before or since. The couple won a bronze at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics, and can now be seen on celebrity talent show "Dancing On Ice" on ITV, on round about February every year, and they are the mentors.
Did Torvill and Dean ever get it together. Rumours were rife, at the time afterwards, and the answer was simply no., although many wanted to believe it. The 2 managed on a business only basis, but it is a true friendship. Dean married French Canadian World Ice Dance Champion Isabelle Duchesnay in 1991, but divorced in 1993. He then went on to marry second wife, US skater Jill Trenary, in 1994. Torvill has been happily married to Phil Christensen, since 1990.
BBC Grandstand April 1990
This clip is a brilliant flashback to an age before the Premiership, the ridiculously high wages and the multi-million foreign chairmen that make teams into overnight sensations. The now elusive Bob Wilson presents the league standings at the end of Saturday matchday. Spot the teams that are now Premiership regulars like Bolton Wanderers, in the lower divisions, and the others in their former glories like Norwich City, Sheffield Wednesday and Wimbledon.
Not to mention the great instrumental track from Bruce Hornsby and the Range's "That's Just the Way It is".
Gary Newbon & Jimmy Greaves Football argument Central TV 1983
Let's start off with a lesser-known gem. An argument ensues over whether injustice is being served in Football, when it comes to there being no TV evidence or replay, that a referee and double check with, in certain events in a football match, because even with the ref and linesman monitoring, they still can't see everything, as the view may be obscured by a crowded penalty box.
Gary Newbon in this argument, supports a call for TV evidence, while Greaves is against, as the coverage could be prone to edit and interference. Greaves also attacks Newbon's personal favourite team Birmingham City, in a heated moment. The youtube user claims their friendship was ended after this. Can anybody clarify this? Comment if you know, folks!
Torvill & Dean - 1984 Olympics - Bolero - HQ
Historic moment for Britain at the 1984 Winter Olympics. Probably our most celebrated Gold Medal at the Winter Games. Now 25 years ago, Jean Torvill and Christopher Dean achieved an all-perfect score in Sarajevo. 12 sets of 6.0 for Maurice Ravel's "Bolero"! Never been achieved before or since. The couple won a bronze at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics, and can now be seen on celebrity talent show "Dancing On Ice" on ITV, on round about February every year, and they are the mentors.
Did Torvill and Dean ever get it together. Rumours were rife, at the time afterwards, and the answer was simply no., although many wanted to believe it. The 2 managed on a business only basis, but it is a true friendship. Dean married French Canadian World Ice Dance Champion Isabelle Duchesnay in 1991, but divorced in 1993. He then went on to marry second wife, US skater Jill Trenary, in 1994. Torvill has been happily married to Phil Christensen, since 1990.
BBC Grandstand April 1990
This clip is a brilliant flashback to an age before the Premiership, the ridiculously high wages and the multi-million foreign chairmen that make teams into overnight sensations. The now elusive Bob Wilson presents the league standings at the end of Saturday matchday. Spot the teams that are now Premiership regulars like Bolton Wanderers, in the lower divisions, and the others in their former glories like Norwich City, Sheffield Wednesday and Wimbledon.
Not to mention the great instrumental track from Bruce Hornsby and the Range's "That's Just the Way It is".
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.
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.
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