UK TV Nostalgia on Youtube

Star-Swamped ITV Schools Gameshow...

2010-03-22T20:01:00.004Z

ITV Schools - The English Programme - A Question Of Talk (1987) 1/3

The golden age of Schools TV may've been the late-70s and early-80s, but taken from some serious proof here, Schools TV in the late-80s could still being in the big boys, an almost star-studded episode by Schools TV standards, with "The English Programme" in a one-off gameshow about "A Question of Talk" presented by gameshow presenter Robert Robinson (of "Ask The Family" and "Call My Bluff" fame), along with team captains Bill Oddie, who used to be quite synonymous for appearing on kids TV in the 70s and 80s, and BBC Radio 1 DJ and "Top of the Pops" presenter Janice Long.

"I'll See Thee" - Beer Swigging Yorkshire Pub Sports on Weekend Telly, Real Men's Sports Y'know!

2010-03-22T20:00:00.004Z

Indoor League 1

When you go to the pub today, your gaming facilities are normally either a UK version of "Pool", a Dartboard or a fruit machine, or all both. Go back 15 to 30 years ago, maybe the odd arcade, "Space Invaders" or "Pacman" being the favourite to rest in the local boozer counter. However this "sports" show the "Indoor League" which ran circa 1973 to 1978, opens up a feast of now old-fashioned and bygone pub games of a bygone age. Ever heard of Bar Billiards? Skittles? Shove ha'penny? Well find out about them in this 4 part regional Yorkshire Television produced episode, presented by Yorkshire Cricket great Fred Trueman, regarded as one of best fast bowlers in the history of the sport. What's great about the show, is it's non-pc as you like. Shown on daytime TV on a Tuesday, you had old Fred on the lash with his pint of beer and sometimes smoking a pipe on-camera as he presents the show, this was as small-time in sports you could get. This was a ratings success in Yorkshire.

The First Ever British Soap, Before Even Coronation Street...

2010-03-21T20:01:00.003Z

The Grove Family - Episode One - Part One

The first ever episode of the first soap, or television serial, to reach Britain's screens. This the "The Grove Family", a rather orfinary soap of middle class family who live in Hendon, London. The episode is entitled "Cure and Prevention", and this is only 1 of 3 episodes that still exist in the archives, all the rest have been scrubbed.

A Look Into Indian Subcontinent Culture...

2010-03-21T20:00:00.004Z

Bharatanatyam by Alarmel Valli Spirit Of Asia

"Spirit of Asia" was a documentary series narrated and presented by David Attenborough. Long known for his wildlife programmes, started exploring human culture from the early 1971 documentary film "A Blank n the Map". This long-ish clip shows aspects of India's long-established dance and thatre culture. The very elaborate theatrical dance is Kathkali, which is a dance-drama which plays out stories of the Hindu Gods Rama and Krishna.

The solo female dancer is Alarmel Valli, who specialises in the dance form of Bharatanatyam, and is India's interpretation of ballet.

If You Thought the Best Bit About Teletext Were the Pictures, Then You'll Love This!

2010-03-20T20:00:00.019Z

Hands Up! Episode 1

Animated Teletext! This is a brilliantly obscure upload -probably one of the best finds on this blog so far- I have found of many episodes, from a Channel 4 educational show called "Hands Up!", which gives a really good diagnosis of the basic sign language for the deaf. It's blocky graphics galore! Al 10 episodes of the series is on Youtube.

The show was produced by Intelfax, I've never seen anything like it. The usual animation you would get on a normal teletext, would be flashing still images, as well as pressing the "reveal" button on you're remote control, to unveil an appearing and disappearing graphic. Brilliant!

When Simon Cowell Was a Mere Pawn on a Satellite TV Gameshow!

2010-03-20T20:00:00.018Z

Simon Cowell - TV Debut

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld-a7DYz-cs

Simon Cowell, now a mult-millionaire, and now one of the most recogniseable faces on the box, makes his first TV appearance in these humble beginnings. As a contestant of the Sky TV version of "Sale of the Century", no longer presented by Nicholas Parsons, but Peter Marshall. Cowell's still got that smug grin and showing cut-throat determination to answer the questions, to win the star prize of the Fiat Uno and a few utensils! However, none of the harsh, biting comments Cowell lashes out on the shows that made him famous like "The X-Factor", "American Idol", "Britain's Got Talent" and not forgetting "Pop Idol". The clip here is an edited highlight reel of Cowell's exploits on the show. Cowell is announced as a record producer in the show.

Simon Cowell was on a bit of a downer in this period. After serving with his father in the indie pop label Fanfare, it came under the branch of the famous Stock, Aitken and Waterman (SAW), which was a leading team of songwriters that cruised to great success in the 80s with a string of No.1 hits with a large variety of artists under their own brand of synth-pop. Cowell lost control of Fanfare financially, and BMG bought it over. Cowell was now back living with his parents and living with debt. However that was short lived. The true intention of being on the show was the car and not the money.

Fancy Dr.Fancy Murdering Ernest Spratt? Oooh, Fancy That!

2010-03-19T20:00:00.009Z

armchair theatre 1960 fancy.wmv

A short and rare clip of "Armchair Theatre" which ran on the ITV network from 1956-1968. The ABC logo you see at the beginning, were the original producers Associated British Corporation, later to be Thames Television, after it's mergeance with Rediffusion Television in 1968. Each episode was a different play running for an hour. It wasn't all about court drama, taking from this clip!

This clip is from what is regarded as the programme at it's best from 1958-1962, under the tutelage of Canadian producer Sydney Newman, where it breached upon touchy issues, sensitive at the time.

It's Louis Armstrong Meets the Sugar Puff Monster; It's Tom Waits!

2010-03-19T20:00:00.008Z

Tom Waits - Tom Traubert's Blues - 1977

A young looking Tom Waits here, with that even more unbelieveable deep, gruff and powerful singing voice. This a pretty long song, it's "Tom Traubert's Blues" from Waits' 1976 album "Small Change", and is the opening song on the collection. Tom Waits vocal delivery is indeed inspired by Jazz great Louis Armstrong, I didn't realise that before I did the title, honest!

Quite a Creepy Sketch...

2010-03-18T20:00:00.013Z

Les Dennis Laughter Show - Thunderbirds

It's the legendary "The Les Dennis Laughter Show"! At the height of his career when impressionist sketch comedy was booming, Dennis was also presenting the popular gameshow "Family Fortunes", soon becoming the longest-running presenter on the show after such illiuminaries of the comedy game such as Bob Monkhouse and Max Bygraves. Les had been a budding stand-up in the 70s and 80s, and was always seen tied-to-the-hip with Russ Abbot series of comedy sketch shows such as "Russ Abbot's Madhouse" and later "The Russ Abbot Show", so this was the apprentice, as you might say, coming into his own. However, it just wasn't as funny, but "The Laughter Show" in it's first form, began in 1984, and ran until 1991. It was a good run to say the least, and it's fair to say that alot of this type of impressionist comedy was starting to fizzle out after 1991, with the likes of "Little and Large", Bobby Davro and "Cannon and Ball" steering away from the limelight.

In this edited clip, it's been 20 years since the life-size puppet children's Sci-fi "Thunderbirds" came on our screens, so how would they look and act like now? Featuring all the favourite characters of the show like Lady Penelope, Parker (in his boxers), Jeff Tracy and Brains. It's still a great upload here. I'm still waiting for his mavis impression to appear, in the full gear!

I Could Tell, Come On...

2010-03-18T20:00:00.010Z

Kronenbourg 1664 (lager) 'lesbians' advert 1998

I thought this was going to be our first 1999 induction to the blog, but this ad is actually from 1998, but I'm certain it ran into 1999. The ad these days is only talked about for the suggestive lesbians, with the guy giving that "Oh, that's a relief, I got rejected but that's OK because your lesbians" reaction. I also like the music and the ambience, in the classic setting for any alcohol advert; the bar. Or is it a nightclub?

The music is a French rap song called "A La Claire Fontaine" by MC Solaar. The song seems recent, but it was actually 4 years old by the time, from his 1994 album "Prose Combat". Solaar is one of the few French rappers to have become internationally recognised and to break into the English-speaking world with his music. His early music was topical on the aspect of black migrant hardship in urban France. The gaulish tongue definetely sounds goods as a Rap medium, unlike German rap...if any exist beyond "Rock Me Amadeus"! Solaar has come from strength to strength in the States after his 2001 single ""La Belle et Le Bad Boy" increased his fanbase over there, after an appearance on "Sex and the City's" final episode in 2004.

Kronenbourg 1664 is of course a French premium lager made in Strasbourg, situated near the border with Germany.

Hughie Green (last interview?) Discusses "Double Your Money" Gameshow with Gordon the Gopher Sidekick...

2010-03-17T20:00:00.010Z

Television's Greatest Hits - 1966 - Game Shows

This was a 1992 nostalgia series presented by "Going Live's" Phillip Schofield which focused on a selection of different years and their worth of fondly remembered Television shows. The focus of this episode (not in it's entirety here) is Hughie Green's ITV quiz show "Double Your Money" featuring clips of the show, along with a then interview with the star of the show. The show, which began in 1955, is proudly boasted by Green as the first gameshow to feature in the old Soviet Union. A clip of the Soviet Union version follows with an English spelling challenge, and it's all in English. Hughie Green also explain where he got his catchphrase "I mean that most sincerely".

Schofield then gives us what was the five biggest hits of 1966. The programme ends with Hughie Green singing a trio rendition of "Let's Do It" on "A Royal Gala".

"Double Your Money" lasted from 1955 to 1968, axed after the TV company that produced it, Rediffusion London. A consistentley popular quizshow, where the amount of prize money doubled after each correct answer. Hughie Green would star alongside a stream of different female hostesses, from good friend Monica Rose to elderly cleaner Alice Earley, a former contestant recruited off the show herself.

Ooooh! That's All I Have to Say...

2010-03-17T20:00:00.007Z

Jonathan Ross Frankie Howerd trailer 1991

This was too good to miss out. A trailer for "Tonight with Johnathan Ross", an early Ross chat show lasting 1990 to 1992. This followed his first chat show also on Channel 4 "The Last Resort with Johnathan Ross".

Frankie Howerd here, gives his trademark "oooh" expression. Simple but still funny.

Come Aboard the Toy Monorail Folks...

2010-03-16T20:00:00.008Z

ITV Schools - Physics In Action

Been quite hard to find the year and even the decade for this, but I think it's from the 1980s. This short clips talks about the laws of motion, involving these gliding magnets along a railing, something like a minature monorail. Narrated by Charles Foster, "Physics In Action" as far as I know was still being made for ITV Schools in the late-80s.

The presentation of the show is eerily similar to the 2000s spoof 70s/80s schools series "Look Around You".

There Was A Time Everything Barrymore Touched, Turned to Gold...

2010-03-16T20:00:00.007Z

Michael Barrymore - Funny Acceptance Speech

Michael Barrymore at his peak here perhaps. Here he wins the "Best ITV Entertainment Presenter" award. There was no overall award for the category, only split between the 3 stations, of the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. Barrymore by this point, was well-loved and his antics, especially at award shows, became more and more outrageous. Here he rips out the monitor giving the autocue for the now household furniture of the awards show every year, Johnathan Ross. Did he go too far? Maybe, but this is the British Comedy Awards, where many outlandish shenanigans have transpired...the proprietor being usually drunk. The audience loved it. Basically you could say Barrymore, trying to be funny was basically trying to be a twat. Some of it could be known as insensitive, which is maybe why we don't sadly see the likes of him today after all the drama and allegations he has had from his wife Cheryl leaving him, then coming out as gay, then the party pool incident, and you know the rest! You kind of feel sorry for him, but at the same time, you're never quite sure...Is every bloody post about Barrymore going to end on this note!?

The British Comedy Awards has run annually since 1990, the first presentation by the-rather-more-straight-man Michael Parkinson or "Parky". Johnathan Ross has presented the show ever since bar one year - 2008- after the BBC Radio 2 controversy with Russell Brand. Angus Deayton was the replacement that year, but Ross came back for 2009. Various award titles had changed and chopped about over the years, but there's always a lifetime award to a comedy great. which is usually one of the highlights.

There's a plethora of controversial moments from these awards. We'll be seeing more of this here, on the blog. Another thing, the stage backdrop from 1995 and around the time was brilliant, hosting an ancient Greek outdoor setting.

Hughie Green's Farewell from "Opportunity Knocks" + The Musical Muscleman. Ouch!

2010-03-15T20:00:00.012Z

Tony Holland The Musical Muscleman (Also Titles And End Credits) - Opportunity Knocks

This is from the last edition of the first and last run of "Opportunity Knocks" on ITV. Hughie Green would soon disappear from the limelight and moved on to other variety show work, presenting on the likes of Australian and Irish TV. This final edition featured the best and most famous performers throughout the run, and none more are unforgettable as "The Musical Muscleman" Tony Holland, who first appeared on the show in 1964.

The tune of "Wheel Cha Cha" (composed by Joe Loss in 1961) is synonymous with the bodybuilder's almost muscle hemorrhaging movements to the beat of the music. Those shoulder blades look like they're getting dislocated to move like that, my giddy aunt. Unbelievably, some people couldn't get enough of him, and he won the show six times. Since then, apart from the odd appearance on reminiscing TV shows, he has done work for the local community, running a children's home, becoming a social worker, and a gym worker throughout his lifetime.

Not to mention, Hughie Green's farewell speech, not THAT infamous speech, that probably put him in this situation of saying farewell(Stand Up and Be Counted Speech). Although cut at the beginning, at his over-dramatic best, with instrumental strings playing in the background, thanking all the stars and auditionees over the years as well as the behind-the-scenes staff, and officially declares his retirement from TV. It was thopught

Get Your Facts Right Harty!

2010-03-15T20:00:00.008Z

Fred Dibnah - Russell Harty show 1979

This is taken from Russell Harty's ITV chat show, after looking at the year this took place, "Russell Harty Plus" (1973-1981), before moving to the BBC, the stint he was more well known for, Grace Jones et all. He is interviewing the colourful character which was Fred Dibnah, not an entertainer, but had the erstwhile job of being a "steeplejack". This was a traditional job repairing and most famously, demolishing steeples and chimneys such as factory and church steeples. He would be required to climb these tall structures with rope or ladders before going onto the next stage of scaffolding.

Fred Dibnah's work was captured on film in 1978 in a documentary called "Fred Dibnah, Steeplejack", and much like reality TV, the very likeable and passionate Lancastrian became a celebrity on TV appearing on various shows, as well as his own TV series in his later years. 1998's "Fred Dibnah's Industrial Age". In this Youtube clip, one of his most famous scenes from the original programme, the felling of a factory/mill chimny in Rochdale, showing Dibnah dashing away from his handiwork, in this spectacular felling, and you're wondering "has he run in the right direction away from the chimney?".

Away for a Few Days but Videos are Still-a-coming...

2010-03-15T01:52:00.001Z

They'll be scheduled posts at 8pm, and due to that, there will not be much readable content until I'm back. What to expect over the week? We'll be seeing quite a bit from Comedy, as well as Chat Shows, Gameshows, Music, Schools TV, Light Entertainment, Adverts, Continuity and Idents and Drama.

Hopefully I can drag all new posts to that time permanently. EDIT: Looks like I won't have any descriptions for now.

Welcome, to the Magical World of SAW Land, Still Stuck in the 80s as of This Post

2010-03-15T00:19:00.003Z

The Hitman and Her at Sheffield, 1989 (intro)

This seems a good time to wheel out "Hitman and Her", a now obscure joy, after Pete Waterman's recent step back into the limelight as the "make-a-hit-song-in-15-mins" powerhouse steps to back to claim why he comandeered the biggest wealth of UK Single No.1's in the 80s! Yep with another 80s song for the Eurovision this year, 2010.

We'll talk about Waterman in a later edit, but let's focus on this long clip from this show in Sheffield. Waterman and children's presenter Michaela Strachan host the show, which tours around different nightclubs each Saturday night. As Waterman was behind a producing trio of record producers and song writers Stock, Aitken and Waterman (SAW). So no surprise, many of the hits played were played came from SAW, artists as famous as Kylie Minogue to one-hit wonders like "The Reynold Girls". They all appeared, questionably live. We hear a remix of Minogue's "Never Too Late" hit. The feautured dancers are on the stage, who play a role as cheerleaders for the clubbers to follow, and visual entertainment, for the half-stewed audience back home. Denim is everywhere, bleeding denim jackets (with thick perms) and all the women are wearing denim shorts, a la, Daisy Duke, and not forgetting that one vital 80s ingredient...lycra! They are lead by "Wiggy", a black dancer wearing a white wig, all the time, every time. Wonder if he goes to bed in that?

There's some unintentional humour in this clip. Surely the 2 male clubbers interviews are parodies? The first guy, as said in a Youtube comment on the video, talks like and has the sleaziness to be Keith Lemon, a 2000s comedy characters invented by comedian Leigh Francis. The second guy, swirling his hips throughout his on-screen appearance, the Chuckle Brother, really thinks he's a hit with the ladies, or will be. The first woman interviewed, Jeanie a part-time glamour model, who looks like American "The Fly" actress Geena Davis. Very classy looking for a glamour model compared to today, that's shocking that. Today it would be a bucketload of eye liner, and the Grand Canyon screaming at you're face!

"The Hitman and Her" ran continuously on Sunday early,early mornings for 4 years from 1988-1992, on the ITV's "Night Time" schedule.

Rabies is a Threat? That Character from "Maid Marian and Her Merry Men"? I Knew It!

2010-03-14T23:18:00.000Z

Rabies Outbreak (1976) - Public Information Film

Although Rabies never really gets talked about much these days, it's still a serious infection, it's just that us, western spoiled-types are all vaccinated, as well as domestic warm-blooded animals and livestock. Old news, maybe but, if you live in a poor country in Africa or Asia, you can still be killed from it. It's fatal from the word go. That doesn't mean this overly-charged PIF isn't immune from some of the classic scaremongering that was going on in PIF's in those days. You can get rabies from basically any mammal, but why is so much to blame on the dogs? This PIF warns of all domestic animals being a danger, but 1 poor dog is the centre of the piece, revered like a killer. Dogs get most of the stick because, out of the 2 domestic mammals that are allowed to roam freely, not from a farm, cats are more controlled in their behaviour, although not perfect. Dogs like to put just about anything into their mouths out of curiosity or whatnot.

The situation of the film, poses like it's a nuclear fall-out zone. Rabies areas are cordoned off, all foxes are to be killed, no free moving of mutts and felines and worst of all, no cat shows and dog shows! Better off without them actually. The dog featured, faces execution as non-verbally told by the PIF.

Guitar Meows for a Girl from the Future Trapped in Present Day Earth...

2010-03-13T23:30:00.005Z

the girl from tomorrow

This was an Australian part Sci-fi, part family drama for CBBC in the early nineties. On Youtube, all 2 series of the show were in it's entirety, but are no longer around. However, if it's any consolation, here's the under-rated instrumental theme tune and intro. I can feel the pain in that guitar.

Basically, it's about a teen girl from the year 3000 -where the world is at peace with one another, like heaven on Earth - called Alana (played by Katherine Cullen), who hails from a time where they use a telepathic power of healing through a hair band looking item they strap around their foreheads named a "transducer". It can also destroy too. A scientist named Bruno invents the Time Capsule, looking like the "Crystal Maze" dome but smaller. In a blunder, on one escapade to the year 2500, in an Earth gone bad and polluted, Alana's mentor Tulista, comes back with a deadly surprise. Silverthorn (John Howard) escapes from his time and is the main villain of the show, a rough and ready big guy who doesn't take no for an answer. He wants to take over the weaponry and technology of the future, but his weapons are inferior to the transducer. He kidnaps Alana and travel to Earth in 1990, to Sydney Australia. Alana escapes Silverthorn, but is shattered by the "belief" that the Time Capsule has been destroyed. She meets a similarly-aged friend, Jenny Kelly. Alana soon lives with the Kelly family, as they help her foil Silverthorn's plans, and get back to the year 3000!

There were 2 series of the show, this series is mostly set in 1990. The second series is subtitled as Tomorrow's End. This follows Silverthorn upsetting time and history, and Alana and Jenny having to travel to the still murky, polluted Earth in the year 2500, and put a stop to Silverthorn and his accomplices, a unitlateral law and order control known as "Globecorp".

Ah, So You're a Waffle Man!

2010-03-13T23:11:00.008Z

Does anyone want any toast? - Red Dwarf - BBC comedy

Classic moment from one of the UK's most revered sit-coms, well the most revered British Sci-fi comedy "Red Dwarf". Here is Kryten and Lister getting angry with "Talkie the Toaster", who obsessively talks or asks whether folk would like to have toast! This is from the 1991 fourth series and from the episode "White Hole".

The Talkie Toaster made an earlier appearance in series 1, with a different voice and look (the voice of American illusionist Jon Lenahan) and came back in this series, now voiced by David Ross. Does that name ring a bell? It was Ross who first played Kryten in his first appearance in Red Dwarf II. He simply wasn't availiable at the time of series III, from which Kryten's popularity made him a regular. You can't now think of Kryten without Robert Llewellyn under that heavy, heavy make-up and rubber and his faux-American accent. David Ross also played Elgin on the "Only Fools and Horses" spin-off for character Boycie, "The Green, Green Grass" in 2005 and onwards.

"Red Dwarf" began in 1988 on BBC2, however the famous title sequence was made in 1987. This was due to production delays and industrial strikes at the time, behind the scenes at the BBC. Red Dwarf refers to a a whale of a mining spaceship that's 6 miles long. Both the beginning and end credits show it's massive size. The story goes, that an on-board radiation leak of cadmium II kills all humans apart from technician Dave Lister (Craig Charles) who survives by being coincidentally kept in the stasis chamber after being punished for keeping his black cat Frankenstein on the ship. This all proves fruitful, but Lister remains frozen and preserved in time for another 3 million years by the ship's computer Holly (Norman Lovett) as radiation from the accident still leaks. After he's released he discocers to his dismay, his smug roomate Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie) has been brought back to life via hologram thanks to Holly. Frankenstein the cat has delivered generations and generations of cats until they have evolved into human-like life-forms, with still the agilty and scent of a cat. The one relative aboard is merely called "Cat" or "The Cat"(played by Danny John-Jules).

By the point of 1991, "Red Dwarf was now an established sit-com with an even larger budget compared to the 2 first seasons, with more action and special effects, losing none of it's comedy value. By this point Holly was played by a woman, comedienne Hattie Hayridge, replacing Norman Lovett from series 3.

The relationship between the 4 main characters differs, but one thing they all have in common is, even Kryten they all hate Rimmer, who likes to be regimented while noone else cares, has an ego, and is an odious twerp really, until he becomes "Ace Rimmer" and everybody likes him. The Cat was quite a one-dimensional character to begin with, but gained depth as the series ran on, a vain but cool character, but with limited intelligence. Lister is seen as the leader of the group, although has a knack for curry and can be extremely lazy, to Rimmer's disgust. Kryten cares for Lister the most and is like a servant to him. Kryten is honest and reliable, as well as the most intelligent.

Craig Charles, before "Red Dwarf" was an urban performance poet. An unusual and inspired role! He was a scouser with a funny bone, and was picked up sooner or later by TV bosses.

The English First Division Review: 1991/1992

2010-03-12T22:56:00.004Z

Barclay English League 1991/92 Season Review Part 1/6

The Sport genre returns with a heavyweight pick here, with the return of our national sport on this blog. A 6 part highlights show on the 1991/92 Barclay English League season. This was the last year before the First Division became known as "The Premier League". This was the last time England's top clubs were under the full control of the Football Association. More money was thought to needed into the game, after the downturn in success in Europe for the top clubs since the early-mid 80s, the deteriorating state of stadia and making a brand new start as the threat of hooliganism had become more controlled by improved stadia and police techniques.

The programme highlights the battle at the top and the bottom battle for relegation, featuring the best moments and goals, the story of the campaign and build-up, and some of the funniest/silliest moments too, along with player interviews.

Would George Graham's Arsenal retain their league championship? The focus is on Howard Wilkinson's Leeds United and Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, as the title chasers. This was regarded as the second golden age for the Leeds team, recurring back to memories of Don Revie leading the team in the 60s and 70s to 2 league championships. Some of the bizarre moments include a referee being knocked out cold mid-game by a football to the head. Also to note, are star players like Gary Lineker, in his last year in the english league before playing in the Japanese League or "J.League".

If This is Real Fish, Then Where's the BONES?

2010-03-12T22:36:00.001Z

UK TV Adverts 1969 x 8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBTipAqCMxI

Pretty good set of late-60s ads with star power. How about the much lusted after George Best starring in a commercial for "Fore" aftershave? Or Alf Garnett(Warren Mitchell) moaning about Findus Fish Fingers not being real fish? We also have the late and great Dusty Springfield sounding a little raggamuffin here (she did have soul mind you) for "Mother's Pride" loaves, coming down your humble bricks-and-mortar street. And the now laughable and nonsensical slogan for Trebor Mints, "Trebor Mints are a Minty Bit Stronger"(?). Good set of ads though.

Think Intrique, Think Unsolved Mysteries of a Forgotten Age when you Hear this...

2010-03-11T23:33:00.003Z

World In Action 1970 Titles

Another great documentary series with a title theme that gives you the goosebumps. This was ITV's main current affairs investigative journalism show which lasted from 1963-1998. It's axing in 1998, replaced by "Tonight", prompted many accusations of the channel dumbing down.

The theme song comes across as rather chilling and the organ sound harps back to an older age, maybe a more mythical age. The visuals do well to unfold the awe and mythical of this tune, with various moving images through a circle styled as a magnifying piece. The icon of the show, Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man drawing, appears at the very beginning. Some images seem random, like the boy balancing a bubble, but probably affiliated with a previous populist news story featured. The music is entitled "Jam for World in Action". The original composer of the tune is disputed, between Johnathon Weston and American musician Shawn Phillips.

He's Dead, but he's not "Dead" Dead

2010-03-11T22:29:00.003Z

Third Doctor regenerates - Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders - BBC

One of the famous regeneration scenes from renowned Sci-Fi drama "Doctor Who". Well, it needs no introduction. Here we see the changing of actors for the role of "The Doctor" to arguably the Proverbial measuring stick from what all past and future Doctor Who's are measured: Tom Baker. In online polls, Baker is nearly always voted as the best Doctor ever. Jon Pertwee, the third actor to play Doctor Who, regenerates into Tom Baker in this Youtube clip after being fatally affected by Metebelis crystals. What are they? Blue crystals from planet Metebelis III of course. Tom Baker only features for a microsecond in the clip. This regeneration is much different from the more modern day regenerations like David Tennant to Matt Smith, full of all the bells and whistles, cosmic rays flying all over the place. Pertwee just goes to sleep peacefully.

The Doctor's assistant who appears here is Sarah Jane Smith (played by Elisabeth Sladen), in which is the climax of the six-part "Planet of the Spiders". The strange broken-English character who appears is abbot K’Anpo Rinpoche, who is a Time Lord like Doctor Who, who has newly regenerated. A bit of a hippy, he leads a peaceful exile on Earth.

Jon Pertwee played the Doctor from 1970 to 1974. Tom Baker became the longest incarnation of the Doctor, and still, lasting 7 years from 1974-1981. David Tennant became the second longest running Doctor, with a good 5 years in the Tardis (2005-2010).