Tuesday 9 December 2014

Boggen's Advent Calender (Day Nine) - A Delve into the Schedules, 30 Years ago..

On the ninth day of the Advent Calender, I give to another look at around Christmas television. This time we skip back to 30th December 1984, which was a Sunday. With the festive season over and the New Year just around the corner, what did BBC 1 and BBC 2 have to offer us to people getting visual heartburn?

Well BBC 1 first brings The Flumps to screen at 9am, for some reason every set of listings I pick has had The Flumps within it, but the main channel gets more serious with a Cliff Morgan documentary about the 1984 International Games for the Disabled which handly points out that no-one runs as fast as Seb Coe or throws as far as Tessa Sanderson, but its only a matter of time according to the Radio Times. Then goodness knows what who ever wrote that would have made of the 2012 Paralympics! "People running, on blades?" As its Sunday, this also includes an edition of See Hear as well, meaning that the disabled can have their own little place out of the way it seems. 

However as its Sunday, religious and Asian programmes go hand in hand as well, good old Auntie BBC being diverse there. But the illusion of this is somewhat spoiled by an edition of Bonanza at 10.30am, so if you were a religious, Asian cowboy at least BBC 1 had you covered for the morning.

David Attenborough pops up with Wildlife on One about Antarctic animals after the news headlines, so on a cold day comes a programme about a cold land. The main channel sure knows how to warm people up, but at 1.50pm BBC 2 starts up with a comedy from Charlie Chaplin about a tramp, a blind girl and a eccentric millionaire. Hmm, so diversity from BBC 2 as well then, next there will be a load of beefy men all clashing into each other. Ah, yes.. Rugby Special, the Northern Division, which when you think about it sounds like a great name for an early 80's synth band. Anyway, the Northern Division take on the Romanians, it sounds like a Nigel Farage promise, but its a rugby match. Nigel Starmer-Smith sits at one end of the rugby club boardroom hoping to get a drink at some point. 

Think that's the end of the physical exertion? BBC 1 at five past two. brings you Stanley Baker and Michael Caine in Zulu. But thanks to Radio Times' listing writers, they can explain the film better then anyone else. "1879. Having inflicted one heavy defeat on the British army the disciplined warriors of Cetewayo march in towards the small army garrison at 
Rorke's Drift. Lt John Chard and Lt Gonville Bromhead desperately rally their meagre forces: 8 officers and 97 men against 4,000 Zulus!" Dramatic or what? But also spoiling the film somewhat as well, so thanks for that! 

But more stunning scenery for BBC 2 at 4pm with the last round of One Man and His Dog, the programme that colour television was mainly invented for, because there's lots of green, lots of it. So what's to follow lots of green? Lots of green of course! This time of the green fingered variety as Geoffrey Smith shows his World of Flowers at 4.45, so there a splash of colour there. What's next for the second channel today? The Wizard of Oz, oh right! A film which is part black and white and the main city in it is the Emerald City. More green again! But however is its a nice tea-time film to sit down to and have cake with. Well there's not much to be jealous about that there?

Let's see what BBC 1 is carrying on with. Holiday, people visting hot, sunny places and John Carter gets to do it on Concorde as well! How about Anne Gregg, where is she this week? Corfu, looking at 'Club' holidays to be precise. Dear oh dear, the booze is flowing everywhere this week but thank goodness Cliff Mitchelmore is in the studio with nothing stronger then water as usual. Good, safe, reliable and there's a third report as well this week. Frank and Nesta Bough have their first report from France, so everywhere you look there's drink this week. Best get the black coffee on then before next week's show, I think.

But to bring everyone down from this booze cruise at ten past five is adapted from the book of the same name is Keith Waterhouse's 'This Office Life' and now I can see what The Wizard of Oz runs for so long, its like BBC 1 is saying "Ignore us for now, come back to us later, OK?" Though with Sunday duty after the news comes Songs of Praise, but on BBC 2 at 7pm is a few people who are praying not to get hurt as Ski Sunday and David Vine brings us the first round in the annual Four Hills Championship from Obersdorf in West Germany. Adding his own brand of magic on commentary is Ron Pickering, who is ideally suited to people jumping off things. Whether he shouted "Away you Go!" as every jumper goes off the end of the ramp is not recorded. 

With all that snow and ice today, there has to be something to warm you up. So like a warm fire comes along Last of the Summer Wine, as Compo, Foggy and Clegg help out Wesley with his racing car, at some point they must go rolling down a hill for our amusement. Just like those chancers, comes Robby Box in Big Deal trying to gamble his savings for the taxman away. Bringing the series to conclusion after ten episodes and with more drama then you can shake a pack of cards at. 

That's a taste of the 30th of December 1984, the full listings for BBC 1 and BBC 2 are below, so you can have a good look at them.



Until the tenth, I bid you farewell for now..

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