"Follow those stars..." - The story of Christmas Night with the Stars and its ITV rival, The All Star Conedy Carnival

Christmas brings many things, presents, food and television in abundance. As the schedules have been released for this year the usual soaps and also big hitting programmes dominate, but it wasn't always like this. At one time there was a one stop shop to see all your stars in, the BBC coming together if you will. The show which dominated the big day itself for more than fifteen years was Christmas Night with the Stars, a place where the stars shone so bright and you could get the likes of Cliff Richard rubbing shoulders with Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. Usually in ten minutes sections of the most popular sitcoms of the year, the best light entertainment shows and the biggest stars. This was a show of might by the BBC to show the viewers their selection box of personalities.

The first show in 1958 was hosted by magician David Nixon, performing tricks himself as well, the line-up was a stellar one with the cream of British comedy appearing in sketches such as Ted Ray, Charlie Chester, Charlie Drake combing with future stars Tony Hancock and Kenneth Connor, the nature of the show meant that Dixon of Dock Green appeared with Billy Cotton and also the Beverly Sisters performing, though the interest comes in the cast with future Benny Hill writer Dave Freeman performing with Charlie Drake and the writers of the show reads like a who's who of comedy writing. The partnerships of Galton and Simpson are there with Muir and Norden plus Charlie Chester as well. This was the cream of the talent the BBC had, meaning something was there for everyone. To say that the BBC wanted to get a march on the fledgling ITV franchises was an understatement, though this showed ITV on the biggest occasions that the Beeb were willing to fight for their audience. Plus with the Light Entertainment department getting new directing and producing talent into their ranks, this would set the BBC up for the 1960's.

With the BBC's intentions clear to fight for the audience which was out there, the sixties was to be a decade which would change light entertainment for ever. A decade of pushing the boundaries, where Britain would change in itself. At the start of the decade with the opening of the new Television Centre in 1960, one of the newest purpose built television studios in the world. The raising of the standard, made the programmes even better. The first show of the new decade featured Sid James from Citizen James, Harry Worth on film plus regulars David Nixon and Jimmy Edwards. It might seem the programme had hardly changed at all, but by 1962 Eamonn Andrews has taken on the role of presenting The Black and White Minstrels, Dixon of Dock Green and The White Heather Club. But backing these favourites up were two shows which were new and were to show the BBC had started to change in its comedy output. The Rag Trade starring Peter Jones, Reg Varney with support of Miriam Karlin and Esma Cannon, the show had been on the air since 1961 but 1962 was the first time when the honour of appearing on the biggest show of the year was bestowed on it.

By 1964, the programme had moved away from including shows with a dramatic narrative. So Jack Warner became the host as Eamonn Andrews had moved to ABC, but the focus was more about the light entertainment stars. The Black and White Mistrels were present with Billy Cotton, the traditional had there place in there but with pop starting to rule the roost, the show acknowledged this with appearances from Kathy Kirby and The Barron Knights. Two stars who were to become two of comedy's biggest stars performed sketches in the form of Benny Hill and Dick Emery, their comedy seemed the same by the end of the decade Hill had moved to Thames Television and Emery was still present on BBC1. Though with comedians there was a place for the all-round entertainers as well, Roy Castle being one of them. The future Record Breakers host had his own show, singing and dancing showing off his talents on a weekly basis, Castle was very much a British 'Sammy Davis Jnr.' , though his career though bubbling along didn't hit the heights as many people thought he would do at that time. Alongside Terry Scott and Hugh Lloyd, Freddie Frinton and Thora Hird performed a shortened version of their sitcom Meet the Wife, but 1964 also saw the launch of BBC2 and one their biggest comedies which had been repeated on BBC1, The Likely Lads was asked to film an insert for the programme with Rodney Bewes as Bob and James Bolam as Terry reflected on the Christmas season in their own inimitable way. It was a sign that a new wave was sweeping through light entertainment.

Come the end of the decade, with the new ITA franchises in place and the BBC looking towards newer talent, it gave the 1968 a new fresh look which would start the new era of light entertainment at the BBC. In this year, the show was a powerhouse, the host being the newly arrived from ATV, Morecambe and Wise hosted the programme. Just having Eric and Ernie on Christmas Day was a bonus, allowing them to perform at their best, though the supporting cast was one which the BBC could be proud of. The personality led variety show had come to define light entertainment by the end of the decade, ITV had led with the Tom Jones show but the Beeb could count on Cliff Richard to do pretty much the same job but in a more boy next door style, the might of pop was important to the very important teenage audience so both Lulu and Petula Clark were included too. Both performers would go on to have their own personality led variety show the same as Cliff Richard with in the next five years following the programme.

Though the biggest star the BBC could offer was Rolf Harris, this antipodean bundle of many talents had his own show on a Saturday night inviting the top singing stars of the day, performing dance routines with Duggie Squires' Young Generation containing a future Blue Peter presenter in Leslie Judd and future Light Entertainment executive who would put his own mark on the genre in the 1990's, Nigel Lythgoe. Add in the combination of jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong, comedy from Marty Feldman and with new to that year comedies Not in Front of the Children and more importantly Dad's Army filming sketches for the programme, it is little wonder what the new ITV companies did for 1969, they thought back. They launched the All Star Comedy Carnival, taking the best of what ITV had to offer from all the regional franchises and showcasing them in one place. That first year one of the main attraction was the Granada series 'The Dustbinmen' featuring a pre-Are You Being Served Trevor Bannister.

With the start of the 1970's, it saw the death of Tom Sloan in May 1970. The head of the Light Entertainment group had been influential in bringing so many shows which would define the BBC's output in the 1960's such as Steptoe and Son, Till Death Us Do Part, Dad's Army, the Val Doonican shows and even Dixon of Dock Green. His influence over the BBC's biggest department meant that he could persuade the performers to make appearances on Christmas Night with the Stars, but all backed up with his team behind him like Stewart Morris, Yvonne Littlewood, Roger Ordish, Terry Heneberry, Michael Hurll and most importantly Bill Cotton Jnr. Cotton Jnr. himself had been a producer for in house BBC productions since 1956 including his own father's Band Show, so he was the natural choice to take over the role. The 1970 cavalcade of stars had Cilla Black appearing with Dick Emery, Terry Scott, June Whitfield and Stanley Baxter. But the star power the show had meant, Clodagh Rogers could be seen alongside Nana Mouskori, Bob Hope and Jerry Lewis contributing to give a transatlantic feel but none could top an appearance by Ol' Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra that's without noting the 'Galloping Gourmet' Graham Kerr as well. This provided a combination of laughs, music and even cooking as well, all the things for a perfect Christmas party.

So with this wealth of talent on the one programme, what could ITV do for their All Star Comedy Carnival of that year? Well, at 6.30pm, the programme started with the mixture of The Lovers with Paula Wilcox and Richard Beckinsdale, Hark at Barker meant that Lord Rustless would get a place in the Christmas schedules for Ronnie Barker, the Doctors in the House were there from London Weekend with the jokes coming thick and fast from Yorkshire Television's Jokers Wild with Barry Cryer presenting and his future Kenny Everett writing partner Ray Cameron on writing duties. To add in variety, Des O'Connor brought a snippet of his own show with Des singing, even down in Weatherfield there was a seasonal visit to Coronation Street with the regulars of the Rovers Return pondering about the festive season in a especially written mini-episode. This of course pre-cursing the days when the soaps and their story lines would become a integral of the Christmas Day schedules. All linked together by Max Bygraves and with musical accompaniment from Geoff Love and his orchestra as well, even popular BBC sitcom stars Warren Mitchell and Rodney Bewes turned up on the programme. Though it is surprising that the programme that followed the show On the Buses wasn't part of the comedy carnival itself with it being one of ITV's top rated shows at the time, but maybe keeping separate from all the other shows meant the rest of ITV's comedy and entertain could be showcased without them being overshadowed by a mini-episode of such a popular show. On reflection, ITV's effort may have seemed weaker in comparison for that year to the BBC's effort but it did offer an alternative to the BBC though.

1971 saw more change with the BBC's Light Entertainment department bringing new shows to their schedule with the Generation Game, Parkinson and the Two Ronnies, Messrs Barker and Corbett being reunited with each other. Bill Cotton's stamp was firmly on the department now, but come Christmas Day the stars were rolled out once again including mini episodes of Dad's Army, Till Death Do Part sharing the limelight with efforts from Lulu and her show, Mike Yarwood making an impression on the audience both in the studio and at home. It was a show of force once again from the Beeb, but ITV counteracted pretty much with the same shows of the previous years but with the inclusion of The Fenn Street Gang and Please Sir! Which they had left behind, Father Dear Father came from Thames and Lollipop loves Mr Mole from ATV. Plus Les Dawson made a mini-episode of Sez Les which was doing great business for himself and also Yorkshire Television as well. Mike and Bernie Winters hosted this year, they themselves had made a contribution of a music item with Opportunity Knocks' Hughie Green on trumpet/guitar, ITN newsreader Gordon Honeycombe on sax, illusionist David Nixon on double bass, Eamonn Andrews on trombone and the whole of the World of Sport team providing the rhythm section, plus Mike Winters playing the clarinet. This is one of those occasions where you wish the footage has not been lost, just to see this spectacle. Not only for the sight of Dickie Davies on drums or the fact what song they actually played, with the Christmas TV Times of that year handily saying it would be an old favourite.

But with this chance at the BBC came a new policy to do with Christmas television, all the stars who had roughly ten minutes to showcase themselves and their programmes during Christmas Night with the Stars seemed such a tight time to do so. So it was that 1972 was the last Christmas Night with the Stars for another twenty four years, introduced by The Two Ronnies after their success with the own show in the previous year. As in previous years Dad's Army and Mike Yarwood did mini-episodes of their own shows, with this year two additions to the line up of The Liver Birds and The Goodies, themselves fresh from their own success on BBC2. Plus Lulu appeared as well as The Young Generation with this year Nigel Lythgoe being credited as the choreographer of their dance routine, the credits for this show read like a who's who of the BBC Light Entertainment department, the Two Ronnies directed by Terry Hughes, Dad's Army by David Croft, Jim Franklin producing The Goodies as well as Michael Hurll and Sydney Lotterby. In addition to both musical directors Ronnie Hazelhurst and Alyn Ainsworth and a stellar list of writers including Michael Palin and Terry Jones, Barry Cryer and Neil Shand to name a few. This was the way to go out, as from 1973, the Christmas specials would out on their own and longer then before. The BBC worked out that each show could do even more by each production

being able to work on their own efforts, thus focussing the talents of the crew, the writers and the performers. That idea was to have massive success as the Christmas schedules of the BBC would continue to dominate for many years to come.

The swansong for the All Star Comedy Carnival would come for ITV in 1973, up against the BBC's new style Christmas Day schedules. They could offer Jimmy Tarbuck in a mock house with the going on with Man about the House, Les Dawson making another appearance with Sez Les, My Good Woman from ATV and Billy Liar from LWT plus Spring and Autumn from Love Thy Neighbour's Vince Powell. But not even the might of the Wandsworth School Choir and Fyfe Robertson could overthrow BBC1's offering. So it was not surprise that after this year's edition that ITV took the same approach as the BBC of pitching the best of their shows up against each other, for Christmas Night with the Stars, the style of that programme was used for the Funny Side of Christmas in 1982. Again the best of BBC comedy all in the same place and with revivals in 1994 on BBC2 featuring the likes of Steve Coogan performing and again ten years later in 2004 presented by Michael Parkinson, but this version seemed more like an extend version of his chat show. For the All Star Comedy Carnival, the idea has not been revived by ITV and looks likely not to be any time soon.

Some people may say that these programmes, maybe they were of their time. But however without them we would not have got to the Christmas Day schedules today, they were the first to introduce soaps on Christmas Day, they were the first to have the leading comedies of the day back to back, they were the first to have top variety in the same place and they were the first to introduce new comedies to a wider audience. Whatever way you want to look at it, Christmas would not have been brighter places without them. 

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We are family? A blank holiday usually sort that out...

At this time, when it seems everyone is celebrating or avoiding the Jubilee (delete where applicable...) The creation of two Bank Holidays in a row has been a boom time for some digital channels such as Dave being able to put out back to back editions of its favourite shows such as QI and Top Gear, though this is the case for most channels on Freeview. Though there was a time when these occasions were treating as something special, a day off from the norm. But not now, in part because of any Bank Holidays meaning nothing at all to anyone now. As such schedulers in telly land agree the same as any member of the public, why bother?

Go back at least twenty years, when it seemed like Bank Holidays last had any meaning to anyone, there would be a smattering of family friends films on television to keep people who didn't go out amused. This fare would usually be a Disney film, nothing offensive almost like candy floss or chewing gum for the eyes. 

An off-shoot would be Disney Time where a presenter would be at a family friendly venue to link inbetween clips of Uncle Walt's finest films and cartoons. To anyone now this would seem antiquated, almost stale and boring. You were even lucky to get special editions of The Generation Game, Swap Shop and the alike, there to entertain the family. As a business, television does not provide this at all and it seems it wants to give up on these occasions and let other things win and just be a piece of furniture in the corner rather then something special to provide entertainment to people. 

But we look back on this with fondness and wonder why it can'y be like this again, the reason because we let it happen in this way. We throw some many babies out of bath water to the effect that we basically discount everything which maybe vaguely entertaining. So we are the cack handed society, who want things to be how they used to be, but hate it if it's put back to that way.  

Maybe its time that people, took a look at themselves to see what they have become as such. A blank holiday, that's what...

I have a dream! Its Ted Rogers on Family Fortunes?!

I had a dream last night, nothing new there then. But it was the nature of it which got me thinking, number one I must have been watching Challenge last night and two, it would work...

 What would? I'm hearing you saying, well the idea that I'm going to put out there maybe strange to some but to others it might get some people thinking 'Hmmm... That might work!'

 My dream was that Ted Rodgers was presenting Family Fortunes, alright it never happened in real life but it seemed to work and it seemed right somehow. It might have been the product of some many gameshows in a day, thought that got me thinking which hosts could switch shows and the show would just as good. But it did once happen though, in a Christmas edition of Sale of the Century on January 2nd 1981 it happened. Nicholas Parson was a contestant along with Tom O'Connor and Derek Batey with Steve 'Pyramid Game and voice-over man' Jones asking the questions of them. Plus Batey and Parsons appeared with Bob Monkhouse in a celebrity edition of Family Fortunes, so two examples there and also the tale I've told you about the potential swap of Monkhouse and Bruce Forsyth when Michael Grade wanted Family Fortunes for Bruce.

"Should old acquittance be forgot..."

If Ted Rogers could be taken out of 3-2-1 and put into Family Fortunes, that would mean a space there and I think that maybe Michael Barrymore or Brian Conley would be perfect choice to join Dusty, Caroline and Lynda. With their all round entertainment skills they would be able to handle anything the show would throw at them, plus the rapport with the acts as well would match the enthusiasm of the contestants. Maybe in hindsight Conley would have been the host after Rogers to take over or to refresh the show, but with Barrymore doing the show that would leave Strike It Lucky open for a new host...

Strike It Lucky is a simple format really, not saying that it is a cheap format. But in the right hands it can be done well, part of the time the format with Barrymore is him doing his act interacting with the public. First of all, Les Dennis showed his ease at doing that on Family Fortunes, so he could be my choice, though hang on  ... Maybe what about Joe Pasquale, his chance came with the revived Price is Right. His sillyness provided to put anyone at their ease, so Pasquale would go there.

Thought The Price is Right was a quandry in itself even before the late Leslie Crowther too his place in asking people to 'Come on Down!' Joe Brown, along with Russ Abbott was considered to present the show, Abbott in himself was said to have asked if he could have Bella Emberg as a hostess. So maybe Abbott though subverting the format was the was to go, something which would become commonplace in years further to come. Brown himself had been the host of Square One for Granada, but being seen as a man with a common touch getting close with people who would trust him, as the same would said for Bruce Forsyth and Joe Pasquale. 

"Come on Down!"

For The Price is Right, even through that onto into Whodunnit which had Edward Woodward and Jon Pertwee as its presenters between 1972 and 1978 which took an almost Cluedo-esue format with a panel trying to work out who committed a fictional murder as in the board game, showing that in a show a host can be interchangeable within a format. Win, Lose or Draw had three during its daytime version including Danny Baker and Bob Mills, not including Darren Day doing a 'Teen' version and Liza Tarbuck doing the 'Late' version. Its not so much that hosts can jump from one show to another, but when a format is put around a host, it fits like a glove but when watching a show just think that a host maybe have been up for other shows as well...

But how about Win, Lose or Draw? Well, why not give it a former contestant? I'm not talking about a celebrity who appeared on their but someone who was a member of the public... That man who would be king would be Johnny Vegas, he appeared on the show as an up and coming comedian but surely he would a good choice for a revived version of the show. Though as an interesting aside, Danny Baker also appeared during Bob Mills time as host, this time as a celebrity in week 5 of the 1995 series. Little is known about where executives get inspiration from for choosing a host for a show, sometime they will look upon it as maybe finding someone who's been out of the public eye to being pulled into a role or maybe coming from left field. 

Left field? What about a cockney taking on a children's quiz show? Well, Colin Nutley wanted Mike Reid to present Runaround in 1975, by thinking his firm but fair style could work with kids and it did over two spells between 1975 and 1976 before returning in 1978 to the programme's end in 1981. Though Leslie Crowther and Stan Boardman were host in the intervening years, taking it to today who could do it? There's one man for the job, the love of the quirky... Londoner... and always funny... How about Danny Baker? There's left field for you! Baker could take the items and give it his own brand of spin... But what about this for a link? Gary Crowley who filled in for Baker on his BBC London show whilst undergoing treatment, did Poparound from Central... The last time the format was put to a series, so maybe it would have come full circle in that way.

"Oh hello! I want to suck your blood, Mike..."

"Get out of it, Charlie!"

We can only theorise about what might be, but one host might be good for another's position... John Humphrys for the Generation Game anyone?

All aboard the Euro-visions express (Part Two)

So after a stop off in Spain we are ready to start our journey again in Germany, now you might think that Germany and light entertainment don't go together as bedfellows but strangely they do. With their love for Monty Python and associated shows which have been shown on various channels through out Germany, but more about trans-european shows later...
Though first of all when Robin Blamires tweeted me in response to Part One, he reminded that Noel's House Party made it to Germany for a short while. In 1994, a Germanic version broadcast on Sat. 1 presented by Thomas Gottschalk. Gottschalk himself had been on a similar career path to Noel Edmonds, radio presenter playing pop music but also he had done a entertainment show called 'Na Sowas!' which I referered to in part one. 'Na Sowas!' or roughly translated 'Well Something Like That!" was in style very like The Late Late Breakfast show. So the comparisons are there between Gottschalk and Edmonds, in which the love of live television has seen them both encompassing live stunts into their shows.
Since 1981 there has been one show which has maintained its place as Germany's number one entertainment show and that is 'Wetten Dass!' or as when it came to these shores 'You Bet!' Its format runs the same as the latter but it is live with the addition of music acts to allow the grand sets needed to be set up ready for each of the challenges. The original host and creator Frank Elsner presented the show up until 1987 when Gottschalk took over the show for five years, but took time out between late 1992 and the late 1993 and handing the show over to Wolfgang Lippert. Though Lippert only presented nine editions during this period, Gottschalk came back to present and he has stayed there ever since. But following an accident nearly one year ago which left a man a quadriplegic when one of the challenges went wrong and the show was pulled off air with Gottschalk unable to continue, he made the decision to leave the show at the end of the 2011 series on the 3rd of December because he felt he had to leave.

Gottschalk's place as Germany's number one entertainment host has been has been assured, so if you can get to see that final edition with Gottschalk of Wetten Dass on 3rd December it will be worth it for a man who has transcended his television career by even appearing in Sister Act 2, as part of Whoopi Goldberg losing a bet on the show.

Thomas Gottschalk not betting on the original host appearing...

As we move on from Germany, we enter Switzerland. Why Switzerland, what programme has come from Switzerland? Though a few have gone there... Switzerland, the home of the Golden Rose of Montreux... Through out television, the Golden Rose has been the standard for quality entertainment throughout Europe since 1961 and now takes places in Lucerne since 2004, but this was the prize all producers wanted to achieve whichever channel they were from. Over the years, Britain has had great success winning the Golden Rose and even in some years winning the silver one as well. 

From 1961 when The Black and White Minstrels won the Golden Rose through to 2003 when reality television had come into its element with Faking It winning for Channel 4. Its has been an honour to win the prize with performers of real quality taking the honour people such as Sir David Frost, Marty Feldman, Lenny Henry, The League of Gentlemen and also Kermit the Frog as well. The wide range of programming shows the depth of the British entertainment television industry between these dates with game shows, satirical shows and big entertainment spectaculars providing the winners. In 1972 when Marty Feldman's Comedy Machine won for ATV, the runner-up was The Goodies of which Tim Brook-Taylor found himself in the odd position of both writing for Feldman but also writing and performing with Bill Oddie and Graham Garden as well. Some of the shows which have won the prize have never been seen by British audiences, but in their special ways they show the best that each country has to offer for themselves. With even the prize going across the Atlantic with shows from the United States and Canada winning on many occasions, this shows that the Rose d'Or has the prestige to be able to break down barriers between American and European television.

"And now for something different... and rare.."

As such since 2004 with the categories being separated into component parts such as Arts and Specials, Music, Sitcom, Variety and even giving a prize to the best pilot programme in that year. There have been winners throughout the intervening years such as Peter Serafinowicz, The Inbetweeners, The Vicar of Dibley etc. It seems diluted as an award, though that maybe with the proliferation of some many channels out there. But if Benidorm Bastards or I Survived a Japanese Game Show makes it to air over which could be a possibility then who knows what might happen to the next generations of shows. 

From Switzerland via the medium of a huge rubber band, we are back here in the UK again. So thanks to our European cousins, shows have come over to us and we have sent shows to them. Showing surely the universal language is television and over borders come ideas, new thrills and the chance for performers to been seen in many countries as they can. But for the Gold Standard, they are all trying to achieve at the same time and that, that in itself is just special...

A trip on the Euro-visions express... Part One

Thanks to my brother whilst watching a programme  called 'Na Sowas!' presented by German's Noel Edmonds with him tonight, he wondered about the all the programme formats which have from foreign climbs to this country and what ones we have given to the Europeans. The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing are two nowadays as well as The Weakest Link, but there have been plenty more which have come over as friendly visitors to our shores.

"An ooh and a la-la as well.."

So we start out by going from the UK to France first of all for a programme which ventured forth in 1982 and has just announced a new presenter. Des chiffres et des lettres as it know in France came to Britain when Marcel Stellman, a Belgian record executive took the format to Yorkshire Television and thus 'Twice-Nightly Whiteley' was born. The show started in 1965, but the familar format came into being in 1972 . With the length of the round being 45 seconds rather then Countdown's 30 seconds and duels such as contestants having to complete mental arithmetic calculations in their heads plus rounds where contestants have to find nouns and proper nouns in ten letters. The appeal of the programme comes from it simplicity and the nature perusing the mental aspect of the game, being returned in over seven territories worldwide mainly in Europe.


With The Apprentice's Nick Hewer taking over from Jeff Stelling in January, its yet to be seen if the programme can stay at the peak of its popularity. But with Nick Hewer being the fourth host since Whiteley's untimely death, it has stayed the course since 2005 and with its 30th anniversary coming up in November next year, the loyal viewers will be there as usual.




From France, we move to The Nederlands now. Those who know me will know where we are going with this, Een van de acht or translated 'One out of the eight' started off on VARA Television in 1969 when Theo Uittenbogaard came up with the format, but Mies Bouwman came up the idea of a conveyor belt though this came from a German television show and wanted to incorporated into the show. Through this came the late Bill Cotton Jr. travelling to Holland seeing the format and with ITV's domination of the television ratings at the start of the early 70's thought that the format with tweaks would be good for Bruce Forsyth to present which he did until 1978 when Larry Grayson took over, but such is these formats it wasn't only the UK which took on the programme. Germany had Am laufenden Band presented by Rudi Carell which was also a direct decendent of the programme, similar to the South African, Swedish versions as well. Mainly bringing  on the members of the public and letting them compete in games to find out who would go through to the conveyor belt at the end of the programme. A simple format, maybe but always entertaining. There's something to be said, of the unique appeal to the public of seeing themselves on the screen and thinking that if the contestants can do it, so the people at home could do it better.

Dutch Courage...

Onto Spain as we find a pumpkin and a bin to put it in... Un, dos, tres... responda otra vez was the Spanish version of 3-2-1 and hence it came from there to Kirstall Road in 1978, but the original programme started in 1972 and ending in 2004 not before versions in Portugal, Germany and The Netherlands were broadcast.

Die Verflixte Sieben presented again by Rudi Carell was the German version of the show, taking on the variety aspect of the show theming very edition. As such the Dutch version incorporating the Dutch National Lottery within it meaning that it became more reason to watch the programme. Ruperta the Pumpkin in the Spanish version fills the role of Dusty Bin as such as being the show's own mascot but also as a red herring for the contestants to avoid, this is a device which serves as a role for being able to make the mascot seeming innocuous and innocent. But with its sting in the tale, causing the contestants to be cautious on their approach on what to reject as a clue. With each aspect testing the contestants with games, their knowledge being tested and also the ability to decifer the clues as well. Its puts something into the show which is seemingly lost, the element of surprise as well.

"One, Two, Three... Respond please..."

As we pull into the station for now, we have been through France to the UK, back to Holland and onto Spain... Next time, we move onto Deutschland betting on going through the place where shows go to where they are judged from across Europe with ultimate prize on show...

All characters small, furry and funny...

Children's television has always been the domain of weekdays filling in the bit between afternoon programmes and the news, the regulars like Blue Peter, varying children's dramas and also comedy are contained within these confines or were in ITV's case. But they ruled the roost for many years, though apart from Saturday mornings where Noel Edmonds, Mike Read, Chris Tarrant or even Tommy Boyd were to be found, there was one spot on a weekend which would see the programmes for younger people become a key part of the schedule.

After an afternoon of sport and viewers have been updated on the day's even from the newsroom, a slot was available for these shows at the start of the evening's viewing. Maybe later on with the showpiece light entertainment programme forming part of the evening's viewing for both BBC and ITV, there was a need to bring young people to the schedule but also to provide enough entertainment for adult viewers to keep with which ever channel they were watching at that point. Children's programme were as important as anything even at the weekend, so the usual children's hour would be shown on a Saturday. The BBC would be offering programmes such as 'Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School' and Jimmy Edwards in 'Whack-o!' which did later was revived in colour during 1971 and put the Saturday teatime slot, references to Top of the Pops couldn't help the revival and the programme took its place in history and allowed 'Headmaster Professor' James Edward to take off his mortar board for the final time in a series.

"Hello, my name is Michael Cane..."

Throughout the 60's this was the common practice but by the end of the decade this changed with the launch of the new ITV franchises. Supermarionation was called for in the shape of Joe 90 and his BIGRAT, though this wasn't the first time a rat was called upon on in this slot. With the emergence of Dr. Who on the BBC, ITV decided to first counter with adventures of Tarzan starring Ron Ely as the vine-swinging king of the jungle. Though by 1968 the BBC called on a character who had made appearances on other shows but had never had one of his own, laughing onto the slot came Basil Brush. Basil had started out as part of the Three Scampies which Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin gave life to Basil, but the notoriously publicity-shy Ivor Owen gave the distinctive voice to Brush. The character appeared with magician David Nixon in 'The Nixon Line' helping or maybe hindering Nixon during tricks, but these slots gave Bill Cotton an idea, why not give Basil his own show, but just like working with Nixon, give him a helper or a straight man to bounce off with his jokes and puns.

The first of which was Rodney Bewes who came from 'The Likely Lads' to assist Basil with the usual mix of guests and stories but when he left after a year Mr Derek came along. Derek Fowlds later of Yes, Minister and Heartbeat filled the role ably until 1973 when he gave up the role allowing someone else to enter Basil's world of puns and being the stooge for them. That man was Roy North, North before that had been appearing on the West End stage in a production of Joseph and his Amazing Technicoloured Dreamcoat when he was asked to work with Basil. Of all Basil's Misters, Roy North was the one people remember the most. Not to say that Bewes, Fowlds or latterly either Howard Williams or Billy Boyle were no less as good. But North seemed at home in the role and loving it, though a person can only take enough puns, gags and stories for a lifetime and he left Basil in 1976 after three years good service. Basil himself occupied in that Saturday teatime slot for another four years after North had left the show. It had come to the end and Basil moved onto new projects.

"Oh Basil!"

On ITV to counteract the doctor, they called up another time traveller but this time rather then a police box he found himself in a new time looking to get back to his own time. That time-traveller was Catweazle, who was a wizard from the 11th century. First premiering on Sunday 15th February 1970, saw the out of his time wizard arrive and is befriended by 'Carrot' or otherwise know as Edward Bennet, a farmer's son who found Catweazle and through the first series he tried to get back to the 11th century through magic and wizardry. Leading to many slapstick situations as the confusion of this new age, to what some people would say today as 'New Age' person provided the humour, but it was not without good plots including an episode where Catweazle a fraud of a fortune teller who would give odds on tips to the punters at her husband's betting shop. Though creator Richard Carpenter thought that the programme should be able to reflect feelings as well with the time traveller whistfully saying "I belong nowhere." By grabbing the younger viewers making Catweazle a more rounded character like The Doctor, allowed the programme to have good writing and was rewarded as such in 1971 with a Writer's Guild award for best Children's drama script.

Geoffrey Bayldon was not the original choice to play the wizard, the heads of the London Weekend children's department when Carpenter first took his script to them, they wanted Jon Pertwee to play the part. But for them Pertwee had become The Doctor on BBC1, so Carpenter suggested Bayldon who himself had been turned down for the part of the first doctor in favour of William Hartnell. Though many years later they would come together for another show where both Pertwee and Bayldon share key parts together.

After a second series where Catweazle looked for the signs of the magic zodiac, hoping to get back to home to his home time the series' last episode was broadcast at 5.35pm on April 4th 1971 and Catweazle went into the pantheon of these shows.

"If thou can turneth thine electrickery heater on please, thou would be most pleased thanketh you!"

As the 70's turned into the 80's, amongst all the heroes plying their trade on Saturday night, there was a hero of sort who was very British in his make-up. Well his head was grown in Britain anyway! Southern Television was a prolific producer of children's drama throughout its history, though most of it such as Noah's Castle, The Flockton Flyer and Brendan Chase were to be found on a weekday. For a while they experimented with 'Dick Barton - Special Agent', running at fifteen minutes an episode taking on the format of the radio serial. It touched base, but wasn't a huge hit although around the same time there was another series which caught the public's imagination as well. By using the same technique of looking back at children's serials they found a character who he not appeared on the television in a drama since 1953. When the author of the Worzel Gummage books Barbara Euphan Todd died in 1976, screenwriters Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall acquired the rights to Worzel looking to make a film with Jon Pertwee as the lead.

When this idea didn't happen they took it Southern Television who like the idea and decided to produce the series, by using the south's landscape it seemed like a perfect fit for the series with the countyside, small market towns and the seaside provided a background for the stories to placed around.

On 25th February 1979 was the first time when people learned to speak Worzelese in an episode called "Worzel's Washing Day". Supported by Geoffrey Bayldon who's previous experience playing Catweazle came in handy as The Crowman allowed Pertwee and Bayldon to play off each other, backed up with Una Stubbs as Aunt Sally, a very young Charlotte Coleman and Mike Berry later to play Mr Spooner in 'Are You Being Served?' as well. Throughout its run with guest stars such as Barbara Windsor, Joan Sims, Bernard Cribbins and Mike Reid to to name but a few kept the pace up. Its zenith has to be the Christmas episode called 'A Cup o' Tea and a Slice o' Cake' broadcast on 27th December 1980 at 5.20pm including the obligatory appearance for Santa Claus but also Billy Connolly appearing as a Scottish scarecrow. Though in most newspaper at that time decided just to call the episode 'Worzel's Christmas Special' which doesn't quite as the same ring as the episode's name.

"Aunt Sally, have you got a Cup o' Tea and a Slice o' Cake for old Worzel?"

Through Worzel's hi-jinks, scrapes and slapstick over two years and four series. The series finished on the 12th December in the LWT region and on the 31st July in the Southern region, with TVS not renewing the show after taking over the franchise and also when a deal with HTV fell through to keep the programme on air despite a campaign by the Daily Star to do so. Alike most of the other series in this blog, Worzel went his own way. There was revival in the late 80's taking the series to New Zealand and a move onto Channel 4, this time on Sunday mornings. By then time had moved on and from the rudimentary of Worzel, there came another character who had started on Southern as well about the same time but he was now to be found in the big city lights with LWT after assisting Bill Oddie on his Saturday Banana.

Metal Mickey started off as the creation of musician and pirate DJ Johnny Edward who changed his name from John Flux when he joined Radio London in 1965 and staying there for a year. Later on he brought Renee and Renato together for their 1982 number one "Save Your Love". But Metal Mickey was a huge part of his life and Mickey was brought to The Saturday Banana and had made an appearance on a technology based edition of Runaround. It was Mickey's appearance on 'Jim'll Fix' It' talking to children in a marketplace for the programme alerted LWT producer Humphrey Barclay that there might be an idea in using Metal Mickey for something. A pilot was recorded within the month and thus was the start of an early 80's cult.

"I don't know about R2-D2, more like WD-40.."

Set within a family, Mickey had been 'invented' to help out around the home. Very like Worzel and Catweazle there was a fair amount of slapstick to the show, but also with Mickey's misunderstandings and willingness to help plus also adventures as well as pop star in one episode. It was a pop star who helped Metal Mickey as well as Johnny Edward and that was Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees who had found way over to the UK and now was producing the show for LWT with Nic Phillips and David Crossman directing the shows.

Dolenz gave the show what it needed, having been part of the Monkees during the sixties, he knew that there needed to be a zaniness to the show and kept it barrelling along apace. For those three years he was top of the pile, but eventually he was banished to the garage of television history. Though for a price you can still hire him for corporate and special appearances.

In the end the BBC brought Roland Rat across to be in the Basil Brush slot, there was nothing wrong with Roland but time has seemingly moved on. Programmes like The Dukes of Hazard, The A-Team and MacGuyer had become the norm by the mid to late 80's and that slot got swallowed up. There have been rumbling about all sorts of characters coming back to that slot, but even the revived Basil Brush stuck to during the week, not even the idea of Monkey from the PG Tips and ITV Digital ads could persuade bosses that it was worth a punt.

All creatures, small, furry and funny ruled the waves for a fair while but much like most of television of that time, it has moved or just dissapeared. From Basil boom-booming with Mr Derek to Roland calling out to his Rat Fans, they came saw and entertained. But here's something interesting, a mechanical hare was seen on Saturday night not so long ago. Maybe the time of creature is coming again?

"At the sporting event of the year!"

Its not everyone's cup of tea, I know that. But its there no matter, I'm talking about sport on television. As such nowadays everyone sees sports channels coming out of the woodwork all the time with even niche channels setting up. Even for me a sports fan, its too much nowadays. Whole channels just don't seem right, I was brought up on Saturday sport from a young age with Grandstand or World of Sport with the latter the choice which was always on at my grandparents when we used to visit them on a Saturday afternoon. With Sundays being the other way around at my other grandparents, so that was Match of the Day.

From 2nd of January 1965 when Eamonn Andrews introduced the first edition of World of Sport featuring on that day Motor Cycling Scrambling, Racing from Catterick and also Professional Running from Edinburgh as well. Professional? Hadn't they just only learnt to run by then? Meanwhile on the BBC, there was a diet of Racing from Aintree and also a Rugby League and Ice Hockey, both wrapped up the day's sports results.

As a fan of broadcasting as well, it was also the people who presented the programmes as well, with Dickie Davies sitting behind his desk trying to big up what sport ITV had on that afternoon. This naturally was a boon to any comedians as well knowing that they could get a sketch out of it, whether they were good or not but always material...

1. Were those ladies answering all of Steve Ryder's love letters?

Its just sprayed on you know...

French and Saunders, the two ladies who helped give comedy a kick up the 80's with their sketch shows. They saw the potential in the typists behind the sports presenters backs to be able to give them a life of their own in this 1987 sketch, the truth about what they were doing was they were doing admin like typing letters, requests and other bits of business. So it looked there was always action in the studio as well as the action which was being covered, much like dead air on the radio, an empty studio on a fast moving show is no good to anyone at all. But alike anyone there was always a sense of getting noticed in the background, knowing that even if they could get their face on the screen, well at least they would have something to say next time they were out and about!

2. "In a specially extended edition of World of Sport..."

"How?"

"Because I'm being paid good money for this!"

Fred Dinenage, what can you say about him? Except that hair you see there has receded right back nowadays.. No! But as a substitute for Dickie Davies he was the man, versatile in the same way as Jake Humphrey is today but where as Jake presented a Saturday morning show, here's Fred on the the best children's show ever Tiswas in a pre-title sequence sketch with his glamorous assistants in the background supplying him with information as well, but its most notable for that World of Sport t-shirt which has been made up so if any person or persons had been drinking the night before and switched on ITV at that time in the morning through their foggy haze would have confused themselves into thinking that it was later then they thought it was... Genius! 

So from the introduction its time for the action! Usually Auntie Beeb would be at a high class event such as thirty men throwing and egg-shaped ball about in the mud all afternoon or doing some other pursuit in the freezing weather while over at ITV they would make do with the New York State Fireman's Competition on the 10th of October 1981 or how about the World Watersking Championship from Thorpe Park on Saturday 12th September 1981? I wonder if all the competitors got a half price ticket to go on all the rides? Mind you, you would want to get wet again after plunging into the lake there? Though an example of this is this sketch from End of Part One, its a long video of the best bits but its in there. But hey, its End of Part One though! Its all good stuff you know, like an extra biscuit with your cup of tea... Beware of the racing results though, as it might bring back memories of a monotone nature...

 A very Dickie Stomach...

So after that top sporting action there only one more thing to come and that's the results... Finding out if you can afford to splash out on  the rolls, but usually more times then not a late goal has up the pathway again... Though reading out all those places week after week must take a toll on a person, because you're never going to go there so apart from a load of people vainly holding onto their pools coupons in the hope they'll get 23 or 24 points and that weeks jackpot, who on earth would could care about somewhere in the back of beyond? Or that's generally their held view because someone hasn't scored a goal to get them that crucial draw... 

Draw your own conclusions from this!

"Some godforsaken place nil..."

So we've come to end of the another action packed programme, next week we'll have Yachting from Cowes, The World Tiddlywinks Championships from Luton and Karting from Far.. nborough.. I do hope you can join again then... See you next Saturday!

Have a good week, until next week...

Over 500 channels and in the beginning it was a dummy's head in 20 line vision, we've come a long way with television in 75 years from 4:3 to 16:9 and HD. But what's the part that anyone matters, its whether their show will be on at the same time every week, nay every day in some cases. The schedules have been a key pat of the growth of television if that be cooking with Fanny Craddock, A boxing match from the Empire Baths, Wembley or Jools Holland and Paula Yates giving a kick up the anals of television with The Tube. Looking through the television pages say for a Thursday, taking today (13/10/2011) as an example, ask anyone what's on BBC1 at 7.30pm tonight and they'll say Eastenders, that's no matter if they like the programme or not. Its like an in-built sat-nav really that we can tell without looking at television listings when our favourite programmes are on generally.

"Give it the works... *click*"

Scheduling follows a pattern in which the viewer has the familiarity of knowing, as Michael Grade once put it "The smell of a Sunday Night hit..." Sunday's are the night of the costume drama and the detective, the way of putting the feet up and immersing in a book only in pictures and being acted out in front of you. Something like The Onedin Line or Poldark is like a world of fiction spread out, as such for the ladies a strapping but rough hero who battles the rights and wrongs of his world as his mistresses go about supporting him but with enough pep to hold their own in this world. Even something as Bergerac or Shoestring can be seen in the same vain, action and also nice scenery to look at, the men make the programmes as such to be recognisable through the winter months, such was John Nettles' effect that he was able to spread himself from the programme guaranteeing work in panto, personal appearances and also guest star spots with the likes of Les Dawson on his show. The roaring fire and the warmth plus the knot in the stomach of every youngster of that they have to go to school in the morning, this sets the scene perfectly for the post cake and sandwich tea.

A schedule is like a variety bill and of course most the early protagonists for Independent Television coming from that variety background its little surprise they do read like a variety bill in that sense. The acts underneath such as comedians and speciality acts keeping the audience amused ready for the big star to come on and do their thing at the top of the bill. For instance with Saturday nights, entertainers or comedians have always warmed the audience ready for the big show. But in the past few weeks, the new BBC One controller has changed this by putting an edition of Celebrity Masterchef early on a Saturday night where normally Total Wipeout would be to bring in the punters for Strictly Come Dancing, seemingly it has changed the landscape of what a Saturday schedule should be. But that's nothing new, even back in 1970's Lew Grade thought ITV could better be served by putting entertainment in the World of Sport slot cutting down on its hours that they were broadcasting live sport each and every Saturday. That didn't happen totally until 1985 when the programme was seemingly out of date and eventually along with Wrestling, Darts and other sports that programmes like Mind Your Language, Please Sir! and also The Cuckoo Waltz were repeated saying that they were comedy classics. To the young viewer, this was pleasing to see something I had never seen before such as the same would be said also of Windmill on BBC2 at Sunday lunchtimes.

Stand aside The Bionic Woman... It's the Pneumatic Woman!

People plead for structure in their viewing still, know that something will at the same time each day. BBC1 always starts The One Show after a trip around the regions, how much to some people it might be as mind-numbing but it bring a viewer into the evening. They might not stay with a channel for a whole night now, we are offered the choice of viewing so during in a evening I could watch The Sweeney on ITV4, Inspector Morse on ITV3, Mighty Ships on Quest and Catchphrase on Challenge. We are given free reign on being the scheduler nowadays, but when it comes down to it, we just want to know that a programme will on the same time every week or that a certain type of programme will be on at a time.

Choice? The more we want, the more we are confused... Be thankful to scheduler, at least they've made a decision for you or if that's not your bag. Look out, go for a walk, read a book or perhaps we should go back to the potter's wheel... Then at least we know what the programme would be about then...