TV back in the day

[IPRN]

They tried dumming down Muffin The Mule. but 60's kids wouldn't stand for it!

 

[dogmatique]

There is a world of difference between Monty Python and Little Britain.

Of course there is, all's me saying is that talent will out and it will follow the channels available to it, be that radio, tv, whatever.

 

[paolo]

C4 started with Countdown. A minute or so after the iconic "baa... baa... bah! bah!" blocky 3D ident flow into our screens. (If you are 'hearing' a Timpani roll to finish... well, that was only added a few years later). How TV's blandest man - Richard Whitely - became a national favourite I don't know but I had a soft spot for the programme and the man.

The addition of C4 was bloody exciting to me. I was 14 or so, had a telly in my bedroom, and suddenly there was this whole new world. All sorts of edgy weirdness (compared with mainstream telly back then). Who could forget the "Red Triangle" films. At that age, it basically made something a "must watch" despite frustrating subtitles or subtle plots - on the chance of seeing some vague porn or... well... whatever it was I wasn't meant to be watching. I think I watched more art-house movies then than I do now. I fact I know I did.

These days, well there's a zilllion channels of shite. About 20 more zillion if you are subscribe to Sky. But I think we've got alot of fab stuff in amongst the dross. Some really innovative programmes. And you don't need to pay an "off centre" provider to get them. Fire up your Freeview box, slap your license fee on the table (or, err, not) and you've got the best telly in the world.

There was some good stuff 20 or 30 years ago, but I think we're trumping it now.

 

[The Boy]

It appears to be a widely held view that TV has relentlessly dumbed down in recent years. A constant stream of "reality", quizzes, garden/house/makeover fare and gutlessly bland chat has conspired to render pretty much everyone nostalgic for days when TV was *obviously* better.

So, what do people remember fondly which is no longer? I'm thinking more of formats/genres than individual shows.

For me:-

1) Regular drama with social comment in it e.g. Play for today etc.

2) The testcard - an uplifting reminder that there's more to life than gawping at a screen.

Remember fondly?

Walden on Heros & Walden on Villains. Old intellectual sitting in what looked like a library, talking to the camera for a half hour/hour (can't remember).

Don't think I've see any broadcasts that match them.

ETA: WAlden on villians was 1999, not sure about the first one.

 

[stavros]

Re. Countdown, after a very nervy start Des has settled in well and is excellent in the presenter's role. But someone needs to tell Vorderman to shut the fuck up, just read out the letters and numbers and occasionally do some sums but other than that stop thinking you are the point of the show. Maybe this is typical of the route C4 has gone, worshipping "fame" above talent.

 

[kakuma]

they still shut down half the channels here at midnight (complete with national anthem and sweeping shots of koreans at work, korean national team etc)

i don't think tv is as good now everyone has cable tv. it does make a massive difference to how you watch. when there was 4 channels, you would flick through them for 5 minutes, then give up and do something else. now you flick through channels for about 40 minutes and end up watching MTV

 

[pogofish]

No, Television used to close down before midnight, until the mid/late 1980's..... (In 1973, for example, Closedown was 10:30pm)

Generally, the last programme before transmission shut down was
usually called "Night Thoughts" or somthing similar, & in the BBC's case followed by the National Anthem.

The "Childrens Truce" was in the 1950's, & was broken by ITV...

Depended on the region. Whilst BBC may have gone off the air @10:30, ITV regions went on for an hour or so later & at weekends, maybe broadcast till 12 or 12:30 sometimes. Ended with something light-religious called "late call" here, then a short piece to camera by the continuity announcer then a rousing blast of music then the station ident.

Stayed pretty stable till @1980 when both sides began to push the closedowns forward for both weekdays & weekends - By the time they went 24hr, it was often after 2am at weekends anyeay.

The childrens truce continued a lot longer in Scotland, on both sides. Although ITV had a shorter shutdown - restarted @6 or 6:30 with Coronation St IIRC. The Nationwide/Reporting Scotland bundle in the early 70s was what ended it totally here. The only folk who got any TV in that time were those on Rediffusion Cable with Thames/LWT as well. The output was often strange & mysterious to us youngsters as well. Nothing like our regional progs!