My 70's TV Childhood

Join me, as I count down the top 10 American detective and crime shows that captivated British audiences during the 1970s. From the sun-soaked highways of California to the gritty streets of New York, these imported dramas provided weekly escapes that became essential Saturday night viewing for families across the UK. Inspired by listener Adam's request for a follow-up to our UK detective shows episode, I explore how American television transformed British living rooms with glamorous location...

Welcome back to My 70's TV Childhood Quiz, where we test your memories of what was on the box during that memorable decade! This quiz is an offshoot of the My 70's TV Childhood podcast, which looks back fondly on what it was like to grow up as a child in 1970's Britain and the important role that television played in our lives back then. As always, we have 20 questions over 4 rounds. It's just for fun, and the quizmaster's answer is the final one! So settle down with a pen and paper and your ...

Join me, as I take you back to the rebellious world of Magpie, ITV's groundbreaking children's show that first hit the screens in 1968 as a bold rival to the BBC's Blue Peter. With presenters like Mick Robertson and Jenny Hanley, Magpie wasn't afraid to be different. It brought live music from bands such as T-Rex into the mix and tackled serious topics like bullying and whale conservation. All quite daring for its time. One of my favourite memories has to be when Mick Robertson dangled off a ...

Welcome back to My 70's TV Childhood Quiz, where we test your memories of what was on the box during that memorable decade! As always, we have 20 questions over 4 rounds. It's just for fun, and the quizmaster's answer is the final one! So settle down with a pen and paper and your favourite beverage! Here's what we've got lined up for you: 📺Round One: Trumptonshire! All about the three shows in the so-called Trumpton trilogy. Yes, we know they were made in the 1960s, but they were very much an...

This week, I'm exploring one of the 1970s most beloved television programmes - "All Creatures Great and Small." Inspired by my recent experience with expensive veterinary bills for one of our cats, this episode reflects on how dramatically our attitudes towards pets and animal care have changed since the 1970s. I begin with my childhood memories of pets at our Victorian vicarage in Padgate, from Flopsy the escape-artist rabbit who repeatedly ran off to join wild rabbits on the old RAF base, t...

Welcome back to My 70's TV Childhood Quiz, where we test your memories of what was on the box during that memorable decade! This quiz is an offshoot of the My 70's TV Childhood podcast, which looks back fondly on what it was like to grow up as a child in 1970's Britain and the important role that television played in our lives back then. If you haven't listened, I really recommend you do. As always, we have 20 questions over 4 rounds. It's just for fun, and the quizmaster's answer is the fina...

This week, we have a very special guest joining us - the accomplished actress and author Nina Saville! Nina is perhaps best known to our listeners as Mr. Rumbold's secretary in the beloved BBC sitcom "Are You Being Served?" - a role that made her part of one of Britain's most enduring comedy classics. Nina shares fascinating insights into the golden age of British television when comedy shows were performed live without canned laughter, creating that organic chemistry we all remember so fondl...

Welcome back to My 70's TV Childhood Quiz, where we test your memories of what was on the box during that memorable decade! 🎉 SPECIAL MILESTONE EPISODE! 🎉 Today we're celebrating our 50th quiz episode! It's been fifty episodes since we responded to your calls for more content by introducing our fortnightly quiz, and we're delighted that many of you have been playing along for quite some time. Well done with your stamina! This quiz is an offshoot of the My 70's TV Childhood podcast, which look...

This week, we're diving into one of the most beloved and gloriously chaotic pieces of 70s children's television - The Flashing Blade! Originally a serious French historical drama called "Le Chevalier Tempête," this tale of dashing French spy Chevalier de Recci became a British TV legend thanks to some wonderfully eccentric dubbing. Recording from Melbourne during the Australian winter, Oliver explores how this big-budget French production about the War of Spanish Succession became a summer ho...

Welcome back to My 70's TV Childhood Quiz, where we test your memories of what was on the box during that memorable decade! This quiz is an offshoot of the My 70's TV Childhood podcast, which looks back fondly on what it was like to grow up as a child in 1970's Britain and the important role that television played in our lives back then. If you haven't listened, I really recommend you do. As always, we have 20 questions over 4 rounds. It's just for fun, and the quizmaster's answer is the fina...

This week, we're diving into the wonderful world of 1970s summer holidays - from the surprising success of sitcom film spinoffs to family holiday traditions and those magical school holiday TV schedules that kept us glued to our screens. Remember when "On the Buses" topped the UK box office in 1971, beating The Godfather? The 70s were obsessed with turning popular sitcoms into films - Dad's Army, Are You Being Served, Porridge, and even the forgotten Spanish spinoff "Don't Drink the Water" st...

Welcome back to My 70's TV Childhood Quiz, where we test your memories of what was on the box during that memorable decade! This quiz is an offshoot of the My 70's TV Childhood podcast, which looks back fondly on what it was like to grow up as a child in 1970's Britain and the important role that television played in our lives back then. If you haven't listened, I really recommend you do. As always, we have 20 questions over 4 rounds. It's just for fun, and the quizmaster's answer is the fina...

This week, we're exploring the martial arts craze that swept Britain in the 1970s, inspired by the unlikely hit TV series "Kung Fu" starring David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine, the wandering Shaolin monk. Remember those Saturday tea times when we were allowed to eat in front of the TV? The lineup was glorious - Pink Panther, Alias Smith and Jones, and of course, Kung Fu. This slow, meditative Western about a half-Chinese, half-American monk wandering the Old West was unlike anything else on ...

Welcome back to My 70's TV Childhood Quiz, where we test your memories of what was on the box during that memorable decade! This quiz is an offshoot of the My 70's TV Childhood podcast, which looks back fondly on what it was like to grow up as a child in 1970's Britain and the important role that television played in our lives back then. If you haven't listened, I really recommend you do. As always, we have 20 questions over 4 rounds. It's just for fun, and the quizmaster's answer is the fina...

This week, I'm taking inspiration from the BBC's classic viewer feedback show "Points of View" to share some of the wonderful messages you've sent me over the years. It's a celebration of our shared 70s TV memories and the amazing community we've built together. Since starting the podcast in 2020, I've been overwhelmed by the volume and variety of comments from listeners. It seems I'm not the only one for whom brief fragments of sitting watching the box bring back happy memories. This episode...

Welcome back to My 70's TV Childhood Quiz, where we test your memories of what was on the box during that memorable decade! This quiz is an offshoot of the My 70's TV Childhood podcast, which looks back fondly on what it was like to grow up as a child in 1970's Britain and the important role that television played in our lives back then. If you haven't listened, I really recommend you do. As always, we have 20 questions over 4 rounds. It's just for fun, and the quizmaster's answer is the fina...

This week, we return with the ultimate sporting spectacle of the 70s: Superstars, where our greatest athletes stepped out of their comfort zones to compete in the classiest school sports day ever televised. First airing on New Year's Eve 1973 as "Britain's Sporting Superstars," this brilliant concept saw elite athletes from different sports competing against each other in everything except their own discipline. I vividly remember the sheer excitement of watching David Hemery, Jackie Stewart, ...

Welcome back to My 70's TV Childhood Quiz, where we test your memories of what was on the box during that memorable decade! This quiz is an offshoot of the My 70's TV Childhood podcast, which looks back fondly on what it was like to grow up as a child in 1970's Britain and the important role that television played in our lives back then. If you haven't listened, I really recommend you do. As always, we have 20 questions over 4 rounds. It's just for fun, and the quizmaster's answer is the fina...

This week, I take a nostalgic journey through one of the most iconic talent shows of the 1970s – "Opportunity Knocks!" While watching modern talent competitions like "Britain's Got Talent" and "The Masked Singer," I found myself reminiscing about Monday evenings in the 70s when families across Britain would gather around their televisions to watch aspiring performers compete for fame on Hughie Green's legendary show. "Opportunity Knocks" was a true British institution that began on BBC radio ...

Welcome back to My 70's TV Childhood Quiz, where we test your memories of what was on the box during that memorable decade! This quiz is an offshoot of the My 70's TV Childhood podcast, which looks back fondly on what it was like to grow up as a child in 1970's Britain and the important role that television played in our lives back then. If you haven't listened, I really recommend you do. As always, we have 20 questions over 4 rounds. It's just for fun, and the quizmaster's answer is the fina...