I’ve fired up the Randomiser, which has taken me back to 1977 to spend a week riffling through the television schedules. Hope there’s some good programmes to watch ….
There’s something pleasing about Monty Python and Q6 sitting next to each other on BBC2 (especially since the Pythons were always quick to acknowledge the debt they owed to Spike). Today’s edition of Python hails from the first series (Man’s Crisis of Identity in the Latter Half of the Twentieth Century) which is fine by me, as it’s probably the run of episodes I return to the most.
Given the lengthy gap between Q5 and Q6, Milligan was on top form throughout most of Q6 (later series tended to crop up more regularly and were much more bitty).
I’ve just started rewatching Don’t Forget to Write! so that’s going on the list. This programme always has a slightly odd feel for me – it could easily have fitted into a 30 minute sitcom slot, but instead was a 50 minute non-audience drama/comedy. George Cole, Gwen Watford with Francis Matthews head the cast.
The BBC schedules are stuffed with repeats today. Apart from Python and Q6 on BBC2 there’s also Poldark and Play for Today on BBC1. The Play for Today repeat makes sense as the sequel to this play will be broadcast tomorrow, so I’ll be tuning in for both of them (anything with Peter Barkworth is worth a look).
All of this means that I won’t have much time over on ITV, although if I’ve a spare half hour then there’s always Coronation Street.
Archive Television Musings 
Coronation Street in April 1977 saw the long awaited wedding of Len & Rita Fairclough, but I believe it was televised the week before.
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This week’s Street action is a little more low key, but Renee falls in the river on Wednesday whilst fishing (and gets rescued by Mavis!) so I think I’ll make time for that …
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Jamie and his Magic Torch was surreal. (Does anyone remember The Magic Ball?) BBC1’s lunchtime programme for younger viewers was The Flumps. This would have been the first screening of The Flumps. Blue Peter showed you how to make a Flump.
I didn’t watch Blue Peter that day. In 1977 Blue Peter moved from the 4.40pm slot to 5.10pm, so the Monday edition clashed with Batman. That evening’s episode was the last of a three part story where the Penguin teamed up with Marsha Queen of Diamonds (Carolyn Jones from The Addams Family). (The other three-parter was Zodiac Crimes where the Joker teamed up with the Penguin.)
I would have watched the repeat of Kizzy, the drama about a gypsy girl.
I did see one episode of Little and Large’s ITV series. The first time I saw them was when they did Crackerjack in 1972. I next saw them doing Laurel and Hardy impressions on Who Do You Do, and then they got their own series. The following year they got their own series on BBC1 while Morcambe and Wise and Bruce Forsyth defected to ITV.
I definitely watched Monty Python followed by Q6. They showed six episodes of the first series of Monty Python as there were only six episodes of Q6. Man’s Crisis of Identity in the Latter Half of the 20th Century was the fifth episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, and the first one broadcast in colour. The first four were shown when BBC1 was still in black and white. It’s not the most memorable episode of the series apart from the nightmare job interview, and possibly confuse-a-cat.
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I should think that I watched a BBC1 stretch from Play School to Fred Basset (with only partial comprehension of most of the programmes) – this will be the case for all of this week. My father’s diary records watching “TV play The Saturday Party (Peter Barkworth)”.
Thinking myself now back into 1977… A repeat-heavy day would result in a light evening’s viewing. I would see Coronation Street, the Monty Python repeat (which would have become old enough to attract scarcity value) and World In Action. Maybe Women At War, too, if I was still feeling awake after ten.
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As with this year, 1977 was a common year beginning and ending on a Saturday. So 25th of April 1977 was a Monday, and 25th of April 2022 was a Monday.
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And who was on the cover of Radio and TV Tiimes for that week?
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