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  1. #1
    Pip Madeley Guest

    Default The A-Z of Children's TV

    Okay, let's give this a go - A to Z of children's television programmes. Post your choice and a little paragraph about why you like/dislike it. One rule - titles beginning with 'The' do not come under T, skip onto the first letter of the next word.

    I'll start us off...

    ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS



    Awesome theme tune - Alvin, Simon... THEODORE! They just don't write them like that anymore! One of my favourites as a kid.

  2. #2
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    B can only be Blue Peter which celebrated an amazing 50th birthday last year! My era was Lesley, John and Peter, though I do vaguely recall Val on the Special Assignments. Shep, Petra and Jason the cat. My sister had a couple of the Annuals in the mid-late 70s.

  3. #3
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    C is for Chockablock.
    Slightly after my time, but much loved by my little brother who wanted to drive the Chockatruck and loved the Rockablock section in the middle. Of course the mighty Carol Leader was one of the presenters and she was my favourite Play School presenter and almost nearly played Leela.

    Si xx

    I've just got my handcuffs and my truncheon and that's enough.

  4. #4
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    D is for Dangermouse

    A classic cartoon series in every sense of the word, with its almost Douglas Adams like imagination, and a wonderful cast of voice artists. A very British success.
    Bazinga !

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    D has got to be DANGER-MOUSE. The best cartoon around when I was a kid. Terry Scott and David Jason were fantastic as the voices of Penfold and Danger-Mouse, and the man that did the annoucer at the start and at the end was just funny.
    I hope what I just wrote made sense, it did when I was thinking it.

  6. #6
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    Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaax xxxxxx !!

    Quote Originally Posted by cyberchris35 View Post
    the man that did the annoucer at the start and at the end was just funny.
    That was also David Jason
    Bazinga !

  7. #7
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    After much brain searching E could be for EMU'S PINK WINDMILL SHOW. Rod Hull and Emu with I think dancing kids and not to forget Grotbags the witch. Oh and the singing 'There's somebody at the door!'
    I hope what I just wrote made sense, it did when I was thinking it.

  8. #8
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    F is for Fingerbobs, in which we were entertained by a creepy bearded man wiggling his fingers (amazingly, there was even a spin-off) or The Flumps, a triumphant stop-frame animation affair featuring lumpy people in caps and with trombones.

    Si.

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    G is for Grange Hill.
    The best ongoing drama serial for kids there's ever been. A master stroke is setting it in a school, but looking at a school from both sides- the teachers and the pupils. In its time, at its peak it was unbeatable- everyone watched it, it dealt with some very current up to date issues and had loads of memorable characters. One of my favourites (I'm currently watching season 6... race hate issues ahoy this year..)

    Si xx

    I've just got my handcuffs and my truncheon and that's enough.

  10. #10
    Wayne Guest

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    H is for Hector's House.

    Cooky French puppets from the country that gave us 'The Magic Roundabout', both lampooned (amongst others) by 'The Goodies' in that famous episode that's so well known that i can't remember the name of it.

    Naughty old Hector!

  11. #11
    Pip Madeley Guest

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    INSPECTOR GADGET

    Accompanied by one of the catchiest theme tunes in television history, this was actually a pretty funny show Shame the movie was crap.

  12. #12
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    J is for Jamie and the Magic Torch



    For anyone who was young in the late 70s this was one of ITV's must watch shows. From the Glam Rock stomp of the rocking theme to the excellent Cosgrove Hall animation/ characters, this was must see TV for tots. I adored it!

    Si xx
    Last edited by SiHart; 18th Jun 2009 at 4:54 PM.

    I've just got my handcuffs and my truncheon and that's enough.

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    K is for Knightmare


    A very strange programme involving teams of kids guiding a 'blindfolded' team mate around CGI - CSO sets. Never saw any team get further than about 4 rooms, and involved lots of shouting at the TV when they were crap (especially in the 'Bomb' rooms)
    Bazinga !

  14. #14
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    I loved Knightmare! I remember the really quite gruesome 'life indicator' in the corner of the screen. If the player went too long without picking up food or drink bits of the helmet, then bits of his face, then bones of his skull would come off one by one until there was just an eyeball floating in a CGI snowstorm!

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    I never quite understood why the face disintegrated, then it started again and reformed, like the animation was on a loop.

    Si.

  16. #16

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    It only did that when they ate some food. And by "ate" I mean "put it in their bag".

  17. #17

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    L is for The Legends of Treasure Island.

    A brilliant, forgotten cartoon series based on Treasure Island where all the characters were animals and were voiced by British actors such as Dawn French and Richard E. Grant. All the episodes are up on Youtube.

    I always watched Knightmare. Dangermouse and Inspector Gadget always ended up saving the world by accident!

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    M is for Mr Men, which I used to love. The combination of the odd, white backgrounds and Arthur Lowe's soothing narration made for a comforting, charming storytelling program of which there was something nicely odd about it all.

    I just watched "Mr Nosey" on Youtube to rekindle my youth, in which a man is really nosey so the local villagers physically abuse him until he isn't any more. Nice.

    Si.

  19. #19
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    I liked Mr Daydream best.

    N is for Noah and Nelly in the Skylark
    Made by the same people who made Roobarb, Noah and Nelly in the Skylark was a highly surreal show with an ark full of two headed animals (one male head, one female) on a flying Ark piloted by the bearded Noah and the always knitting Nelly. Very odd, but I really liked it at the time.

    Si xx

    I've just got my handcuffs and my truncheon and that's enough.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Si Hunt View Post
    M is for Mr Men, which I used to love. The combination of the odd, white backgrounds and Arthur Lowe's soothing narration made for a comforting, charming storytelling program of which there was something nicely odd about it all.

    I just watched "Mr Nosey" on Youtube to rekindle my youth, in which a man is really nosey so the local villagers physically abuse him until he isn't any more. Nice.

    Si.
    Get yourself the DVDs, Si - they're great (but not the new ones with Pauline Collins' hubby doing the narrating ).
    Mr Men stories were a stalwart of assemblies put on by my form group when I was at school.

    O is for Origami with Robert Harbin

    Perhaps a bizarre choice, and I have only dim memories of it as a programme, but I loved his origami books and spent many hours struggling with some of the more fiendish models (and I think I might still have the books somewhere...)
    Bazinga !

  21. #21
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    P can only be for Pigeon Street.

    It was oddly gentle and relaxing, most of the 'action' taking place to the background noise of pigeon coos (yet no-one ever got splattered by bird poo). Who remembers the one where the two elderly lesbians pinched Gerald's football? The black people were a rare example of racial equality in late seventies kids TV, even if they were the window cleaners. And I used to love Long Distance Clara and her cool lorry. Who knew she was married to the man who ran the pet shop though? Very strange it's not out on DVD.

    Si.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Si Hunt View Post
    P can only be for Pigeon Street.

    It was oddly gentle and relaxing, most of the 'action' taking place to the background noise of pigeon coos (yet no-one ever got splattered by bird poo). Who remembers the one where the two elderly lesbians pinched Gerald's football? The black people were a rare example of racial equality in late seventies kids TV, even if they were the window cleaners. And I used to love Long Distance Clara and her cool lorry. Who knew she was married to the man who ran the pet shop though? Very strange it's not out on DVD.

    Si.
    And who could forget Uncle Gaylord..?

    I can't think of one for Q, so I'm going to skip to R which has to be...

    RENTAGHOST!

    One of the most bizarre kids programmes that I can think of, but very much part of my growing up. From the cheap theme song to the amusing pantomime horse, who could forget such a children's classic!

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    S is for SuperTed, which I don't remember much about but I remember it was quite a special, gentle (again) programme. Superted himself was a little bit soft and efete wasn't he? He looked like one heavy punch would literally knock the stuffing out of him. And it was the only superhero show where the assistant was Jon Pertwee playing a big spotty man. Called Spotty.

    Si.

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    And I'd forgotton the camp skeleton with the pink slippers!

    Si.

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    T is for The Tomorrow People

    Cheap once again is the word, but the stories are engaging and the series encouraged an outbreak of homosexuality aroiund the UK in the late 70s. I may have made that up. Anyway, at its best it's a great show. At its worst it's highl;y entertaining for all thw wrong reasons.

    Si xx

    I've just got my handcuffs and my truncheon and that's enough.

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