S24 Contemporary TV

[Jonno]

What else were you watching on TV as Sylvester McCoy made his debut? In the 6 years we've moved on since S18, we've gained a fourth national channel and the twice-weekly EastEnders is the most watched show on BBC1. Daytime TV is now well established, including Neighbours although at this time it's not on at teatime, so is becoming a cult, but not yet mainstream, smash.

To jog your memories, here's the Top 20 for September 1987 :

1) EastEnders - 18.4m
2) EastEnders - 17.9m
3) Romancing The Stone - 14.2m
4) Coronation Street - 14.2m
5) Coronation Street - 14.1m
6) Beyond Bermuda Triangle - 13.4m
7) News (ITV) - 12.9m
8) Blind Date - 12.5m
9) Taggart - 11.8m
10) The Last Frontier - 11.8m
11) News (ITV) - 11.3m
12) The Two of Us - 11.2m
13) Bread - 11.1m
14) Sins - 10.9m
15) New Faces of '87 - 10.8m
16) Bust - 10.6m
17) Beadle's About - 10.6m
18) Three Up, Two Down - 10.6m
19) 3-2-1 - 10.0m
20) Russ Abbot Show - 9.9m

ITV is still dominating with 15 of those positions, and I believe EE's figures include the omnibus repeat which always gave it an artificial boost. I ddin't realise 3-2-1 was still going in 87 - what with that, Beadle and Cilla ITV certainly ruled the roost on Saturday evenings!

[Andrew Curnow]

I think you're right about EE's Omnibus figures being included, Jonno - and of course, both the two main soaps were only twice-weekly back then weren't they. I used to be a big fan of EE, so I'm just trying to remember what was happening in the Square in 1987 - anyone know?

Nice to see Russ Abbot and Three up Two Down on there. The latter wasn't actually the greatest sitcom ever written, but somehow the Michael Elphick/Angela Thorne combination gave it a real lift - I'm not saying the actors saved the show, but they definitely helped make it SO big.

[Jonno]

Yes, two episodes each - Corrie went to 3 in 1989 but EE not until 1994.

EE in 1987 - Arthur spent 4 weeks in prison (remember him stealing the Xmas money the previous year?); Angie manager of the Dagmar (introduction of James Wilmott-Brown); Den and Mags and Jan; Colin and Barry - the gay "kiss"- peck on the forehead, wasn't it?!

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Wasn't it this season that was followed by Rockcliffe's Follies?

[SiHart]

I think that was the following year. Funnily enough we had a lodger while S24 was on who later got a part in Rockcliffe's Follies. It's a small world.

Si xx

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Yeah - they took a very rough format of Rockcliffe's Babies - which was all about tough urban policework (kind of an 80s Sweeney) ... and turned it all Midsummer Murders.

[Jonno]

Here's the Top 20 for October 87 :

1) EastEnders - 20.7m
2) EastEnders - 17.8m
3) Coronation Street - 15.7m
4) Coronation Street - 15.4m
5) Blind Date - 14.6m
6) Raiders of the Lost Ark - 14.0m
7) Bread - 13.6m
8) Only Fools and Horses - 13.6m
9) Dear John - 12.5m
10) Beadle's About - 12.4m
11) The Bill - 12.1m
12) Three Up, Two Down - 11.8m
13) News (ITV) - 11.8m
14) Strike It Lucky - 11.6m
15) Howard's Way - 11.5m
16) Russ Abbot Show - 11.4m
17) Bullseye - 11.2m
18) The Krypton Factor - 11.2m
19) Live From The Palladium - 11.1m
20) Clive James On TV - 10.9m

BBC fights back in the Autumn schedules with 8 in the 20 including 5 in the Top 10. Raiders did extremely well, especially as it wasn't even its premiere showing. And Only Fools must have been a repeat as there was no new series in either 87 or 88. And I didn't realise Bullseye was quite so popular - I guess I thought of it as more of a cult type thing!

[MacNimon]

Television in general wasn't as good at that time as it was 6 years earlier. Out of both those lists, Taggart and OFAH are the only series I've been a regular viewer of through the good times and bad. I only watched the likes of Russ Abbott, Beadle and Clive James occasionally, and I was never a big soap fan and avaoided Cilla like the plague...I always found her to be one of the most annoying personalities on tv!

[SiHart]

I remember enjoying My Family and Other Animals which was shown throughout that autumn. It's not on any of the charts here, but it was really good stuff.

Si xx

[Rob McCow]

Searching for a schedule, I've found that a pilot episode for A Bit of Fry and Laurie was broadcast on Sat 26 Dec 1987 at 23:55!

I'd have certainly been watching 'Going Live' every Saturday morning at this time. I also seem to remember Hi-De-Hi being on after Doctor Who - is this right?

[Jonno]

I'm fairly sure it was, but must have been repeats as the final series ran from Boxing Day 87 - January 88.

Here's the Top 20 for November 87 :

1) EastEnders - 22.8m
2) EastEnders - 20.0m
3) Coronation Street - 16.3m
4) Bread - 15.8m
5) Coronation Street - 15.7m
6) 21 Years of the Two Ronnies - 13.7m
7) This Is Your Life - 13.4m
8) Blind Date - 13.4m
9) The Bill - 13.1m
10) The Charmer - 12.8m
11) Boon 12.5m
12) Howard's Way - 12.3m
13 News, Sport, Weather (BBC) - 12.0m
14) Just Good Friends - 11.6m
15) Whatever Next - 11.4m
16) 3-2-1 - 11.4m
17) Home To Roost - 11.3m
18) Crossroads - 11.2m
19) In Sickness And In Health - 11.2m
20) The Krypton Factor - 11.0m

I do remember enjoying 21 Years of the Two Ronnies, and indeed 22 Years... the following year. One of them featured The Worm That Turned, that I did remember from 1980 - I believe it was set in 2010!