Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 26 to 40 of 40
  1. #26
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    South Wales
    Posts
    1,809

    Default

    For The Love of Ada is a gentle sit-com starring Yorkshireman Wilfred Pickles (wartime newsreader) and then popular comedienne Irene Handle.

    Ada starts a relationship with Walter Bingley (Wilfred Pickles), the gravedigger who buried her husband, after meeting him at the cemetery while laying flowers on her husband's grave. Walter is a stout Yorkshireman whose relationship with Ada slowly changes from one of companionship to one of romance. They get engaged and later marry after which they move in together at his cemetery lodge abode.

    Ada is prone to using malapropisms which Irene Handl uses to good effect. In essence this show is about a burgeoning romance between elderly people and the bumps along the way.

    The series also starred the lovely Barbara Mitchell who was featured in contemporary ads for Palmolive washing up liquid, and Jack Smethurst, best known for his role as bigoted Eddie Booth in Love Thy Neighbour also in 1971.

    Ada ran for two series in 1970 and '71 and a film spin off in 1972.

    All episodes exist and are available on DVD from Network.
    Last edited by Stephen Morgan; 16th Feb 2011 at 8:32 PM.

  2. #27
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    London
    Posts
    3,166

    Default

    There's a DVD for Si!

  3. #28
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    London
    Posts
    3,166

    Default

    Here's the Top 20 for May 1971, with numbers of households rather than viewers :

    1) Coronation Street - 7.4m
    2) This Is Your Life - 7.2m
    3) For The Love of Ada - 7.1m
    4) Coronation Street - 6.8m
    5) Doctor At Large - 6.8m
    6) And Mother Makes Three - 6.7m
    7) Opportunity Knocks - 6.7m
    8) News At Ten (ITV) - 6.5m
    9) The Mind of J.G. Reader - 6.4m
    10) World In Action - 6.0m
    11) News At Ten - 6.0m
    12) Budgie - 5.8m
    13) The Great Train Race - 5.8m
    14) A Man Called Ironside - 5.8m
    15) The Dick Emery Show - 5.7m
    16) The Two Ronnies - 5.7m
    17) News At Ten - 5.6
    18) Z Cars - 5.4m
    19) The Sky's The Limit - 5.3m
    20) Comanche - 5.3m


    For The Love of Ada moves up to 3rd!

  4. #29
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    South Wales
    Posts
    1,809

    Default

    Nice to see Budgie in there at 12.

  5. #30
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    London
    Posts
    3,166

    Default

    Do you know what The Mind of J.G. Reader was, Steve? It moves up in the June chart (coming soon).

  6. #31
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Bracknell, Berks
    Posts
    29,744

    Default

    It's another series that's been released recently by Network DVD. It starred Hugh Burden who played Channing in Spearhead from Space. I think it was some kind of period dtective drama.

    Si xx

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

  7. #32
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    London
    Posts
    3,166

    Default

    Thanks Si - and welcome back!

  8. #33
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Bracknell, Berks
    Posts
    29,744

    Default

    Thanks Jonno! It's nice to be back.

    here's the DVD details:



    To fight crime it is surely useful to have a criminal mind, and JG Reeder is such a good detective exactly for this reason. Inspired by the slovenly police officer with a phenomenal sixth sense, created by British crime writer Edgar Wallace, THE MIND OF MR JG REEDER is the TV adaptation of the popular character’s adventures. Features the complete series.
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mind-Mr-JG-R...8536674&sr=8-2

    Si xx

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

  9. #34
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    London
    Posts
    3,166

    Default

    Here's the Top 20 for June 1971, with numbers of households rather than viewers :

    1) Opportunity Knocks - 6.6m
    2) Coronation Street - 6.6m
    3) Mike and Bernie's Show - 6.2m
    4) News At Ten (ITV) - 6.1m
    5) The Sky's The Limit - 6.1m
    6) The Mind of J.G. Reeder - 6.0m
    7) Coronation Street - 6.0m
    8) Queenie's Castle - 5.9m
    9) Budgie - 5.9m
    10) Black And White Minstrels - 5.9m
    11) The Last of the Baskets - 5.8m
    12) News At Ten - 5.8m
    13) News At Ten - 5.8m
    14) News At Ten - 5.8m
    15) A Man Called Ironside - 5.7m
    16) World In Action - 5.7m
    17) And Mother Makes Three - 5.5m
    18) Kindly Leave The Kerb - 5.5m
    19) Wreck of the Mary Deare - 5.4m
    20) Hine - 5.4m


    Lots of stuff there I've never even heard of! Only 3 shows for the Beeb with its most popular being the infamous Minstrels.

  10. #35
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    South Wales
    Posts
    1,809

    Default

    Let's see, there are a few vague memories there.

    Hine was played by Barrie Ingham who was a rich arms merchant, and over the course of 13 weeks eventually got caught by the Inland Revenue.

    And Mother Makes Three was a gentle comedy starring the wonderful Wendy Craig as the inept single mum Sally Harrison struggling to bring up two young kids. The series also starred Robin Davies of Catweazle.

    Queenie's Castle starred Diana Dors as the eponymous Queenie Shepherd, the programme revolved around the lives and, often illegal, activities of the residents of a tower block in early 1970s Leeds, West Yorkshire. Queenie's husband Lionel never appears, leaving the neighbours and viewers alike to assume he is in prison. Various excuses are made, such as "He's working on the motorway in Carlisle", but these change throughout the series.
    This one was a popular fixture in our house.

    Budgie was Adam Faith's vehicle, which also starred Ian Cuthbertson as the irrepressible Charlie Endall, Budgie, a small time crook, always tried, and failed, to get the better of Charlie, who was too shrewd for him. All these episodes are available on DVD which I would thouroughly recommend.

    The Sky's The Limit was Hughie Green's quiz show. Hughie also has the top show with Op Knocks, the X Factor of its day which at this time in '71 had featured multiple winners Middle of the Road who were headed for the charts with Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep which would become a huge summer hit. Op Knocks also made stars of Les Dawson and Pam Ayres in '70 '71.

    Wreck of the Mary Deare is a familiar title, I'll have to check that one out, but I have no idea what Kindly Leave the Kerb is (ah.. it's a comedy starring Peter Butterworth and Peter Jones, 6 episodes apparently), and Last of the Baskets is another short lived comedy starring Ken Jones, Arthur Lowe and the wonderful Patricia Hayes, soon to earn a BAFTA for Edna The Inebriate Woman.

    Mike and Benie Winters, never liked them.

    Coronation Street? Still the Elsie and Ena show at this point I think.

  11. #36
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    London
    Posts
    3,166

    Default

    Thanks for filling in the gaps, Steve, it's always interesting to read your memories!

  12. #37
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    South Wales
    Posts
    1,809

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jonno Simmons View Post
    Thanks for filling in the gaps, Steve, it's always interesting to read your memories!
    While some memories remain strong I must admit I had to look some of that up, I do have stronger memories of some TV while other stuff is a bit vague, but I did remember that Last of the Baskets starred Ken Jones before I looked it up.

  13. #38
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Shrewsbury
    Posts
    5,890

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Stephen Morgan View Post
    Nice to see Budgie in there at 12.
    I remember watching 'Budgie' on Channel 4 in the early 80s - very enjoyable, if I remember correctly. Plus it had one of the best theme tunes EVER!

  14. #39
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    South Wales
    Posts
    1,809

    Default

    Budgie's great, Adam Faith plays the petty crook and downtrodden title character well, while Iain Cuthbertson as Charlie Endall, respectable night club owner on the surface but powerful underworld villain in reality, tries to keep him in tow. Budgie's girlfriend, played by the lovely Lynn Dalby tries in vain to keep him out of trouble, but Budgie is in and out of prison on a regular basis.
    It's written by Willis Hall and Keith Waterhouse, themselves with a great TV pedigree behind them. Waterhouse wrote Billy Liar, and together they worked on screenplay adaptations of Whistle Down The Wind and A Kind Of Loving to name but two.
    I'd recommend anyone here to get the DVD's of Budgie, they're a good slice of 70's tv..Oh! another excellent piece of tv from the late sixties and early seventies is Alfred Burke in Public Eye. I say this because Burke has recently died aged 93, and was one of Britain's most under rated actors, his turn as Marker in Public Eye an understated performance and well worth a look.

  15. #40
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Sittingbourne, Kent, UK
    Posts
    2,403

    Default

    A bit late, but a couple of other season 8 contemprary TV items that don't appear to have been mentioned yet.

    Dave Allen began his run of BBC shows with the first series of Dave Allen At Large, giving us plenty of irreverwnt humour and some downright surreal items at times.

    Morecambe and Wise had a particularly good year, with their fifth and sixth series and a Christmas special. Highlights include Francis Matthews in Robin hood, Arthur Lowe in Monty on the Bonty, Tom Jones's backing singers, and Glenda Jackson in Antony and Cleopatra. Their Christmas show that year included one of their best known routines, as Andre Previn foolishly agrees to conduct Grieg's Piano Concerto, and Eric plays all the rigth notes, but not necessarily in the right order....

Similar Threads

  1. S22 Contemporary TV
    By Jonno in forum ...to Season 22!
    Replies: 25
    Last Post: 7th May 2013, 9:08 PM
  2. S19 Contemporary TV
    By Jonno in forum ...to Season 19!
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 19th Feb 2012, 5:02 PM
  3. S11 Contemporary TV
    By Jonno in forum ...to Season 11!
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 5th Jan 2012, 11:24 PM
  4. S24 Contemporary TV
    By Jonno in forum ...to Season 24!
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 18th Dec 2010, 3:35 PM
  5. S24 Contemporary Sci-Fi
    By WhiteCrowNZ in forum ...to Season 24!
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 6th Dec 2010, 10:19 AM