BBC2 'Look and Read' / 10x10m-e / 1998 

Writer: Jim Eldridge / Music: Debbie Wiseman / Costume: Eric Doughney / Producer: Cas Lester / Executive Producer: Anne Brogan / Director: Colin Cant

Fantasy drama serial. Shown as part of the Look and Read series for schools. A group of kids get involved with crooks and strange power crystals when they investigate the Legend of the Lost Keys.

With:- ANDREW SACHS as George / RICHARD MORANT as Sir Derek Janus / TATIANA STRAUSS as Dr Burns / ABIGAIL ANSELL as Mark / SITA RAMAMURPHY as The Taker / STAFFORD GORDON as The Catcher / SONIA GRAHAM as Anna

UK / BBC / 60?x25m-e / 1957-58/60 black and white

Producers: Johnny Downes, Ronald Eyre

Puppet variety series with Ventriloquist Terry Hall. Hall's other shows, much the same in format, included LENNY'S DEN (BBC 1959-61)  and POPS AND LENNY (BBC 1962-63, the Beatles once appeared on this show).  

BBC / x20m-e / 1959-61 black and white

Entertainment series. A sequel to the above entry and featuring further shenanigans of Lenny the Lion and his ventriloquist master Terry Hall.

USA / ABC-Sid and Marty Krofft / 17x30m-e / 1971

Executive Producers: Sid and Marty Krofft

Semi-animated adventure series. Young Mark visits magician Merlino and discovers a magic hat that sends him to the world of Lidsville, a land full of hats that come to life.

With:- BUTCH PATRICK as Mark / BILLY HAYES as Weenie the Genie / CHARLES NELSON REILLY as Hoo Doo / VAN SNOWDEN / JOY CAMPBELL / SHARON BAIRD / ANGELO ROSSITTO / Voices:- LENNIE WEINRIB / JOAN GERBER / WALKER EDMISTON

UK / ITV-Childsplay / 13x30m-e / 2000 10 January - 9 April Mondays 4.35pm and then from ep five Sundays 9.50am

Writers: Peter Tabern, Greg McQueen, Rik Carmichael, John Hay / Directors: Peter Tabern, Lorne Gregory, Justin Chadwick

SciFi drama series. 25 years in the future, with much of Britain under water and the population dwindling, two scientists, Richard and Amy Webber, on the small island of Black Coombe (previously the Cumbrian Mountains), set up a school of physicists helping environmental group Greenwatch. Two of the children, Ashok and Mai Li, attached to the group have telepathic powers (and glowing eyes). Following the arrest of the Webbers their two children Greg and Karen along with Mai Li and Ashok are forced to fend for themselves. They team up with Green campaigner Goodman. The show proved to be a bit of a hot potato for CITV with calls for it it to be taken off air because of some its more disturbing imagery (including a young boy sticking a pencil clean through his hand) It ended up having a very disjointed showing because of this.

With:- PAUL FOX as Greg Webber / JULIA HOWARTH as Karen Webber / PABLO DUARTE as Ashok / SARAH HOLLIS as Mai Li / KELLY HUNTER as Amy Webber / DAVID MALLINSON as Goodman / DAMIAN LEWIS as Kurt Glemser

UK / Granada / x30m-e / 1969-74

Teenage music show hosted by Ayshea Brough, Graham Bonney and Wally 'Pussy Willum' Whyton. In 1972 the title of the show changed to Lift Off With Ayshea.

UK / BBC1 / 24x25m-e / 1985-87

Creator: Frank Hopkinson / Producer: Judy Whitfield

Variety. A mixture of sketches and music with the acts in Seasons one and two introduced by a talking lift. Season three was hosted by David Copperfield and the title changed to Lift Off! With Coppers and Co. Also featured were Sally Dewhurst, Wendy Leavesley, Michael Seraphim and Anthony Hawes.    

BBC1 / 6x30m-e / 1990

Writer: Gillian Avery 

Drama serial set at the turn of the century.

With:- LEE BRENNAN / ROBERT CURLEY / JOHN FLANAGAN / ALICE MARTIN

UK / ABC / 10x30m-e / 1967 black and white

Writer: Trevor Preston / Novel: C.S. Lewis / Producer: Pamela Lonsdale  

Fantasy drama serial. A group of children have adventures in the magical kingdom of Narnia. See also the Chronicles of Narnia.

With:- ZULEIKA ROBSON / ELIZABETH CROWTHER / ELIZABETH WALLACE / PAUL WALLER / EDWARD McMURRAY

USA-Canada / Nickelodeon-CBC-Nelvana / x20m-e / 1996

Executive Producers: Maurice Sendak, John B. Carls / Music: Lesley Barber

Animated drama. Stories of a young bear cub and his friends who included a human girl, a duck, an owl, a cat and a chicken.

Voices:- KRISTIN FAIRLIE / JANET-LAINE GREEN / DAN HENNESSAY / ELIZABETH HANNA / TRACY RYAN 

UK / Central-Pentagon Motion Pictures / 13x10m-e / 1980's

Writer/Producer: Matthew Smith

Animated fantasy. Adventures of a pair of aliens, the Little Green Man and his yellow friend Zoom Zoom. The pair befriended young human boy Sidney Keets. Narrated by Jon Pertwee. 

UK / ITV-Cosgrove Hall-United / x10m-e / 2000  

Books: The Squirrel, The Hare and The Little Grey Rabbit by Alison Uttley / Writer: Helen Cresswell / Music: Martin Carthy, Eliza Carthy, John Kirkpatrick / Executive Producers: Dan Maddicott, Mark Hall / Producer/Director: Jean Flynn

Animation. Stories of a little grey rabbit and his friends the Hare and the squirrel.

Voices:- PAULINE COLLINS / HUGH LAURIE / ANDREW SACHS / EVE KARPF / MELISSA SINDEN / JIMMY HIBBERT / BOB BLACKSTRAW

UK / Crazy Cartoon-Splash! / x10m-e / 1998

Creator/Director: Tony Garth / Writer: Jimmy Hibbert / Theme Music: Gary Osborne / Producer: Heather Pedley / Design: Ian Jackson / Executive Producers: Theresa Plummer Andrews, Russell Dever, Brian Hopper, Keith Little, Robert Chris

Animation. Exploits of a group of young horrors who find mischief making an easy task.

Voices:- JANET JAMES / JILL SHILLING / DAVID HOLT / MELISSA SINDEN

UK-Sweden-Germany / x5m-e / 1994

Music: Manfred Schof / Executive Producers: Siegmund Grewing, Theresa Plummer Andrews / Director: Theo Kerp

Animation. English voices:- SUE SHERIDAN / JIMMY HIBBERT

London Weekend Television / 6x30m-e / 1986

Writer: Jeremy Burnham / Novel: Frances Hodgeson Burnett / Executive Producer: Nick Elliott / Producer: Colin Shindler / Director: Carol Wiseman

Period drama serial. Young Sara Crewe, from a wealthy family, has to move from her home in India to go to school in England, later following a tragedy she finds herself alone and penniless on the streets.

With:- AMELIA SHANKLEY as Sara Crewe / MAUREEN LIPMAN as Miss Minchin / NIGEL HAVERS as Carrisford

Canada / Canamac / 57x25m-e / 1966 and then again 1979-85

Producers: Darrell McGowan, Stuart McGowan

Adventure series. German Shepherd dog London travels around seeking out people in need. A remake appeared between the years 1979-85, the one with the extremely catchy theme tune.     

UK / BBC (part of the For the Children strand) / 6x30 minute episodes / Broadcast 12 December 1950 - 23 January 1951

Writer: Winifred Oughton, Brenda R Thompson / Novel: Louisa M Alcott / Design: Stephen Taylor, Lawrence Broadhouse / Producer: Pamela Brown 

Period drama serial. During the mid nineteenth century 4 sisters, Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy, cope with life in New England whilst their father is away fighting in the civil war. 
Quite a landmark production for a number of reasons, firstly it was the first fully fledged British TV serial (in fact it only went out in the South and the Midlands), it was also the first For The Children production - the BBC had only recently set in place a dedicated children's department. 

cast
JANE HARDIE as Jo March / SHEILA SHAND GIBBS as Meg March / NORA GAUSSEN as Beth March / SUSAN STEPHEN as Amy March / BARBARA EVEREST as Mrs March / ARTHUR RIDLEY as Mr March 

UK / BBC1 / x180m-e / 1993-2001

Entertainment. Saturday morning mix that took over from Saturday Superstore . The show featured cartoons, music, celebrity guests and often general mayhem. First presented by Andi Peters and Emma Forbes. Succeeded by Zoe Ball and Jamie Theakston and then on 25 September 1999 Emma Ledden and Steve Wilson took over. New hosts from 7 October 2000 were former Blue Peter presenter Katy Hill (Heather Suttie replaced Katy from the 7 April 2001 edition), Sarah Cawood, Trey Farley and Ortis. Comedians Trevor & Simon were an integral part of the early shows. See also L and K Friday. 

Specials:- Live and Kicking's Christmas Cracker (Sat 25 December 1999/ 1x120m-e / 8.00am) Guests included Westlife and Jesse Spencer.  / MUSIC LIVE SPECIAL (Monday 29 May 2000 / 1x90m-e / 9.15am) Producer: Lucy Bowden / Guests: Stephen Gately, S Club 7, Steps, Hanson, Travis, Charlotte Church, Sting and Nigel Kennedy. / LIVE AND KICKING PLAYS DIRTY (Friday 29 September 2000 / 1x15m-e / 4.45pm) The four new presenters (see above) get together for an outward bound adventure weekend. A slightly longer (by five minutes) version of this show was repeated the following week. 

USA/ Nickelodeon-Warner-Satellite / 1982-85

Executive Producer: Jeff Weber

Debate style show hosted by Fred Newman.

UK / BBC / x25m-e / 1971

Creator: Helen Cresswell 

Fantasy sitcom. In the village of Little Hemlock young Lizzie Dripping is the only one who can see 'The Witch'.

With:- TINA HEATH as Lizzie Dripping / SONIA DRESDEL as  The Witch / BARBARA MITCHELL as  Patty Arbuckle / GEOFFREY MATTHEWS as Albert Arbuckle 

Disney / x20m-e / 2001

Animated scifi comedy. 13 year old Lloyd Nebulon is your typical teenager except he is an alien and loves on a distant space station run by his mum.

Vooices: Courtland Mead as Lloyd Nebulon

USA / 26x25m-e / 1966

Animated adventure. Western exploits with the man in the mask and all round do-gooder The Lone Ranger and his trusty aide Tonto. See also the live action series of the same name.

UK / BBC / x30m-e / 1955-67

Wildlife series looking at all aspects of natural history. From 1959 onwards there were occasional forays abroad, these shows were called Faraway Look. Presented by Peter Scott. 

UK / BBC / x30m-e / 1960 (bw) 

Gripping wartime drama serial in which a group of British prisoners escape from a German camp and attempt to find their way home, with a traitor in their midst. Thanks to Julian Mercik for compiling this entry.

With:- Nigel Arkwright, Barry Letts, Patrick Cargill, Harvey Hall and ArthurLowe.

Long running UK schools literacy based series featuring a floating puppet called Wordy. Each season a different dramatic serial was shown ( a five minute segment each time), these have been repeated many times over the years.  For far more extensive information on the series visit Ben Clarkes excellent  Look and Read site.  

The serials were:-  

1. BOB AND CAROL / BBC 10x5m-e 1967  / Creator: Joyce M. Morris / Writer: Joy Thwaites / Producer: Claire Chovil / With:- JEAN ANDERSON / STEPHEN LEIGH / CHARLES LENO / VERONICA PURRELL / JEAN BARRETT Plot:- A pair of kids get involved in treasure hunting. 

2.  LEN AND THE RIVER MOB / BBC 10x5m-e 1968  / Writer: Leonard Kingston / Story: Roy Brown / Producer: Andrée Molyneux / Woith:- GEORGE LAYTON / DENIS POWELL / CHRIS CHITTELL / PHILIP BRACK / KENNETH COLLEY

3. THE BOY FROM SPACE / BBC 10x5m-e 1971  / Writer: Richard Carpenter / Producer: Maddelena Pagandini / With:- SYLVESTRA LE TOUZEL / STEPHEN GARLICK / MICHAEL GUEST / COLIN MAYES / GABRIEL WOLF / Plot:- A young alien has adventures after landing on Earth 

4. JOE AND THE SHEEP RUSTLERS / BBC 10x5m-e 1973/ Writer: Leonard Kingston / Producer: Andrée Molyneux / With:- STRUAN RODGER / MARTINE HOWARD / KEN JONES / MIKE GRADY / RITA HOWARD / PAUL HUMPOLETZ Plot:- A young boy tangles with evil sheep rustlers.

5. CLOUDBURST / BBC 10x5m-e 1974 / Writer: Richard Carpenter / Producer: Sue Weeks / With:- TINA HEATH / RICHARD CARPENTER / JANE CARR / MILES ANDERSON / CHARLES COLLINGWOOD / RENU SETNA / MICHAEL SHEARD / Plot:-  A sinister plot to harness the power of the weather for evil ends.

6. THE KING'S DRAGON / BBC 10x5m-e 1977  / Writer: Richard Carpenter / Producer: Sue Weeks / With:- FRANKIE JORDAN / KENNETH WATSON / RGE LYE / SEAN FLANAGAN / JOHN QUAYLE / CHARLES LLOYD PACK / Plot:- Archeological based story.

7. SKYHUNTER / BBC 10x5m-e 1978  Writer: Leonard Kingston / Producer: Roger Tongue / With:- GEOFFREY BAYLDON as Mr Tim / LUKE BATCHELOR / ISOBIL NISBET / EMMA JEAN RICHARDS / MICHAEL MAYNARD / Plot:- A trio of kids get involved in stopping the sale of valuable birds eggs.

8. DARK TOWERS / BBC 10x5m-e / 1981  / Writer: Andrew Davies / Producer: Sue Weeks / With:- SEAN BARRETT / CHRISTOPHER BIGGINS / GARY RUSSELL / JULIET WALEY / DENISE COFFEY / HARRY JONES / DAVID COLLINGS / JULIET HAMMOND-HILL / PETER MAYHEW / Plot:- A young girl gets involved with ghostly goings on whilst staying at a stately home.

9. FAIR GROUND / BBC 10x5m-e / 1983 / Writer: Christopher Russell / Producer: Sue Weeks / With:- JUDY CORNWELL / BRUCE MONTAGUE / PERCY HERBERT / GEORGE SWEENEY / ELIZABETH MORGAN / KENNETH WALLER / Plot:- Dodgy goings on at a fair. 

10. BADGER GIRL / BBC 10x5m-e 1984  / Writer: Andrew Davies / Producer: Susan Paton / With:- MARGO GUNN / JOHN HOLLIS / ASHIEK MADHVANI / JUNE MARLOW / JAMES MARSTON / NICK ORCHARD / Plot:- A young girl battles with pony rustlers.

11. GEORDIE RACER / BBC  10x5m-e 1988  / Writer: Christopher Russell / Producer: Sue Weeks / With:- KEVIN WAHTELEY / LEON ARMSTRONG / LIEN LU / LESLEY CASEY / MADELINE NEWTON / Plot:- A young boy turns pigeon fancier, much of the show was centred around the Great North Run.

12. THROUGH THE DRAGON'S EYE / BBC 10x5m-e 1989  / Writer: Christopher and Christine Russell / Producer: Sue Weeks / With:- SEAN BARRETT / DAVID COLLINGS / SIMON FENTON / MICHAEL HEATH / Plot:- Fantasy drama about three kids able to enter a strange land (called Pelamar) through a painting, once there they join forces with a dragon to save the country from ruin. 

13. EARTHWARP / BBC 10x5m-e / 1994 Plot:- A young boy living in the resort town of Southbeach meets an alien who in a Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy kind of way tells him that his town is due to be destroyed.

14. LRTV / BBC 8x5m-e / 1995  Plot:- Drama in a TV studio run by kids.

15. SPYWATCH / BBC 10x5m-e 1996 / Writer: Derek Farmer / Music: Peter Howell / Executive Producer: Frank Flynn / Producer/Director: Nicholas Whines / With:- KEITH BARRON as Starkey / JOSEPHINE D'ARBY as Lee / ROGER KITTER  as CD Rom / RAYMOND PICKARD as Norman Starkey / RUSSELL TOVEY as Dennis Seales / SOPHIE WARD as Polly Hobbs / JOSIE McCABE as Mary Parker / ROSEMARY LEACH as Aunty Amy / LESLEY JOSEPH as Miss Millington / NORMAN BIRD as Cyril Jenkins / ABIGAIL THAW as Vivienne Bellins / TERENCE MAYNARD as Mike Johnson / JOSEPH ALESSI as Luigi Balzoni  / Plot:- Period drama serial. During World War II a group of evacuated children think they have a spy in their midst. Shown as part of BBC School's Look and Read series.

16. CAPTAIN CRIMSON / BBC 10x5m-e 1997 / Writer: Elly Brewer / Producer: Cas Lester / With:- BEN BROOKS as Thomas / HELEN RYAN as Whizz / PAUL BISLEY as Jeff / LUCY WOOD as Amy / BEVERLEY HILLS as Gina / FELIX DEXTER as Captain Crimson / Plot:- The adventures of a comic book character called Captain Crimson.

17. LEGEND OF THE LOST KEYS BBC  10x5m-e 1998 Writer: Jim Eldridge / Music: Debbie Wiseman / Costume: Eric Doughney / Producer: Cas Lester / Executive Producer: Anne Brogan / Director: Colin Cant / With:- ANDREW SACHS as George / RICHARD MORANT as Sir Derek Janus / TATIANA STRAUSS as Dr Burns / ABIGAIL ANSELL as Mark / SITA RAMAMURPHY as The Taker / STAFFORD GORDON as The Catcher / SONIA GRAHAM as Anna / Plot:- Fantasy drama serial. Shown as part of the Look and Read series for schools. A group of kids get involved with crooks and strange power crystals when they investigate the Legend of the Lost Keys.

BBC / 1x30m-e /  1956  20 March  black and white

Writer: C.E. Webber / Producer: Rex Tucker 

Comedy. A play for children featuring the character of Lord Emsworth created by P.G. Wodehouse.

UK / Southern / 6x30m-e / 1977  1 August - 12 September Mondays 4.45pm

Creator: Hugh Lloyd / Writer: Michael Pertwee / Producer: Peter Croft 

Sitcom. Tramp Hughie Wagstaff has his life turned upside down when he inherits a title and a country estate.

With:- HUGH LLOYD as Hughie Wagstaff  / JOAN SIMS as  Miss Pratt / GEORGE MOON as  Tipping  / LALLY PERCY as Lucy 

Australia / Ten Network-South Pacific Films - Paramount TV / 26x30m-e / 1975

Creator: Michael Lawrence, Roger Mirams / Producer: Roger Mirams / Directors: Rick Birch, Bill Hughes, Peter Maxwell, Howard Rubie

Adventure series. A group of kids from all over the world (as part of an experiment by a millionaire to create a united nations) are travelling aboard a ship called the United World, following a terrible storm four of the children find themselves marooned on the strange lost islands. Three early episodes were cobbled together to make a theatrical release at the end of 1975.

With:- TONY HUGHES as Tony / JANE VALLIS as Anna / CHRIS BENAUD as Mark / ROBERT EDGINGTON as David / AMANDA MA as Su Ying / RODNEY BELL as Aaron James Quinn / MICHAEL HOWARD as Jason Quinn / MARGARET NELSON as Helen Margaret Quinn / RON HADDRICK as The Q / RON BLANCHARD as Quell / WILLIE FENNELL as Jeremiah Quizzell / FRANK GALLACHER as Quig / AILEEN BRITTON as Widow Martha Quack

USA / USA Network / 1997

Scifi adventure. TV Reporter David Rudy gets a job on a children's puppet show and discovers that the puppet stars are in fact aliens unable to get back to their own planet.

With:- TIM CONLON as David Rudy / PAUL GLEASON / STACY GALINA 

USA / ABC-TCF-Sid and Marty Krofft (Part of the Krofft Supershow) / 16x30m-e / 1976 

Executive Producer: Sid and Marty Krofft

Scifi adventure series. A pair of children have galactic adventures with a pair of alien androids called Fi and Fum. The androids were from the future( 2369).

With:- RUTH BUZZI as Fi / JIM NABORS as Fum / ALICE PLAYTEN as Alice / JARROD JOHNSON as Jerry / LARRY LARSEN as Dorge 

USA / Cartoon Network / x20m-e /2003

Animation. A 20-something slacker with a customized 80-foot robot from the future must defend all of humanity from evil aliens.

UK / BBC1 / x25m-e / 1990's

Documentary series featuring a different subject each time and made to a very high standard.

UK / Associated Rediffusion / x30m-e / 1958-61 black and white

Early evening general entertainment show hosted by Muriel Young and Howard Williams. There was also a cooker slot hosted by Fanny and Johnnie Craddock. The series later mutated into Tuesday Rendezvous (A-R 1961-63) and featured the same people, this in turn led to The Five O'Clock Club. 

Central / 12x30m-e / 1983-84

Creator/Producer: Michael Dolenz / Writers: Colin Bennett, Colin Proctor / Executive Producer: Lewis Rudd 

Scifi sitcom. Fifty years in the future a young girl lives in a society where speech has evolved into 'Techno Talk' (basically a load of unintelligible guff).

With:-PATSY KENSIT as  Luna(Season 1) / JOANNA WYATT as  Luna(Season 2) / AARON BROWN as  Brat / FRANK DUNCAN as Gramps / NATALIE FORBES as 40D(Season 1) / VANESSA KNOX-MAWER as 32C(Season 2) / HUGH SPIGHT as Jazzmine / LINDA POLAN as Mother

UK-Canada / BBC Worldwide-Bear Necessities-CBC / 1x90m-e / 1996

Executive Producers: Anna Home(BBC), Pat Schofield (CBC) / Novel: Katherine Paterson

Period drama. In 1860's Canada a young girl leaves her farm home and gets caught up in the industrial age in Lancashire, England.

With:- Tanya Allen as Lyddie / CHRISTIANNE HIRT as Diana / SIMON JAMES as Luke / TOM GEORGESON as Mr Marsden / PAT KEEN as Mrs Bedlow / DANIELLE BRETT as Betsy / KAYE WRAGG as Anne Ridley