Memorable TV

UK / BBC1 / 6x25m-e / 1995

Writer: Syd Waddell 

Sitcom.  The misadventures of a young cricket team in Slogthwaite, Lancashire.

With:- PHILLIP EARLEY as Lenny Higgs  / ANNIE HULLEY as Di Higgs / JEREMY BULLOCH as Barry Higgs / SAM FAIRBROTHER as Geoffrey Higgs / JANE DAWSON as Roz / RALF LITTLE as Scooby / DAVID BLAIKIE as Matey 

UK / HTV-United / x10m-e / 1997-

Music: John Du Prez / Producer/Director: Bob Harvey

Puppet based series in which the Slow Norris emerges from his cave to learn about life from his friends Allie, Ben Beetle and Walter Worm. Puppeteers were Philip Eason, Simon Buckley, William Todd Jones, Katherine Smee, Alison McGowan

Voices:- NICK RYAN / GARY MARTIN / DANIELLE DEL GUIDICE / BUDDIE MADDICOTT

UK / Associated Rediffusion / 1955-66 black and white

Crearor: Eric Spear / Producer/Director: Pat Baker

Entertainment series for pre school kids and presented by Susan Spear. Some regions broadcast the show at lunchtimes whilst other broadcast it around 4.45pm.

UK / BBC1 / 12x25m-e / 1974-75

Writer: Gary Knight / Producer: Tony Harrison 

Sitcom.  Misadventures of Samuel Tweet who works in a pet shop in the small village of Chumpton Green. 

With:- FREDDIE DAVIES as Samuel Tweet  / CARDEW ROBINSON as Lord Chumpton  / DAMARIS HAYMAN as Miss Doogoodie / COLIN EDWYNN as PC Wicketts  / PRUE CLARKE as Sandra Jones (Season 2) /  NORMAN TURKINGTON as Russell Chumpton (Season 2) 

UK / BBC1 / x25m-e / 1996-continuing

Art entertainment. Tips for kids on a variety of artistic styles, presented by Mark Speight and Jay Burridge. Female presenters have been Zoe Ball, Josie D'Arby and Kirsten O'Brien.

USA / Disney-Warner-Danny Kallis / x25m-e / 1997-99

Creator: Danny Kallis / Music: Kurt Farquhar / Executive Producers: Danny Kallis, Suzanne DePasse, Suzanne Coston, Irene Dreayer

Sitcom. A young boy T.J. with a high IQ and much brain power joins the older kids at High School. The lead Tahj Mowry is the younger brother of the stars of Sister Sister.

With:- TAHJ MOWRY as T.J. Henderson / JOHN MARSHALL JONES / JASON WEAVER / OMAR GOODING / ESSENCE ATKINS

UK / BBC1/Red Rooster / 6x25m-e / 1993

Writer: James Andrew Hall / Novel: Elsie McCutcheon 

Period drama serial. In 1907, a young girl gets mixed up with an aspiring film maker and a wicked cinema owner.

With:- TIMOTHY WEST as Mr Sheringham / PAULA WILCOX as Sara Beau / ANITA DOBSON as Gertie / JOAN SIMS as Mrs Nash / KATE HARDIE as Miss Sheringham / PETER GUINESS as Albert Gold / SALLY WALSH as Chrissie Gallant / KATE O'REGAN as Windsor 

UK / LWT-Zenith(98-99)-Granada-Blaze(from 99-) / x125m-e / 1998-continuing (First Episode: Saturday 29 August 98)

Music: Steve Brown

Anarchic Saturday morning entertainment hosted by former pop singers/actors Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly. Co-host was Cat Deeley. There were plenty of games on display such as Splatoon, Wonky Donky and Challenge Ant. The trio also did their own pastiche sitcom version of Friends called CHUMS. Directly following on from this show was CD:UK a chart rundown show also presented by Cat, Ant and Dec. Ant, Dec and Cat left in late 2001 and the show is now presented by Tess Daly, Claire and H from Steps and Brian Dowling (the winner of Big Brother 2).

Australia / ABC / 4x30m-e / 1963 Black and white (First Episode: 4 January)

Writer: Eleanor Witcombe / Producer: Beverley Gledhill / Directors: Philip East, Peter Summerton

Adventure series. A group of kids get caught up with a bunch of smugglers. This was the ABC's first attempt at a comedy drama for kids.

With:- JACK ALLEN / PADDY CONROY / BRNEDON LUNNEY / ANN BEECHER / RUTH CRACKNELL / ALASTAIR ROBERTS / NOEL BROPHY / NIGEL LOVELL

UK / ITV/ Tetra / x25m-e / 1996-continuing

Creators: Grant Cathro, Lee Pressman / Music: Alan Coates, Kim Goody / Script Editor: Clare Batty 

Sitcom.  The adventures of youngsters involved with a photographic studio.

With:- GERARD HORAN as Dave (Seasons 1-2) /   IAN REDDINGTON as Paul (Season 3-) / LEANNE HAILWOOD as Ellen / DEAN COOK as Ben / KIRSTY BRUCE as Alice

USA / Hanna Barbera / x20m-e / 1984

Executive Producers: Joseph Barbera, William Hanna, Freddy Monnickendam / Music: Hoyt Curtin / Director: Carl Urbano

Animated adventures of the undersea creatures of the title.

Voices:- MICHAEL BELL / NANCY CARTWRIGHT / JOAN GERBER / BOB HOLT / PAUL KIRBY / MITZI McCALL / EDIE McCLURG / CLIVE REVILL / FRANK WELKER

UK / Channel Four / 1x35m-e / 1982  26 December

Music: Howard Blake / The song Walking in the Air sung by Aled Jones / Book: Raymond Briggs / Producer: John Coates / Executive Producer: Iain Harvey / Director: Dianne Jackson / Animation: Jimmy Murakani, Stephen Weston, Robin White

Animated fantasy. On Christmas Eve a young boy is taken on a magical adventure to the North Pole by a Snowman. Part of Channel Fours regular Christmas line up, the station makes a point of showing each year. 

UK / HTV / 6x25m-e / 1988

Writer: Jenny Nimmo 

Fantasy drama serial. A young boy enters a magical fantasy world when his grandmother gives him five strange birthday presents. See also Emlyn's Moon, a kind of sequel.

With:- OSSIAN ROBERTS as Gwyn / SIAN PHILLIPS as Nain

UK / Scottish / 13x10m-e / 1996-97

Writer: Richard Vobes / Executive Producer: Elizabeth Partyka / Producer/Directors: Martyn Day (Season 1), Haldane  Duncan (Season 2) 

Comedy series. Mainly silent slapstick style adventures of two aliens stranded on Earth.

With:- RICHARD VOBES as Snug / NIGEL COOPER as Cozi / SARAH MONTGOMERY as Emily 

UK / BBC-Thames-Granada (from 1992) / x25m-e / 1955-97

Creator: Harry Corbett

Puppet entertainment. Escapades of the glove puppet Sooty and his friends Sweep and girlfriend Soo. Sooty made his TV debut in 1952 on Talent Night and in 1967 crossed over from the BBC to ITV. After Harry retired his son Matthew took up the mantle until 1997 when Corbett sold control of the series for over a million pounds. From 1992 the show was titled Sooty and Co. See also below for Sooty Heights.

UK / Granada-Sooty Films / x20m-e / 1999-

Writer: Peter Corey / Titles: A Shot in the Dark / Music: Dave Corbett / Puppeteers: Brian Sandford, Crispin Lowrey, Craig Almond / Executive Producers: Steven Andrew, John Stephens

Puppet comedy series. Puppet Sooty takes over the running of a hotel calling it Sooty Heights.

With:- RICHARD CADELL / LIANA BRIDGES / Voices of Dotty and Sue:- BRENDA LONGMAN 

UK / TVS/Red Rooster / 6x30m-e / 1991   26 March - 30 April   Tuesdays 4.40pm

Writer/Director: Anthony Horowitz / Executive Producer: Linda James, Stephen Bayly / Producer: Richard Turner 

Sitcom. 15 year old Nick Diamond is the brains behind his brother's private detective agency. Based on the 1988 film Just Ask For Diamond.

With:- DURSLEY McLINDEN as Tim Diamond  / COLIN DALE as Nick Diamond /  GORDON WINTER as Boyle / MICHAEL FEAST as Snape / JOHNATHON COLEMAN as Mr Blondini 

USA / Nickelodeon-Cinar / 13x25m-e / 1997

Creators: Bill Mumy, Peter David / Theme Music: Bill Mumy, Paul Gordon 

Scifi comedy drama series. A group of five Space Academy cadets find themselves 'lost in space' aboard an alien spaceship, the Christa.

With:- EMMANUEL JONES as Harlan Brand / CHRISTIAN AYRE as Radu / JEWEL STAITE as Catalina / PAIGE CHRISTINA as Rosie Ianni / RAHI AZIZI as Bova / ANIK MATTERN as Thelma / CARY LAWRENCE as T.J. Davenport / PAUL BORETSKI as Cmdr Seth Goddard

USA / Hanna Barbera / 20x25m-e / 1966-67

Animated scifi. Crime fighter the space ghost (he can turn himself invisible) and two teenagers travel through space fighting evil.

UK / NIP-Wonderama / 39x30m-e / 1963-64

Creator: Roberta Leigh / Producers: Roberta Leigh, Arthur Povis

Puppet series. The exploits of Captain Larry Dart who worked for the United Galactic Organisation.

Voices:- DICK VOSBURGH / RONNIE STEVENS / LIBBY MORRIS

UK / BBC / 4x30m-e / 1956  8 - 29 January black and white

Writer: Gordon Ford / Design: Gordon Roland / Producer: Kevin Sheldon  

Scifi drama serial. Adventures of three children living on a space satellite.

With:- JOHN STUART as Commodore Hugh Sterling / MATTHEW LANE as Sp Capt Michael O'Rorke  / DONALD McCORKINDALE as Tubby Thompson /NEIL McCALLUM as Sam Scroop  / JULIE WEBB as Miss Osborne 

UK / BBC1 / 39x25m-e / 1992-94 / 3 Seasons

Creator: Stephen Edmondson, Jerome Vincent  / Producer: Greg Childs 

Scifi comedy series. Exploits of the staff of the vetinary spaceship Dispensable.

With:- BERNARD WRIGHT as Number Two / MARK ARDEN as Capt Skip Chip(Season 3) /  ANN BRYSON as  Mona 

UK / Thames/PGI / 33x30m-e / 1990-92 / Three seasons

Creator: Andrew Bethall / Executive Producer: Charles Falzon, Alan Horrox 

Sitcom. A Canadian hamburger restaurant chain open a branch in the UK, with the series following the exploits of its bungling staff.

With:- JENNIFER CALVERT as Karen Hansson / PAUL MICHAEL as T.J  / STEPHANIE CHARLES  as Debbie / JOE GRECO as Vince Powers / VAS BLACKWOOD as Dexter / LING TAI as Lily Quang / JOHNATHON COPESTAKE as Stanley / SUE DEVANEY as Joe (Season 1) / KATY MURPHY as Freddy(S2-3) 

Australia / Telewizja Prod-Film Australia / 26x30m-e / 1995

Creators: Mark Shirrifs, John Thomson / Executive Producers: Ron Saunders, Kris Noble, Andrzed Stempowski

Fantasy drama series. Teenager Paul Reynolds finds himself in a parallel world that is like Earth of hundreds of years ago and magic Spellbinders rule things. He is befriended by a girl called Riana. A second serial called Spellbinder II quickly emerged.

With:- ZBYCH TROFIMIUK as Paul Reynolds / GOSIA PIOTROWSKI as Alex Katsonis / MICHAELA NOONAN as Katrina Muggleton / ANDREW McFARLANE as Brian Reynolds / HEATHER MITCHELL as Ashka / KRZYSTOF KUMOR as Correon / RAFAL ZWIERZ as Gryven / PIOTR ADAMCZYK as Zander / GEROGINA FISHER as Christine Reynolds / ERLAN BUCHAN as Jal 

USA / ABC-Marvel-Grantray-Lawrence-Krantz / 52x30m-e / 1967-69

Executive Producers: Robert L. Lawrence, Ralph Bakshi

Animated scifi drama series. After being bitten by a radioactive spider Peter Parker finds himself transformed into superhero Spiderman.

Voices:- BERNARD COWAN as Peter/Spiderman(1) / PAUL SOLS as Peter/Spiderman (2)

USA / Marvel / 32x30m-e / 1981

Animated adventure series. Spiderman and his friends Firestar and Iceman help keep the streets free of villains.

USA / DePatie Freleng / 16x20m-e / 1979-80

Executive Producers: Davdi De Patie, Fritz Freleng

Animated scifi adventure series detailing the exploits of the superhero of the title.

Voices:- JOAN VAN ARK as Spider-Woman      

UK / TVS / 28x10m-e / 1989 3 September - 18 March  Saturday 10.55am

Producer/Director: David Crozier 

Sitcom. A segment that appeared each week in the Saturday morning show Motormouth and followed the exploits of the staff of a bizarre shop. 

With:- ROGER SLOMAN / RICHARD WAITES / PIPPA MICHAELS / JOE GRECO

UK / BBC2 (Look and Read) / 10x5m-e / 1996

Writer: Derek Farmer / Music: Peter Howell / Executive Producer: Frank Flynn / Producer/Director: Nicholas Whines

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.

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 

UK / HTV / 6x30m-e / 1980  12 August - 16 September  Tuesdays 4.45pm

Writer/Producer: Peter Miller / Director: Jan Darnley Smith 

Sitcom. Struggling solicitor Gerald Parish has to find himself a wife and family quickly in order to inherit a fortune.

With:- JOHN LEYTON as Gerald Parish  / TOBY WALDOCK as Toby / MARK EVANS as Richard  / JAYNE TOTTMAN as Joanna / MARCUS D'AMICO as Bill / RICHARD KELLOW as David / JANET KEY as Mary Lampert / SORCHA CUSACK as Nesta Wright

UK / BBC1 / 16x25 / 2001-2002

Comedy. Stacy Stone works on the agony aunt page of the school newspaper and helps her fellow pupils sort out their problems.

With:- LORNA CRAIG as Stacy Stone / JACK NELSON as Ed / SOPHIE MCCABE as Joanne / TIFFANY MULHERON as Nat / RYAN MURPHY as Matt

UK / Thames / 1x60m-e / 1981 1 January - Thursday 4.45pm

Writer: Gray Jolliffe / Executive Producer: Verity Lambert / Producer: Ray Corbett / Director: Anthony Simmons 

Scifi comedy. A group of robot alien 'The Metaliens' plan to take over the universe. The series combined live action with puppetry.

With:- DERYCK GUYLER as Vicar / ANNA KAREN as Mum  / DEBORAH FARRINGTON as Young Girl / CHARLES PEMBERTON as Dad / FABIA DRAKE as Miss Ruby.

UK / BBC / 6x30m-e / 1982

Writer: Alexander Baron / Novel: Rudyard Kipling / Producer: Barry Letts / Director: Rodney Bennett 

Period comedy drama serial. Escapades of a group of teenagers at a public school in Victorian times.

With:- ROBERT ADDIE / ROBERT BURBAGE / SIMON SHEPHERD / DAVID PARFITT / FREDERICK TREVES / JOHN WOODNUTT / DOMINIC JEPHCOTT 

UK / Central/Gatetarn / 4x25m-e / 1994

Writer: Richard Carpenter / Producer/Director: Gerry Poulson 

Fantasy drama serial. Young American teenager Stanley, living in England, is out potholing when he discovers a huge centuries old egg which later hatches into a dragon.

UK / Disney / 13x60m-e / 1995

Comedy crime drama series. 13 year old detective genius Rip Hilliard hires second rate actor Grant Logan to pose as the front man for his detective agency.

With:- KRISTOPHER MILES as Rip Hilliard  / LEIGH LAWSON as Grant Logan / LOUISE JAMESON as Mrs Hilliard

UK / Thames / 10x30m-e / 1981 

Novel:Clive King Executive Producer: Pamela Lonsdale / Producer: Sheila Kinany / Director: Richard Handford

Fantasy drama serial. Young Barney befriends a boy from prehistoric times who happens to be living in a den in a chalk pit.

With:- KEITH JAYNE as Stig  / GRANT ASHLEY WARNOCK as Barney 

STIG OF THE DUMP

UK / BBC1 / 6x30m-e / 2002 First Episode: Sunday 13 January 

Book: Clive King; Dramatised and Produced by: Peter Tabern 

Adaptation of Clive King’s story of a young boy called Barney who discovers a caveman living in a quarry near his grandparents’ home. 

With:- GEOFFREY PALMER as Robert (Grandad) / PHYLLIDA LAW as Marjorie (Grandma) / THOMAS SANGSTER as Barney / ROBERT TANNION as Stig PERDITA WEEKS as Lou (sister) / SASKIA WICKHAM as Caroline (Mother)

UK / ATV-Centruy 21/39x30m-e / 1964-65

Creator/Producer: Gerry Anderson / Music: Barry Gray / Special Effects: Derek Meddings

Supermarionation series.  Century 21st action under the sea with the crew of the Stingray who were part of an ocean police force keeping evil out of the sea.

Voices:- DON MASON as Troy Tempest / ROBERT EASTON as Phones/Agent 20 / LOIS MAXWELL as Atlanta / RAY BARRETT as Cmdr Shore/Titan 

UK / BBC2 'Scene' / 3x30m-e / 1996

Writer: Mike Cullen / Novel: Robert Swindell / Director: Stephen Whitaker 

Drama serial. Problems of a young homeless boy in London.

With:- PAUL GIBSON as Link / JAMES GADDAS as Vince  / ELIZABETH RIDER as Lesley / PETER HOWITT as Shelter / CAMILLA POWER as Girl 

UK / ScottishTV / 6x30m-e / 1985

Writer: Allan Prior 

Drama serial. Adventures of a group of teens on the Clyde in Glasgow.

UK / BBC / 17x5m-e /  1952 black and white

Writers: Hazel Adair, Ronald Marriott 

Cliffhanger style scifi drama series shown as a segment of the series Whirlygig. The adventures of a Martian boy who crash lands on Earth.

With:- BRIAN SMITH as Ian Spencer / MICHAEL NEWELL as Bilaphordorous / JOHN NEWELL as John Armitage / BETTY WOOLFE as Mrs Spencer / VALENTINE DYALL as Gorgol 

UK / ITV / 4x25m-e / 1997

Drama serial. Young deaf girl Sunny adopts an abandoned dog who becomes her ears.

With:- PASCALE BLACKBURN as Sunny / VICTORIA WILLIAMS as Bev Stephens  / CHRISTOPHER WALKER as Fred Stephens 

UK / ATV-AP / 39x30m-e / 1961

Creator/Producer: Gerry Anderson / Music: Barry Gray

Supermarionation series. Exploits of the flying and submersible supercar and its crew.

Voices:- GRAYDON GOULD as Mike Mercury / GEORGE MURCELL as Professor Popkiss(1) / CYRIL SHAPS as  Professor Popkiss( 2) / SYLVIA ANDERSON as Jimmy / DAVID GRAHAM as Dr Beeker

USA / Warner-Filmation / 26x45m-e / 1973-74

Animated action adventure series. The exploits of a group of superheroes - Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman & Robin and Aquaman. 

UK / Tyne Tees / 26x25m-e  1x60m-e / 1985-87  2 seasons + 1 special

Writer: Jenny McDade / Music: Billy Connolly, Phil Gutter / Books: Forrest Wilson / Producers: Keith Richardson, Graham C. Williams 

With:- GUDRUN URE as Supergran / IAIN CUTHBERTSON as Scunner Campbell  / BILL SHINE as Inventor Black / TERRY JOYCE as PC Leekie / ROBERT AUSTIN as Inspector Higgins 

UK / BBC / 4x25m-e / 1984

Writer: Michael Robson / Novels: Arthur Ransome / Producer: Andrew Morgan; Script Editor: Mervyn Haisman

Period drama serial. A group of children have adventures on the river in the 1930's. Based on the books Swallows and Amazons and Coot Club.

With:- HENRY DIMBLEBY as Tom Dudgeon / COLIN BAKER / ANDREW BURT as Mr Farland / JOHN WOODVINE as PC Tedder / ROSEMARY LEACH as Mrs Barrable

USA / Fox / x20m-e / 2001

Animated action adventure series about a pair of feline junkyard mechanics called Chance Furlong and Jakew Clawson, these pair hide a secret, they are in reality a pair of superheroes called Razor and T-Bone, helping keep MegaKat City free from crime.

USA / Saban-Teen Dream / x30m-e / 1994-99

Creators: Josh Goldstein, Jonathon Prince / Books: Francine Pascal / Executive Producers: Haim Saban, Lance H. Robbins, Francine Pascal

Teen comedy drama series. Stories of a pair of teenage twin girls at High School in California. One is a goody goody the other not so.

With:- BRITTANY DANIEL as Jessica Wakefield / CYNTHIA DANIEL as Elizabeth Wakefield / AMARILIS as Patty Gilbert / RYAN JAMES BITTLE as Todd Wilkins(1) / JEREMY GARRETT as Todd Wilkins (2) / BROCK BURNETT as Bruce Patman / AMY DANLES as Enid Rollins / BRIDGET FLANERY as Lila Fowler / MICHAEL PERL as Winston Egbert / HARLEY RODRIGUEZ as Manny Lopez

UK / BBC1-ABC / 4x30 minute episodes / 1980 (13 April – 4 May)

Writer: Julia Jones / Script Editor: Alistair Bell / Novel: Pamela Brown (who was only 14 when she wrote the story!) / Music: Paul Reade / Producer: Barry Letts / Designer: Martin Collins / Director: Joan Craft  

Children’s period drama serial. Pre world war II, a group of children set up their own theatre company. Not long after the cast appeared on Blue Peter Sarah Greene (who pretty much headlines here) found herself as a presenter on the thrice weekly magazine show.  

SARAH GREENE as Sandra Fayne / AMANDA KIRBY as Lynette Darwin / DOMINIC SAVAGE as Jeremy Darwin / SALLY JANE JACKSON as Viccy Halford / SHIRLEY DIXON as Mrs Darwin / ROBERT AUSTIN as Mr Darwin / MONA BRUCE as Mrs Potter-Smith / JANE BRIERS as Mrs Fayne / JAYNE STEVENS as Maddy Fayne / JAMIE COWELL-PARKER as Nigel Halford / ASHLEY KNIGHT as Percy “Bulldog” Halford