Freddy

Did Neighbours replace good children's drama. Up to the early nineties we had Spit Mcphee with John Mills, Press Gang, Woof, Five Children and It and The Secret Garden. I find it slightly ironic that the last childrens' tv I watched was the wonderfully quirkey Australian series 'Round the Twist' and that was about ten years ago.

Now that BBC have lost neighbours is the 'had its day' Weakest Link' going to be the best it can offer.

Freddy

The world wags on.

batman

There are still good kids programmes around ..... Demolition Dad is very funny, Sheepdog Tales is a good old-fashioned style series and Tommy Zoom, Numberjacks, Nina and the Neurons are fun and educational.

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"

Steve Crook

Check out Skins. I think it's one of the best "young people's" dramas around at the moment.

Steve

Freddy

Yes, totally agree with you. I started to watch this with some hesitation but after the first episode was hooked, great writing and acting from young actors with bags of talent. Each one of them deserves to have a great future.

They are now casting for series three.

I've noticed a few series lately that aren't afraid of replacing a main character still and remaining successful: Spooks; Hotel Babylon and Skins

Regards

Freddy

The world wags on.

Steve Crook

And to have the one who was effectively the male lead (or one of them) knocked down by a bus and put into a coma as the climax of series 1. Amazing stuff. How do his teenage friends cope with that? How does he cope with it when he comes out of the coma and his motor skills only return gradually?

Sure there's lots of sex and drugs and loud music, but it is about teenagers
Someone said that every parent should watch it. For those with children younger than 15-20, this is what you've got to look forward to. For those with older children, this is what they got up to when you weren't there

And the supporting cast, the parents and the teachers, are great as well. The list includes such names as Bill Bailey, Morwenna Banks, Peter Capaldi, Harry Enfield, Arabella Weir and more.

Steve

bhowells

"iI was talking to one my mates in work and reminisicng about "Crackerjack" and longtime host Peter Glaze, it may seem corny now but it was a grea show. As my mate said the presenters put a lot of work in to those famous finales when they would sing the pop songs of the day. Whilst its true that Glaze, Crowther and co murdered these songs, they had to learn the lyrics on top of performing sketches and the like.
Shades of the panto really.

I was a bit of a showbusiness wanabe as a kid and always envied those kids who appared on Junior Showtime the talent show of the sixties. Anyone remember another kids talent show from the same era,"Anything You Cand Do" on ITV hosted by Ed (Stewport)

Another show of roughly the same vintage was,"Little Big Time." hosted by Freddie Garrity of Freddie and The Dreamers.

Banana Splits bring back fond memories for me too and the Double Deckers nothing short of brilliant.

Owlett

All those East German and Iron-Curtain (as was) produced films were superb. Aside from the Singing Ringing Tree, I have fond memories of 'The Magic Tinderbox' and 'The Boys Who stole The Moon'. Anyone remember any others?

I seem to recall another one where, in a dream-sequence like episode, a couple of boys stole a four-engined prop aircraft (which seemed to have many controls made out of perspex) and flew it into space.

'Don't trust the heart, it wants your blood'

donna

Stig of the Dump, Arthur of the Britons, think Grange Hill was awful, that wasnt children IM sure they were all midgets, I dont remember talking or acting like that at school all they did was argue, it was like mini Eastenders.

bhowells

Most of the cast of Grange Hill ended up on Eastenders. Granted it broke new ground but it was the time when kids telly lost its innocence.

There is a song by a Midlands singer songriter called Harvey Andrews, he wrote a song called "Mr Pastry" in it he bemoans the fact that the telly powers that be cruelly dispensed wtih Richarde Hearne's services.

Mr Patry would be extremely passe when viewed by anyone today, but watching him on Youtube I couldnt help being touched by the antics of this "simple clown.

When I was a lad I watched Crackerjack and Basil Brush and listenend out for mild innuendo and was rewarded but I dont think I would have appreciated constant jokes abou faltulence which seems to be the norm on kids telly

Steve Crook

You probably would if you were still 10 years old

Steve

CaptainWaggett

I thought Neighbours literally replaced a quiz show with Angela Rippon between pub teams whose name I can't actually remember.

There's still some good kids' tv. The Roman Mysteries was absolutely fantastic.

dremble wedge

Masterteam

alan french

Hi.
I now show my age. I can remember many children's shows that pre-date the one's that have been mentioned.
Muffin the Mule.
Whirligig.
Jigsaw.
Telescope.
Children's serials.
Saturday Special.
All Your Own.
People both fact and fiction: Annette Mills, Anne Hogarth, Joy Laurie, Peter Hawkins, Humphrey Lestock, Mr. Turnip, Hank, Silverking, Mexican Pete, Francis Couldrill, Bobbie Kimber, Augustus Peabody, Jennifer Gey, Elizabeth Cruft, Jenette Scott, Cliff Michelmore, Valerie Hobson, Patrick Troughton, Timothy Telescope, Cactus Camel, John Hewer and many more.

They were happy days, but oh! so innocent.

There was also a once a week Amrican 'B' movie. Usually Tex Ritter, Hopalong Cassidy, Renfrew of the Mounties, The Range Busters, Sergeant Doubleday, plus. Later made for television westerns such as The Cicso Kid and the Range Rider. There were also Saturday morning picture serials such as Rex and Rinty, Fighting With Kit Carson, again plus some more.

All above I have deliberately kept to pre commercial television, to the best of my knowledge. In those days the one and only television channel was BBC. Now BBC One. Television would open for afternoon programmes. Usually for women or young children. (The latter had Andy Pandy, Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men.) Then close down. Then open up again for an hour for children. Then close down. Then open up again for the evening schedule. Chldren's Newsreel was on film. On the odd occasion, a programme was a telerecording. This was basically a film of a programme taken from a television screen. The quality was not always good. This was in the days prior to video recording. Other than that, if you wanted really good quality television pictures, the programmes had to be broadcast live.

I think I shall stop here. A) Because I think my answer is lengthy and B) Because my time on the public computer in the Hemel Hempstead Library is running out.

Alan French.

Lord Brett

Agreed. Viewed as an adult that sort of thing is lazy in the extreme, but kids really do roll about laughing at that sort of thing.

batman

Especially when the culprit is Scooby Doo or Shaggy!

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"