Lord Brett

Why Don't You... ran for so long that the format changed several times from the days when I wrote in to it and was absolutely thrilled to get a reply. Towards the end, Russell T Davies became producer and introduced such things as ongoing plotlines which were probably far more entertaining than when I watched the show.

scholes

Anybody here remember Captain Pugwash?

Steve Crook

And most of the urban myth about rude character names are just that - myths

Steve

batman

At least it wasn't in The Daily Mail ...

"On 13 September 1991 national British newspaper 'The Guardian' claimed that certain characters names could be viewed in a vulgar context (e.g. Master Bates and Seaman Staines). Such character names did not form any part of the series and creator John Ryan successfully won retractions and settlements from both 'The Guardian' and another British newspaper, 'The Sunday Correspondent', which also printed a similar story."

Source:IMDb

Happy Birthday Daddy .... I love you!



BAT QUIZ 16 HAS JUST BEEN POSTED IN THE COMPETITION THREAD - 06/01/09

Steve Crook

It would have been in the Daily Mail the next week if the series creator hadn't sued

BTW you missed mentioning "Roger the Cabin Boy"

From Snopes:
Captain Pugwash cartoon, which originally ran on the BBC between 1958 and 1967, is widely believed to have featured characters with risque maritime names such as Master Bates, Seaman Staines, and Roger the Cabin Boy. In fact, the crew of the famous Black Pig ship included sailors with no such names: present on board were Master Mate, Tom the Cabin Boy, and Pirates Barnabas and Willy. (No character with the designation of 'Seaman' appeared in the show.) Series creator John Ryan successfully won retractions and settlements from the Sunday Correspondent and the Guardian after both newspapers claimed that the show's characters did indeed have smutty names, and that the BBC had taken it off the air as a result. The Guardian's statement ran as follows:

In the Young Guardian of September 13 [1991] we stated that the Captain Pugwash cartoon series featured characters called Seaman Staines and Master Bates, and for that reason the series had never been repeated by the BBC. We accept that it is untrue that there ever were any such characters. Furthermore, the series continues to be shown on television and on video. We apologize to Mr. Ryan, the creator, writer and artist of the Captain Pugwash films and books. We have agreed to pay him damages and his legal costs.

Evening Standard correspondent Victor Lewis-Smith wrote several years later:

'It'll never stand up in court,' I hear you cry, but stranger cases have flourished. I remember voicing much the same opinion a decade ago when John Ryan's solicitor threatened legal action against the newspaper I was then working for, after I had erroneously (and I stress erroneously) suggested that the characters he'd created for his Captain Pugwash series weren't quite as innocent as they'd first seemed back in the 1950s.

Unwittingly repeating a folk myth that had been passed down through generations of schoolboys, I'd stated that the dramatis personae included such nautical naughties as Master Bates, Seaman Stains and Roger the Cabin Boy, and that 'Pugwash' was Australian slang for a form of oral sex. The matter seemed trivial, but an apology was made, Mr Ryan's honour was satisfied and two sets of parasitical, low-life libel lawyers thus pocketed yet more easy (and thoroughly ill-deserved) dosh.

The British comedy duo of Victor Lewis-Smith and Paul Sparks has claimed credit for starting and spreading the Captain Pugwash rumors, and the double entendre names have also been attributed to a sketch by "seventies folkie comic" Richard Digance as well as a "1970s rag mag."


Steve

winsfordtown

I just saw 'Daktari' mentioned elsewhere and that was shown during the school holidays

classic-odeon

Skippy, Don't know why, but I hated it. Give me Banana Splits and Double Deckers any day. White Horses..... Now your talking my language.

bhowells

Defintely on during school holidays in the seventies along with Champion, The Whirlybirds and Circus Boy with Mickey Dolenz. Dont think that was shown again after being aired in the seventies, might be wrong though.

Anyone recall a us sitcom called Camp Runamack starring Arch Johnson,made in 1965 but shown on BBC 1 round about the mid seventies. This was one of quite a few olld us shows that BBC shwed at that time, antother one being,"Petticoat Junction," a series created by Paul Henning of Beverly Hilbillies and Green Acres, usually aired on week days on the beeb.

vicflange

Might be showing my age a bit but I can remember Daktari and Woobinda, probably late 60s early 70s. Both Australian and imported to UK TV around the same time a Skippy I think.

BristolUK

Adventure Weekly?

Magic Boomerang?

That one never came back. *groan*

bhowells

You are spot on that exactly the time period when these shows were first aired, you are the first perosn I have ever come across who rembers Woobinda.

It would be great to see Daktari show again, I cant see it ever happeninng though.

Dai Bando

Can anyone help me out with this, as its been bugging me for many years. I remember a childrens programme early 70's ITV, the lead character I believe was called Tyzo and he had some sort of special powers. Don't think it ran for very long, had a catchy theme tune that featured the word Tyso. I was very young so my memories of it are very sketchy as you can see. Love to know more details though.

phil

I remember we used to watch a series called Cloudburst IN school. Never heard of it since.

EHV_Emmetts

I recall watching films from the Children's Film Foundation.

Children's Film Foundation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jack Ford

Ahh, Skippy starring a young Liza Goddard. I was young and therefore didn't realise why I felt funny inside when she was on the screen. If I knew then what I know now, I would have been one damned frustrated 6 year old!

What am I doing here Sgt? I should have been having lunch at the Saville!