Golden Age of British TV?

[El Tel]

Was it the 60s? I remenber so many excellent series, many of them quirky. Everybody will recall The Avengers, The Prisoner, The Saint, Danger Man...



But what about Ghost Squad, Top Secret, The Men in Room 17, The Odd Man, It's Dark Outside (early Oliver Reed appearance), Virgin of the Secret Service and a personal favourite - Undermind?



Any other suggestions?

[penfold]

From my memory of the sixties, we're talking Trumpton, or The Herb Garden....

[smudge]

The danger of 'Golden Age' is that it is such a subjective notion. In 20 or 30 years time this generation may feel that the era of BIG BROTHER was the golden age of television.



The other side of this is that we are looking at this thing from a distant viewpoint and conveniently forgetting the chaff from whichever so-called 'golden era' it is we happen to be browsing. Over the years I've seen a few people who made the TV that would be my personal golden era - like yours, the 60s and 70s - who have commented that it is not really a term that they are very keen on.



Like the old SPITTING IMAGE puppet of Barry Norman used to say, you pays your money and you takes your choc ice...(or something like that.)



Smudge

[batman]

For me the 'golden age' is that era that I remember as a child and as a young man .... Fireball XL5, Supercar and the rest of the Anderson series, ITC classics, Public Eye, Callan, BBC dubbed series from Eastern Europe, watching Rathbone Holmes and Will Hay films on a regular basis, MOTD on a saturday night and Sportsnight on Wednesdays, Hazell, Budgie etc etc etc ..... mostly representative of a world no longer with us.



Bats.

[christoph404]

I think 1969 to early 1970s was a golden age of TV for me for the same reasons Bats outlines, and also watching TV was a bit of an event in the days before video recorders and DVD. There was a sense of looking forward to watching a big Christmas movie such as "The Great Escape" because you knew it was on that one evening and possibly not on TV again for 12 to 18 months. I think viewing figures were very high in those days compared to now, the Morcambe and Wise christmas shows pulled in huge audiences the likes of which does not happen today. I put forward that The Golden Age of TV was the days prior to the advent of the home video recorder when TV viewing was an exciting family event similar to going to the cinema, a one off experience for that evening and maybe experienced again if the BBC repeated the programme or film.

[alan gowdy]

TV used to be a bit special - like the cinema it had its mysteries and magic and access to the means of its production was something few could hope to aspire to. Now everyone can buy a camcorder and editing software, post the results on YouTube and be familiar with the processes involved. It has become accessible and in doing so has made a sad transition from the special to the mundane.



I used to subscribe the the notion of a golden age lasting from around 1960 into the 1970's. Certainly the best TV of that era merits the praise it usually attracts. But all too often I watch re-runs of shows I loved in my youth only to be cruelly disappointed at how poorly they have stood the test of time.

[NappieB]

name='christoph404']I think 1969 to early 1970s was a golden age of TV for me for the same reasons Bats outlines, and also watching TV was a bit of an event in the days before video recorders and DVD. There was a sense of looking forward to watching a big Christmas movie such as "The Great Escape" because you knew it was on that one evening and possibly not on TV again for 12 to 18 months. I think viewing figures were very high in those days compared to now, the Morcambe and Wise christmas shows pulled in huge audiences the likes of which does not happen today. I put forward that The Golden Age of TV was the days prior to the advent of the home video recorder when TV viewing was an exciting family event similar to going to the cinema, a one off experience for that evening and maybe experienced again if the BBC repeated the programme or film.

Yes... I agree absolutely... would maybe expand the era to 1955 - mid 1970s.

[NappieB]

name='alan gowdy']TV used to be a bit special - like the cinema it had its mysteries and magic and access to the means of its production was something few could hope to aspire to. Now everyone can buy a camcorder and editing software, post the results on YouTube and be familiar with the processes involved. It has become accessible and in doing so has made a sad transition from the special to the mundane.



I used to subscribe the the notion of a golden age lasting from around 1960 into the 1970's. Certainly the best TV of that era merits the praise it usually attracts. But all too often I watch re-runs of shows I loved in my youth only to be cruelly disappointed at how poorly they have stood the test of time.

Yes, agree again!



But not all of them disappoint... many do but those that don't:



"Quality never goes out of style!" - Anon.

[David Brent]

name='batman']For me the 'golden age' is that era that I remember as a child and as a young man .... Fireball XL5, Supercar and the rest of the Anderson series, ITC classics, Public Eye, Callan, BBC dubbed series from Eastern Europe, watching Rathbone Holmes and Will Hay films on a regular basis, MOTD on a saturday night and Sportsnight on Wednesdays, Hazell, Budgie etc etc etc ..... mostly representative of a world no longer with us.



Bats.

Totally agree Batman.



Those were also the days of the live variety shows, Juke Box Jury, Top Of The Pops and of course Sunday Night At The London Palladium.

When there were numerous comedy shows featuring the likes of Arthur Haynes, Benny Hill, Dick Emery, Harry Worth, Eric Sykes ect..

TV seemed very exciting back then.



I always thought that the sixties were the "Golden age" for television but then sometimes you take a look back and rewatch some of those early television shows - and many are now great disappointments.

Our memories sometimes cannot be trusted.



I think there has been great television (and bad) through every era and so it will continue. As such, maybe there has never actually been a "Golden age of television"



Dave.



Dave.

[Moor Larkin]

The Golden-ness was possibly linked to the universality. Due to the small number of channels, everyone watched the same thing and a sense of community of interest prevailed........



Of course, at the time everyone felt television was destroying the social intercourse of the nation.......... not to mention the cinema, the theatre....... even church-going was disrupted by the Forsyte Saga I seem to remember......

[penfold]

From what I dimly recall, I wouldn't cross the street to watch a Benny Hill, Dick Emery, Harry Worth or a London Palladium show...Arthur Haynes I'll omit, as I don't recall his shows at all. However, the Quatermasses, the OOTU (from what I've seen of them) the old ITC serials and their ilk were exciting - well written and with high standards...but were they the rule, or the exception?? I remember an awful lot of pretty dreadful imported western series which were filling the schedules (The Virginian being an honourable exception). Golden Age?? I don't know...for kiddies TV I would say '65-75....not just the Bagpuss, Clangers, Parsleys, Pogles, Trumptons and Camberwick Green, Ivor and Noggin the Nog, Captain Pugwash and Sir Prancealot but costume dramas, like Robinson Crusoe and The Flashing Blade, Doctor Who of course, and Blue Peter for a bit of Reithian entertainment...

[orpheum]

What is difficult to realise now is that there were only 3 channels,2 before BBC2 started so choice was fairly limited which probably contributed to such vast viewing audiences.Also remember radio was still very popular>Who does not remember listening to the Billy Cotton Band Show on the Light Programme followed by Round The Horne and then by The Huggets or The Clitheroe Kid or even maybe Educating Archie. on Sunday lunchtime whilst waiting for the roast to cook.What an idea a vent on radio.

[daisyhall1]

A lot depends on what age you were at the time of the so called 'Golden Age'.Sixties series such as Danger man,Prisoner,Man in a Suitcase,Gideons Way and all ITC stuff seemed great at the time: (and mostly) still do as a nostalgia thing - most were very 'British' and may have seemed progressive and daring to a 12-17 year old.Now the internet,satellite TV and no hold barred stuff would make these tame for a similar age group.

I believe you are very much a product of your time (culturally) Personally I would have appreciated being born around 1945 instead of 1952 for being an 'adult' at the cutting edge time for music,film and TV,though a lot of fifties stuff still appeared in the sixties due to only 2 channels.

[samkydd]

name='El Tel']Was it the 60s? I remenber so many excellent series, many of them quirky. Everybody will recall The Avengers, The Prisoner, The Saint, Danger Man...



But what about Ghost Squad, Top Secret, The Men in Room 17, The Odd Man, It's Dark Outside (early Oliver Reed appearance), Virgin of the Secret Service and a personal favourite - Undermind?



Any other suggestions?

Like many things in life, too much choice is not always a good thing. Whether it is cars, television, multi-screen cinemas, holiday destinations, schools, methods of giving birth and food shopping.



When television was limited to three channels the resources put into programming seemed to be used more wisely, and so we all have fond memories of Euston Films and ITC type series plus innovative dramas like Play For Today and great sitcoms like Fawlty Towers and Steptoe and Son.



In the 60s and 70s I also thought there was a great deal of old codswallop on the box (usually on ITV, (nothing changes does it?)). Viewing as a child and a teenager back then I would have thought that my perception of what was good entertainment would have changed as I've got older. But no, I still enjoy good acting, good comedy and the nostalgia of things like The Avengers and The Sweeney, The Saint, The Persuaders and many more hour slot gems. Unfortunately in recent years of all the evening British TV drama on offer I only enjoyed New Tricks, The Last Detective and the first series of Life on Mars.



Fortunately the Americans have beaten us at our own game, and so I am enjoying more American series now than I ever did back in the 70s. Columbo. McMillan and Wife, McCloud, Banacek etc were pretty rubbish compared with our classic cop shows, but now for me its 24. The Sopranos, Vanished etc which are very enjoyable compared with the forgetable soapster career vehicles which seem to drive through our living rooms with alarming regularity!

[NappieB]

name='samkydd']



When television was limited to three channels the resources put into programming seemed to be used more wisely, and so we all have fond memories of Euston Films and ITC type series plus innovative dramas like Play For Today and great sitcoms like Fawlty Towers and Steptoe and Son.





Fortunately the Americans have beaten us at our own game, and so I am enjoying more American series now than I ever did back in the 70s. Columbo. McMillan and Wife, McCloud, Banacek etc were pretty rubbish compared with our classic cop shows, but now for me its 24. The Sopranos, Vanished etc which are very enjoyable compared with the forgetable soapster career vehicles which seem to drive through our living rooms with alarming regularity!

Yes, some very interesting observations! In general, I agree totally!!

[johnradiotimes]

4th March 1970 - WEDNESDAY



BBC1

9.15am FOR SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

12.25pm APNA HI GHAR SAMAJHIYE

12.50 Interval

1.0 DISC A DAWN

1.25 Interval

1.30 WATCH WITH MOTHER – POGLES’ WOOD

1.45 THE NEWS, Weatherman

1.53 Closedown

2.5 FOR SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

2.50 Closedown

4.20 PLAY SCHOOL

4.40 JACKANORY

4.55 LAZLO’S TREASURE

5.15 TOM TOM

5.44 HECTOR’S HOUSE

5.50 NATIONAL NEWS and Weather

6.0 MIDLANDS TODAY, LOOK EAST, NATIONWIDE

6.45 THE DOCTORS

7.5 TOMORROW’S WORLD

7.30 AS GOOD COOKS GO

8.0 THE GOOD OLD DAYS

8.50 THE MAIN NEWS and Weather

9.10 THE WEDNESDAY PLAY – ‘THE CELLAR AND THE ALMOND TREE’

10.30 24 HOURS

11.0 THE WORLD FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS OF 1970

11.45 WEATHERMAN

News Summary and Weather

For the Midlands and East Anglia

Closedown



BBC2

11.0 am PLAY SCHOOL

11.20 Closedown

7.5pm SQUARE TWO

7.30 NEWSROOM, Weather

8.0 MAN ALIVE: ‘Pity the poor Farmer?’

8.50 SOLO

Ian McKellen as John Keats

9.10 SHOW OF THE WEEK

‘Not Only . . . But Also’

9.55 EUROPA: ‘The World Through European Eyes’

10.30 MY WORLD . . .AND WELCOME TO IT

10.55 NEWS SUMMARY and Weather

11.0 LINE-UP: Wednesday



John

[Moor Larkin]

name='johnradiotimes']4th March 1970 - WEDNESDAY

BBC1

12.25pm APNA HI GHAR SAMAJHIYE

Goodness Gracious Me!!

[ChristineCB]

I'm rather surprised that any TV after 1965 would be considered part of a "golden age". At least now. Maybe in 2025?



How long will a Golden Age span? I was thinking a decade or maybe 15 (1950-1965 maybe).

[essaljay]

I think another aspect of only having three t.v. channels to choose from meant that more people were likely to have seen the same programme as you the following day. Giving rise to more discussion than you get now. Which might be why the soaps remain so popular. For myself, I miss the old variety shows with thier speciality acts. (I can still remember being taken to the Finsbury Park Empire by my dad most saturdays before they knocked it down)

[johnradiotimes]

I remember - BBC1, BBC2 and ITV that all, so I have something to do!

but now there is too many channels - good excuse that have no time! too busy!