My favourite "BBC" TV programmes: 1950s - 1980s.
by alexanderdavies-99382 | created - 21 Aug 2022 | updated - 7 months ago | PublicDespite the poor state of their archive, the BBC produced some exceptional television back in the glory days of the medium.
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1. Adam Adamant Lives! (1966–1967)
50 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
In 1902, Edwardian adventurer Adam Adamant is frozen alive in a block of ice by his archnemesis, the Face. In 1966, workmen discover him and he is revived, perfectly preserved but ... See full summary »
Stars: Gerald Harper, Juliet Harmer, Jack May, Peter Ducrow
Votes: 260
2. Quatermass II (1955)
188 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Horror
Professor Quatermass is trying to perfect a dangerously unstable nuclear-powered rocket engine. After a disastrous test firing in Australia, his soon-to-be son-in-law, Captain John Dillon, ... See full summary »
Stars: John Robinson, Monica Grey, Hugh Griffith, John Stone
Votes: 481
3. Quatermass and the Pit (1958–1959)
30 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Horror
A team of scientists search for the origin and purpose of a mysterious capsule found on a building site.
Stars: André Morell, Cec Linder, Anthony Bushell, John Stratton
Votes: 1,205
4. Sherlock Holmes (1964–1968)
50 min | Crime, Drama, History
A series of Sherlock Holmes adaptations, based on the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Stars: Nigel Stock, Peter Cushing, Douglas Wilmer, Peter Madden
Votes: 589
5. Hancock's Half Hour (1956–1960)
30 min | Comedy
TV version of the popular BBC radio show of the same name, with Tony Hancock as the modern man of the world (in his own eyes). Sid James is there to bring him back to earth.
Stars: Tony Hancock, Sidney James, Johnny Vyvyan, Alec Bregonzi
Votes: 591
A landmark in British comedy.
6. Doctor Who (1963–1989)
TV-PG | 25 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
The adventures in time and space of the Doctor, a Time Lord who changes appearance and personality by regenerating when near death, and is joined by companions in battles against aliens and other megalomaniacs.
Stars: William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker
Votes: 39,528
William Hartnell is my favourite Doctor Who.
7. BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950–1959)
Drama
Series of television plays performed live.
Stars: Richard Caldicot, George Woodbridge, Robert Brown, Michael Brennan
Votes: 179
8. Colditz (1972–1974)
50 min | Drama, History, War
The series deals with Allied prisoners of war imprisoned at Colditz Castle and their many attempts to escape captivity, as well as the relationships formed between the various nationalities and their German captors.
Stars: David McCallum, Richard Heffer, Paul Chapman, Jack Hedley
Votes: 1,022
The greatest series based during world war II.
9. The Stone Tape (1972 TV Movie)
90 min | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
A research team from an electronics company moves into an old Victorian house to start work on finding a new recording medium. When team member Jill Greeley witnesses a ghost, team director... See full summary »
Director: Peter Sasdy | Stars: Michael Bryant, Jane Asher, Iain Cuthbertson, Michael Bates
Votes: 1,884
Genuinely creepy and superbly written.
10. The Signalman (1976 TV Movie)
38 min | Drama, Horror
A lonely Signalman is visited by a stranger.
Director: Lawrence Gordon Clark | Stars: Denholm Elliott, Bernard Lloyd, Reginald Jessup, Carina Wyeth
Votes: 1,754
Gripping from beginning to end.
11. Play for Today (1970–1984)
75 min | Comedy, Drama
A British television anthology drama series that aired on BBC1 between 1970 and 1984.
Stars: Alison Steadman, Nigel Hawthorne, Tony Caunter, David Daker
Votes: 392
12. The Wednesday Play (1964–1970)
75 min | Drama
Series of one-off plays made by BBC television, which gave breaks to a wide range of writers and directors in the late 1960s, such as Dennis Potter, Ken Loach, David Mercer, and John ... See full summary »
Stars: Edwin Brown, Neville Smith, Tony Selby, Ken Jones
Votes: 132
13. The Nine Tailors (1974)
209 min | Mystery
The title refers to the nine strokes of a church bell to announce the death of a man. In this adaptation of Dorothy L. Sayers's intricate, nostalgic, and atmospheric novel of the same name,... See full summary »
Stars: Ian Carmichael, Glyn Houston, Elizabeth Proud, Patrick Jordan
Votes: 387
My favourite out of the Ian Carmichael productions.
14. Murder Must Advertise (1973–1974)
198 min | Mystery
When one of the copy writers of Pym's Advertising Agency meets his death by falling down a spiral staircase, a new "writer" joins the staff to investigate the matter.
Stars: Ian Carmichael, Mark Eden, Rachel Herbert, Paul Darrow
Votes: 348
15. Count Dracula (1977 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 150 min | Drama, Horror
The vampire count leaves his Transylvanian home to wreak havoc across the world.
Director: Philip Saville | Stars: Louis Jourdan, Frank Finlay, Susan Penhaligon, Judi Bowker
Votes: 1,793
16. The Day of the Triffids (1981)
50 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
When a comet blinds nearly everyone in the world, a genetically-engineered species of plant takes over.
Stars: John Duttine, Emma Relph, Maurice Colbourne, Jonathan Newth
Votes: 2,438
17. Survivors (1975–1977)
50 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
A community of survivors struggle to stay alive in the wake of a global pandemic known as the Death that wiped out 99.98% of humanity.
Stars: Lucy Fleming, Ian McCulloch, Denis Lill, Stephen Dudley
Votes: 1,437
Began promisingly before mediocrity set in.
18. The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe (1988)
Unrated | 29 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
Four kids travel to the magical land of Narnia where they must battle an evil queen with the direction of the lion, Aslan.
Stars: Richard Dempsey, Sophie Cook, Jonathan R. Scott, Sophie Wilcox
Votes: 6,503
19. Oliver Twist (1962)
30 min | Adventure, Family
An orphan named Oliver Twist meets a pickpocket on the streets of London. From there, he joins a household of boys who are trained to steal for their master.
Stars: Bruce Prochnik, Max Adrian, Peter Vaughan, Carmel McSharry
Votes: 27
20. Z Cars (1962–1978)
TV-14 | Crime, Drama
A gritty drama which follows the work of the police force in the fictional town of Newtown in the North of England.
Stars: James Ellis, John Slater, Douglas Fielding, Bernard Holley
Votes: 382
21. Softly Softly: Task Force (1969–1976)
50 min | Crime, Drama
1970s BBC police drama with experienced cops DCS Charlie Barlow and DS John Watt who lead a task force charged with tackling the toughest cases Thamesford has to offer.
Stars: Frank Windsor, Norman Bowler, David Lloyd Meredith, Terence Rigby
Votes: 114
22. A Game of Murder (1966)
30 min | Thriller
The once famous athlete Bob Kerry dies mysteriously on a golf course. His son Jack, a detective, suspects murder and decides to investigate the case. He gets caught up in a web of intrigue ... See full summary »
Stars: Gerald Harper, David Burke, June Barry, John Harvey
Votes: 28
23. Maigret (1959–1963)
50 min | Crime, Drama
Televisations of the Maigret novels by Georges Simenon.
Stars: Rupert Davies, Ewen Solon, Helen Shingler, Neville Jason
Votes: 375
24. Steptoe and Son (1962–1974)
TV-PG | 45 min | Comedy
British sitcom about a father-and-son rag-and-bone business in London. The intergenerational divide between the miserly Steptoe and his ambitious son results in comedy, drama, and tragedy.
Stars: Wilfrid Brambell, Harry H. Corbett, Frank Thornton, Tim Buckland
Votes: 3,422
The best episodes, are from 1970 and 1972.
25. Doomwatch (1970–1972)
50 min | Sci-Fi, Drama
Doomwatch is the nickname for the Department of Measurement of Scientific Work. Under the leadership of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Dr. Spencer Quist, the Doomwatch team struggled, for ... See full summary »
Stars: John Paul, Joby Blanshard, Simon Oates, Vivien Sherrard
Votes: 197
26. Hancock (1961)
25 min | Comedy
Comedian Tony Hancock stars, in this BBC situation comedy TV series, as Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock, a down-at-heel comedian living in East Cheam.
Stars: Tony Hancock, Hugh Lloyd, June Whitfield, Gwenda Ewen
Votes: 187
Hancock's final moments of glory.
27. Porridge (1974–1977)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy, Crime
The prison life of Fletcher, a criminal serving a five-year sentence, as he strives to bide his time, keep his record clean, and refuses to be ground down by the prison system.
Stars: Ronnie Barker, Brian Wilde, Fulton Mackay, Richard Beckinsale
Votes: 6,838
28. Dad's Army (1968–1977)
30 min | Comedy, War
A ragtag group of Home Guard volunteers prepare for an imminent German invasion during World War II.
Stars: Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier, Clive Dunn, John Laurie
Votes: 7,232
29. Fawlty Towers (1975–1979)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
Hotel owner Basil Fawlty's incompetence, short fuse, and arrogance form a combination that ensures accidents and trouble are never far away.
Stars: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth
Votes: 100,160
A few masterpieces and several examples of mediocrity.
30. Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (1973–1974)
30 min | Comedy
Returning from the Army, Terry finds his best mate Bob is marrying Thelma, Terry's former partner. Their lives intertwine as Terry reintegrates, challenging the relationships between the three.
Stars: James Bolam, Rodney Bewes, Brigit Forsyth, Sheila Fearn
Votes: 1,285
31. The Detectives (1993–1997)
50 min | Comedy, Crime
In the never ending, high tech war against crime, Detective Constables Bob Louis and David Briggs are the Scud missiles of the police arsenal of intuition, hunches and inspired guesses... all of them hopelessly wrong.
Stars: Jasper Carrott, Robert Powell, George Sewell, Frank Windsor
Votes: 1,610
32. The Two Ronnies (1971–1987)
Comedy
This long-running BBC comedy show consisted of sketches and humourous musical routines.
Stars: Ronnie Barker, Ronnie Corbett, The Fred Tomlinson Singers, John Owens
Votes: 3,584
33. In Sickness and in Health (1985–1992)
30 min | Comedy
Alf and Else are getting old, Rita's left home, Else's confined to a wheelchair. Alf must now do battle with the Social Security system.
Stars: Warren Mitchell, Carmel McSharry, Arthur English, Ken Campbell
Votes: 728
Still highly controversial but funny.
34. Hi-de-Hi! (1980–1988)
60 min | Comedy
Comic goings-on in this series. Ted's the camp comic but is always on the lookout for a way to make money. Gladys has her eye on the boss, and Peggy wants to swap her mop and cleaner's outfit for a 'yellow coat.'
Stars: Paul Shane, Ruth Madoc, Jeffrey Holland, Felix Bowness
Votes: 1,873
35. You Rang, M'Lord? (1988–1993)
50 min | Comedy
Adventures and misadventures of Lord Meldrum, his family and their servants in the 1920s.
Stars: Paul Shane, Jeffrey Holland, Su Pollard, Donald Hewlett
Votes: 3,607
36. Red Dwarf (1988– )
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy, Sci-Fi
The adventures of the last human alive and his friends, stranded three million years into deep space on the mining ship Red Dwarf.
Stars: Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn
Votes: 37,293
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