Reviews

Henry Nunn seeks to escape from television. His wife Sybil has long been obsessed with the thing, so when Henry's Uncle Crispin leaves him a house in the town where he was born, and this coincides with a financial windfall, Henry flees from 'Minder' and 'Crossroads' in Datchet to a non-televisual life in Stackley.

Green (later pink) haired Alex the squatter is already encamped, and Henry slowly begins to learn that modern life can be more vapid and ridiculous than anything on the small screen. Lovable shopkeeper Mumtaz (played by Nadim Sawalha - father of the wonderful 'Press Gang' actress Julia) may not have a great grasp of the English language. But he has a heart of gold. As does yogurt and Argos catalogue-loving next door neighbour Doreen. Tom, the shouty shop steward, Doreen's ever-loving, is not so amenable.

Henry sees a hint of his younger self in Alex and becomes fond of the lad, but his neighbours habit of using his home as an extension of their own drives him potty.

So, back to Datchet and Des O'Connor on the box - or remain in Stackley?

In the end, the one-eyed monster wins in Stackley. It seems almost to come as a relief to Henry when a telly arrives at the house and halts the flow of naff real life chat.

Robin Bailey makes a beautiful job of the dry-witted Henry, and the whole cast is exceptional. The show contains a message about the quality of modern day life which seems more relevant now, in our multi-channel, downloaded world, than it did in the early 1980s.

When I was a kid in the 1970s, I was terrified of the prospect of nuclear war. The long Cold War years stretched on, and as a young teen, circa 1978, I decided I had to get on with living - or go nuts. This I did and so was largely unmoved by Threads. Which sounds dreadful, but that's the way it was. Ever since Ronald Reagan had been elected as American President in 1980, the left wing press and the dear old leftie BBC (which has never obeyed the impartiality clause of its charter) had been bigging up the terror even more. And Threads was another example of that. Fortunately, Gorbachev arrived in 1985, and the Cold War ice melted rapidly. The second half of the 1980s was nothing like the fearful 70s or early 80s. Of course, being a leftie myself, I had my doubts when Thatcher declared Gorbachev was a man we could do business with, but capitalism was certainly better than incineration. Threads is a dreadful drama that all lefties profess to remember and to say summed up the fears of the entire decade. Nonsense. Remember Gorbachev. Read the newspapers of 1985-1989. Remember reality. The Cold War was over well before the Soviet Union crumbled. In fact, Gorbachev himself stated that it formally ended in late 1989. And the four years leading up to that were certainly nothing like what had gone before.

Why is the BBC always so middle classed when it comes to shows like this? Why does it always set up the 1970s to be a wonderland that news and media of the time reveal to be completely untrue? In this show, we apparently experienced family leisure time in five different decades.

OK. In the 1950s, women didn't work (they did in my family and had for generations), the 1960s, well, they were OK but not perfect, the 1970s - well, they were marvellous - no rampant inflation, no three day week, no million-and-a-half unemployed, no Winter of Discontent - or if they did exist they didn't bother anybody - no, we had roller discos (a 1980s UK fad), space hopper races (um...), played crazy golf during power cuts (who did that? the majority of people, worn down by the times, did not) and it was all funky, darling. We were perfectly balanced. Enough technology, enough family time. Um, why did everybody round my way spend so much family time staring at the telly then? Why were the elders of the neighbourhood saying the "ome-eyed monster" had killed conversation?

The 1980s were baddies. Ooh, technology! Ooh, we all watched TV! Um.. surely TV really took a grip in the 1960s? And in that mass-ratings decade of so called "Golden Age" TV - the 1970s - we were all apparently glued to our screens? But no, no, it was the 1980s when TV viewing rose substantially! Um... Ooh, and we all went shopping! Ooh, and we were all scared of nuclear war (despite the fact that the Cold War ice melted rapidly after the arrival of Gorbachev in 1985). And, whilst the other decade houses were all decorated in modern, cutting edge styles, the '80s house was "chintzy". Well, there were plenty of "chintzy" houses around before the 1980s, but Wall to Wall, the production company, did not want to portray the 1980s as being too funky. In contrast, I've never seen a house like the 1990s house (a decade in which decor differed tremendously) as that "funky" house in the 90s show! But then New Labour arrived in the 1990s, so it was OK to portray the 1990s as funky in "Back In Time...". I'm sorry. But I'm really tired of the BBC doing things like this. A political agenda, questionable statistics, and a middle class setting. Fortunately, I don't have a TV set and don't have to pay the licence fee. I would begrudge every penny if I had to do so.

You're Only Young Twice is kind of timeless. In a way, it was dated when it debuted in 1977. It's the kind of sitcom that had been around since the late 1950s. Unoffensive (apart from attitudes towards an off-screen gay character which were, unfortunately, very much part of the 1970s, and vanquished at the start of the 1980s), character-led and funny.

I recall revelling in this show back in the late 1970s and early 1980s because of the sheer acting talent of the veteran cast, and the fabulous writing. There are occasional flights of fancy (a certain Mrs Petty being hypnotised for one), and these do not sit easily with me, but the vast majority of episodes are wonderful, and it retains its tremendous quality right to the final series, with stand-out episodes there including "Breakfast At Peabody's", "Flora's Big Mistake" and "The Gypsy's Curse". I have re-watched "You're Only Young Twice" many times since its DVD release. It always stirs fond teenage memories. And the cast continue to weave their magic and bring Paradise Lodge to life for me at each sitting.

Watch and enjoy.

I adore this classic American animation. The Peanuts characters have deservedly found fame well beyond American shores, indeed they are legendary, and this animation is, to my mind, the very best. Who could fail to be touched by Linus's faith as he waits in the pumpkin patch? What a character he is - sensitive, kind, wise beyond his years, long suffering (Lucy sees to that!), blanket hugging... and a believer in the Great Pumpkin.

Charlie Brown's experiences of trick or treating (how bitter sweet childhood is!), Snoopy's fantasy life, Sally's devotion to Linus, the wonderful 'Lucy and Linus' theme, all add up to a tremendous show - every bit as excellent as the famous comic strip. Highly recommended.

I was sixteen when the series originally aired in the autumn of 1981, but it was one of those shows, although apparently aimed at young children, which held wide appeal. I particularly liked the characters of the Wisp, Mavis, Carwash and Evil Edna. In fact, even at my somewhat advanced age, I was a bit scared of Edna! The events in Doyley Woods were avidly followed by many of my friends and family - age range from about six to eighty-three! Kenneth Williams was excellent - his range of voices revealed a side to his talents I never knew existed - each one made the individual characters live.

Willo The Wisp is a show which now evokes powerful memories of its debut year for me - 1981, the year when Rubik's Cube was king, CB radio was made legal (in the UK), and Space Invaders were everywhere. Happy memories - wonderful show! If only Mavis Cruet could wave her magic wand and make me sixteen again!

One of the quirkiest and funniest sitcoms of the 1980s, this series captivates me. The very English middle class awkwardness of the relationship between the two central characters, the array of coincidences which dog poor Tom's life, Tom's bizarre way of speaking,the acting, the music - it's absolute perfection. How I wish they made TV like this nowadays! Captivating telly programmes - including the Beiderbecke Trilogy, Edge Of Darkness, Spitting Image and, of course, Chance In A Million - seemed far more prevalent back in the decade of shoulder pads and brick phones. So glad this is now on DVD, I waited for years!

This show helped set us on the road to the excellent Beiderbecke Trilogy, and there are signs of the brilliance to come! Get Lost! is rich in quirky dialogue, and hilarious moments - a car chase whilst keeping to the speed limit is one that is simply unforgettable. The mystery throughout is "Where's Jim?" - husband of teacher Judy Threadgold. He's disappeared. But there's no intense drama. The story is beautifully low-key and intelligent. This show was intended to have a sequel after its successful broadcast in the summer of 1981, but the fact that Alun Armstrong, one of the two lead actors, was unavailable, led to a reworking of the idea and the creation of Jill Swinburne and Trevor Chaplin, schoolteachers like Judy and Neville of Get Lost, for the 1985-1988 Beiderbecke Trilogy. Like Judy Threadgold, Jill, played by Barbara Flynn, was a keen environmentalist, but she was a somewhat better humoured, less astringent character. James Bolam, of course, brought his own acting style to the character of Trevor Chaplin. Get Lost! is not Beiderbecke, nor are the events of Get Lost! pertinent to the trilogy, but it's a fascinating precursor and well worth viewing.

Why does it say "1976-1980" at the top of this entry? Saturday Night At The Mill ended in 1981! This is very curious indeed. IMDb should really be more factual. It is beginning to seem like Wikipedia! I have come across several bizarre inaccuracies and, as IMDb does seem to be quite trusted, it seems a great shame. Could a little more effort be provided in ensuring that what is passed here is accurate? The fact that Saturday Night At the Mill ended in 1981 is widely documented, indeed the IMDb entry lists shows from that year. Visiting this site used to be a tremendous pleasure. Now I am beginning to distrust it. Please, IMDb, stick to the facts!

I adored the original TV series, first broadcast in October 1965 and adapted by Eric Thompson (father of Emma) from a French series animated by one Serge Danot into something delightfully English and daffy. The original show was a work of genius - in my humble opinion - thoroughly groundbreaking children's entertainment, which inspired many future series. The film was not the same. It lacked the charm, gentility and wit of the 1960s show. But then times change and I think I should not have gone to see the new big screen Magic Roundabout: youngsters in the audience seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. New generation, new Dougal...

The information here is inaccurate. The Twin Peaks pilot was filmed in - and is dated in the closing credits - 1989. IMDb really does need to check its facts. I am spotting increasing amounts of inaccurate information on this site, which is concerning me as IMDb has previously been a site I have trusted implicitly. I request that the IMDb editors check the Twin Peaks pilot for the date and correct this information. It is very sad that a highly praised on-line resource like is going downhill in this way - I feel that the IMDb editors must make more of an effort to check the information submitted. I am seriously considering no longer recommending this site to my media students.

I thoroughly enjoyed several American sitcoms in the 1980s, and thought this was a fascinating era for TV humour. The 80s saw the likes of The Golden Girls, The Simpsons, Married With Children and Roseanne bursting into the schedules and it was a very creative era.

I enjoyed the first few seasons of Roseanne so much. This was a breathtakingly down-to-earth view of family life, and, like the English series "Only Fools And Horses", could make you cry as well as laugh.

Groundbreaking, spiky, warm, surprising and very relevant to its time - Roseanne is simply classic viewing. I would recommend the first three or four series to anyone!

Professor Stahlman's comment on here is inaccurate. True, Emmerdale Farm became Emmerdale in November 1989, but Phil Redmond's time on the soap was in the early 1990s, and the plane crash storyline took place in December 1993 and January 1994.

For the first few years after 1989, the renamed show was pretty much as it had always been, but with an increased youth content and a gradual reducing of story lines revolving around Emmerdale Farm itself.

1993 was the pivotal year in bringing about the show as we know it today - with Emmerdale farm house collapsing due to subsidence and the plane crash.

Personally, I think modern day Emmerdale is nothing like Emmerdale Farm or the early years of Emmerdale (pre-plane crash).

I would love ITV to repeat old episodes, particularly those showing the introduction of Al Dixon as Walter in 1980, Richard Thorp as Alan Turner in 1982, Tony Pitts as Archie Brooks in 1983 and Diana Davies as Mrs Bates (1984).

ITV should show lots and lots of old Emmerdale Farm episodes in my opinion.

At its best probably in the 1960s, Crossroads was always terrific fun.

The programme had an innocence and lightness of touch in its 60s days that it lost in the 70s and great fun was to be had as sets occasionally wobbled and studio arc lights fell down! The 1960s characters were great - and included such legendaries as the Richardsons and Hugh Mortimer, Diane, Tish Hope, Marilyn Gates (mark 1!) Mr Lovejoy and Mr Booth and Amy Turtle.

The show was daring - a storyline about a single mother, a waitress at the motel, was strong stuff back then. But murder was more difficult. In a 1960s story involving the character Gerald Bailey (whose wife, Ruth, later married Meg's brother) great pains had to be taken so as not to "distress" viewers in a storyline originally envisaged as murder, but later reconfigured to "sudden death".

However, by the late 1960s, attempted murder WAS allowed as we saw the character Malcolm Ryder trying to poison the show's heroine, Meg Richardson - his wife in the plot at that time! The 70s and 80s episodes are also great fun. The 70s episodes have added value as we see all sorts of middle aged people wearing the garish and flared style of clothes which were so cutting edge and trendy amongst the young hippies of the 1967/1968 Summer Of Love. Younger 70s characters, like Martin Bell, look positively dowdy in comparison to the 60s fashion following older set!

The 70s and 80s episodes saw a continuation of cutting edge soap story lines - I particularly recall the introduction of Benny in the 1970s (learning difficulties) and the terrific Downs Syndrome and racism story lines in the 1980s.

In the 1980s, the show altered dramatically and it seemed a terrible shame to dispatch Meg, but Crossroads gave excellent value with the introduction of chararacters such as Valerie Pollard and Nicola Freeman and a brief return for Amy Turtle! I followed the show from start to finish and enjoyed it all, though I do feel now that the 70s episodes are rather over-hyped (so much 70s stuff really belongs to the 60s!). From wonky but lovable 60s soap to shoulder padded, witty but gentle late 80s ending, Crossroads was required viewing for me for an awful lot of years.

Happy memories!

Hyacinth Bucket was a first class snob and a great eccentric. She came from an eccentric family - lazy Daisy and her passion for philosophising layabout husband Onslow; rampant Rose - always seeking Mr Right, or Mr Anybody; Daddy - well past the height of his mental powers; and Violet - married to a cross-dressing turf accountant.

Hyacinth's adored son, Sheridan, was never seen on screen, but it was established that the lad was very much his mother's son! Why did long-suffering husband Richard and neighbours Liz and Emmett put up with Hyacinth? Wherever she went, she caused chaos in her endless pursuit of a refined and elegant existence.

This is the most English of comedies: on the island of Britain, no nation takes class more seriously than England - and this series also demonstrates the wonderful ability of the English to laugh at their own peculiarities.

A wonderful series - and one of the last truly great English sitcoms.

I used to enjoy "Happy Ever After", but was absolutely hypnotised by "Terry & June". With Aunt Lucy gone, the emphasis seemed to fall more heavily on the relationship between Terry and June, a middle aged, middle class English couple, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, losing myself quite happily in each episode.

The 1980s were the era of alternative comedy, but they were also the decade of choice - and Terry and June certainly suited more traditional tastes. And mine - and I was a huge fan of "The Young Ones", too! Each week, Terry got into a silly situation and June got pulled in herself and usually ended up having to bail him out. How dated the shows seem now - it was a different world, but it's great fun to see trends of the 1980s featured - such as the CB radio storyline of 1982 (CB radio was legalised in England in November 1981), which saw Terry imprisoned in his car in the back of a lorry! I've been watching the shows again recently on DVD, and I still think they're terrific! Not loved by the enlightened elite - the chattering classes, but a huge hit with the masses! Wonderful!

This show was aimed at tiny tots, but became a cult with some teens and twenty-somethings. My peer group and I were eager to be transported to Riddleton End to join Marjorie Dawe, Mossop, Tiddler and Mr Grimley, and thought the show an absolute wow! One of the great things about the show was the studio set, comprising Marjorie's cottage exterior, living room and garden, the well and the exterior of Mr Grimley's house. In the 1980s, location filming became cheaper as cameras became smaller and more portable, and "The Riddlers" was one of the last shows to have such an elaborate studio-bound set depicting both exteriors and interiors.

The puppets were ace - particularly Tiddler, who looked like a cross between Tina Turner and Boy George. Good old Marjorie Dawe, token sensible adult, guided and kept order.

Riddleton End, complete with "Postie", the hedgehog, seemed like a piece of old England and the Riddlers were like folklore characters. It all worked a curious kind of magic on us. Fondly remembered.

This Sky TV show was part of the glut of retro pop culture shows started by Channel Four's "Top Ten" series. Each show presented a look at an 80s or 90s year on TV in the UK, with the help of various "talking head" celebrities, news footage and music from each 12 months.

The research was far better than on the BBC's version of "I Love the 1970s", "I Love the 1980s" and "I Love the 1990s" and so each programme was more evocative of the era it was presenting.

Highly enjoyable - Stephanie Powers turned up to talk about "Hart To Hart", which debuted on British screens in 1980; Ted Rogers showed us how he did his unique "321" hand movement on the show of that name; and Jim Bowen told us all about "Bullseye"!

Super, smashing, great!

If you're into these type of shows but value accuracy, then I recommend this series.

A highly inaccurate 1970s-themed festive "pop culture" show, which insisted on taking 1960s stuff (like Space hoppers) and mixing them with things unavailable until the 1980s.

The 1970s revival in Britain was not based on accuracy, and several 1960s items were included in this programme simply to flag up the 70s recession-era pop culture. 1980s items were also tossed in to the programme as there seems to be a feeling here that we must not celebrate 80s culture openly - because of the attendant "yuppie" culture! So, let's call early 80s pop culture "70s"! Highly illogical!

The American versions of the "I Love..." series were refreshingly accurate and non-priggish.

But this was awful.

Sadly, "I Love 1980s" was spoilt by poor research and the poor research on the "I Love 1970s" series also affected this series badly.

Several items of 1980s pop culture had wrongly been included in the 70s programmes, and in consequence the early 80s looked curiously empty without the CB radio craze, the release of the Rubik's Cube (based on the Hungarian Magic Cube and named and released in 1980), the personal stereo (invented in Japan in 1979, released in Britain in 1980) or the impact of Space Invaders. Indeed, Pac-Man was included in "I Love 1980" but was not actually available to play.

The show also seemed to have an agenda of portraying the decade as greedy - although for the first few years we were knee deep in recession. Many of us were struggling financially, and there were thriving environmental and charitable movements to counter balance the "yuppie" ethos later in the decade.

I found "I Love the 1980s" to be as poorly researched as "I Love the 1970s" and in this case the people working on the series did not actually appear to have any affection for the era.

Or a great deal of reliable knowledge about it.

The trouble with this 1970s pop culture series was factual inaccuracies and what some judged to be "70's hype". The Space hopper, featured in "I Love 1971", was actually available in Britain at least as early as 1969 and a trend then, and Personal Stereos were invented in 1979, but not available here until 1980. Many such inaccuracies punctuated the series, and the fact that the 1970s were a time of misery for many was totally ignored.

It would be accurate to say that "I Love The 1970s" actually covered the pop culture of 1967 to 1982. Many of the things featured in each year had actually been commonplace since the 1960s or were unavailable until the 1980s.

The series was disappointing - misinforming a younger generation of "70s fans" - and had the knock-on effect of also making the 1980s series inaccurate as much early 1980s pop culture had been wrongly featured in the 70s series!