From time to time we see a television programme where talking heads appear and tell us how great television was in the 1970's compared to 'modern' times and how our lives are being dumbed down. Below is the TV listings for BBC1 for the afternoon and evening of Saturday 23 October 1976, it's from the Radio Times which incidentally cost the princely sum of 11p. Underneath each programme is the corresponding programme from tonights BBC1 output, thirty years on.
12.30 Grandstand introduced by Frank Bough
1.:00 Grandstand
5.05 The Tom and Jerry Show
4:30 Final Score
5.15 News
5:25 - 5:45 News
1976 :5.30 The Basil Brush Show introduced by Roy North, with special guests David Essex and Guys 'n' Dolls
1976: 6.00 Doctor Who starring Tom Baker in The Hand of Fear
1976: 6.25 Bruce Forsyth and the Generation Game featuring Anthea Redfern
2006 : 5:45 - 7:15 Strictly Come Dancing
1976: 7.25 - 8:15 The Duchess of Duke Street with Gemma Jones
2006: 7:15 - 8:00 Robin Hood
8:00 - 8:45 The National Lottery (including 1 vs 100)
8.15 The Two Ronnies Special guest Barbara Dickson
8:45-9.35 Casualty
9.00 Starsky and Hutch
9:35 - 10.05 Strictly Come Dancing
10.10 News
10:05 News
10.20 Match of the Day introduced by Jimmy Hill
10.15 Match of the Day introduced by Gary Lineker
11.20 Parkinson
11:25 Omen II
12.20am-12.22 Weather (followed by closedown)
1:05 am Repeat of Friday night with Jonathan Ross
Back in '76 after Grandstand we have the Basil Brush show, scheduled to appease those children whose day had been ruined by being dragged around the shops by Mum whilst Dad went to (or played) football.
Then around teatime the family viewing kicks in, gently at first with Dr.Who and then into fully family mode with Bruce, Anthea and families who were only too happy to be laughed at by upwards of 10 million viewers. The Generation Game's peak audience was actually achieved under Larry Grayson (ooer missus) in 1978 when it reached 18 million, that was however due in part to ITV being closed down for sometime due to a strike which gave the BBC, with a total of two stations younger readers, a 100% monoply of the television airwaves.
It shows how memory can play tricks on you, how the passing of time can colour those TV viewing glasses a little rose. There is very little difference in programming between Bruce's Generation Game and the 'reality' show Strictly Come Dancing, the former was watched by all age groups I don't know anybody who watches the latter. When Generation Game wasn't on it was replaced by Wonder Woman (that attracted 16 million viewers at one point) and then Noel Edmonds various creations.
What is interesting is that Strictly Come Dancing runs for 90 minutes which back in 1976 was the time given to three 'family watching' time shows: Basil Brush, Dr Who and The Generation Game. I have to say that I find these celeb fests the television equivalent of Robbie Williams, it's television made by people who don't like television, for people who don't care what they watch as long as it fills an hour of their lives.
It's also interesting that in an era when people constantly bemoan the lack of new talent, Bruce Forsyth is still the centre piece of the BBC Saturday night scheduling thirty years on from Generation game.
Dr.Who was played by Tom Baker in 1976 and it's only due to the recent completion of the latest series that it doesn't appear in the 2006 schedules. By one of life's stranger coincidences the 1976 episode was the last one in a story called The Hands of Fear and it was the episode that featured Elisabeth Sladen's departure from the series after three years in the role of Sarah Jane Smith. The last series of Dr.Who of course finished with Billie Piper deaprting after three years in the role of Rose Tyler and Liz Sladen appeared as a guest in one episode - spooky or what?
Funny to think that Dr.Who disappeared completely during the Michael Grade years when he said it had passed it's sell by date. Grade joined BBC Television in 1984 as controller for BBC 1 becoming Director of Programmes in 1986. He said that Dr.Who had run its course, the truth was that the BBC couldn't afford both Dr.Who and EastEnders being produced at the same time.
Also, as a piece of gossip, Michael Grade fired Colin Baker who was playing Dr.Who as soon as he had taken over the reins at the BBC. Grade said that Baker's acting was awful, it later transpired that Grade was going out with Lisa Goddard, Baker's ex-wife. (She's been around a bit hasn't she old Lisa? - married to Colin Baker, Alvin Stardust and the bloke who directed Tarka the Otter - and she went out with MG)
Lisa G - a keen cyclist apparently.
Robin Hood and The Duchess of Duke Street are interchangeable, both coming from the long line of BBC Saturday night dramas that has included Jonathan Creek, Holby City, All Creatures Great and Small etc.
What is obvious from the above schedules is that the BBC has swapped 45 minutes of pre-watershed family viewing (The Two Ronnies in this case but we could be talking about Mike Yarwood, Les Dawson or Dick Emery) for a prime time quiz show that is actually a forty five minute advert for Camelot's Lottery draw - like they really need the money!
So was 1976 better than 2006? I'd say yes, just, in terms of the variety available. Giving over two hours of Saturday night television scheduling to the celebrity puff that is Strictly Come Dancing seems outrageous to me, but perhaps it reflects the number of channels available these days and the other activities people indulge in on Saturday nights that it is no longer considered to be the flagship of a week's television output.
From a personal viewing habits perspective I only watched Saturday night television occassionally during the late seventies, I was 16 in 1976 and had other important matters in hand. Now I'm a family man we don't watch BBC at all on Saturdays, I tend to watch football live on Sky and the highlights on MOTD2 or Football First.
I'd like to do a comparison with ITV but I'm struggling with finding a Saturday night schedule from the seventies, tonights viewing on Channel 3 includes 'people' shows from 5:45 until 9:40 - 1976 must have been better surely?
5 comments:
Yes, we do look at the past of television and see it as a golden age but there was rubbish even then(though such judgement is personal)but though we cried out for greater choice and the competition between commercial television and the BBC probably upped the ante and gave us television to be proud of.
Just as the radio continued to be relied on but naturally the pirates on the high seas gave what the BBC or the Government refused to just as the English service of Radio Luxembourg had for years before that.
But we've probably gone too far down the route of there being so many channels now that many are putting programmes out but they are on the tightest budget possible and broadcasting to the smallest audience so it looks cheap and nasty, or it costs the public more in subscription or pay per view as advertising is not coming in to cover the services hence ITV and others trying to raise money from those so called quiz channels or phone lines to vote on who goes through or is voted off those reality shows.
Bruce Forsyth I am sure was a reasonable all round entertainer and has one more than his quiz show career would suggest but as that paid the bills and was what the British public or programme makers wanted him to do that took priority.
I'm afraid I find his work today on such shows as Strictly Come Dancing to be avoided. I don't like the programme even though you might say its family entertainment.
They drag it out, what will happen is on the whole so choreographed I can guess how its going to go and I think a lot of what we see is acted and though some parts are open ended I think they have a good idea what they will do if certain things happen.
And that goes for all the other shows like Big Brother, Love Island etc... etc...
Gildy, thanks for the considered response.
I was reading an article from 2003 wehere a TV reviewer was moaning about the lack of quality on Saturday nights - I think the comparison between 1976 and 2006 shows there's never been that much quality, although as you say such judgement is personal.
I agree about Radio, I actually grew up listening to radio Luxembourg and Radio North Sea International because Radio 1 was so poor, apart from John Peel.
I think the BBC and ITV have given up with weekend schedules now - it's interesting that the fastest growing channels in terms of audience are Channel 5, Living (which is similar to 5) and BBC4.
Why Strictly Come Dancing should take up two hours is beyond me and as for the lottery draw, it takes thirty seconds but must have a quiz show with it to build the tension.
I personally have nothing but admiration for Bruce Forsyth, the public sometimes gets what the public wants.
Bruce was under used and I suspect few of today's will be anywhere as good as many who were seen as "The Establishment" hence the term and new comedians who liked to be billed as Alternative and they have turned in many cases into the same creature that they disliked.
You know what I saw Jimmy Tarbuck at the Winter Gardens in Bournemouth and all I remember was tears of laughter and again perhaps that where you need some performers. I saw nearly all the top tv and stage celebs of the 60's, 70's and 80's in Bournemouth.
I saw Eric Sykes twice in a theatre that faces the Pavillion Theatre but it closed became a place where holding some kind of religious meetings.
Bob Monkhouse was under used, I had a few times where I correspondened with him and he even recorded some material specially for me.
Now...RNI and Luxy...I used to listen as did Curmy to Luxembourg. RNI(I had some requests played by Daffy Don Allen)
And heard the last programme ever of RNI in a small attic room in a hotel in Bournemouth. I was sad that it had ended. For once the hotel(the only time was not good)and it was a week of very, very bad weather ;-)
Not something that happened much.
BTW I think I may possibly know who the DJ was on Radio London that had your initials...
The theatre opposite the Pavillion was the Bournemouth Little Theatre (I think) behind it was the Galaxy theatre and cinema which only held about 100 people.
The Galaxy used to show films that were considered too arthouse for the ABC/Gaumount or Odeon.
Incidentally I saw Paul Daniels at the Pavillion in 1980 and he hypnotised the woman who was sat next to me - he was very good live and considering the size of the Pavillion he had the whole theatre in the palm of his hands.
I think it was better then, Paul, mind you I used to get bored stiff watching the Billy Cotton Band Show when I was little !
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