It was never going to happen. If for no other reason than in these enlightened times no child would take anyone seriously if they sported such an obvious comb-over as the thatch worn by our esteemed quizmaster.
Sadly it is all too easy to look back at the halcyon days of television through rose tinted spectacles, like so many things in life, we forget the bad things. Like the school summer holidays that were filled with sunshine, which I'm sure they were, it's just that I didn't actually get a tan until I was 16. Spent my formative years a shade of blue, with webbed feet.
As Newton's third law states, "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" So for every Bagpuss, there was a Ludwig and for every Sarah Jane Smith, there was an Adric. There was always rubbish on television for children, it's just that now with so many channels all broadcasting around the clock, a lot more cheap filler programmes are being made, the quality is still there, it's just knowing where to look. In the 70's, when I grew up, after the BBC had shown Play School, Watch with Mother and Pebble Mill at One, it closed down. A lovely voice would come on and say something along the lines of "The BBC have nothing else to show you right now, so why not get on with having a life, until we show Play School again at ten to four..."
I should maybe explain that where I grew up in the Scottish Highlands, until I was about 6 we only had BBC1. No BBC2, and certainly none of that filthy commercial muck on Grampian or STV. So whatever we watched was whatever Auntie Beeb had decided was suitable for young people, so my views may be more staid or less rounded than those of somebody who grew up in the twin worlds of Thames and LWT.
Although, as a child I learnt what true disappointment was at an early age. And it was normally preceded by the phrase "...except for viewers in Scotland, who have their own programmes".
Didn't stop them from showing the bloody cricket every morning in the Summer holidays though. Why couldn't we have our own programmes then?
8 comments:
My hubby reckons I am posh because we didn't really watch ITV when I was a child, only BBC!
As someone who watches quite a lot of kids TV, I reckon there are still good programmes out there, (have you ever seen Raven? He's so cool! And for littler ones some of cbeebies is great), but as you say, there is a lot more of it and the quality suffers as a result.
I'm a great believer that there is still good stuff there, it's just that you do have to look for it now, whereas in my childhood we took what we were given, and we either watched it or thought, bugger this, I'm off out to play.
Even now, in my near dotage, it's unusual for me to watch ITV. Partly force of habit, but mostly, because it's shite.
My parents live in a small village near Glasgow and still don't get channel 5. In my small village nearby, there are so many trees around my house that in the summer when the trees are in leaf, the reception on STV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 becomes close to appalling. I'd still rather have the trees though.
I remember watching Bagpuss, Mr Ben and playschool. Those were the days! Also we played out a lot more than kids do these days and I only once almost got run over by a car. Life seemed simpler then. How old do I sound now!!!
I showed my children Bagpuss on video and they thought it was really dull. I enjoyed it, but I think the power of nostalgia can't be underestimated. Maybe they'll look back on Tiny Planets and Story Makers with the same affection in the future.
My parents in Cornwall can't get Channel 5 either, but I'm not sure if they're missing out though.
I really like Story Makers, I'm a huge fan of Blue Cow, and how she catches the bus to enjoy another adventure.
It's not just small villages outside Glasgow and Cornwall that miss out,Channel 5 isn't an option here in my part of the Scottish Highlands either. Actually most things aren't an option here, no Freeview, no DAB-in fact no Long Wave or MW either, strictly FM.
This is the Modern World!
Oh yes, blue cow. One of the episodes she goes to the darker side of the moon and meets an alien called Syd. A grown up subplot may be present, I feel. What excuse have you got for watching it? ;-)
I don't feel so bad now that I know that we are not the only ones to get limited access to television. However, I don't really think that we are missing out on anything to be quite honest.
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