This week, I take a nostalgic journey through the TV schedules from Saturday, May 19, 1973, using both the TV Times and Radio Times as my time machines – yes, in those days you needed two separate magazines to know what was on all three channels! I begin by exploring ITV's offerings before moving on to BBC1 and BBC2.
Starting with ITV (which required the TV Times to view its schedule), the morning lineup featured "The Flaxton Boys," a children's adventure series set in Yorkshire that I'm struggling to remember clearly. This was followed by the variety show "Saturday Scene" with Sally Ann Howes, and later "World of Sport" which dedicated its entire afternoon to football coverage – quite different from BBC's more varied sporting approach.
Switching over to BBC1 (listed in the Radio Times), the morning began with a curious mix of children's programming, including "Repondez s'il vous plait" (a French language course), "Camberwick Green" with its charming wooden puppets, and "The Further Adventures of Dr Dolittle" featuring the rascally pirate Sam Scurvey. At 12:05, viewers were transported to Australia with "Barrier Reef," an adventure series featuring marine scientists in colourful wetsuits battling pirates and criminals on the Queensland coast.
Afternoon viewing on BBC1 was dominated by "Grandstand," which was impressively packed in football (the Home International Championship), six horse races, boxing, and Rugby League. The football coverage featured an all-star commentary panel including Jock Stein, Don Revie, Brian Clough, and Bobby Charlton – a lineup that puts today's pundits to shame!
The teatime slot belonged to "Doctor Who," with this particular Saturday featuring the first episode of "The Green Death" – a story about a dead miner found glowing green in Wales. This was followed by "Clunk Click" with Jimmy Savile, "The Dick Emery Show" with its memorable catch phrases like "Ooh, you are awful!", and the groundbreaking "Ironside" starring Raymond Burr as the wheelchair-using Chief Robert Ironside.
The day concluded with late-night sports coverage, an episode of "Bilko," and then the National Anthem before closing down just after midnight – a reminder of how television wasn't the 24-hour service we take for granted today.
Do you remember any of these shows? Can you help fill in details about "The Flaxton Boys" or what happened in "The Green Death"? Get in touch and share your memories!
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