OctOrigins: TV

Another in a series suggested by PontyCyclops.

Every Hallowe'en, the young 'uns gather at my feet and clamour for the same scary story. 'Oh tell us about TV in the '70s again.' 'Well, kiddywinks, once upon a long, long time ago the television set appeared in most homes. It was a thing of wonder but only had...THREE CHANNELS! And those channels hand to be changed ...BY HAND...sometimes by turning a dial. And those channels ended at...10.30! Usually after 'Night Thoughts' when some crusty vicar with a pipe would blither on about God...'

As Bob Monkhouse would say, 'seriously though folks...' People forget how brilliant TV could be in the '70s. Lots of people hark back to the light entertainment shows (fair enough, Les Dawson and Morecambe & Wise can still make me cry with laughter) or to the children's programmes but I remember some excellent drama and some challenging film. From the age when I could be left without a babysitter and before I discovered the joys of alcohol and going out, I watched some amazing stuff. Early Alan Bennett (I still remember the immortal line, 'but she was too busy scraping yoghurt off her cardigan'), Dennis Potter (mind boggling), and Mike Leigh (I saw 'Abigail's Party' the first time it screened and it remains a favourite)

Equally, they showed some wonderful films. I remember an excellent run of Tennessee Williams for instance. I had to laugh in recognition when I saw Submarine this year, as the narrator imagines his life shot like Francois Truffaut film. I didn't understand his stuff at all but I subsequently spent a lot of time staring moodily into the middle distance thinking it made me look interesting when it just made me look like the miserable teenager that I was.

Apologies for the blurriness of this pic. I did have a sharper shot but you could see the dust on the PC. And I certainly wasn't going to the effort of getting up & finding the duster.