Hamster's favourite TV shows while growing up

[Liam]

There aren't enough +1's in the world for Knightmare. I used to have some of the books as well. Great stuff.

[Gazz]

Knightmare was the absolute best. Treguard, what a guy.

Best thing to come out of Neighbours was Madeleine West (Dee Bliss)

[Skummy]

It wouldn't be from your childhood Hammy, but did you ever see a Channel Five show called "The Mole"? It was really hyped up in Jersey because the first series was filmed here, and I vaguely remember it being a lot of fun to watch, but nobody else seems to really remember it. I don't know why, but I get the impression you'd have enjoyed it.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I think I do remember it actually. There's a few of those kind of programmes that were kinda cool for a series or two when they were on. Also the one where three pairs were dropped off in the middle of nowhere on the planet and given a few quid to get back to London again. Can't remember what that was called though.

Also an amazing programme which was on for a short while which had two people on an island who had to stay away from another guy who was hunting them. They had backpacks on that could only be opened by a special key - one of them had money in theirs and the other was empty but they didn't know until they were caught.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

The A-Team

Saturday afternoons, ITV, around 2pm or something. They ran a series of A-Team then when that had finished, a series of Knight Rider, then a series of Airwolf and then a series of something else that I forget, but basically all the 70s/80s US family action stuff. I wasn't the biggest fan of Airwolf or the other show, Knight Rider was pretty fun but I was happiest when it was A-Team. LOVED it, really loved it. Definitely a highlight when they got trapped in a barn/factory/shop/other building and would build some kind of crazy weapon/vehicle in order to escape.

I've got a series on DVD now and watching it shows that 1) The characters are still REALLY REALLY good (especially Murdock and Face), 2) Unsurprisingly the programme has really aged, 3) It's interesting to watch how no-one ever gets killed despite full blown shoot-outs, machine guns, missiles and bombs everywhere.

I liked the film from last year but there's something magical about the original TV series.

Here's a clip with Boy George.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Red Dwarf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rzjee-Ugqc

Interestingly I watch back through Red Dwarf these days and it hasn't aged so well (much like Spaced actually) but the thing is, the characters are so great and some of the ridiculous plots are so entertaining that it still keeps the charm despite its rusty edges.

Having said that, it's still classic comedy that works because it's a sitcom that just so happens to be in space. They don't focus on spacey-ness so much as on every day issues and situations. The acting is of course excellent as we all know and it's only the second half of series 7 onwards where it all goes horribly wrong. Fortunately those series weren't around when I was at my BBC2 9pm Red Dwarf viewing peak.

As an aside, if you can get a hold of the novels by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor (Red Dwarf, Better Than Life, Backwards and Last Human) they are still reaaaaally reaaally funny.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

The Day Today

THIS IS THE NEEEWWWWWWSSSSSS.

I know a lot of people would see Brass Eye as the pinnacle of Chris Morris' work (afterall, the drugs, paedophilia and

are extremely special television) but for me it's still The Day Today (and the original radio series beforehand).

Yes the news is massively dated now (of course) but it's scary how prophetic the show is. The satire hits home hard and is laugh out loud funny at points. It's just incredible that there were only ever six episodes made considering how much great stuff there is in the series. Created by Morris and Armando Iannucci, it also just so happened to feature a certain Alan Partridge (as the clueless sports reporter). Indeed, all the reporters are memorable, whether it's Peter O'Hanraha-hanrahan, Rosie May on Green Desk or Collaterlie Sisters.

Anyway, VIDEOS!

(I don't think I've ever known anything to be quoted more at school than that football intro).........AND ANOTHER!

Of course, classic O'Hanra-hanrahan:

[Timmoru Suzuki]

The day today is fucking excellent, and still is. There's just so much quoteable silliness, and Morris has the style of a 'Newsnight' type show down to a tee.

[Liam]

TWAT!

[Colly]

Don't forget practically inventing the fly on the wall documentary, and thereby reality TV in general. Damn you Chris Morris.

[LexChaney]

A-Team. That takes me back to Saturday afternoon. Saturday afternoon used to be awesome back in the day on ITV. One show I have to point out that I loved from this era was Early Edition. Also friday nights on BBC 2 it had to be Bottom. Plus channel four with The Adam and Joe Show. Damn I feel old.

Also speaking of soaps. Emmerdale. The only storyline I ever loved from the show was from when I was a kid. The Dave Glover and Kim Tate storyline with them being found in bed with the best line to me ever. 'What do you call this Dave? Overtime'.

Edited November 3, 2011 by Sexy Lexy

[Gazz]

I remember trying to stay awake as a kid to watch Baddiel & Skinner's Fantasy Football League at the god awful time of 11.35pm on a Friday night.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Interestingly two more of my favourite shows were just mentioned so let's touch on them.

Adam & Joe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lf2Pkxtivs

Back in the day they were young, like we all were, and hosted their show with youthful abandon and general silliness. Now they're middle-aged and host their radio shows with youthful abandon and general silliness. Adam and Joe are in my favourite three comedy double acts along with Morecambe and Wise and Reeves and Mortimer. When they first came to the fore in the 90s it perfectly coincided with all the Britpop/Cool Britannia stuff which threw up loads of weird and entertaining TV.

I remember that it was on pretty late at night but well worth staying up for.

Also worth hunting down clips of their early 2000s show Adam and Joe Go Tokyo and also their radio shows from the past few years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Gfhtsr0CI8

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Fantasy Football League

More "Cool Britannia" era TV. Take another duo, this time David Baddiel and Frank Skinner, sit them on a couch and chat and joke about football. Get a rowdy live audience in and get them to wear their favourite team's football shirts to add to the blokey, football environment.

It worked really well for me as a football fan because Baddiel and Skinner (especially Frank Skinner) made it extremely funny. The show was well written too. They'd also get players from past and present to come in and be willing targets for banter and humour.

Interestingly, for me, Frank Skinner has enjoyed a real resurgence these last few years and I listen to his Absolute Radio show podcasts every week. He's really really funny and even his live stand-up isn't as dirty as back in the day, he made an effort to make it cleverer instead and it's really worked for him.

Anyway, here are some clips.

Another good Phoenix From The Flames

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Sharpe

Sharpe was a series of 2 hour TV specials based on the books by Bernard Cornwell. They starred Sean Bean as "Sharpe", a British soldier in the Napoleonic Wars who was raised from the ranks after saving the life of Wellington.

It was also the best ever male-friendly period drama with beautiful landscapes, good manly stories, the portrayal of famous and not-so-famous battles and some decent acting. It also guest-starred such names as Elizabeth Hurley and Pete Postlethwaite (who appeared as probably the most memorable character - Sergeant Hakeswill).

They filmed a few more in the last few years but they didn't appeal so much, partly due to the setting change, partly due to it being just Sharpe and Harper left from the Chosen Men and partly because they were all a bit older and Sean Bean was looking a bit less dashing.

[Skummy]

The Day Today

JOHN FASHANU.

I fucking love The Day Today, and Chris Morris in general. I could - and actually did, at college - write a lengthy essay on why it's one of the greatest TV shows ever made. Absolute comedy gold, and brilliant satire, without ever resorting to just directly insulting anyone, unlike most attempts at satirical news programs. It just plays fantastically with the conventions of news broadcasting, and it's hilarious how much news programming today looks more like The Day Today than it did back then. ITV News even has SPEAK YOUR BRAINS, essentially.

Have you listened to On The Hour? Some top stuff on that too, and a little more of the bizarre sexual tension between Morris and Alan Partridge at times.

I think my favourite thing about Partridge in The Day Today, which says a lot about how fantastic Iannucci and Coogan are at creating a character, is that he was essentially fully formed already. He exists as a character in On The Hour and The Day Today in pretty much the exact same form he would later take in Knowing Me, Knowing You and I'm Alan Partridge (though I've got a feeling that the radio version of Knowing Me, Knowing you may pre-date The Day Today). Apparently Iannucci and Coogan had piles and piles of notes of what kind of person they thought Partridge was - how and why he resented Chris Morris' character, what music he listened to, where he grew up, his politics...and it shows, even in the relatively minor role he plays in The Day Today.

Oh, and Adam & Joe are comedy gold. Adam Buxton somehow just gets better with age, too. The GERRY BABOONA stuff on his episode of Buzzcocks, and all his YouTube comments stuff, have kept me and the missus in hysterics ever since that episode aired.

I need to re-watch Adam & Joe Go Tokyo one day...I watched it when it was on, and it was fairly instrumental in jumpstarting my obsession with all things Japanese, but its been years. It's criminal that neither that or the Adam & Joe Show have had a "proper" DVD release.

Frank Skinner really has had a well-deserved resurgence in the last couple of years - I'd say he's better now than ever, and as quick as any comic on the circuit. I've never cared for David Baddiel, though, I think he's one of the least funny, least appealing comedians ever. Bloody love Rob Newman, though!

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Yeah I've got On The Hour on my phone and listened numerous times to the episodes. Just amazing stuff really. Monsenior Treeb Lopez is probably my favourite on it though.

(from memory) "My friend came to me the other day and asked who would win Division 1 this year, Manchester or Leeds? Ahh, I said. Our Lord Jesus is top of Division 1 every season."

[Walker]

Sharpe

Ye bastard!

Edited November 4, 2011 by WalkerWGZ

[therockbox]

Pete Postlethwaite (who appeared as probably the most memorable character - Sergeant Hakeswill).

Best villain ever.

[LexChaney]

Adam and Joe are simply awesome. I still watch a lot of their stuff on YouTube. Vinyl Justice was funny as hell back in the day.

Another I must mention sums up my chilhood. Men Behaving Badly. I have them on DVD now so it's worth a watch to see when Leslie Ash was actually fit. Tony and Gary. GREAT!