Tonight’s Anglia TV… in 1978 

26 June 2018 tbs.pm/66817

From the pages of the ‘announcer’s friend and viewer’s Bible’, TVTimes, a look at Anglia’s schedule for Monday 26 June.

0930 – A recycled schools programme starts the day, starring David Bellamy – arguably television’s pre-eminent naturalist of the decade. His Bellamy on Botany series for BBC1 would go the other way in the Autumn term of 1978, getting a Schools repeat six years after its first showing to a general audience.

0955 – Easels at the ready for painting practice with Nancy. Largely studio-based, as I recall, though it’s possible HTV pushed the boat out for a few establishing shots outside. The ubiquitous Alan Taylor joined Miss Kominsky for earlier series – she’s confident enough on camera to work solo by this stage.

1020 – Glenn (Cade’s County) Ford narrates a bought-in look at horses from Toronto’s Mediavision, Inc. The IBA at one time had an informal guideline of 14 percent overseas programming for ITV, but it’s possible that Commonwealth imports were treated more favourably than U.S. ones.

1045 – Perhaps the most delightful oddity of the day. Janice Hoyte became the first West Indian quiz show hostess on British television as (you guessed it) Alan Taylor’s sidekick on HTV’s version of Mr and Mrs. But singing was her main talent, so HTV produced a showcase for her; first shown locally after ‘News at Ten’, just eleven days before this part-network screening. Nic Rowley’s Quartet were providing musical accompaniment to Radio 2’s News Huddlines around this time; Rowley having been involved with disastrous women’s lib-themed West End revue After Shave in 1977 – an early Cameron Mackintosh misfire.

1105Goostrey was first shown in the north-west by Granada in the Summer of 1976. An episode exists online at the time of writing, and it merits watching. As the billing suggests, it truly is ‘slow TV’, at a time when this was the norm, rather than a brief hipster-driven fad.

1200 – An early Cosgrove-Hall effort for Thames, before Trueman and Co. hit paydirt with Danger Mouse.

1210 – And a little more from Thames’ in-house animators as part of Rainbow.

1230 – Like Goostrey, The Open Air is a feature originally made for regional consumption getting an outing elsewhere in the country. Westward (and later TSW) stalwart Clive Gunnell is your host. First shown in the southwest after News at Ten on Thursdays.

1325 – Most stations had the regional bulletin straight after News at One. Anglia seem to have shoved theirs in following an ad break.

1330 – An early example of the celebrity-fronted documentary which has become such a cliché these days, but there is a novelty in seeing fake squire Gerald Hadleigh meeting the genuine article. And, yes, this is the third item of the day first made as a regional interest piece.

1400 – What can you say about Southern’s magazine show for women? Nothing, if you are TVTimes and pushed for space.

1425 – Yorkshire and Thames had a special black and white ident for monochrome films. Not sure if Anglia bothered.

1645 – Science fiction. Hmm. Quite a nice theme tune though, as I remember. And Mike ‘Flintlock’ Holoway was awarded TV Times Personality of the Year in 1976, according to his Wiki entry.

1715 – Bamber with ITV’s movable feast – Border had it at 6.15 on Monday, Southern at 6.45 on Thursday, LWT Sundays at 1.45. Quite possibly different episodes too. There’s a dissertation to be written on University Challenge scheduling in the seventies.

1800About Anglia’s Paul Barnes recently parted company with Radio Norfolk, at the age of 78. The problem of filling that odd 45 minute slot in this case is solved by filming the weatherman doing a spot of golf. Some regions just gave up, and cut the slot back to fifteen minutes on a Monday.

1845 – Decent writing pedigree behind Whodunnit? – Lance Percival and Jeremy Are You Being Served Lloyd. Lionel Blair’s sister is among those under suspicion tonight.

1930Coronation Street arguably in its pomp. Note – never called ‘Corrie’ at this point. When did the nickname take hold, I wonder?

2000 – A childhood favourite, this one – the scripts are not always the sharpest, but the considerable charm of the participants keeps it afloat.

2100Strangers is not too well remembered now; a shame as it was a cut above the typical police procedural. Don Henderson returning as the Bulman character from The XYY Man a few years previously. We are midway through the first of five series. Brian Finch, creator of Granada’s Fallen Hero, is the writer.

2230 – Speedway popped up from time to time on World of Sport – here’s a regional showcase. Steve Ryder’s second appearance of the night, and Dave Lanning proves he can talk bikes as eloquently as darts. Neighbouring Yorkshire sponsored an annual ‘TV Trophy’ between 1974 and 1982.

2300 – George Cole and Dennis Waterman are somewhere down the billing of Fright – a generic sounding name for an undistinguished film by all accounts.


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10 responses to this article

Arthur Nibble 26 June 2018 at 1:29 pm

“Delightful hostess Janice Hoyte from “Mr. and Mrs.” Is given her own show” – all 20 minutes of it minus the ad break(s)!

The variations in some regions’ timings fascinate me. Why does “Nancy” get an extra five minutes at ATV?

I’m guessing “Left Right and Centre” on ATV at 10.30 p.m. is the 1959 political comedy film starring Ian Carmichael.

“Farm Progress” on Southern. Get in! Hopefully no clips of slurry sweeping or animals giving birth to accompany your lunch.

Southern and Yorkshire plump for “Beryl’s Lot”, by this stage in its third series of 30-minute long episodes, compared to the hour-long editions in the first two series. The 52-show comedy drama featured Carmel McSharry as a housewife attending philosophy at night school to broaden her horizons.

Arthur Nibble 26 June 2018 at 1:37 pm

I decided to check t’net to see what Janice Hotye looked like and found a 1974 album of hers released by her then employers, Marks & Spencer. On the cover Janice is poured into (and popping out of) a dress at least one size too small, and the album states proceeds went to The British Association for the Retarded. Different times.

Arthur Nibble 26 June 2018 at 2:00 pm

Daft question – who’s the woman far left middle row on the “TV Times” cover?

Dave Rhodes 26 June 2018 at 6:10 pm

The Janice Hoyte programme was in a 30 minute slot for its first showing on HTV. Presumably, shorn of a centre-break for morning viewing, it was just shy of 25 minutes, which Anglia have rounded down to 20. In the same way that ATV round ‘Nancy’ up to 30!

And ‘Left Right and Centre’ was the local waffling about Westminster spot for the Midlands. Enjoy the opening titles here, c/o Transdiffusion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=SN&hl=fr&v=7zRDAu_qVyE

Paul Mason 26 June 2018 at 10:44 pm

Whodunnit? was a parental favourite in the Mason abode. Sadly 1978 was David Nixons
last year as he died aged 58 in December that year.
As for Speedway it had its fans but motorcyclists noisily going around in circles did nothing for me, even though this wasn’t on Granada.

steve brown 27 June 2018 at 9:01 am

Left,Right and Centre was ATV’s political show

Arthur Nibble 29 June 2018 at 8:44 am

Thanks both for the details on ATV’s political show. I like the way the credits colour the words Left, Right and Centre in the appropriate party colours.

Joanne Gray 1 July 2018 at 7:40 pm

A rare episode of Whodunnit? sans Patrick “Blood’ound” Mower. Was he ill?

Arthur Nibble – not quite sure who the blonde, far left middle row is, but she looks like either Liza Goddard or Katie Boyle, but my eyes aren’t what they used to be, so I’m probably wrong.

Caroline Haywood 23 November 2018 at 7:10 pm

My Mother Lettie Hayward won the HTV Wales TV Trophy in 1976. Could you please kindly possibly get back to me with information how l can find any television coverage of my Mum playing snooker or the presentation of the HTV Wales TV Trophy please?

Russ J Graham 24 November 2018 at 1:39 pm

It’s very unlikely that the footage still exists. Please see this page for more information.

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