Tonight’s Harlech Television… in 1968 

22 August 2018 tbs.pm/67278

‘Tis Thursday 22nd August 1968 and, after a rather turbulent month for Independent Television, regional broadcasting returns. The ITV Strike of 1968 saw region after region fall off air and led to the running of a makeshift national service. Aside for good old Channel of course.

Harlech opens at 3pm with Racing from York, from our new pals at Yorkshire Television. We may even be lucky to have a few minutes of Interlude music, before Alan Taylor and his friends take over in Tinker’s Tales at 4.25pm.

Jill is looking for something in Crossroads at 4.30pm, maybe some acting lessons? We then go down-under for more adventures with the lovely Skippy at 4.55pm.

That’s followed by a brand-new show from our other new neighbours, Thames Television at 5.20pm. The Queen Street Gang was a comedy drama series about a group of kids who manage to get involved in adventures with spies, as you do. It ran for just 9 episodes. Those on the Welsh Transmitters get Y Gwyllt.

Off to ITN for the 5.50pm News, before Wales turns away from the Harlech General Service once again with their own regional programming. On the General Service it’s Report at 6pm, soap from 6.30pm starting with Driveway, then the US sitcom Valentine’s Day at 7pm. Both programmes lasted just one series.

Over on the Welsh transmitters it’s Y Dydd at 6pm, Y Goreuon and then the second part of an episode of Batman, which brings us up to their version of Report at 6.50pm. Finally, at 7pm, Llafar A Chan.

At 7.30pm, on all transmitters it’s American soap Peyton Place. Then, something definitely of its day, Miss Harlech at 8pm, hosted by Alan Taylor. The programme is coming to us live from Port Talbot. Your musical guest is Marty Wilde, who is no doubt looking forward to an exciting semi this evening.

Drama at 8.30pm with the ATV series Crime Buster, starring Mark Eden, better known as Corrie baddie Alan Bradley. This is another series that lasted just one season… clearly 1968 had more misses than hits.

At 9.30pm, from Thames, current affairs programme This Week. After the News at Ten, it’s time for more comedy with Dame Hilda Baker and Jimmy Jewel in the classic series Nearest & Dearest. Let’s hope Nelly doesn’t fall over and land prostitute on the floor.

We end the evening with a look at sporting and leisure activities across Wales and the West in Time Off. Then, it’s time to clock off for the night as Harlech comes to halt at around 11.35pm.

Nos Da!/Nighty Nighty!

Before you turn off your sets… all round entertainer Jack Benny graces the front of TV Weekly.


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5 responses to this article

Arthur Nibble 22 August 2018 at 1:30 pm

Interesting how only the first of the four Welsh programmes listed, “Y Gwyllt” (“The Wild”) gets an English translation.

With a name like that, I was really hoping W.E. Fry had a chain of chip shops.

Alan Keeling 22 August 2018 at 3:39 pm

An 11.30 closedown, the sort of thing ATV did in the late sixties and early seventies.

Victor Field 25 August 2018 at 11:26 am

“Valentine’s Day” gives you a chance to see the owners of the voices of Josie (of “and the Pussycats” fame) and Top Cat’s nemesis Officer Dibble (Janet Waldo and Alan Jenkins.

Ronald. Crockett 13 August 2020 at 4:00 pm

Is a copy of mr & mrs available Christmas show 1968
If so could I get a copy as I appeared in that show with Alan taylor

Russ J Graham 14 August 2020 at 3:06 pm

HIghly unlikely to be available. See here for more details why.

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