General Chat

that you feel has had an influence on you during your life, what would it be?

For example.... when I was a teenager I watched 'The World at War', one episode on the Holocaust ( interviews with survivors) made a lasting impression.

But it could be a documentary or play ( say 'Cathy come home'), or a soap that has dealt with an issue that reflected something in your own life, perhaps which made you view a subject differently. Or a news report on injustice of some sort. Even a comedy series that made you think life was worth living still at a bad time.

(and yes I am trying to think of something to post to keep me away from commenting on the politically charged Mrs T thread lolol ) ;-) but also because Dan was asking me what I watched when I was his age :-D and we were talking about 'The Family' being really the forerunner of 'reality' tv.

I think Grange Hill was a bad influence on children. It seemed to be a turning point of the behaviour of school children.

Cathy Come Home was a play, Rose. It made me cry.

That Was the Week That Was is one I remember that got me thinking about the world.

Monty Python I loved because it poked fun at daft "institutions".

I'm trying to think of programmes i watched when I was a teenager and other than Only Fools and Horses..I can only think of Top Of The Pops and The Young Ones off the top of my head.........I'm sure I must've watched less trashy programmes.....or maybe not !!!! :-S

Quite right Gwynne, I was going to put something else and then got waylaid, I shall amend!

The Young Ones was a very accurate documentary based on my OH and his house mates when he was at UCL, Muffy.

Iol which one was he then Guinevere?

Neil the hippy - still is.

Z Cars, The Sweeney all Morecombe and Wise, Two Ronnies,
Sunday Night at the London Palladium and great excitement
when we started getting American programmes. Bonanza, High
Chaparral, Little House on the Prairie, goodness Rose you ain't
half got me thinking :-D

Emma :-)

Was there ever a programme about a mum who always had to stop what she was doing because she had a hungry teenager prowling ?

Awww Neil was sweet....as long as it wasn't Rik ...*shudders*

Jointly

BBC 1970 Roads to Freedom (Jean Paul Sartre)

This wonderful series is now locked up in the National Film Archive and show to a chose few at spasmodic intervals. The BBC insists that it is too expensive to put on DVD but manage the trick ok with all their other drivel ...

The Boys From the Blackstuff (Alan Bleasdale)

Given the hoopla and such next Wednesday I would have thought that a reshowing of this on BBC1 (all of it) would remind us that not everybody "got on" in Thatcher's Britain. Especially Yosser Hughes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CRXnO9v0sA

Why can't I choose just one :-(

The documentary I was going to mention was 'Johny go home" ... "a two-part investigation of the dangers facing teenagers who leave home for the bright lights of London." 1975.

When The Boat Comes In, Jean Heywood played the mother
and James Bolam was also in it, a period drama. Does anyone
remember it?

Emma

Ah yes, I remember that.

Emma I remember the theme song to it lol I think that was as far as I ever got with it :-)

I thought Jean Heywood was a fantastic actress.

I Cladius was another of my favourites with the fantastic
Derek Jacobi.

Emma

I Claudius for me too!

I was captivated by Derek Jacobi's performance, and I have made a point of seeing him in theatre several times. It also instilled a fascination with ancient Rome and have read tons of fact and fiction on it since!

Another that springs to mind is 'Threads' - aired about 1983?? I saw about half an hour - it scared me witless and couldn't watch any more. Still haven't plucked up the courage to watch the DVD :-)

Like you Sheila my interest in Rome grew more from this programme,
went and bought the VHS tapes of I Cladius and never got fed up
watching it over and over again.

Emma :-)