Old TV programmes you liked but no one else remembers

It BeeMee · 03-09-2019 08:20PM

Anyone remember The Burke Enigma?

Can't find any clips online
My abiding memory of the final episode is good guy being crushed between a lorry and a wall after being asked to check the lights ...

03-09-2019 08:54PM

It BeeMee wrote: »

Anyone remember The Burke Enigma?

Can't find any clips online
My abiding memory of the final episode is good guy being crushed between a lorry and a wall after being asked to check the lights ...

Half-remembered minutes of one episode - and then being told to go to bed.

Late '70s. Don't think it's ever been repeated. Ideal for Network DVD to release if RTE would surrender the rights as they clearly have no interest in their archive.

foxy farmer · 03-09-2019 09:02PM

The Late Late Show wrote: »

And there are a lot of shows I remember that have become forgotten but I cannot really remember if I liked them or not. Downtown, Hooperman, Hawaiian Heat. There was a Miami Vice ripoff show set in Hong Kong too IIRC.

(Tales from) Yellowthread Street

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE69RBGfIdg

Hangdogroad · 04-09-2019 05:34AM

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

Half-remembered minutes of one episode - and then being told to go to bed.

Late '70s. Don't think it's ever been repeated. Ideal for Network DVD to release if RTE would surrender the rights as they clearly have no interest in their archive.

What is it with RTE and their drama back catalogue? Now and again they'll release a landmark series like Strumpet City, and make a big deal of the fact that they're doing it. Meanwhile numerous series from the 70s/80's from the Year Of The French to Caught In Free State have never been repeated or released on home media and there's no indication that they ever will.

Pawwed Rig · 04-09-2019 06:49AM

They would rather whinge about the licence fee than show some innovation. It is a cultural thing. No profit motive, no corporate leadership. Noone cares

04-09-2019 09:08PM

Hangdogroad wrote: »

What is it with RTE and their drama back catalogue? Now and again they'll release a landmark series like Strumpet City, and make a big deal of the fact that they're doing it. Meanwhile numerous series from the 70s/80's from the Year Of The French to Caught In Free State have never been repeated or released on home media and there's no indication that they ever will.

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

They would rather whinge about the licence fee than show some innovation. It is a cultural thing. No profit motive, no corporate leadership. Noone cares

It's genuinely perplexing. I know that Network or Simply would love to release some of it (particularly the stuff that was broadcast in the UK or the Channel 4 co-productions) but RTE don't want to part with any rights.

One excuse I remember them giving was that actors' contracts did not allow for home video releases. As if that was a problem unique to Ireland! Other countries can deal with it so no reason why they can't.

Tammy! · 12-09-2019 08:37AM

London's Burning was good.

12-09-2019 11:29AM

Tammy! wrote: »

London's Burning was good.

Up to the mid 1990s.
The pilot film and first five or six series are excellent.

Tammy! · 12-09-2019 11:39AM

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

Up to the mid 1990s.
The pilot film and first five or six series are excellent.

Yes I vaguely remember watching the pilot film and thinking it was great.

The episodes always had a build up and suspense to whatever disaster it was and they had some good long running storylines for the characters too.

my3cents · 12-09-2019 11:48AM

Three that spring to mind from the BBC after seeing Londons Burning.

Dixon of Dock Green

Z Cars

Softly Softly

Over a 1000 episodes between them.

12-09-2019 12:07PM

my3cents wrote: »

Three that spring to mind from the BBC after seeing Londons Burning.

Dixon of Dock Green

Z Cars

Softly Softly

Over a 1000 episodes between them.

Have been re-watching these on DVD over last few years.

The Dixon episodes are from the 1970s - pretty grim viewing and far removed from its incorrectly-remembered cosy image. Great footage of long-gone parts of London. Jack Warner was pretty long in the tooth by 1976. Final episode Reunion is excellent. There's only something like 32 episodes surviving, 20 of them are on the three DVD volumes.

Z-Cars has around 400 episodes in the archives. 12 from 1972 came out a few years back but releases stalled.

Softly Softly Taskforce is the one I remember best, some great acting in it from Stratford Johns as Barlow. Simply DVD put out first two series while a German company has three volumes of eight episodes each with optional English audio. Looked a bit stiff by the time The Sweeney kicked off in 1975.

RoryMurphyJnr · 12-09-2019 01:51PM

the kids of degrassi street

smilerf · 13-09-2019 08:18AM

Ramona

rubadub · 13-09-2019 09:41AM

Big list of old RTE shows here, and imported ones they showed
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_programmes_broadcast_by_Telef%C3%ADs_%C3%89ireann

I see perfect scoundrels on the list, I liked that, there are episodes on youtube I watched a while back.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_Scoundrels

Perfect Scoundrels is an early-1990s British television comedy-drama following two con-men's travels while conning various people. Produced by TVS Television for the ITV network, it ran for three series between 22 April 1990 and 30 May 1992. The show's main stars were Peter Bowles and Bryan Murray, as well as a cameo appearance from pop singer Lulu.

Forgot about Major Dad, used to watch it but it was not particularly good!

odyssey06 · 13-09-2019 09:50AM

Good shout re: Perfect Scoundrels.
Never seemed to have gotten a DVD release?

Re-united the "Irish RM" pairing of Peter Bowles and Bryan Murray.

Even when playing supporting role in Rumpole, Peter Bowles really brought things up a notch.

rubadub · 13-09-2019 09:56AM

odyssey06 wrote: »

Good shout re: Perfect Scoundrels.
Never seemed to have gotten a DVD release?

seems not. I can see an old page with somebody selling it on burnt dvds

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:RhYRnCZSxUEJ:https://www.ioffer.com/i/perfect-scoundrels-complete-series-1-3-peter-bowles-628093183+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ie

Probably just from vhs tapes
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Scoundrels-VHS-Peter-Bowles/dp/B00004CQF1/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=perfect+scoundrels&qid=1568368335&sr=8-6

Hangdogroad · 13-09-2019 01:11PM

The Bronx Zoo. Set in an inner city New York school with Ed Asner as the principal. It was shown on Network 2 (as RTE2 was called then) circa 1988/89.

madmaggie · 13-09-2019 10:20PM

I remember back in the early 1980's RTE showing The Rowan and Martin Laugh In, Sgt Bilko, The Man from Uncle. As I wasn't around when these were originally made, I loved seeing them.

Hangdogroad · 17-09-2019 12:51AM

The Optimist, early 80's silent comedy that felt quite proto Mr Bean. A lot of physical, mime type scenarios. Like it as a child.

branie2 · 18-09-2019 09:18AM

Hangdogroad wrote: »

The Optimist, early 80's silent comedy that felt quite proto Mr Bean. A lot of physical, mime type scenarios. Like it as a child.

It was a Dutch series, as far as I can remember

WengerOutIn · 18-09-2019 09:19AM

Anyone remember Space Above and Beyond? Got canned after 1 season, but it was really good.

Pikey · 18-09-2019 09:23AM

The wind and the willows

Greatest American Hero

Bring Him Back Alive

Hangdogroad · 18-09-2019 12:32PM

Crossbow, action series with William Tell (of shooting the apple from his sons head fame) as a sort of Robin Hood type action hero. It was one of those dubbed European co-productions. RTE showed it circa 1988/89.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa182cCzzCI

pjdarcy · 18-09-2019 12:36PM

PhoneShop. Channel 4 comedy series from around 2010. Criminally underrated

WengerOutIn · 18-09-2019 12:37PM

pjdarcy wrote: »

PhoneShop. Channel 4 comedy series from around 2010. Criminally underrated

Do you like the films of Jude Law?

pjdarcy · 18-09-2019 12:49PM

WengerOutIn wrote: »

Do you like the films of Jude Law?

No man likes the films of Jude Law

smilerf · 18-09-2019 01:57PM

Reeper

WengerOutIn · 18-09-2019 02:00PM

pjdarcy wrote: »

No man likes the films of Jude Law

Probably my favorite comedy of all time! Absolute quality.

Krombopulos Michael · 18-09-2019 02:03PM

WengerOutIn wrote: »

Anyone remember Space Above and Beyond? Got canned after 1 season, but it was really good.

Have the boxset.

Does anyone remember The Highwayman late 80. Truck that could go invisible and crazy things like that

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093189/

ShimSlady · 18-09-2019 02:15PM

Wombat (Aussie kids educational show)

The California Raisins (animated adventures of a pop group of raisins?!)

Rounds The Twist (great theme tune)

Gamesmaster (Channel 4 video game battle)

Press Gang (about a children's newspaper room)

Ghostwriter (American kids TV show)

Old TV programmes you liked but no one else remembers

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