Welcome back to My 70's TV Childhood Quiz, where we test your memories of what was on the box during that memorable decade!

This quiz is an offshoot of the My 70's TV Childhood podcast, which looks back fondly on what it was like to grow up as a child in 1970's Britain and the important role that television played in our lives back then. If you haven't listened, I really recommend you do.

As always, we have 20 questions over 4 rounds. It's just for fun, and the quizmaster's answer is the final one! So settle down with a pen and paper and your favourite beverage!

Here's what we've got lined up for you:

📺 Round One: Car as the Star! This round focuses on those iconic vehicles that became almost characters in their own right. From Doctor Who's yellow car to the General Lee, how well do you remember these famous TV automobiles?

📺 Round Two: Marathon/Fil Rouge! Questions related to topics and personalities we've featured in previous episodes of the My 70's TV Childhood podcast. We'll be testing your memory on The Waltons, The Banana Splits, Harlem Globetrotters, Thunderbirds, and Bagpuss!

📺 Round Three: Name That Tune & Spin the Wheel! Our specially constructed wheel of fate has landed on... 1975! Our AI-powered theme tune generator has selected five theme tunes from TV shows first shown in the UK that year.. Get your ears ready!

📺 Round Four: TV Times! Anything goes in this round – questions about various 70s television shows, personalities, and notable programming from the era, from Edward the Seventh to Val Doonican's famous outerwear!.

And of course, we have our Bonus Question for this week: What was the introductory sequence for London Weekend Television meant to signify?

Are you bouncing off the ceiling with joy or flat on your face with misery? Whichever, I hope you've enjoyed it. Share your results on social media, comment on our blog, or send me an email to let me know.

Send your answers and score to: [email protected]

Take care,

Oliver

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This week, I take a nostalgic journey through one of the most iconic talent shows of the 1970s – "Opportunity Knocks!" While watching modern talent competitions like "Britain's Got Talent" and "The Masked Singer," I found myself reminiscing about Monday evenings in the 70s when families across Britain would gather around their televisions to watch aspiring performers compete for fame on Hughie Green's legendary show.

"Opportunity Knocks" was a true British institution that began on BBC radio in 1949 before finding its true home on ITV in 1964. By the 1970s, it had become appointment viewing for millions, including my family. The format was refreshingly simple – a variety of acts would perform, the studio audience would show their appreciation via the famous "clapometer," and viewers at home would vote by sending in postcards (yes, actual postcards!) to determine the winner.

The show's host, Canadian-born Hughie Green, was as much a part of the spectacle as the acts themselves. Dressed in a shiny suit with his catchphrase "I mean that most sincerely, folks," he guided viewers through a parade of singers, comedians, musicians, and occasionally, some truly bizarre performances. The set was quintessentially 70s – beige carpet, gold curtains, and a revolving stage that spun acts on and off with military precision.

I share my personal memory of when the Warrington Youth Band from my hometown appeared on the show around 1975. The local excitement was palpable, with our newspaper, The Warrington Guardian, breathlessly covering their appearance. When they won and returned for several weeks, it was like having celebrities in our midst – a testament to the show's cultural impact.

The episode explores some of the most memorable winners, including ten-year-old Lena Zavaroni, whose powerful rendition of "Ma! (He's Making Eyes At Me)" catapulted her to fame; Peters and Lee, whose hit "Welcome Home" topped the charts; poet Pam Ayres with her cheeky verses about teeth; and Bernie Flint, who holds the record with twelve consecutive wins in 1977.

But perhaps more fascinating are those who didn't win but went on to greater things – Les Dawson, Su Pollard (who famously lost to a singing dog!), Freddie Starr, and Paul Daniels. And who could forget the truly odd acts that somehow captured the public's imagination, from singing nuns to spoon players?

As the 70s progressed, "Opportunity Knocks" faced competition from the more modern "New Faces," which introduced celebrity judges and scoring systems – pointing the way toward today's talent show formats. But for those of us who grew up in the 70s, nothing quite captures the innocent charm of talent shows like Hughie Green and his clapometer.

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Do you remember watching "Opportunity Knocks"? Did you ever send in a postcard to vote for your favourite act? Get in touch and share your memories!

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Welcome back to My 70's TV Childhood Quiz, where we test your memories of what was on the box during that memorable decade!

This quiz is an offshoot of the My 70's TV Childhood podcast, which looks back fondly on what it was like to grow up as a child in 1970's Britain and the important role that television played in our lives back then. If you haven't listened, I really recommend you do.

As always, we have 20 questions over 4 rounds. It's just for fun, and the quizmaster's answer is the final one! So settle down with a pen and paper and your favourite beverage!

Here's what we've got lined up for you:

📺Round One: Mayday, Mayday! In honour of the month of May, I'll be asking you about shows that began in May or have a May connection. Can you recall when these classic shows first hit our screens?

📺Round Two: Marathon/Fil Rouge! Questions related to topics and personalities we've featured in previous episodes of the My 70's TV Childhood podcast. Let's see how good your memory is about our past discussions!

📺Round Three: Name That Tune & Spin the Wheel! Our specially constructed wheel of fate has landed on... 1976! Our AI-powered theme tune generator has selected five theme tunes from TV shows first shown in the UK that year. Get your ears ready!

📺Round Four: TV Times! Anything goes in this round – questions about various 70s television shows, personalities, and notable programming from the era.

And of course, we have our Bonus Question for this week: In our last quiz, we mentioned "The Partridge Family." What were the names of the original members of the Partridge Family? The characters rather than the actors, and they all had the surname Partridge. Here's a clue, there were six of them.

Are you bouncing off the ceiling with joy or flat on your face with misery? Whichever, I hope you've enjoyed it. Share your results on social media, comment on our blog, or send me an email to let me know.

Send your answers and score to: [email protected]

Take care,

 Oliver

Contact Us:  

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📖 Blog: [Link]
📘 Facebook:[Link]
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Don't forget to like, rate, and review us wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback helps us grow and keeps the spirit of 70s TV alive! Tell your friends about the quiz and invite them to join the fun.

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This week, I take a nostalgic journey through the TV schedules from Saturday, May 19, 1973, using both the TV Times and Radio Times as my time machines – yes, in those days you needed two separate magazines to know what was on all three channels! I begin by exploring ITV's offerings before moving on to BBC1 and BBC2.

Starting with ITV (which required the TV Times to view its schedule), the morning lineup featured "The Flaxton Boys," a children's adventure series set in Yorkshire that I'm struggling to remember clearly. This was followed by the variety show "Saturday Scene" with Sally Ann Howes, and later "World of Sport" which dedicated its entire afternoon to football coverage – quite different from BBC's more varied sporting approach.

Switching over to BBC1 (listed in the Radio Times), the morning began with a curious mix of children's programming, including "Repondez s'il vous plait" (a French language course), "Camberwick Green" with its charming wooden puppets, and "The Further Adventures of Dr Dolittle" featuring the rascally pirate Sam Scurvey. At 12:05, viewers were transported to Australia with "Barrier Reef," an adventure series featuring marine scientists in colourful wetsuits battling pirates and criminals on the Queensland coast.

Afternoon viewing on BBC1 was dominated by "Grandstand," which was impressively packed in football (the Home International Championship), six horse races, boxing, and Rugby League. The football coverage featured an all-star commentary panel including Jock Stein, Don Revie, Brian Clough, and Bobby Charlton – a lineup that puts today's pundits to shame!

The teatime slot belonged to "Doctor Who," with this particular Saturday featuring the first episode of "The Green Death" – a story about a dead miner found glowing green in Wales. This was followed by "Clunk Click" with Jimmy Savile, "The Dick Emery Show" with its memorable catch phrases like "Ooh, you are awful!", and the groundbreaking "Ironside" starring Raymond Burr as the wheelchair-using Chief Robert Ironside.

The day concluded with late-night sports coverage, an episode of "Bilko," and then the National Anthem before closing down just after midnight – a reminder of how television wasn't the 24-hour service we take for granted today.

Do you remember any of these shows? Can you help fill in details about "The Flaxton Boys" or what happened in "The Green Death"? Get in touch and share your memories!

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Don't forget to like, rate, and review me wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback helps me grow and keeps the spirit of 70s TV alive! 

Get in touch!

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Welcome back to My 70’s TV Childhood Quiz, where we test your memories of what was on the box during that memorable decade! 

This quiz is an offshoot of the My 70’s TV Childhood podcast, which looks back fondly on what it was like to grow up as a child in 1970’s Britain and the important role that television played in our lives back then. If you haven’t listened, I really recommend you do.

As always, we have twenty questions over four rounds. It’s just for fun, and the quizmaster's answer is the final one! So settle down with a pen and paper and your favourite beverage (it’s room temperature Lucozade for me this week!).

Here’s what we’ve got lined up for you in Quiz #43:

• Round One: Most Watched? I’ll be asking you to name the highest-rated TV show in the UK for each year from 1970 to 1974. A tricky start!
• Round Two: Marathon/Fil Rouge! Questions related to topics and personalities we’ve featured in previous episodes of the My 70’s TV Childhood podcast. Let’s see how good your memory is!
• Round Three: Name That Tune & Spin the Wheel! Our specially constructed wheel of fate has landed on... 1973! Our AI-powered theme tune generator has selected five theme tunes from TV shows first shown in the UK that year. Get your ears ready!
• Round Four: TV Times! Anything goes in this round – questions about various 70s television shows, personalities, and notable programming from the era.

And of course, we have our Bonus Question for this week: Who became the BBC's first female weather presenter in January 1974?

How Did You Do on Quiz #43? I’d love to hear how you scored! Are you bouncing off the ceiling with joy or flat on your face with misery? Whichever, I hope you’ve enjoyed it. Share your results on social media, comment on our blog, or send me an email to let me know.

Send your answers and score to: [email protected]

Take care, 

Oliver

Contact Us:

📖 Blog: [Link]

📘 Facebook:[Link]

🐦 X: [Link]

📺 YouTube: [Link]

Don’t forget to like, rate, and review us wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback helps us grow and keeps the spirit of 70s TV alive! Tell your friends about the quiz and invite them to join the fun.

We will be back next week with our regular podcast and then again with another quiz in a fortnight. Until then, take care, look after those you love and join us again soon for more from My 70’s TV Childhood and the My 70’s TV Childhood Quiz!

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This week, I journey back beyond Gerry Anderson's puppets to explore his ambitious live-action creations: UFO and Space: 1999, shows tapping into the 70s fascination with space.

First airing in 1970, UFO featured the secret SHADO organisation defending Earth from organ-harvesting aliens. I vividly remember Commander Straker (Ed Bishop), looking incredibly cool leading the defence from Earth and a secret Moonbase, hidden beneath a film studio. The eerie whine of the alien ships genuinely scared me as a child! I even had the Dinky toy SHADO interceptor. Despite its cool premise, UFO sadly didn't get a second series.

Then, in 1975, Anderson gave us Space: 1999, Britain's answer to Star Trek! I was captivated by Moonbase Alpha, suddenly blasted out of orbit and hurtling through space. Commander Koenig faced weekly crises, looking smart in those beige safari suits. I loved the tech like the 'commlocks' and iconic Eagle transporters – though I always wondered how they kept replacing the crashed ones! The plots could be bonkers, like the 'Bringers of Wonder' two-parter. Sadly, it also ended after two series but remains a landmark sci-fi show for me.

Did you watch UFO or Space: 1999? What are your standout memories?

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Don't forget to like, rate, and review me wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback helps me grow and keeps the spirit of 70s TV alive! Tell your friends about the quiz and invite them to join the fun.

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Welcome back to the My 70’s TV Childhood Quiz, your favourite fortnightly celebration of all things retro television!
Inspired by the award-shortlisted My 70’s TV Childhood podcast, this quiz brings you 20 nostalgia-packed questions every two weeks. It’s just for fun, no pressure, so grab a pen, paper, and a cup of tea (or something stronger if it’s later than 7am!) and join in.

Thank you for all your fantastic feedback on the last quiz. Some found it challenging, others scored in the high teens, sounds like we’ve found a sweet spot! Have a suggestion or idea? Drop me a line at [email protected] or leave a comment on our blog.

Here’s what’s in store this week:

📺Round One – Wish You Were Here?
Travel the world with 70s TV shows and tell us where each was set.

📺Round Two – Marathon / Fil Rouge
Questions inspired by previous podcast episodes, a treat for regular listeners!

📺Round Three – Name That Tune
 The wheel of fate landed on 1978, can you name these debut theme tunes?

📺Round Four – TV Times
A wide-ranging mix of trivia, covering everything from Logan’s Run to Rumpole of the Bailey.

Bonus Question
Something very strange happened during a 1977 ITN news broadcast — do you know what it was?

I’d love to hear how you scored!
📧Email your results to [email protected] or leave a comment on our blog or social channels.

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Don't forget to like, rate, and review me wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback helps me grow and keeps the spirit of 70s TV alive! Tell your friends about the quiz and invite them to join the fun.

Get in touch!

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This week, I journey back to the musical landscape of my childhood, exploring those special pop music shows that lit up our screens in the 1970s. Before the era of MTV and streaming, we cherished those few precious programs where we could watch our musical idols perform.

My earliest musical memories include my mother's lullabies and the plastic record player I shared with my sister. We had quite the eclectic collection – The Chipmunks' Christmas songs, Petula Clark's "Downtown," and that peculiar advertising jingle for "Lon Six Star Nylon" that somehow remains etched in my memory decades later!

"Lift Off with Ayshea" truly pioneered children's music television. Granada TV's production featured Ayshea Brough, a trailblazing Asian presenter, introducing remarkable performances – including David Bowie's first appearance as Ziggy Stardust! After 8 successful series, the show eventually gave way to a tartan invasion!!

The Bay City Rollers' "Shang-a-Lang" captured the feverish excitement of Rollermania, combining music with comedy sketches as teenage girls across Britain screamed for Alan, Eric, Les, Derek and Stewart. Their popularity was extraordinary, with fans chasing them everywhere they went.

Later, Granada TV unveiled "Get It Together" with Roy North (familiar to many as Mr. Roy from "The Basil Brush Show") and Linda Fletcher – essentially reviving the winning formula pioneered by "Lift Off."

The BBC made several attempts to incorporate pop music into their children's programming, with awkward segments on "Blue Peter" and "Crackerjack," before the energetic but ultimately disappointing "Cheggers Plays Pop" bounced onto our screens with Keith Chegwin at the helm.

Which of these musical showcases do you remember watching? How did you prefer seeing your pop heroes on television back in the 1970s?

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Don't forget to like, rate, and review me wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback helps me grow and keeps the spirit of 70s TV alive! Tell your friends about the quiz and invite them to join the fun.

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Welcome back to My 70s TV Childhood Quiz, where I test your knowledge of 70s television trivia!

We're up to Quiz #41 now, meaning you've tackled over 820 questions from the golden age of British TV. Some of you thought last time’s questions were a bit tough, but with scores still creeping into the high teens, I think we’re striking the right balance between fun and challenge!

This week, Round One is all about Jimmy Perry – Dad’s Army and…  It’s a Yes or No round where I name a series and you decide if Jimmy Perry was one of the writers. A 50/50 chance on each one—easy? We’ll see!

Round Two: Marathon/Fil Rouge These questions are drawn from past episodes of the podcast, so if you’re a long-time listener, you might just have an edge. A real treat for the loyal among you!

Round Three: Name That Tune – 1971 Edition  Spin the wheel and get your ears ready! Can you identify these five classic TV theme tunes from shows that first aired in 1971?

Round Four: TV Times A general knowledge round for true telly buffs—covering all sorts from cartoon competitions to forgotten sitcoms and iconic detective shows.

Bonus Question:  On 7th June 1971, the Blue Peter team buried something in the garden. What was it?
 (You’ll get the point if you name the item or even the occasion!)

How Did You Do? Did you fly through the Jimmy Perry round? Were the theme tunes familiar friends or forgotten relics? I’d love to hear how you got on—share your score, your memories, or just say hello!

Send your answers and scores to: [email protected]

Take care,
 Oliver

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This week, I journey back to the golden age of British television advertising in the 1970s. Those wonderful commercial breaks were filled with jingles we can still sing today and catchphrases that became part of our everyday language. The 70s were simpler times with no mobile phones or social media, where computers existed largely only in TV shows with their big cabinets, whirring tape spools, and banks of flashing lights doing nothing in particular.

From the chocolate treats like Finger of Fudge "It's just enough to give your kids a treat and just enough until it's time to eat" and Marathon bars with their "new lighter centre, smooth super chocolate, golden caramel, peanuts," to Birds Eye Chips with Rodney Bewes lamenting his local chippy being replaced by a multi-storey car park. I reminisce about those ever-present chip pans filled with Spry Crisp N'Dry, always ready for action in our kitchens – presumably reusing the fat made economic sense and only added to the flavour!

The beloved PG Tips chimps make an appearance with their "Mr. Shifter tea commercial "I've shifted more pianos than you've had dinners", bringing back memories of the posters I had on my bedroom wall and the tea card albums my Auntie Elsie collected for me. We explore sophisticated drinks like Campari with Lorraine Chase's iconic "Luton Airport" advert, and household products like Jif "cleans right through to the shine", Electrolux vacuums with their "sight suction channels," and the unforgettable Shake n' Vac with its earworm jingle "Do the shake and vac and put the freshness back."

Personal grooming features prominently with Head & Shoulders, Harmony hairspray "You are the only one that knows for sure", and those remarkable aftershave commercials for Mandate with Sacha Distel and Hai Karate complete with self-defence instructions!. 

Then finally we all go on holiday with adverts from Pontins, a family of four for just £42 plus VAT! and British Airways with their "massive savings" that still cost enough for a house deposit in 1977! No wonder my family never ventured beyond the UK.

What was your favourite advert from the 1970s? Which commercial jingle can you still sing word for word today?

And I know you're still singing the shake and vac one!

Take care,

Oliver

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Don't forget to like, rate, and review me wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback helps me grow and keeps the spirit of 70s TV alive! Tell your friends about the quiz and invite them to join the fun.

Get in touch!

Support the show