Time travelling TV

[G-Man]

Thanks to finally getting uncapped Internet access (at the dizzying speed of 386kbps; I have to wear a seatbelt while browsing), I have found several TV shows I used to love as a child in the mid-70s.

The Hungarian-German co-production Arpad der Zigeuner, about a clever and strong gypsy on the run from the occupying Austrians and his own clan with his young bride, was a big favourite when I was about 8. I've watched the first series, and thoroughly enjoyed it on its own merits.

Then I watched a couple of instalments from 1974/75 of the game show Am Laufenden Band, which was copied from a Dutch show and was then adapted in Britain as The Generation Game. The time capsule element — ha ha, look at the haircuts — was great fun, of course. And seeing long-forgotten German celebrities was fun as well. But I found that the show was excellent entertainment, brilliantly hosted by thick-accented Dutchman Rudi Carrell. One of those "they don't make 'em like that anymore" shows. Well, they don't make 'em like that anymore.

I'm not quite sure whether I should risk watching a couple of episodes of The Partridge Family. I might find that it's not as brilliant as my six-year-old self thought it was.

[sw2borshch]

Time travelling TV

I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t have the one about the gypsy too, but with different dubbing that meant it was a serial about a monk travelling with an apprentice or something.

I’d like to see it all the same. Even the German stuff – my ex had to stop me buying a “Sandman” DVD when we were in Berlin a couple of years ago. Me & a mate used to go down to the Museum of Film Photography & TV in Bradford on the regular a good few years ago and got fairly chummy with one of the curators and he’d show us extra episodes of “Curry & Chips”, “The Golden Shot” and Johnny Speight’s thing “If Black People Didn’t Exist You’d Have to Invent Them”* from the vaults, which was TV from before we were born, pretty much, but really interesting.

*this title isn’t quite right, but I know it’s just come out on DVD.

[Gangster Octopus]

Time travelling TV

sw2boro wrote:

“Curry & Chips”

Ah, Spike Milligan blacked up. They don't make 'em like that anymore...

[sw2borshch]

Time travelling TV

And a good thing too. But I know that when I saw it, I felt it was coming from a good place, just in a horribly clumsy ITV 70s fashion. There wasn’t many laughs in it, mind.