BRAINSTORM (BBC1 1988)

The Kenny Everett Television Show having recently come to an end, Kenny's next televisual outing was this so-called 'scientific' quiz, in which contestants were awarded 'watts' rather than points. For losing contestants, Kenny mercilessly activated the 'scrungetron', and they would be evaporated in a puff of smoke.

'Brainy guests' included Queen drummer Roger Taylor, while Kenny was assisted on the show by his long-time cohort Cleo Rocos.

Nostalgia rating:

Will we see it again? It lasted for just one series; Kenny however presented one more game show before his death, 1992's Gibberish.

BRIC-A-BRAC (BBC1 1982-89)

Brian Cant was the sole star of this See-Saw programme, in which he played an old codger rummaging about in his junk shop looking for items beginning with a particular letter.

Nostalgia rating:

Will we see it again? No

THE CAPRICORN GAME (BBC1/2 1981-84)

Does anyone else remember this show? Well you would only if you were at primary school between the above years. This was in fact a BBC schools programme, and was the first instance I can personally remember of the use of cartoon characters on a live-action background, although puppet versions were used in introductory segments. The series was some sort of mystery - to teach us basic maths - and Mr Capricorn was a short fellow in a pointy hat who carried an umbrella with the handle shaped like a goat's head which would come to life.

And that's all I can recall. Please let me know if you can remember any more!

Nostalgia rating:

Will we see it again? Absolutely no chance whatsoever

CHILDREN'S TELEVISION PRESENTATION (BBC1 pre-1985)

Younger viewers are often surprised to learn that the in-vision children's television presenter is a relatively recent phenomenon. Through the 1970s and early 80s, there was little difference between the presentation of children's and adult television, other than the use of special programme slides. By 1983/84 BBC Micro computer animations were introduced (later examples were designed by winners to a Blue Peter competition) but still the usual avuncular BBC announcers remained.

My abiding memory of pre-1985 children's presentation was, however, a delight only available to those of us in the South East. Immediately preceding the start of the afternoon's line-up, whilst the regions were whisked off for a local news bulletin, we were treated to five minutes' worth of a caption showing some balloons, overlaid with a menu detailing that day's goodies (shown here is an earlier, pre-balloons era slide). Over this was played some standard interval music which, more often than not, would turn out to be the superb Abba medley*. This would allow the
young viewer to patiently wait and build up a sense of anticipation in an era when other distractions (other channels, computer games etc) were few and far between.

Nostalgia rating:

Will we see it again? Eh?

*The Abba medley is available on a video clip of BBC1 Schools continuity at Sub-TV

CHILDREN'S BBC (The broom cupboard days - BBC1/2 1985-94)

The late 1980s was a golden period of Children's BBC presentation. From September 1985 onwards, Phillip Schofield introduced programmes from the Broom Cupboard - in other words the BBC1 continuity suite - with help from the much-missed Gordon the Gopher (and occasional visits from Glenda and Terry the Gophers), and also Hogan the furry monkey who sat on the back of the chair.

When the Schof moved onto Going Live! in September 1987, Andy Crane (below) took over for three years and proved to be as popular as his predecessor, introducing the silent Bobby the Banana and Wilson the Butler, and the very noisy Edd the Duck.

Morning and stand-in Children's BBC presenters during the Schofield/Crane era included Debbie Flint who
after finishing her stints in the broom cupboard in 1986 promptly disappeared into obscurity; Simon Parkin who lasted somewhat longer before also disappearing into obscurity; and Simon Potter who, um, later disappeared into obscurity.

Andy Crane left in April 1990 to join ITV and then disappear into obscurity, but Edd and Wilson stayed on
with his successor Andi Peters; Philippa Forrester was also a regular presenter in the early 90s. The final broom cupboard presenter was Toby Anstis who took over in 1993 - and when the broom cupboard was finally abandoned in the summer of 1994, things would never be the same again...

Nostalgia rating:

Will we see it again? Well, it's CBBC now. The question is more, will we ever see Andy Crane on proper television again? He's now to be found trying to sell you a holiday on Sky Travel...

Phillip Schofield with the rest of the posse, 1987-style, on his last day presenting Children's BBC. Here Phil is joined by Gordon the Gopher, Sarah Greene, Andy Crane, Roger Finn, John Craven, Helen Rollason and Simon Potter. See them in action below.

VIDEO CLIPS
Phillip Schofield's last day on Children's BBC: Clip 1 Clip 2
What could have been Phillip Schofield's last day on Children's BBC: Clip 3 (Taken from TV Nightmares)

CHILDREN IN NEED (BBC1 1980-date)

Children in Need was a very different affair in the early 1980s. Starting as a five minute appeal broadcast annually from 1927 to 1979, it exploded into the UK's first charity telethon in 1980 - well, sort of. For the first few years, rather than taking over the entire evening, it was apologetically woven between the night's programmes; indeed, in 1983, the line-up included the 90-minute Doctor Who anniversary special, 'The Five Doctors'.

A far cry from today's star-studded extravaganzas, the CIN of two decades ago had a set that would have been better suited to Nationwide; Terry Wogan introduced guests like Henry Cooper, Willie Rushton and Chas and Dave. Even Pudsey the Bear did not make his debut until 1985 - the original Children in Need logo depicted a group of, well, children in need.

CIN paved the way for more marathon charity broadcasts - the first Comic Relief night took
place in 1988 (see below), while ITV got in on the act the same year with their first Telethon.

Nostalgia rating:

Will we see it again? This November, without fail

Right: Midlands Today's Alan Towers hosts a local CIN opt-out in the early eighties

CHOCK-A-BLOCK (BBC1 1981-89)

Heralding the brave new computerised world of the 1980s, complete with digital-style typeface used on opening and closing titles. Chock-a-block itself was a large yellow mainframe-style computer, possibly with a mind of its own?

Alternate editions starred Chock-a-bloke Fred Harris and Chock-a-girl Carol Leader, both Play School regulars.  The show started with the presenter 'checking in' by driving onto the set in a funny little electric convertible. Fred or Carol would then choose a large coloured cartridge to slot into Chock-a-block to activate various songs and stories, viewed on Chock-a-block's screen.

At this point, Fred Harris fronted everything on television remotely connected with computers, mainly BBC micros, such as Micro Live, Making the Most of the Micro and Electric Avenue.

"Chocks away!" (Fred Harris)

Nostalgia rating:

Will we see it again? Nope

COMIC RELIEF (A NIGHT OF) (BBC1 1988-date)

Comic Relief actually got going in 1985 (launched from refugee camp in Sudan on The Noel Edmonds Live Live Christmas Show no less), quickly followed by three live comedy nights at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, and a comedy record by Cliff Richard and the Young Ones. However it wasn't until 1988 that the BBC launched the first Children in Need-style telethon, and Friday 5th February was officially declared Red Nose Day.

BBC1 gave over the whole of the evening to the event, anchored by Lenny Henry and Griff Rhys Jones, with help from Jonathan Ross. Stavros served kebabs from the Telecom Tower, Jim Davidson searched for the Best Children's Joke in Britain (this wasn't for charity, he was just after some new material...), and there was 73 of a Kind, the world's biggest sketch show.

Other attractions included A Question of Sport Meets Spitting Image, Blackadder - the Cavalier Years, Cannon and Ball, Little and Large, Hale and Pace, and classic comedy in the shape of Dad's Army, Steptoe and Son and, to round off the night, the 1969 'post-nuclear romance', The Bed Sitting Room. All was interspersed with the now-familiar 'comedians in Africa' bits.

Children's BBC got in on the act by running the Gunk Tank vote - Andy Crane, Sarah Greene, Gordon the Gopher and Phillip Schofield (above right) all found themselves in the running, along with the likes of Margaret Thatcher and Paul Daniels.

Over £15 million was raised. Red Nose Day 2 was held in 1989, and since then has been a biennial event.

Nostalgia rating:

Will we see it again? Yes

Andy Crane, winner of the first Gunk Tank vote in 1988, meets his fate

CRACKERJACK (BBC1 1955-84)

"It's Friday - it's five to five - it's Crackerjack!!" Well actually, by the 1980s it was more likely to be five past five, but nonetheless the Crackerjack fun remained well into the 1980s. It had already become one of the longest running childrens programmes of all time - but likes of Leslie Crowther, Peter Glaze, Don Maclean and Ed Stewart were now distant memories, and Stu 'oooh I could crush a grape' Francis was now running the show. Comedy geniuses The Krankies, along with magician The Great Soprendo (aka Geoffrey Durham, whose main claim to fame is being married to Victoria Wood), became mainstays in the show's final few years.

But some things never changed - the yells of 'CRACKERJACK!!!' from the audience, the generous giveaways of Crackerjack pencils, and the frantic 'Take a Letter' game which ended each programme. And by now Crackerjack was putting people in gunge tanks - long before Noel Edmonds got in on the act!

Nostalgia rating:

Will we see it again? No

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