December 1979 highlights It's Friday, it's five-to-five, it's Crackerjack!!! Yes, it was the Stewpot era of the popular kids show. On this particular day, the star guests were Showaddywaddy. It would be another five years before the last Crackerjack pencils were given away. There was no Friday edition of John Craven's Newsround in 1979, as this wasn't introduced until 1986. And there was no morning television at all for BBC1 - schools programmes had finished for Christmas, so there was plenty of test card action on this day. Afternoon viewers (on English transmitters only) were able to see an episode of the long-running Welsh-language soap Pobol y Cwm - which is still aired today on S4C. Radio 2 had gone 24 hours with gentle music through the night in You and the Night and the Music. The Radio 1 schedule saw the perennial Friday favourite Roundtable which continued until 1992, while DLT had now received an extra hour onto his breakfast show. Long gone is the 9.50pm edition of Newsbeat. Unfortunately some of the extra airtime gained a year ago would be lost just a few months later. Back to telly, and evening BBC1 saw David Bellamy Up a Gum Tree, and later the period drama Penmarric. BBC2 was airing the cult Japanese show Monkey, but then gave us 25 minutes on how to improve our badminton technique. Very strangely, BBC1's Points of View was only airing in the South East - were they the only whingers then? But the most bizarre thing must be Arthur Scargill presenting his own chat show!
 And in Radio Times 1-7 December 1979 Price 14p
 The cover featured an illustration of David Bellamy, who spoke about his new series where he explored the strange landscapes of Australia. Rod Hull (right) was interviewed with 'that aggressive and awesome bird who can reduce the most sane person to a state of near panic'
for a new series of Emu's Broadcasting Company (EBC1) shown on Sunday on BBC1. Rod said working with Emu is 'an Eric and Ernie situation...it's so much more fun being an emu'.
Animal Magic also returned, 17 years after its first series, and the 'inimitable' Johnny Morris (above) told RT that the new series was to feature three animal presenters, including Rocky the penguin and Kinky the kinkajou who would be introducing items themselves! 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 Radio Times Covers | 
