Footballers’ Wives

That history can be rewritten is hardly news. After all, both recent Bloody Sunday dramatisations positively revelled in their obviously liberal agit-prop agendas. Hollywood also revels in rewriting history, whether it be America winning the war (any war) single-handedly or whole swathes of actuality being conveniently ignored. Read more

Conspiracy

One consequence of the recent resurgence in historical-based factual television has been the ubiquity of the dramatic reconstruction. Read more

SMTV:Live

It’s always tough trying to follow popular presenters on a TV series, as the producers ofThis Morning would no doubt tell you. How many chancers filled the gap between Chris Evans and Johnny Vaughan on The Big Breakfast? Who now remembers Emma Ledden and Steve Wilson’s brief stint on Live & Kicking? Why did anyone think Chris Wenner would be an equally adept follow-up for John Noakes on Blue Peter? Read more

Shoestring

Originally aired in 1979/80 Shoestring‘s current repeat on terrestrial TV is indeed “another welcome chance to see”. With UK Gold seemingly ditching all but the highest profile and most saleable archive programming from its schedules and concentrating instead on rerunning series that finished their terrestrial runs mere weeks ago, (cf. Linda Green) it’s especially heartening to see a hitherto underexposed “classic” like this back on our screens. Read more

Sex Life

After Taboo, BBC2 looks ready to set the switchboards red hot with complaints from affronted viewers about Sex Life, particularly the first instalment: “Kids”. Perched in the 10pm slot on a Sunday night, this documentary promised us a look at the growing knowledge that British kids have of sex. Read more

Futurama

Every time Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Seinfeld or Star Trek find their BBC2 runs interrupted by snooker, darts or ice skating, the fanbase rises as one and shouts “I wish Channel 4 had this series”. Read more

Blue Peter

As TV experiences go there’s still little more thrilling than the shock of rediscovery. Nothing really beats that feeling of nervously preparing to tune back into a programme you haven’t watched for several years, getting anxious over whether it’ll be quite as great as back during your formative years – and then finding that the show in question is not merely as entertaining and exciting as before, but way, way better. Read more

2001

Another 12 months on, and still Who Wants to be a Millionaire is one of ITV’s biggest successes. Read more