Comments on: Most-watched shows of the 80s

By: Glenn Aylett

Glenn Aylett — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:35:17 +0000

Also worthy of note that unlike charts for the nineties and noughties, football doesn’t make one entry into the Top Twenty. People under 30 won’t remember that for a time in the eighties the game had become so plagued by hooliganism and dull games that people were turning against it in droves and television companies were losing interest. I believe the highest rated sports event of the eighties was the 1985 Snooker World Championship final.

By: Glenn Aylett

Glenn Aylett — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 18:29:23 +0000

To The Manor Born developed a huge audience due to the ITV strike in 1979 when it had no mainstream competition and audience figures even after the strike averaged 20 million, making it one of the most successful sitcoms of all time. It was funny in a gentle, slow way and made better by secondary characters such as Brabinger and Peter Bowles mother. In a period of recession and cold war, it was the perfect antidote to the times, which explains its massive success. However, the success of Bread defeats me as after the first two series, it became a vehicle for Carla Lane’s obsessions with green issues and relationship crises. No one seems to remember it with great affection today.

By: Iain Griffiths

Iain Griffiths — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 23:14:05 +0000

Bread is a weird one , its certainly something of its time . i remember watching it , and enjoying the first couple of series at least – but it fell into that ‘Croft and Perry’ trap of relying on catchphrases and stock situations to get laughs. Its slot on telly probably helped – the dead zone between tea and proper Sunday night telly which gave it an audience. Initially at least it had something. The turning point for me was when the first Joey And Aveline left/first appearance of Lilo Lil (not sure which was first). after that it descended to it less well regarded phase.

By: Glenn Aylett

Glenn Aylett — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:36:30 +0000

Bread was never THAT funny, so I’m surprised at its height it attracted over 20 million viewers. I would have thought the far superior Only Fools and Horses would have been in the Top 20 for its Christmas specials, but mustn’t be that far out as the 1989 series averaged 19 million viewers. Funnily enough, or not if you’re Carla Lane, everyone has their favourite Fools moment but no one can ever recall a great moment in Bread and even the She is a tart catchphrase soon fell out of favour.

By: Glenn Aylett

Glenn Aylett — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:25:52 +0000

The power of Bond was immense for the ten years after Dr No debuted with 26 million viewers in 1975. Even a second outing for Diamonds Are Forever- the premiere didn’t do so well as it was shown against Some Mothers Do Ave Em on BBC 1 on Christmas Day- achieved 22 million viewers. I suppose a lot of the mega ratings for Bond films in the late 70s/ early 80s had to do with the fact videos were still rare, a lot of kids hadn’t seen the films first time round at the pictures and the Bond brand had millions of followers. Also I wonder if the BBC waved the white flag against such popular films

By: Nick H

Nick H — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:07:09 +0000

Did the BBC repeat the episode where J.R. got shot before they showed the new series? I know it was orginally transmitted in March 1980, but I wonder if there was a recap…

By: Chris Hughes

Chris Hughes — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:59:15 +0000

Diamonds Are Forever at 4) wasn’t even a premiere! There was a repeat of Elizabeth R with Glenda Jackson on BBC1 at the same time. Maybe nobody wanted to watch that.

There’s a full list of ITV Bond premieres here…
http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/articles/history_bond_on_tv.php3

Remarkably, just three of them were at Christmas.

By: Roger Crow

Roger Crow — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:00:09 +0000

Look-in ran a Live and Let Die cover for the 1980 screening. (I covered my science book in it and got told off for colouring it in). Loved Jaws. It was a Thursday night – even remember the bad ATV pre adverts title card. Bread – who would have thought that was so popular?

By: Chris Hughes

Chris Hughes — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:08:09 +0000

The episode of Dallas at 14) was actually shown on Sunday 9 November 1980, due to the Festival Of Remembrance the previous night. It was the first episode of the new series following the shooting of JR.

The episode on 15 November 1980 had JR undergoing an operation, and the Who Shot JR reveal was on 22 November 1980 (on ITV at the same time – Hammer House Of Horror!)

By: Chris Hughes

Chris Hughes — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:49:05 +0000

Some of those Corrie episodes…

2 January 1985
Sarah Ridley calls at The Rovers and tells Bet she’s to be the new Rovers manager. Elaine fails to persuade Kevin to change his mind about moving to Southampton and Hilda takes in a new lodger, Henry Wakefield (Corrie does the miners’ strike!).

16 January 1985
Mike Baldwin lures Christine Millward to his flat on the pretext of talking about her designs. Meanwhile, Hilda discovers that Henry has been seen in the Reference Library in Manchester in the middle of the day when he was supposed to have been working.

14 November 1984
Tony pesters Rita for a date and after being told by Alf and Betty that most of Bet and Tony’s relationship is in Bet’s imagination, she finally agrees. Hilda is upset that Trevor is too busy to visit Stan and Percy is delighted to have Elaine to stay whilst she’s on leave.

28 November 1984
Hilda is sick of moping about and returns to work. Sarah Ridley summons Billy to the brewery and suggests that she buys him out. It is agreed and they toast the end of the Walker empire.

21 November 1984
The neighbours rally around Hilda who is devastated. Rita tells Tony that she can’t see him again and Percy tells Elaine that Bill is too common for her.

21 January 1985
Mike likes Christine’s design ideas and has a few samples made. Henry confesses to Hilda that he doesn’t have a job at all and Frank plans a night out with Gloria.

14 January 1985
Designer Christine Millward finally catches up with Mike Baldwin in The Rovers and persuades him to look at her designs at the factory. Betty, fed up with the staff shortage at The Rovers decides to do something about it herself but Frank Harvey shoots down her suggestions.

The episode with Billy Walker driving down the motorway was on 3 December 1984.