Going Back to the 80's TV

I couldn’t agree more Moonwatcher. I’m currently watching the original Upstairs Downstairs on ITV X. It’s so well made, much better than Downton. I’ve also been watching old sitcoms - The Good Life, Keeping Up Appearances etc. Unfortunately my DH can’t see the appeal, Good job we’ve got two TV’s!

I so agree with Moonwatcher. WE are currently watching repeats of Hello Hello, and it aint half hot Mum, plus serials that were shown in the eighties.
Although we are almost 80 we lead fairly active lives and look forward to sitting down to watch T.V, after 7pm. Neither of us are interested in Sport, soaps. or game shows where the audience is encouraged to shout and scream. Just want to relax and be entertained in the evening, but most of the programs are just rubbish. Though currently we are enjoying David Attenbrough wild life on sunday night . and the program where teams of two are in competition to cross Canada. Perhaps its an age thing, I dont know, but even today's comedies aren't very funny at all. Loved the Thorn Birds, and I can hear quite clearly every word spoken by the actors, whereas in today's serials the actors mumble.

I loved all the 70s/80s mini series. When The Boat Comes In, Family at War, Bouquet of Barbed Wire, Howard's Way etc. Yes I know some were series but very enjoyable. My favourite comedy was Man About The House with gorgeous Richard O'Sullivan. They are repeated occasionally. Oh the nostalgia of those fashions!

Oh you have reminded me of some good ones I'd forgotten about. Upstairs Downstairs....I loved that. The very funny Hello Hello. I found every episode of A Touch of Frost on ITV X. They repeated some on ITV late at night but there was only a few and they repeated the same ones again and again. It was nice to find all the episodes and some which we had never seen.

If you have access to the talkingpicturestv channel give it a go. I am hooked. All older series (Upstairs, downstairs, The Saint, Maigret, Champions, Randall & Hopkirk) and a lot of B+W films, short clips on life in the 60's, fascinating.

It's website is talkingpicturestv.co.uk/

On virginmedia it is channel 445 and I highly recommend it

The original Poldark, The Onedin Line, The Beiderbecke Affair, Doogie Howser and Benson are a few I’d like to see again.

Just had a look Jaylou. Wow some oldies there...The Larkins and Crown Court.

Crown Court! That’s a blast from the past. The only thing to watch on day time tv if you had a sneaky day off 😂

You're so right. I'm sitting right now watching one of my ancient all time favourites called 'The American President'. Great story, acting and cast and in full bright technicolour. No violence or dingieness here. Yippee!

Onedin line is on talkingpicturestv too, playing catchup with my recordings.

Gosh the Beiderbecke Affair, I loved that and the sound track.
This Life was so good and also comedy wise I loved Butterflies.

I cannot cope with noisy programmes so find particularly annoying the screaming audiences which cuts out much of the TV output.

Am I the only old person on here who doesn’t watch these programs?
Please somebody, tell me I’m not 😄

I brought my mum a boxed DVD set of Upstairs Downstairs, she loves it. I used to like The Gentle Touch and Hawaii Five O. Dallas was always a big talking point at work, we all watched it. The Waltons was good, something all the family could watch.

Meryl- me neither. I quite liked Onedin in its day but I tried to watch it recently an it hasn't worn well. Same with Upstairs Downstairs, very wooden.

I might have watched and enjoyed them in their day but no I'm not big on old and dated t.v programmes. there are plenty of current programmes to watch and enjoy.

I love to watch old westerns and war films that are on TV at the moment.
But old comedies like Alf Garnet makes me cringe when I see the serious racism that went on.
I’m a great fan of Scandi Noir type series. I love a good murder mystery series and they do it so well. The Bridge was great.

Drama, Talking Pictures and ITV3 all show old TV series and movies and are worth keeping an eye on.

I saw the whole of Tenko on Drama I think. That was absolutely amazing, the realism was incredible. I am currently working my way through Inspector George Gently a series which really has heart and soul.

I have watched all episodes of Upstairs & Downstairs and it was magnificent. I bought it on DVD along with Roots and The Thorn Birds all on DVD. If I want to watch something I won't wait maybe years for it to come on TV, I just buy it! Sometimes it never comes on but I have it in my collection.

Ailidh

Meryl- me neither. I quite liked Onedin in its day but I tried to watch it recently an it hasn't worn well. Same with Upstairs Downstairs, very wooden.

Upstairs & Downstairs starts off rather wooden, like a stage production, but it does get going after a few episodes and then you get into it. The old productions have a much slower pace and you need to settle down and adjust yourself. After a couple of episodes you get used to the slow pace, and realise that there is real quality there. I especially noticed this with the Mayor of Casterbridge with Alan Bates and Anne Stallybrass (bought on DVD). Very slow, but boy was it a rewarding watch!

Actually I think there's still plenty of quality TV now.In recent years I have loved Line of Duty,Happy Valley,Giri /Haji and Unforgotten for police and drama.I've laughed at The Detectorists,Ghosts,Derry Girls and Mum.And I really enjoyed the updated Poldark,Dickensian and Victoria for period drama.I don't mind revisiting some older programmes but barely have time to watch current TV.
I have however loved rewatching at Home with the Braithwaites and Cold Feet but I guess they are 90s/early 00s.

There have been some good dramas on recently but in between times I like to watch an oldie. I went to the cinema in my teens (many moons ago) to see Far From the Madding Crowd but enjoyed the more recent version too with Carey Mulligan. Another favourite film from the 60's was Up the Junction with Suzy Kendall and a very young Maureen Lipman. It's never been on tv and found it on YouTube.

Moonlighting with Bruce Willis and Cybil Sheppard. The chemistry between those two was so good. There’s never been a better series before or since.
Late 90s was Ally McBeal, really enjoyed that as well

Moonwatcher Up the Junction has been on TV more than once. I saw it a couple of years ago and it was on again some time later. Don't ask me which channel. It's fascinating to see such a young Dennis Waterman, although I remember him as a child actor too. I saw him as a schoolboy in a 1950s movie a while back. He was there on the screen all through my life, so I miss him now. Although he is still there in all those old episodes of New Tricks which are constantly shown, so I can't complain.

No merylsteep you are not the only one I have no interest in going backwards on the whole I think there’s some rubbish on tv now as there was then ,but I also think there’s some really good dramas
I don’t like going backwards with TV programmes unless they are historical
At least there’s two of us😂😂😂 hey

Some productions don't age well - but that's a very subjective reaction.

I think it's the quality of the acting - perhaps more than the 'plot' that makes a drama 're-watchable' years after its original date.

These are all dated in terms of production dates, but - to me - they are timeless:

"Jewel In The Crown" (1984)

"Brideshead Revisited" (1981)
... with Anthony Andrews, Jeremy Irons, Laurence Olivier (magnificent) and John Gielgud... what a cast!
Watching the slow disintegration and inevitable decline of an aristocratic family was compelling.

"Staying On" (1980)
... wonderful to see Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson together again, as an elderly couple attempting to make the most of their lives in surroundings that had become 'home' - dealing with each others idiosyncrasies, and the harsh reality (for them) of Indian Independence. It was both amusing and moving.

When I want a bit of 'escapism' and relaxation from the rigours and realities of modern life, I shamelessly re-watch the 1995 production of "Pride and Prejudice" - Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth were a delight.