Children’s TV shows

On a meeting video conference earlier and whilst we were waiting for other people to join in we somehow got on to the subject of children’s TV programmes from our childhoods.

It was quite funny looking at people’s expressions when my colleague and I started talking about Charlton and the Wheelies and Terrahawks. Top Saturday morning televisual viewing when I was young.

Of course there was The Clangers, Rhubarb and Custard, the Magic Roundabout, the Wombles, Captain Pugwash, Bagpuss, Ludwig, Mr Benn, Hector’s House, Ivor the Engine, Jamie and the Magic Torch, to name but some of my regular viewing.

I dare say that most of these now would not be commissions as they’re probably not PC, but back then they just seemed harmless entertainment. They are of their era.

Terrahawks was probably one that seemed ahead of its time with regard to gender and ethnicity. It was an 1980’s Gerry Anderson and Christopher Burr production, so along similar styles to Thunderbird etc There were female fighter pilots, an oriental commander, and one of the baddies was known as “goybirl ” or “birlgoy” because they never decided what gender it would be and its voice would change between male or female depending on whether it was innocent or naughty.

Interestingly Terrahawks was set in the year 2020 and followed the adventures of a taskforce protecting earth from extraterrestrial andriods and aliens. I wonder what they would make of the real 2020.