Earliest Memories of Children's TV

[Loup-garou]

I read an article recently which suggested that people's childhood memories are as likely to be fiction as fact.

That notwithstanding, what are the early memories you have of children's TV programmes? Limited choice of channels, black and white .......... indeed, in the early days TV sets were something of a rarity and not possessed by every family.

Returning to my opening sentence, I think my memory is likely to have been influenced by the nostalgia "look back in time" type programmes. I have a good mental image of Muffin the Mule and Andy Pandy but I doubt I ever saw them when broadcast live, as it were. I am sure I watched the The Flintstones and Crackerjack but these were long running programmes so it doesn't pin point a specific time. I do remember watching and laughing at F Troop - maybe not strictly a children's programme but very suitable for kids all the same; so I guess that points me to the mid 60s.

What about you?

[Veem]

I certainly remember Annette Mills and Muffin the mule. Andy Pandy and Looby Loo too. The Lone Ranger and Hiho Silver. The test card and the interval films such as the windmill, and 'Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible'.

I only remember odd bits of the serials Treasure Island and Quatermass because most of the time I was hiding behind the settee!

[Doug]

Didn't have tv only radio.
Childrens hour. Workers playtime. Mrs dale's diary. In town tonight. Dick Barton. The archers. Journey into space. Billy Cotton's band show. Life with the Lyons. The best has to be Educating Archie, ventriloquism on the radio what fun. Just to name a few.
I now have remembered all in the village going to the "big house" to watch the Queens coronation on a tiny tv.

[suein56]

My Dad loved technology .. such as it was in the 50's .. so we had a small screen TV from early on and I clearly remember sitting on the floor in front of the TV's wooden housing and watching Andy Pandy.
The Potter's Wheel used to appear regularly .. tho that might have been a bit later.
I remember Dr Who's opponents scaring me death and the Dr, or his associate, talking about decimal currency which hadn't yet arrived in the UK.
Also the arrival of BBC 2 .. and then colour - though only a few programmes were made/shown in colour at first.
Exciting times.

[mysty]

I read an article recently which suggested that people's childhood memories are as likely to be fiction as fact.

That notwithstanding, what are the early memories you have of children's TV programmes? Limited choice of channels, black and white .......... indeed, in the early days TV sets were something of a rarity and not possessed by every family.

Returning to my opening sentence, I think my memory is likely to have been influenced by the nostalgia "look back in time" type programmes. I have a good mental image of Muffin the Mule and Andy Pandy but I doubt I ever saw them when broadcast live, as it were. I am sure I watched the The Flintstones and Crackerjack but these were long running programmes so it doesn't pin point a specific time. I do remember watching and laughing at F Troop - maybe not strictly a children's programme but very suitable for kids all the same; so I guess that points me to the mid 60s.

What about you?

Andy pandy live you know he was not real.
Andy Pandy, candilwick green and Mr Ben he was the guy who dressed up in different clothes and had a fantasy for the day.
He would be taken away now

[mysty]

Didn't have tv only radio.
Childrens hour. Workers playtime. Mrs dale's diary. In town tonight. Dick Barton. The archers. Journey into space. Billy Cotton's band show. Life with the Lyons. The best has to be Educating Archie, ventriloquism on the radio what fun. Just to name a few.
I now have remembered all in the village going to the "big house" to watch the Queens corronation on a tiny tv.

Doug, what age are you ?

[Doug]

82 years young, going on 83.its on my profile. One of my first memories is of D,Day and cadging lifts on guncarriers and tanks as they moved down to the landing craft, past my fathers farm.
Living on the edge of the New Forest we were in the thick of it.

[Char]

Oooh crikey that's given my brain a workout. Most were probably repeats I expect.

Andy Pandy, Bagpus, The Magic Roundabout, The Clangers (I loved them), The Osmands and Jackson Five cartoons, Dr. Who once which scared the life out of me so Nana wouldn't let me watch it again , Cat-weasel, Wurzel Gummage, Saturday Swap Shop, How!, Why Don't You Just Switch Off Your Television Set and Go and Do Something Less Boring Instead?

Others come to mind but I'm not sure whether I watched them as a kid or whether I watched them with our children when they were little.

[rsm]

supercar ,fireballxl5, thunderbirds , the lone ranger, the very early high chapperal those are the ones that stand out.

[Loup-garou]

I only remember odd bits of the serials Treasure Island and Quatermass because most of the time I was hiding behind the settee!

I do remember watching Quatermass (it was in B&W or our telly was). My sister - much older than me - was in an armchair and I was beside her on the floor with a glass of orange squash. They broke into the spacecraft and saw the skeletons hanging in webs but one slipped and dropped. My sister squealed and I jumped and threw my orange squash all over her. There is a lot to be said for the rear of sofas.

It's funny when you think of Andy Pandy and similar puppets then, a few years later you have Chucky as the star of many horror films!