My 70's TV Childhood

Welcome back to My 70’s TV Childhood, a British nostalgia podcast about growing up with classic television in 1970s Britain. This week, I’m heading back to 1974 and one of the most talked-about and controversial programmes in the history of British television. The Family was a BBC fly-on-the-wall documentary series that followed the everyday lives of an ordinary working-class family from Reading, and it changed television forever.
But first, a quick reminder that our My 70’s TV Childhood Theme Tune Game is coming very soon. It is a nostalgic family game for people who grew up with 1970s British television, designed to get grandparents, parents and grown-up children around the table, guessing and singing along to the classic TV theme tunes we still remember from childhood. Head to www.my70stvchildhood.com to register your interest. No commitment required.
💬 What to Expect:
The Television Landscape of 1974: I look back at what British television was like when The Family first aired, three channels, families gathered around one set, and a BBC that carried real authority.
The Wilkins Family: I introduce Bill, Marg, and their children from Reading, and the lodger Tom Bernes, who became one of Britain’s first reality television stars decades before anyone used that phrase.
How The Family Was Made: Director Paul Watson and producer Franc Roddam embedded a crew in the family’s daily life for months, capturing meals, arguments, celebrations and boredom in a way that had never been seen on British television before.
The Controversy: I explore why The Family shocked so many viewers in 1974, from debates about class and privacy to questions about whether the presence of cameras changes the reality they are supposed to be recording.
The Legacy: I look at how The Family paved the way for everything from observational documentaries to modern reality television, and why the questions it raised are still being argued about today.
Do you remember The Family? I would love to hear your memories, so get in touch and let me know!

Take care,
Oliver

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📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/my70stvchildhood
🐦 X/Twitter: twitter.com/home
▶️ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@my70stvchildhood
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Welcome back to the My 70s TV Childhood Quiz. This week Round One takes us back to some of the most watched moments in 1970s television, the great Royal events that brought the nation together around the TV set. After that, we have our regular Marathon/Fil Rouge round, the Wheel of Fate landing on 1970 for Name That Tune, and the TV Times general trivia round to finish.
What to Expect:
Round 1: Royal Ratings Five questions about the most watched Royal events on British television in the 1970s.
Round 2: Marathon/Fil Rouge Questions drawn from over 200 episodes of the podcast. Regular listeners may have a slight advantage.
Round 3: Name That Tune (1970) Five theme tunes from shows first broadcast in 1970. You'll need to listen to the podcast for this one.
Round 4: TV Times General 70s TV trivia. Anything goes.
Bonus Question One final challenge to separate the casual viewers from the true obsessives.
Grab a pen and paper, settle in with your favourite brew, and let's see how many you can get right. Send your score to quiz@my70stvchildhood.com or drop me a comment on social media.

Take care,
Oliver
🎲 The My 70s TV Childhood Board Game is nearly here!
We are about ready to start manufacturing. But as we get to that point, it would be a huge help if you could let us know whether this is something you might be interested in buying. Any purchases of the game will help towards the costs of producing the podcast, and there is no commitment at this stage.
Register your interest at: https://my70stvchildhood.com/

Connect & Follow
👍 Facebook: www.facebook.com/my70stvchildhood
📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/my70stvchildhood
🐦 X/Twitter: twitter.com/home
▶️ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@my70stvchildhood

This has been a Worth A Listen Production

Get in touch!
Support the show

Welcome back to My 70’s TV Childhood, a British nostalgia podcast about growing up with classic television in 1970s Britain. This week, with the World Cup just around the corner, I’m heading back to Argentina 1978, the tournament that made me a lifelong football fan and one of the most dramatic World Cups in history.
But first, a quick reminder that our My 70’s TV Childhood Theme Tune Game is coming very soon. It is a nostalgic family game for people who grew up with 1970s British television, designed to get grandparents, parents and grown-up children around the table, guessing and singing along to the classic TV theme tunes we still remember from childhood. Head to www.my70stvchildhood.com to register your interest. No commitment required.
💬 What to Expect:
The World Cup in the 1970s: I reflect on what the World Cup meant to children growing up in 1970s Britain, and how different the experience was from the mega broadcast event we have today.
England’s Absence: I look back at England’s failure to qualify for both 1974 and 1978, and what it felt like as a child to be left out in the cold.
Panini Sticker Albums: I dig out my old Panini sticker collections and relive the thrill of peeling open packets, the smell of fresh stickers, and the endless search for the ones you still needed.
Ally’s Army: I revisit Scotland’s extraordinary journey to Argentina 1978, from the 25,000 fans who came to Hampden to wave them off to the heartbreak that followed.
The Argentina 78 Tournament: Mario Kempes, ticker tape, late-night matches, arguments with parents about bedtimes, and one of the most controversial results in World Cup history.
Opening My 2026 Panini Album: I open my brand new World Cup sticker album live on the podcast. Only 983 stickers still to find.
Are you looking forward to the World Cup? And do you remember Argentina 1978? Get in touch and let me know!
Take care,
Oliver
Connect & Follow
👍 Facebook: www.facebook.com/my70stvchildhood
📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/my70stvchildhood
🐦 X/Twitter: twitter.com/home
▶️ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@my70stvchildhood

This has been a Worth A Listen Production.

Get in touch!
Support the show

Welcome back to the My 70s TV Childhood Quiz. This week we have a bit of a milestone: it is our 70th quiz, which I think gives a very pleasing bit of synergy to our whole 1970s theme. To mark the occasion, Round One is dedicated to the wonderful world of Hanna-Barbera cartoons. I will give you a catchphrase and you have to tell me which character said it. After that, we have our regular Marathon/Fil Rouge round, a spin of the Wheel of Fate for Name That Tune 1979, and the TV Times general trivia round to finish.
What to Expect:
Round 1: Yabba Dabba Doo! Five Hanna-Barbera catchphrases. Can you name the character behind each one?
Round 2: Marathon/Fil Rouge Questions drawn from over 200 episodes of the podcast. Regular listeners may have a slight advantage.
Round 3: Name That Tune (1979) Five theme tunes from shows first broadcast in 1979. You'll need to listen to the podcast to play this one.
Round 4: TV Times General 70s TV trivia. Anything goes.
Bonus Question One final challenge to separate the casual viewers from the true obsessives.
Grab a pen and paper, settle in with your favourite brew, and let's see how many you can get right. Send your score to quiz@my70stvchildhood.com or drop me a comment on social media.
Take care,
Oliver
🎲 The My 70s TV Childhood Board Game is nearly here!
I have been working on something very exciting behind the scenes. I have designed a playable game version of the theme tune round, something you can sit down and enjoy at home with family and friends, and I am getting ready to launch it very soon. Thank you to everyone who has already registered their interest. If you have not yet done so, it would be a huge help if you could let me know whether you might like to buy one. There is no commitment at this stage.
Register your interest at: https://my70stvchildhood.com/

Connect & Follow
👍 Facebook: www.facebook.com/my70stvchildhood
📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/my70stvchildhood
🐦 X/Twitter: twitter.com/home
▶️ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@my70stvchildhood

This has been a Worth A Listen Production.

Get in touch!
Support the show

Welcome back to My 70's TV Childhood, a British nostalgia podcast about growing up with classic television in 1970s Britain. This week, I'm paying tribute to the much-loved TV presenter Judith Chalmers, who passed away this week aged 90. Judith was synonymous with one thing for millions of us who grew up in 1970s Britain, and that was holidays. As one of the original hosts of ITV's long-running holiday show Wish You Were Here, she spent decades opening our eyes to the world beyond Blackpool and Bognor, and in doing so became one of the great communicators in classic British television history.
🎲 Exciting News: The My 70s TV Childhood Board Game!
I've been working on something very exciting behind the scenes. I've created a playable game version of the theme tune round, something you can sit down with at home, with family and friends, and I'm getting ready to launch it very soon. To help me estimate demand, I'd really appreciate it if you could let me know whether you might be interested in buying the game.
💬 What to Expect:
Post-War Holidays: I look back at what holidays meant for British families before the package holiday, from seaside B&Bs with formidable landladies to holiday camps like Pontins and Butlins.
Goodbye Bognor, Hello Benidorm: How affordable air travel and the package holiday transformed the way families growing up in 1970s Britain spent their two weeks, and how quickly the change happened.
Holiday on the BBC: I revisit the BBC's long-running holiday show, which began life in 1969 as Holiday '69 and opened British eyes to a whole world of possibilities.
Wish You Were Here on ITV: I celebrate Judith Chalmers and the show that defined classic British television holiday coverage, from the Isle of Man to the Greek islands.
The Downside of the Package Holiday: Half-built hotels, sausage beans and chips, and the annual collapse of a tour operator. Not everything went to plan.
A Tribute to Judith Chalmers: A broadcaster who genuinely changed the way a generation thought about travel.
What were your 70s holidays like? Did you make it to Spain or Greece, or was it more like Bangor or Bridlington? Get in touch and let me know!
Take care,
Oliver
👍 Facebook: www.facebook.com/my70stvchildhood
📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/my70stvchildhood
🐦 X/Twitter: twitter.com/home
▶️ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@my70stvchildhood
Get in touch!
Support the show