Why Don't YouTube?
@whydontyoutube.bsky.social
A representation of old British TV. Far more links and details in the weekly Newsletter: https://whydontyoutube.substack.com
40 YEARS AGO THIS FESTIVE SEASON
December 6, 2025 at 12:01 PM
40 YEARS AGO THIS FESTIVE SEASON
Play For Today Soldiers Talking, Cleanly today in 1978 is an all kinds of meta satirical drama within a play within a British Army in Germany documentary, with early sightings of Julie Walters, Bernard Hill, Bill Nighy, David Neilson and Trevor Peacock.
Play for Today - Soldiers Talking, Cleanly (1978) by Mike Stott & Alan Dossor
One man’s view of the British Army in Germany - the social life, discipline, drink, women and, occasionally, the defence of the West.
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December 5, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Play For Today Soldiers Talking, Cleanly today in 1978 is an all kinds of meta satirical drama within a play within a British Army in Germany documentary, with early sightings of Julie Walters, Bernard Hill, Bill Nighy, David Neilson and Trevor Peacock.
40 YEARS AGO TODAY: Lady Lucinda Lambton, the kind of upper class social oddball documentarian and presenter you really don't get any more, guides 40 Minutes around buildings made for and in honour of animals, birds and fish.
40 Minutes - Animal Crackers
Lucinda Lambton is your guide to a host of strange and delightful buildings with one thing in common - they were created for animals. (1985)
www.bbc.co.uk
December 5, 2025 at 8:45 PM
40 YEARS AGO TODAY: Lady Lucinda Lambton, the kind of upper class social oddball documentarian and presenter you really don't get any more, guides 40 Minutes around buildings made for and in honour of animals, birds and fish.
50 YEARS AGO TODAY: the second series of The Good Life begins as Margo and Jerry come over for dinner and Tom tries to work out how to sell his surplus produce.
The Good Life - Series 2: 1. Just My Bill
Tom finds marketing his garden produce more difficult than he thought, especially when the rates are due.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 5, 2025 at 8:00 PM
50 YEARS AGO TODAY: the second series of The Good Life begins as Margo and Jerry come over for dinner and Tom tries to work out how to sell his surplus produce.
40 YEARS AGO TODAY: "a most unusual song from an unusual band" says Steve Wright in introduction of the Pet Shop Boys' #totp debut. The one-handed prodding and 'BOY' cap would stand the test of some sort of time.
Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls on Top Of The Pops 05/12/1985
Pet Shop Boys perform West End Girls on BBC's Top Of The Pops on 05/12/1985.
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December 5, 2025 at 7:30 PM
40 YEARS AGO TODAY: "a most unusual song from an unusual band" says Steve Wright in introduction of the Pet Shop Boys' #totp debut. The one-handed prodding and 'BOY' cap would stand the test of some sort of time.
40 YEARS AGO TODAY: Janet Ellis knocks up a nativity scene on Blue Peter with all those pipe-cleaners you'd have spare.
BBC Archive 1985: Nativity scene
Janet Ellis makes a nativity scene out of cardboard and pipe cleaners.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 5, 2025 at 5:05 PM
40 YEARS AGO TODAY: Janet Ellis knocks up a nativity scene on Blue Peter with all those pipe-cleaners you'd have spare.
40 YEARS AGO TODAY: John Craven saves music from home taping's killing for Newsround Extra report Record Pirates. Phil Collins, Bob Geldof and Tim Finn "who is unknown in Britain" - how soon they forget I Got You - comment.
Newsround Extra - Pirate Tapes feature 1986
A feature about pirate audio tapes on Newsround Extra, recorded on February 7th 1986 on Betamax videotape, mono audio, Beta tape number 0087 This recording features interviews with Phil Collins, Bob Geldof, the "unknown Tim Finn" even though Tim had hits with Split Enz, long before 1986.
#spliten
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December 5, 2025 at 4:30 PM
40 YEARS AGO TODAY: John Craven saves music from home taping's killing for Newsround Extra report Record Pirates. Phil Collins, Bob Geldof and Tim Finn "who is unknown in Britain" - how soon they forget I Got You - comment.
20 YEARS AGO TODAY: seems weird that Mariah Carey would be appearing on daytime ITV, but her first UK TV appearance was on Des O'Connor Tonight so it seems kind of natural that she'd crop up on Today With Des & Mel. Listen to that audience reaction. www.youtube.com/watc...
December 5, 2025 at 1:30 PM
20 YEARS AGO TODAY: seems weird that Mariah Carey would be appearing on daytime ITV, but her first UK TV appearance was on Des O'Connor Tonight so it seems kind of natural that she'd crop up on Today With Des & Mel. Listen to that audience reaction. www.youtube.com/watc...
40 YEARS AGO TODAY: John Cleese laughs at the idea he has a serious side, but Selina Scott's Breakfast Time interview (with Bough interruptions) is about the Video Arts training films. His old Meaning Of Life colleague Arlene Phillips comes by later. www.youtube.com/watc...
December 5, 2025 at 8:00 AM
40 YEARS AGO TODAY: John Cleese laughs at the idea he has a serious side, but Selina Scott's Breakfast Time interview (with Bough interruptions) is about the Video Arts training films. His old Meaning Of Life colleague Arlene Phillips comes by later. www.youtube.com/watc...
50 YEARS AGO TODAY: The Ghost Hunters visits those who seek the truth behind phantom phenomena. Parapsychologists and electrostatic detectors abound, but it's just possible at the end that they might have caught something on audio. Sleep tight.
1975: Meet THE GHOST HUNTERS | Classic BBC Documentaries | BBC Archive
Hugh Burnett meets some people who have dedicated their lives to trying to track down ghosts, and interviews some people who claim to have seen them.
At a wiltshire pub, he finds parapsychologist…
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December 4, 2025 at 10:30 PM
50 YEARS AGO TODAY: The Ghost Hunters visits those who seek the truth behind phantom phenomena. Parapsychologists and electrostatic detectors abound, but it's just possible at the end that they might have caught something on audio. Sleep tight.
50 YEARS AGO TODAY: tis the season for dystopian political thrillers. In State Of Emergency terrorists are attacking the army and Patrick Mower is trying to force a confession by violence from his own wife under the orders of William Gaunt.
State of Emergency (1975) S01E01 - Part One
A contemporary thriller series set in a parallel Britain run by a fascist dictatorship. Resistance to the regime is growing and Britain stands on the brink of a vicious civil war.
Sequel to 1973's…
www.youtube.com
December 4, 2025 at 9:30 PM
50 YEARS AGO TODAY: tis the season for dystopian political thrillers. In State Of Emergency terrorists are attacking the army and Patrick Mower is trying to force a confession by violence from his own wife under the orders of William Gaunt.
30 YEARS AGO TODAY: tango enthusiast blags trip to home of tango, Clive James In Buenos Aires. Along the way he plays polo, visits Eva Peron's grave and Boca Juniors, and briefly meets the president.
Clive James in Buenos Aires
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December 4, 2025 at 8:30 PM
30 YEARS AGO TODAY: tango enthusiast blags trip to home of tango, Clive James In Buenos Aires. Along the way he plays polo, visits Eva Peron's grave and Boca Juniors, and briefly meets the president.
50 YEARS AGO TODAY: Christopher Lee, made up like Roy Wood, meets the Space: 1999 crew as the leader of an alien race who crash into the adrift Moon, which leads World Space Commissioner Roy Dotrice to hold Moonbase Alpha hostage as he wants to get off.
Dailymotion
Watch Space 1999 S01e14 - Earthbound - Space on Dailymotion
www.dailymotion.com
December 4, 2025 at 7:03 PM
50 YEARS AGO TODAY: Christopher Lee, made up like Roy Wood, meets the Space: 1999 crew as the leader of an alien race who crash into the adrift Moon, which leads World Space Commissioner Roy Dotrice to hold Moonbase Alpha hostage as he wants to get off.
30 YEARS AGO TODAY: Children's BBC's Dear Mr Barker gets a puppet dog to answer viewers' burning questions.
Dear Mr Barker - 4th December 1995 (Vintage CBBC)
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December 4, 2025 at 4:03 PM
30 YEARS AGO TODAY: Children's BBC's Dear Mr Barker gets a puppet dog to answer viewers' burning questions.
50 YEARS AGO TODAY: Thames current affairs magazine Take Two pits Mary Whitehouse against Fiona Richmond in a debate on censorship, freedom of expression and generally hatred. www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFNI...
Mary Whitehouse | Fiona Richmond | Pet peeves | Freedom of expression | Censorship | Take Two | 1975
Hatred is a strong word. President of the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association and Actress Fiona Richmond argue about the rights of expression, censorship and everyone should have the…
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December 4, 2025 at 2:02 PM
50 YEARS AGO TODAY: Thames current affairs magazine Take Two pits Mary Whitehouse against Fiona Richmond in a debate on censorship, freedom of expression and generally hatred. www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFNI...
20 YEARS AGO TODAY: it was only a matter of time before things went very wrong on Dick & Dom, and in the recorded as live Sunday show there were few more direct ways than Dick taking a penalty, slipping and concussing himself six minutes in.
Dick & Dom In Da Bungalow S05E26 4th December 2005
Another Sunday Bungalow with the usual and Dick gets a little bump on the head
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December 4, 2025 at 9:00 AM
20 YEARS AGO TODAY: it was only a matter of time before things went very wrong on Dick & Dom, and in the recorded as live Sunday show there were few more direct ways than Dick taking a penalty, slipping and concussing himself six minutes in.
40 YEARS AGO TODAY: Barry Norman talks to Steven Spielberg about Back To The Future on Film '85.
Steven Spielberg - Back to the Future Interview
Interview at the Back to the Future London Royal premiere.
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December 3, 2025 at 9:30 PM
40 YEARS AGO TODAY: Barry Norman talks to Steven Spielberg about Back To The Future on Film '85.
50 YEARS AGO TODAY: Alf Garnett's attempt to play golf is observed by those obvious playing partners, Roy Castle and George Best. www.youtube.com/watc...
December 3, 2025 at 8:00 PM
50 YEARS AGO TODAY: Alf Garnett's attempt to play golf is observed by those obvious playing partners, Roy Castle and George Best. www.youtube.com/watc...
30 YEARS AGO TODAY: Radiohead at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party! Nice of Andi Peters to trample all over the knowing gag in the intro.
Radiohead -1995 - My Iron Lung
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December 3, 2025 at 3:30 PM
30 YEARS AGO TODAY: Radiohead at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party! Nice of Andi Peters to trample all over the knowing gag in the intro.
30 YEARS AGO TODAY: the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party is opened by Reeves & Mortimer covering Hawkwind's Silver Machine. No explanation, no lyrical changes unless a cameo by the riff from Day Tripper counts, never released, and they weren't hosting it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGeb...
Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer - Silver Machine (Smash Hits Poll Winners Party 1995)
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December 3, 2025 at 2:30 PM
30 YEARS AGO TODAY: the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party is opened by Reeves & Mortimer covering Hawkwind's Silver Machine. No explanation, no lyrical changes unless a cameo by the riff from Day Tripper counts, never released, and they weren't hosting it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGeb...
Tony Marchant, later responsible for Holding On, writes This Year's Model for BBC Schools' anthology drama-doc series Scene today in 1987, in which Jenny Jay from Bread is encouraged to try for a career in glamour modelling by her best mate Kathy Burke.
BBC2 - Scene - This Year's Model - 1987
An early appearance by Kathy Burke -Complete episode - This Year's Model by Tony Marchant:
'Look, I'm not being horrible or nothing, Sadie, but all you've got is a body. You've got to make the most of it. It's not enough just to like the idea of being a model. You've got to be businesslike about
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December 3, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Tony Marchant, later responsible for Holding On, writes This Year's Model for BBC Schools' anthology drama-doc series Scene today in 1987, in which Jenny Jay from Bread is encouraged to try for a career in glamour modelling by her best mate Kathy Burke.
Our Show, LWT's by-kids-for-kids Saturday morning show of repute for untrained awkwardness, is joined today in 1977 by Stephanie De Sykes. One of her five - five! - questioners is Nicholas Lyndhurst. You may like to notice who De Sykes' fellow guest is.
Stephanie De-Sykes "Our Show" Kids Interview
with Nicholas Lyndhusrt & David Jason
www.youtube.com
December 3, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Our Show, LWT's by-kids-for-kids Saturday morning show of repute for untrained awkwardness, is joined today in 1977 by Stephanie De Sykes. One of her five - five! - questioners is Nicholas Lyndhurst. You may like to notice who De Sykes' fellow guest is.
20 YEARS AGO TODAY: hands across the Saturday morning years from Dick and Dom.
December 3, 2025 at 9:01 AM
20 YEARS AGO TODAY: hands across the Saturday morning years from Dick and Dom.
30 YEARS AGO TODAY: Oasis are on Later With Jools Holland but a man down as Liam has lost his voice. No, actually lost it by all accounts, not just ducked out to get drunk like usual. Noel adapts as required.
Oasis -Later with Jools Holland 1995 HD full show
watch: OASIS THERE AN THEN!
https://youtu.be/H26iXzTOYH0
watch: MAINE ROAD 1996 2nd NIGHT
https://youtu.be/3iUNB33Z0RM
watch: MAINE ROAD 1996 1st NIGHT
https://youtu.be/fQtGKCD8Ybc
watch: EARLS COURT 1995
https://youtu.be/k18zIFIzqxk
Later with Jools Holland
BBC TV Centre
London, UK
28t
www.youtube.com
December 2, 2025 at 10:45 PM
30 YEARS AGO TODAY: Oasis are on Later With Jools Holland but a man down as Liam has lost his voice. No, actually lost it by all accounts, not just ducked out to get drunk like usual. Noel adapts as required.