BBC Schools Programmes

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Scene (1971)

The BBC's long-running social education strand for teenagers. Everything was covered from leaving school and finding a job, to issues such as drugs and race. This programme compares apprentice footballers with trainee ballet dancers. 1971 it may be, but colour still hadn't arrived at BBC Schools.

Scene (1973)

Colour comes to Scene two years later.

Scene (1974)

The famous Scene cows chewed their first cud in 1974. You might have been forgiven for thinking Scene was a farming programme!

Look And Read: Cloud Burst (1974)

Look And Read was a cult classic for 7-9 year-olds, combining a compelling adventure serial with grammatical teaching. The most fondly remembered period of Look And Read was the Wordy era, the brainchild of producer Sue Weeks.

Cloud Burst tells the story of two siblings, Tim and Jenny Barber. When they lose their model aeroplane, they meet Ram Pandit, a kindly scientist working on a rainmaking machine to help the people of his native India. Unfortunately, Ram's evil twin Ravi (played by the same actor - Renu Setna) wants it himself and steals it. Tim and Jenny save the day, but Ram discovers a spy in his camp.

Richard Carpenter presented the studio bits, with Wordy (Mr Wordwatch, to give you his full name) appearing for the first time. Tina Heath (Blue Peter) was Jenny and Michael Sheard, Grange Hill's Mr Bronson, was Ravi's henchman. Cloud Burst had not been seen on British TV since 1977, but recently resurfaced on the CBBC channel.

Gymnast (1974)

Practical tips for young gymnasts in this series from BBC Bristol.

Going To Work (1974)

Amazingly, some BBC Schools programmes were still being made in black and white, as this edition of Going To Work shows. Unless of course it was a B/W copy, but the variation on the "cogs" theme suggests otherwise.

 

Scene: Violence In Entertainment (1976)

Our next offering from Scene looks at the growing problem of violence on television. Viewers are warned about the opening fight scene, in which Oscar James (later of EastEnders) meets a watery end. But it's laughable by today's standards - there's less ham in the local Sainsbury's!

Look And Read: The King's Dragon (1977)

The golden era of Look And Read continues with an adventure set in the offices of the fictitious Hastings Times. This time the villains were chasing after an ancient treasure, the King's Dragon armring, and it was up to young Billy West and a young journalist, Ann Mills, to foil the crooks.

Kenneth Watson presented the teaching sections as Jack Dunbar, editor of the Hastings Times. Each week Jack would be called out of the office enabling Wordy to appear! The King's Dragon has not been seen since 1981.

Location Britain (1977)

Geography for O-level/CSE pupils. This episode visits Merthyr Tydfil and looks at urban growth and industrial development.

Merry-Go-Round (1977)

How's this for short-and-sweet? The documentary series for junior children was opened by what's more like a sting than a title sequence.

On The Rocks (1978)

Not a programme about the state of marriage in Britain (as the title might suggest!), but a geology series repeated well into the 1980s. An early TV appearance for Ian Mercer, of Coronation Street fame.

Scene (1978)

A mini-series "Consequences" tells the story of Liza, a pregnant schoolgirl determined to keep the baby. Her parents have other ideas and conflict erupts. Sylvestra Le Touzel (The Boy From Space, Beast) played Liza but does not appear in this clip.

 

Twentieth Century History (1978)

Classic history resource with an equally memorable opening sequence. Brief flashes of famous C20 icons give way to newsreel footage, accompanied by oppressive, suspended strings.

A Job Worth Doing (1978)

Careers advice for those about to leave school.

Look And Read: Sky Hunter (1978)

Fondly remembered by Look And Read Fans, Sky Hunter told the story of three children on a barge holiday in London, who discover peregrine falcon thieves at work. They enlist the help of kindly Mr Trim (Geoffrey Bayldon), from the antiques shop, only to discover he's in on it too!

Michael Maynard, as Dave, co-presented with Wordy in his Word Workshop. In 1992, "Sky Hunter II" saw the story inserts repackaged with the three young stars returning as adults working for the RSPB. The titles can be seen below.

Resource Unit: English 11-13 (1979)

Anyone remember this programme? Neither do I, so any details gratefully received!

 

Going To Work (1979)

A late Seventies/early Eighties edition of the long-running vocational series for teenagers.

 

Near And Far (1979)

Persons of a nervous disposition - proceed no further! A memorable opening sequence starts in a school playground and continually pans out until we get a full-screen shot of the world, accompanied by a haunting soundtrack.

 

Look And Read: The Boy From Space (1980)

Perhaps the most famous of all the Look And Read stories. The Boy From Space was first shown in 1971; although made in colour it was shown in black and white. In 1980 the film inserts were repackaged and could be seen in their full glory. Wordy presented from his space probe, WordLab 1, with his assistant Cosmo.

So who was this boy from space? He was Peep-Peep, named by the two children who discover him, Dan and Helen. He's crashed to earth after the Thin Space Man tries to steal Peep-Peep's father's meteorite collection. Soon Dan and Helen and taken hostage by The Thin Man aboard the space ship. Helen was played by a very young Sylvestra le Touzel, with Stephen Garlick as Dan.

Look And Read: Dark Towers (1981)

Dark Towers followed the adventures of Tracy, her dog Towser, and the ghosts of Dark Towers. Christopher Biggins also appeared. This clip is from the CBBC channel.

 

It's Your Choice (1981)

A careers advice series for school-leavers. Download if only to hear a great orchestral version of "Lord Of The Dance"!

 

You And Me (1981)

The classic pre-school series intruduced characters such as Purrfector, Duncan The Dragon, Herbert The Handyman and Cosmo and Dibs. The BBC1 globe always preceded the shows, never the dots.

Words And Pictures (1982)

Are you a Cool Cat or a Lazy Lion? Either way you'll remember with fondness the legendary pre-school series which introduced these characters and more. The series continues today, a pale shadow of its former self.

Maths Help (1982)

Advice for teenagers taking maths exams - not sure whether this was a series for A-level or O-level pupils.

 

Everday Maths (1982)

A series applying mathematical problems to everyday situations; such as saving up for a new guitar.

 

Watch (1983)

Just a few bits of plasticine were needed for this memorable sequence in the 1980s. The theme music, "Prima Ballerina", was also used for ITV Schools intervals.

 

Look And Read: Fair Ground! (1983)

The next Look And Read was the last before Schools moved to BBC2. The title is self-explanatory so there's not much more I can add! Except that Fair Ground! saw a return to acting by Wayne Laryea (Pipkins' Johnny) two years after Hartley and co. were axed. Wayne was also a roving reporter on Thames' "Ace Reports".

Look And Read: Badger Girl (1984)

Another Look And Read classic. The story followed the adventures of city girl Debbie (nicknamed Badger Girl because of her hairstyle) on a farm holiday in Dartmoor. She befriends a badger named Stripey and gets caught up in a pony rustling scam. Julia Millbank played Debbie. The series was shown continuously until 1992, and was recently rerun on the CBBC channel.

Zig Zag (1985)

The replacement for "Merry-Go-Round" from September 1983. Paul Coia defected from Channel 4 to present, and this special edition marks the Domesday project.

 

Landmarks (1985)

Another long runner - a history series first seen in the 1980s covering everything from the Gunpowder plot to environmental concerns.

 

Junior Craft, Design & Technology:
Over The Hill (1985)

Not to be confused with ITV's "Craft, Design & Technology" made by Thames. In an attempt to avoid confusion, the BBC referred to their show by the subtitle, in this case "Over The Hill".

 

Realidades de Espana (1985)

A documentary series for advanced Spanish students. It might also have been shown on Sunday mornings on BBC1.

 

Wondermaths (c. 1990)

The BBC Radiophonic Workshop herald this series from a decade ago. Not a series I remember, though it appears to be aimed at 10-12 years olds.

 

Look And Read: Sky Hunter II (1992)

Look And Read's popular format continued into the 1990s. But producers were again looking to the past for inspiration. Sky Hunter was repackaged as Sky Hunter II, with the original film inserts and former child stars Jayne Tottman, Luke Batchelor and Donald Waugh reprising their roles.

But it was the end of an era. Sue Weeks fell victim to a BBC cull of schools producers, so not surprisingly this was Wordy's final series. Things would never be the same again.


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