The New Year Party 1983/84

As another year draws to an appropriately ignominious end, the three brave souls of The Peggy Mount Calamity Hour weather the cold to trek north of The Border and warm their weary cockles by the fireside of Caledonian hospitality, and perhaps enjoy a dram or two into the bargain...

Yes, it's time for The New Year Party, BBC Scotland's televised Hogmanay bash from the arse-end of 1983, where the two Bs (McCue and Torrance), are joined by the two Ms (Moone and Anderson) for an evening of songs, dancing, comedy, dancing, pipes and yes why not let's have a bit more dancing. There's something for EVERYONE here! Providing everyone doesn't mind the dancing.

How many laws of the space-time continuum have been broken in Glasgow to fit so many people into a studio which is clearly three adjoining store cupboards with the walls knocked through? How many officers of the Health & Safety Directive have been ignored in allowing those people to drink and smoke to their hearts' content throughout? And how many of Scotland's audiologists managed to rack up the overtime in January due to the catastrophic hearing damage caused by that Olympic-sized pipe band?

Mak your muckles, deep fry your kebabs, press Play and find out...

WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING:

Programme: The New Year Party
Broadcast: Saturday 31 December 1983, 23:30
Production/Channel: BBC Scotland, BBC One (Scotland)
Music: David Pringle
Producer/Director: Anne Somers, Alasdair Macmillan
Starring: Bill McCue, Bill Torrance, Moira Anderson, Maggie Moone, Hector Nicol, Sydney Devine, Colette, 'Tiger' Tim Stevens, The Boghall & Bathgate Pipe Band, The Double Bill Dancers, Pipe Major Robert H Martin, The Jim Johnstone Scottish Country Dance Band

AND KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR...

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The Peggy Mount Calamity Hour is a free podcast from iPorle Media, which holds production copyright. Opinions and recollections expressed are not to be taken as fact. The title and credit music is by Doctor Velvet, with additional live accompaniments by Ozzy Bognops. Audio segments from television programmes are presented for review and informational purposes only under fair use, and no ownership of these is claimed or implied by this show. Email enquiries to PeggyMountPod@gmail.com

All Star Comedy Carnival, Christmas 1972

Twas the night before Christmas and through MountPeg Towers, bottles of port, red wine and brown ale had been strategically placed into a series of time-lock-release safes to ensure an even spread of gradual inebriation throughout the twenty-fifth thereby ensuring it's not all gone after two hours.

Yes, the day is almost upon us and The Peggy Mount Calamity Hour's festive celebrations peak once more with the god-tier array of light entertainment name-dropping that is ITV's 1972 showcase, All Star Comedy Carnival (that's right, the one from every fifth-or-so Steps Up The Mountain). With Blair, Grayson, Tarby, Wogan, Rod Hull, Moira Anderson AND PEGGY MOUNT, everything you have ever wanted waits in here...

How slowly can time pass while you're waiting for a four-minute On The Buses Christmas Sketch to end? How quickly does a programme have to oscillate between low-brow autopilot sitcom and high-precision performance art to give viewers the televisual bends? And how on earth is your favourite* vintage TV podcast going to top this?

Unwrap. Press Play. Be as disappointed as every year.

*go on, admit it.

WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING:

Programme: All Star Comedy Carnival

Broadcast: Monday 25 Decemver 1972, 17:45

Production/Channel: ATV, Granada, Thames, LWT, Yorkshire Television / ITV

Writers: Brad Ashton, Bryan Blackburn, Roy Bottomley, Tom Brennand, Brian Cooke, Mike Craig, Eric Davidson, Harry Driver, Peter Dulay, John Esmonde, Bob Grant, Tony Hawes, Lawrie Kinsley, Bob Larbey, Stephen Lewis, Ron McDonnell, Johnnie Mortimer, Vince Powell, Maurice Sellar, Roy Tuvey

Music: Ronnie Aldrich, Russell Burgess, Syd Lawrence, Johnny Patrick

Producers: Stuart Allen, Philip Casson, Les Chatfield, Peter Dulay, Terry Henebery, Bill Hitchcock, Bryan Izzard, Philip Jones, Mike Lloyd, Bill Podmore, William G. Stewart, Mark Stuart

Directors: Terry Henebery, Stuart Allen, Les Chatfield, Bryan Izzard, Mike Lloyd, David Mallet, Bill Podmore, William G. Stewart

Starring: Jimmy Tarbuck, Peggy Mount, Moira Anderson, Anne Aston, Hylda Baker, Lynda Bellingham, Lionel Blair, Judy Buxton, Patrick Cargill, Leslie Crowther, Les Dawson, Ann George, Noele Gordon, Bob Grant, Larry Grayson, Doris Hare, Rod Hull, Tony Jacklin, Jimmy Jewell, Anna Karen, Penny Lane, Stephen Lewis, Hugh Lloyd, Larry Martyn, David Nixon, Sylvia Syms, Bob Todd, Rudolph Walker, Mona Washbourne, Carl Wayne, Terry Wogan, Harry Worth

You can Subscribe, Like, Follow, Rate and Review on:



The Peggy Mount Calamity Hour is a free podcast from iPorle Media, which holds production copyright. Opinions and recollections expressed are not to be taken as fact. The title and credit music is by Doctor Velvet, with additional live accompaniments by Ozzy Bognops. Audio segments from television programmes are presented for review and informational purposes only under fair use, and no ownership of these is claimed or implied by this show. Email enquiries to PeggyMountPod@gmail.com

Christmas Fresh Fields 1985

Few things yell CHRISTMAS like that feeling of being locked in a room with a braying mob of party-game-obsessed family members who all seem to be merrily intoxicated past the point of caring, whilst you yourself are wondering how long you can politely leave it before REALLY getting stuck into the booze like a seasoned professional.

And so for the second instalment of this year's Peggy Mount Calamity Hour Christmas Specials, Thames Television have kindly brought that enforced bonhomie for us all to enjoy wherever, as the podcast hosts peruse the Fresh Fields Festive Effulgence from 1985. There's tidings, there's tinsel, and there are other words beginning with T which won't go into the show description because of adverse SEO reasons...

How many mince pies is too many for Christmas day, and does the joke become funny at that point? How long should a straight, domestic-sitcom be left doing its thing before safely devolving into chaotic, drunken ad-libbing for optimum, refreshing effect? And how long can Blackout keep up this Scrooge-like, grumpy demeanour when faced with some of the cosiest Christmas television ever created?

Drag everyone into a circle in the living room, press Play and find out...

WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING:

Programme: Fresh Fields
Broadcast: Wednesday 25 December 1985, 18:45
Production/Channel: Thames Television, ITV
Writer: John T. Chapman
Music: Harry Stoneham
Producer/Director: Peter Frazer-Jones
Starring: Julia McKenzie, Anton Rodgers, Ann Beach, Fanny Rowe, Ballard Berkeley, Daphne Oxenford, John Arthur, Zulema Dene, Debby Cumming

You can Subscribe, Like, Follow, Rate and Review on:



The Peggy Mount Calamity Hour is a free podcast from iPorle Media, which holds production copyright. Opinions and recollections expressed are not to be taken as fact. The title and credit music is by Doctor Velvet, with additional live accompaniments by Ozzy Bognops. Audio segments from television programmes are presented for review and informational purposes only under fair use, and no ownership of these is claimed or implied by this show. Email enquiries to PeggyMountPod@gmail.com

Christmas Record Breakers 1972

It's the most wonderful time of the year! By which we mean that time when normal, fusty TV scheduling goes out the window and all theme tunes are legally obliged to have a layer of sleigh-bells over the top. Yes, The Peggy Mount Calamity Hour gears up once again for another round of Christmas Specials, circling things in the Radio Times and going round all the supermarkets to look for the best offers on port...

And so, breaking the seal on the selection box in a traditionally early manner, our hosts peruse a particularly festive episode of BBC One's Record Breakers from the heady days of 1972, with Messrs Castle, McWhirter and McWhirter poised and ready to note down any and all achievements worthy of acclaim. And also act like they haven't just been wasting your time if and when there are none.

What grade of hallucinogen was Kubrick on when he came up with the idea for the McWhirter twins? What level of liability insurance is required for this intensity of hairstyling product under those studio lights? And what is the maximum sentence handed down for inadvertently killing a studio audience?

Get the tree out of the garage, pour yourself a small sherry, press Play and find out...

WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING:

Programme: Record Breakers
Broadcast: Friday 22 December 1972, 17:15
Production/Channel: BBC One
Producer: Alan Russell
Starring: Roy Castle, Norris McWhirter, Ross McWhirter, Rex Williams, Tom Barrett, Tommy O'Regan, Bill Duddy

You can Subscribe, Like, Follow, Rate and Review on:



The Peggy Mount Calamity Hour is a free podcast from iPorle Media, which holds production copyright. Opinions and recollections expressed are not to be taken as fact. The title and credit music is by Doctor Velvet, with additional live accompaniments by Ozzy Bognops. Audio segments from television programmes are presented for review and informational purposes only under fair use, and no ownership of these is claimed or implied by this show. Email enquiries to PeggyMountPod@gmail.com