Look-In (1981)

It's almost time for a new series of the Peggy Mount Calamity Hour, but Doctor Velvet and Blackout are very aware that if they keep sitting in front of that box they'll go square-eyed. With that in mind, our heroes take a break from watching the telly, and begin a handful of vintage periodical retrospectives by reading about it instead...

First to plop onto the doormat is a September 1981 issue of Look-In magazine, the 'Junior TV Times' of the pre-deregulation era which created, trained and honed an entire generation of nitpicking television obsessives; the end result of which is podcasts like this one.

How widely can the viewing demographic of 'pre-teen TV audience' be stretched, in an age where there are only three channels so 10yr olds watch pretty much anything they're allowed to stay up for? How narrowly does one of the hosts avoid a murderous rage, after poring over every page of a publication which apparently doesn't have time for proofreaders? And where do you have to live if you want to watch Chopper Squad?

Fill out a little form, hand it to your podsagent, hit Play and find out...

WE HAVE BEEN READING:

Title: Look-In
Cover Date: 5 September 1981
Publisher: Independent Television Publications
Features: Tiswas, Elvis, Ventriloquism, Buck Rogers, Worzel Gummidge, Cannon & Ball, Kate Bush, Smuggler, CHiPs, Spandau Ballet, Slaughtering™

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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

Buck Rogers / Duty Free

It's all go round at MountPeg Towers as Doctor Velvet and Blackout limber up to slip in a quick one before Christmas (quiet at the back), and end up rolling out the welcome mat for Simon and Ken from The ExtonMoss Experiment podcast! Because what could be more self-indulgent than two middle-aged men mulling over the slightly bitter taste of eighties reminiscence, than doubling that up for a foursome? (really, keep it down)

First up, the boys are out of this world in excitement over Buck Rogers' 25th Century romp on the Planet Of The Amazon Women, before coming right back down to earth (and hard) with some Duty Free, as the San Remo Hotel gets a bit of extra oomph when a famous - and flirty - guest arrives. All of this might sound sexy, but unfortunately the only sauce on offer here is the hard liquor (some of it positively medicinal) required to sit through it all.

Is there a German word for that feeling when the future looks way cheaper than the present when it's filmed in the past? Is there a Spanish word for the year-on-year diminishing returns of a massively successful but oddly era-specific sitcom? And is there any word at all for the incandescent umbrage one feels at being the only person in the room to have actively enjoyed what everyone's just sat through?

The play-button will reveal all...

Visual things that are mentioned in this episode:


Seriously, don't bother...





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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. 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