Children's show, 1970's - Car starting itself

[PC66]

I have a scene in my mind from a 1970's children's serial in which the general theme was machinery turning against people. I can remember little else about the series except for this one scene in which the family car, safely in the garage, suddenly starts itself, and the father trying to explain it away as being a fluke. There were other instances of various items of machinery "acting up" and trying to harm people, but I can't recall any more details.

I'd been thinking this might have been in The Changes, but I recently watched that series right through (for the first time since its original broadcast), and it's definitely not from that. The theme of the serial I have in mind was more a case of machines turning against people rather than the depiction in The Changes of a sickness which causes people to turn against technology.

Not much to go on, I know, but maybe it will ring a bell with somebody.

[battyrat]

Re: Children's show, 1970's - Car starting itself

The changes is the first thing that popped into my mind but it's certainly not that drama as you say.
I can't think of any UK drama from the 70's it could be but someone else may know.It reminded me of an old episode of the twilight zone where all the mechanical and electrical appliances in this mans house turned against him.He was eventually drowned after being chased by his car into the swimming pool.But this is far too early and black and white.
The machinary trying to harm people does ring a bell......just cannot put my finger on it at the moment.

[PC66]

Re: Children's show, 1970's - Car starting itself

I was fairly convinced it must have been in The Changes when I first started thinking about it, but not having seen that series since I was 9 my memory was obviously faulty! I had it in mind that it was the machines turning against the people which resulted in the people then turning against the machines, but obviously that recollection was flawed, since the sickness causing people to start turning against technology in The Changes starts right at the beginning of the first episode. Oh well.....

And I think I recall that Twilight Zone episode, although it's been a good 15 or 16 years since I last saw any.

[Charles Buckingham]

Re: Children's show, 1970's - Car starting itself

Sounds a bit like the Stephen King film 'Maximum Overdrive' or could be The Car or Christine?

[PC66]

Re: Children's show, 1970's - Car starting itself

Sounds a bit like the Stephen King film 'Maximum Overdrive' or could be The Car or Christine?

I've never heard of the first two of those, but looking them up on IMDB it definitely wasn't either or those, nor was it Christine.

It was definitely prior to 1980, was British, and was one of the children's serials rather than a movie (no idea whether it was BBC or ITV). The car starting itself would have been just one incident out of many rather than the general theme being vehicles.

[BMS]

Re: Children's show, 1970's - Car starting itself

Wasn't 70's but the description reminded me of an Australian series on childrens tv called Round the Twist, probably not it though as it was in the 80's.