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I'm not sure how many Welsh forumites are on here but for those over the border and around the world I'd like to share some classic Welsh programmes that have made an impression on me over the years. Perhaps some of you out there have seen some of them?
TAN YN Y MOR (Fire In The Sea). First televised in 1979, this was a 6 episode children's drama made by HTV about 2 children (possibly brother and sister) who were on the run from enemy agents that resembled the Phantom Flan Flinger from Tiswas. I can't remember why they were on the run but it was a tense and exciting programme from what little I can remember. I'm pretty sure there was an English version of this drama filmed as well.
JONI JONES - During S4C's inaugural year, this unforgettable drama is fondly remembered by a lot of people in Wales. The story revolved around a 10 year boy living somewhere in North Wales during the second world war. Joni's father is off fighting the Germans leaving his hard working mother to keep the home fires burning. Joni's adventures include him helping an Italian POW called Giovanni who is hiding out in a slate quarry, thinking he's going to die after swallowing a piece of chewing gum, fighting bullies at school and in the final episode being packed off to boarding school in England. Richard Love was superb as the title character. Many viewers commented that it perfectly captured how life was for children during the bleak war years in North Wales.
TORRI GWYNT (Breaking Wind) - an absolutely hilarious comedy show first shown in the mid 80's fronted by actor and comedian Dewi 'Pws' Morris and aided by William Thomas, Gareth Lewis and Nia Caron. It was a mixture of quick sketches and songs. Memorable sketches/characters included Ricky Hoyw (Gay Ricky), a blonde haired singer who sang famous English songs in Welsh with dubious translation, 66 Chemical Gardens - a parody of an early 20th century family from the Valleys (every episode featured a topless woman stopping by the window of the family's home), Vic and Mansel - a couple of effeminate pub landlords and Elfed Celt, a balladeer who generally had some double entendres in his lyrics.
MIRI MAWR (Big Fun) - this was a strange children's show from the late 70's which was set in a cave full of weird and wonderful characters such as the glove puppet Blodyn Tatws (Potato Flower). The one that is remembered most is Caleb, a human sized mole from the North Pole with a tendency to be violent which was voiced by the late great Welsh rugby player Ray Gravell. There was usually no structure to what was going on and most episodes ended in complete chaos with various characters arguing or fighting with each other. Some Welsh TV personalities used to drop in the Miri Mawr cave from time to time.
C'MON MIDFFILD (Come On Midfield) - a late 80's sitcom which ran for 6 series revolving around the personnel of Bryncoch Utd, a small village Sunday league football team in North Wales. I would say this is one if not the most popular show ever made by S4C and is still being repeated to this very day. Most of the comedy centred on 3 characters: Arthur Picton, the team's manager who disliked that the star striker George Huws was dating his daughter Sandra, Wali Thomas - the dim linesman who had an overbearing mother and Tecwyn Parri, the henpecked postman/goalkeeper who was probably the most normal out of all the team.
To finish off, there was one memorable incident during a roadshow programme during the 80's on S4C. I can't remember the name of the programme but I do know that the programme was in Maesteg at the time. A magician was going through his routine and he was about to do the sawing his assistant in half trick. But before sawing he put a bucket underneath the middle of the box. He starts sawing and red liquid starts to drip from the box into the bucket. You could clearly hear kids shouting 'gwaed! gwaed!' (blood! blood!) during the trick. For a family show on primetime to do something like that was unbelievable.
I'm sorry if this post has been long but I hope it's given you a brief taste of what viewers in Wales were watching during the 70's and 80's. There are a lot of other great programmes I could mention but then this post would have huge!
TAN YN Y MOR (Fire In The Sea). First televised in 1979, this was a 6 episode children's drama made by HTV about 2 children (possibly brother and sister) who were on the run from enemy agents that resembled the Phantom Flan Flinger from Tiswas. I can't remember why they were on the run but it was a tense and exciting programme from what little I can remember. I'm pretty sure there was an English version of this drama filmed as well.
JONI JONES - During S4C's inaugural year, this unforgettable drama is fondly remembered by a lot of people in Wales. The story revolved around a 10 year boy living somewhere in North Wales during the second world war. Joni's father is off fighting the Germans leaving his hard working mother to keep the home fires burning. Joni's adventures include him helping an Italian POW called Giovanni who is hiding out in a slate quarry, thinking he's going to die after swallowing a piece of chewing gum, fighting bullies at school and in the final episode being packed off to boarding school in England. Richard Love was superb as the title character. Many viewers commented that it perfectly captured how life was for children during the bleak war years in North Wales.
TORRI GWYNT (Breaking Wind) - an absolutely hilarious comedy show first shown in the mid 80's fronted by actor and comedian Dewi 'Pws' Morris and aided by William Thomas, Gareth Lewis and Nia Caron. It was a mixture of quick sketches and songs. Memorable sketches/characters included Ricky Hoyw (Gay Ricky), a blonde haired singer who sang famous English songs in Welsh with dubious translation, 66 Chemical Gardens - a parody of an early 20th century family from the Valleys (every episode featured a topless woman stopping by the window of the family's home), Vic and Mansel - a couple of effeminate pub landlords and Elfed Celt, a balladeer who generally had some double entendres in his lyrics.
MIRI MAWR (Big Fun) - this was a strange children's show from the late 70's which was set in a cave full of weird and wonderful characters such as the glove puppet Blodyn Tatws (Potato Flower). The one that is remembered most is Caleb, a human sized mole from the North Pole with a tendency to be violent which was voiced by the late great Welsh rugby player Ray Gravell. There was usually no structure to what was going on and most episodes ended in complete chaos with various characters arguing or fighting with each other. Some Welsh TV personalities used to drop in the Miri Mawr cave from time to time.
C'MON MIDFFILD (Come On Midfield) - a late 80's sitcom which ran for 6 series revolving around the personnel of Bryncoch Utd, a small village Sunday league football team in North Wales. I would say this is one if not the most popular show ever made by S4C and is still being repeated to this very day. Most of the comedy centred on 3 characters: Arthur Picton, the team's manager who disliked that the star striker George Huws was dating his daughter Sandra, Wali Thomas - the dim linesman who had an overbearing mother and Tecwyn Parri, the henpecked postman/goalkeeper who was probably the most normal out of all the team.
To finish off, there was one memorable incident during a roadshow programme during the 80's on S4C. I can't remember the name of the programme but I do know that the programme was in Maesteg at the time. A magician was going through his routine and he was about to do the sawing his assistant in half trick. But before sawing he put a bucket underneath the middle of the box. He starts sawing and red liquid starts to drip from the box into the bucket. You could clearly hear kids shouting 'gwaed! gwaed!' (blood! blood!) during the trick. For a family show on primetime to do something like that was unbelievable.
I'm sorry if this post has been long but I hope it's given you a brief taste of what viewers in Wales were watching during the 70's and 80's. There are a lot of other great programmes I could mention but then this post would have huge!
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