When Channel 4 started.

[Twocky61]

Re: When Channel 4 started.

One of C4's ;programme in the Schools slot was 'Crip on a Trip' where a lad called Dom is in a wheelchair with a condition that stunts his growth. A group of friends take him on holiday around Europe

[darren]

Re: When Channel 4 started.

Only brookside could have got away with swearing if it had been on later like say 10 o clock at night.
I know american football nfl was shown in the first year of channel 4 and went on for many yrs gary imlach presented the show.

when brookside began, it was very political and the actors used to actually swear in it, because phil redmond wanted gritty reality. But there were loads of complaints, so all that stuff was eventually toned down. Swalk sounds familiar, nicola cowper starred in it i think. I also recall a similar series, dear heart, not sure if it was on itv or channel four. The night c4 started was quite exciting as after months of build-up a brand new channel had arrived like a new baby, and the old bbc channels had lost the plot - they still have! A breath of fresh air was needed. And it was good to have another channel showing adverts! Sadly, c4 has dumbed down like most of them: Big brother (now on 5) hollyoaks, googlebox Etc. I hardly watch it now...

[Chris68]

Re: When Channel 4 started.

Channel 4 starting sticks in my mind, because they had a test card up weeks before in preparation. We were going on holiday for a week and it would start broadcasting while we were away so I tuned the tv into the test card so it would be ready when we got back. We returned home to find we had been burgled and the tv was one of the things taken.

[fynger]

Re: When Channel 4 started.

Sounded weird when virtually every announcer between progams had a geordie accent.

[Richard1978]

Re: When Channel 4 started.

Being only 4 when Channel 4 started I missed out a lot of the early post watershed programming. I've heard a few times about the "Red Triangle" which was supposedly dropped because it was encouraging people to watch!

When my college was having a clear out I managed to salvage a few VHS tapes of programmes from The Open College On 4.

[staffslad]

Re: When Channel 4 started.

I had forgotten all about the triangle. Yeah, if I was flipping channels and that triangle appeared, there was a temptation to keep watching to see what it was warning about.

[I. R. Fincham]

Re: When Channel 4 started.

Anyone have any memories of when Channel 4 started? Late 1982 wasn't it? Was it exciting to have an entire new channel as well as new shows? I guess there's a political aspect to it existing at all, I wonder if any people boycotted it that didn't like Thatcher or whatever at the time.

Why would they boycott it? Those people that didn't like Thatcher would find many shows to like on 4. It was home to The Comic Strip Presents, for a start.

[staffslad]

Re: When Channel 4 started.

The Comic Strip Presents... was very good, particularly the Famous Five parodies.

I also enjoyed the feature-length dramas they screened, my favourite being the one about a group of schoolgirls who were desperate to see Spurs play at Wembley in the F.A. Cup final in their double season. I think it was called Those Glory Glory Days. I only saw it once on its first transmission and would love to view it again.

[marc]

Re: When Channel 4 started.

IIRC when Channel 4 started, there was a lot of shows being repeated from the 1970s.The Six Million Dollar Man being one. Somehow, it didn't seem to be the same.

[beccabear67]

Re: When Channel 4 started.

Why would they boycott it? Those people that didn't like Thatcher would find many shows to like on 4. It was home to The Comic Strip Presents, for a start.

She had an undeclared war going on with tv broadcasters, especially ITV's Thames, and Channel 4's addition was one of the first things that took place that many in the industry disliked... making for the same ad money being spread among more programmes, many of which were lower budget out-sourced and/or imported. Another was an idea to simply auction the licenses off to a highest bidder. This lead to many franchises losing their market, like Thames (they crossed her with some news programme involving a shooting incident in Gibraltar which was counter to the government's report of the incident), even after making all sorts of economies and layoffs. Later Sky was allowed to go ahead in the satellite arena without having to cover the many public service and technical requirements BSB had been made to (and this lead to them merging when BSB seemed to run through it's limit of spending slightly before Sky had and they became BSkyB). There was a movement for quality in broadcasting for a few years with Rowan Atkinson and Terry Jones involved as celebrities against some of the measure forced by Thatcher which they disagreed with.

[beccabear67]

Re: When Channel 4 started.

Another unusual and memorable Channel 4 show was Pob's Programme. He was a sort of meant to 'live' inside the tv set and communicate from behind the glass screen in various ways.

[zabadak]

Re: When Channel 4 started.

I think I went out with her!

[Mulletino]

Re: When Channel 4 started.

Pob's Programme? never heard of it!

[beccabear67]

Re: When Channel 4 started.

Mulletino knows!

Now that I've summarized Thatcher vs. ITV, and Pob, I might have an eye toward entering the yearly 'Summarize Proust' competition!

I do think Channel 4 was a good thing, opening opportunities to independent productions, giving mostly overlooked voices an airing, and showing fifty gaffers assistants with mandatory tea breaks and triple overtime aren't necessary for quality.

Now it's in the news over the airing of some Diana tapes!

[scotchmist]

Re: When Channel 4 started.

Seem to remember a gay magazine programme called "One in Four" which was very ground-breaking at the time where ordinary members of the gay community discussed their everyday experiences. Seem to remember Grace Jones making an appearance. My mother was quite upset to find me watching it at the tender age of 16 !