Best:
Shogun, Monkey!, The World At War, all Terry Jones' history series, A Bit of Fry & Laurie, The Front Line (Jeff, remember that?), Supergran, Love Thy Neighbour.

Worst: everything else. Load of old fucking shit.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:28, 2 replies, latest was 15 years ago)

Supergran was shit.
Monkey, on the other hand... we got a burned copy of the whole series just before Christmas. Unfortunately our DVD player is playing up a bit at the moment so haven't been able to watch it as the disks keep sticking. I must rectify this when I get my redundancy.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:32, Reply)

That the one with the guy with the stick?

( TGB checking Off Topic is still shit at, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:34, Reply)

Erm, yes, sort of.

( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:36, Reply)

and the cloud?
Magic growing stick (which sounds dirty)
( TGB checking Off Topic is still shit at, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:37, Reply)

Yes.

( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:38, Reply)

*is tempted to just keep asking random questions*

( TGB checking Off Topic is still shit at, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:39, Reply)

Why?

( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:41, Reply)

because I miss you?

( TGB checking Off Topic is still shit at, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:46, Reply)

Because it's just an echo from your ladyparts?

(Bazongaloid, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:47, Reply)

Aw, bless you.
Nevermind, Al kept the sofa warm for you at the weekend.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:50, Reply)

I never did
It was your mrs that was farting, I didn't fart at all until I got back into the car, I was a model guest.
(Bazongaloid, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:54, Reply)

You were.
You played with the dog and ate all your food and brought us wine. You can visit again.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:59, Reply)

Woooo!
I'm going to hold you to that.
(Bazongaloid, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 18:02, Reply)

It's a mythologised telling
of how Buddhism got from India to China - and also a kind of Eastern Pilgrim's Progress. The things that the characters learn on their journey are more important than the mission itself (to bring sacred scrolls to China). At the end of the book (it's a C15th novel by Cheng'en Wu) they open the scrolls and find they are blank.

WOOO. BUDDHIST OR WHAT, DUDE?
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:41, Reply)

Don't bother with episodes after about no.20
They changed the Pigsy actor to a much shitter fellow - you could tell their hearts weren't in it by then. Best episode is the first one.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:38, Reply)

It just brings back warm memories of Friday nights on BBC2.

( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:39, Reply)

...and the crushing disappointment
when you realised it was Tales of The Water Margin and not Monkey that was on.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:42, Reply)

I never fell into that trap
because I could read and would consult the TV listings in a bid to avoid being terribly upset that Monkey wasn't on.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:43, Reply)

But you would have got to watch Crackerjack
And there was still one of

The Sweeney
The Gentle Touch
CATS Eyes

or Dempsey and Makepeace to look forward to.
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:44, Reply)

Man I love The Sweeney,
A mate of mine got hold of the incidental music on vinyl, the record is called 'Gotcha!' and is sho'nuff fonky.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:45, Reply)

The closing theme to The Sweeney is one of the most depressing bits of music ever.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fspz4PTEpy0
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:47, Reply)

That mournful oboe.
More distressing than than the closing theme to The Incredible Hulk, even.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:48, Reply)

You can add the closing theme to
Prisoner Cell Block H to the list as well.
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:51, Reply)

The Prisoner was good

( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:52, Reply)

you are right about this
I was quite obsessed by it when I was about 16
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:59, Reply)

It was fucking brilliant.
As were The Persuaders and The Saint.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 18:05, Reply)

Nothing is more distressing than 'The Lonely Man' (as the closing theme to the Hulk was called).
Apart from James Blunt shoehorning it into the introductory bars of his seminal pop hit 'You're Beautiful'.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:52, Reply)

One of my father's finest hours
was when he denounced Stu Francis to be 'a simpering berk'.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:51, Reply)

Oooh. I could rip a tissue.
You're right though. The bloke was (and probably remains) a cock.
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:52, Reply)

The Front Line?
Was that the one with the Eddie Grant theme tune?
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:33, Reply)

Actually it was by Black Roots.
I know this because I have spent 20 years trying to get hold of a video or DVD of that series, and all I've got is the theme tune on vinyl SO FAR.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:39, Reply)

Love Thy Neighbour was great too.
Remember 'Mind your langugage?'
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:42, Reply)

My brother has a DVD

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:43, Reply)

They are all on YouTube
It's fantastic, should you fancy laughing at a bit of casual racism.
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:44, Reply)

This is Monty we're talking about, here...

( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:45, Reply)

Are you suggesting he uploaded them?

( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:46, Reply)

Yeah Jeff.
I take my racism VERY SERIOUSLY INDEED.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:46, Reply)

Any other shows from 'back when telly was good' you have a fondness for?
'Kickstart' in the school holidays was always watchable.
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 17:49, Reply)

BMX Beat with Gary Crowley.
My mate Craig won it, and got given the trophy by Gaz Top:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTcJ1v3sHWA
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 18:02, Reply)

Oddly.
Sometime host of BMX Beat, Andy ruffell went on to 'create' the MOBO awards.
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 18:04, Reply)

That is indeed odd.
Craig Campbell is now an alcoholic.

TRUFAX
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 18:06, Reply)

You might want to check my Andy Ruffell fact, I think someone told it to me, so it might be bollocks?
So, the fame of BMX Beat proved to be the downfall of Craig? How very very sad.
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Tue 11 Jan 2011, 18:08, Reply)