< TERM 2 WEEK 6

Monday February 18th Winter Olympic scheduling means there’s no episode of Blake’s 7 today (see tomorrow). Clued up viewers, however, might want to take this opportunity to switch over to ITV, where a third series of The Kenny Everett Video Show begins at 7 pm. I’m not one of those clued-up viewers though and, despite being an avid radio listener, have never heard of Kenny Everett, nor will I hear of him for at least another week or two, after which it will be impossible for me to watch him without sacrificing my favourite programme. And that’s not going to happen. On this occasion, Kenny’s work is bolstered by these special performances: • I Die, You Die Gary Numan • Riders in the Sky The Shadows • Talk of the Town Pretenders • Bridge Over Troubled Water Linda Clifford (as danced to by Hot Gossip) BBC 2, 8.10 pm: The Goodies - War Babies: the last show the threesome made for the BBC. This one isn’t particularly outstanding or particularly bad. It just happens, then it’s done. The Goodies will return on ITV in December 1981. Tuesday February 19th Shrove Tuesday. I’ve a vague memory of attempting to make pancakes with my Mum at some point and failing miserably. Bon Scott, lead singer of Australian rock band AC/DC, is found dead in a car on Overhill Road in South East London. The coroner rules death by acute alcohol poisoning, but the full story is a little more nuanced. BBC 1, 5.15 pm: Grange Hill - Series 3, Episode 13, in which Susi gets repeatedly bullied by Alex Kingston. BBC 1, 7.20 pm: Blake’s 7 - Children of Auron: a day later than usual. This one strives for greatness and almost achieves it, with a strong storyline about Cally’s home planet which ends up being more of a vehicle for Servalan. Strong emotional stuff which hit hard at the time. But it’s also a bit dull. Thursday February 21st Star Wars Weekly No 105 Spectacular Spider-Man Weekly No 364 Incredible Hulk Weekly No 52 Starburst No 19 - the last one edited by its creator, Dez Skinn Rampage No 21 Savage Sword of Conan No 29 Doctor Who Weekly No 20 - featuring an ad for a new Marvel monthly magazine called Superhero Fun & Games - another one I bought for several months on the trot, and still have several copies of. Although it was basically just a glorified word search magazine, it had quite an impact on my work over the next few months. As far as I can tell, it was usually published on the fourth Thursday of every month, though this month it was the third. Look-in No 9: includes a piece about Kenny Everett to tie in with his new series, plus a few paragraphs about Jim Davidson’s new series, which starts tonight at 7.30 pm. It’s weird looking back and realising they used to market Jim Davidson to kids. Robin Cousins wins gold at the Winter Olympics for the men’s singles figure skating event. This article says it was actually on the 23rd, but other articles disagree. • Short programme • Long programme • Long programme (alt) Friday February 22nd BBC 1, 5.10 pm: Grange Hill - Series 3, Episode 14, in which a school trip to the countryside doesn’t go that well for Cathy’s ankle. BBC 2, 6 pm: Monkey - Pearls Before Swine BBC 1, 7.55 pm: Top of the Pops - rescheduled by the Olympics for a second week running, this week it’s presented by Peter Powell. You can see the first half of the show here (in the wrong aspect ratio), but you might prefer these studio highlights: • Hot Dog Shakin’ Stevens • Hands Off She’s Mine The Beat • Together We Are Beautiful Fern Kinney • And the Beat Goes On - The Whispers (via Legs & Co) • Running Free Iron Maiden • Games Without Frontiers Peter Gabriel (playout) Saturday February 23rd 2000 AD Prog 154: featuring Part 3 of the Judge Dredd strip The Blood of Satanus, which had quite an impact on my school work. BBC 1, 9.35 pm: BBC News - headlines: • Hundreds dead and thousands injured after demonstrations and fighting in Afghanistan • Derek Morris, Britain’s latest heart transplant patient, is in a stable condition after last night’s operation • Miners in South Wales reject union leader’s call for a strike in solidarity with the area’s steelworkers • Ayatollah Khomeini announces that the fate of the American hostages at the US Embassy in Tehran will be decided by the new Iranian Parliament (but elections to the Parliament won’t be completed until April) • 300 British policemen travel to Rhodesia to oversee the elections and “provide a bit of reassurance” • 1200 members of the RSPCA meet in London to vote on a motion of no confidence in its council members • “More than 35” people are taken to hospital, one with stab wounds, when Chelsea fans go on a rampage through Bristol after their team’s defeat to Bristol Rovers • Skater Eric Heiden becomes the first man to win five gold medals at one Winter Olympics • Ski jumper Jan Holmlund survives a potentially fatal fall at the same games • Prince Andrew starts a three-week spell of duty on HMS Hermes as part of his naval training

Monday February 18th - Sunday February 24th, 1980

TERM 2: Half Term

Sunday February 10th The Winter Olympics come to an end. ITV, 5.30 pm: Worzel Gummidge - The Scarecrow Wedding - last of the current series. UK SINGLES CHART No 1: Atomic Blondie No 23: Alabama Song David Bowie No 57: Worzel’s Song Jon Pertwee No 58: Animation Skids No 64: Ne-Ne Na-Na Na-Na Nu-Nu Bad Manners No 65: Another Nail in My Heart Squeeze No 67: Echo Beach Martha and the Muffins No 69: Poison Ivy Lambrettas No 73: Kool in the Kaftan BA Robertson UK ALBUMS CHART No 1: String of Hits The Shadows No 49: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark OMD No 58: Greatest Hits Rose Royce

MEANWHILE, IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE… Doctor Who: Shada - Part Six • The true final episode of Season 17. This episode’s a bit rushed and disappointing, but it’s safe to say the season as a whole would have been more fondly regarded if they’d finished it as planned

TERM 2 WEEK 7 >

TERM 2 (Jan - Apr 1980) New Year (Jan 1 - Jan 6, 1980) Week 1 (Jan 7 - Jan 13, 1980) Week 2 (Jan 14 - Jan 20, 1980) Week 3 (Jan 21 - Jan 27, 1980) Week 4 (Jan 28 - Feb 3, 1980) Week 5 (Feb 4 - Feb 10, 1980) Week 6 (Feb 11 - Feb 17, 1980) Half Term (Feb 18 - Feb 24, 1980) Week 7 (Feb 25 - Mar 2, 1980) Week 8 (Mar 3 - Mar 9, 1980) Week 9 (Mar 10 - Mar 16, 1980) Week 10 (Mar 17 - Mar 23, 1980) Week 11 (Mar 24 - Mar 30, 1980) Easter 1 (Mar 31 - Apr 6, 1980) Easter 2 (Apr 7 - Apr 13, 1980)

TERM 2 IN LINK FORM

TERM 1 (Sep - Dec 1979)

Hi-de-Hi! Jan 1, 1980

Steelworkers Strike Jan 2, 1980

St Pauls Riots Apr 2, 1980

State of the Union Jan 23, 1980

My Girl Madness

Blake’s 7 Returns Jan 7, 1980

Barbara Woodhouse Jan 7, 1980

Grange Hill Roof Death Feb 25, 1980

Mugabe Elected Zimbabwe PM Mar 4, 1980

Atomic Blondie

Echo Beach Martha and the Muffins

Games Without Frontiers Peter Gabriel

Robin Cousins at the Olympics Feb 21, 1980

Underpass John Foxx

Judge Death Jan 19, 1980

TERM 3 (Apr - Jul 1980)