**BRITISH TV STARS of the 70s**

[Bungo the Mungo]

Bruce Forysth - he's one of the few celebrities that makes a crap show actually worth watching. Great with an audience and the 'contestants'.

You hear this sort of thing a lot about Forsyth - it's as if we're supposed to like one of these TV hosts, so it might as well be him. And he does it all so well, etc.

Just a little bit puzzling. I mean, what does he have to offer the likes of us?

[The Modernist]

Not sure why Kenny Everett is getting so much praise.
The truth of it is his video show was puerile nonsense. I'm sure much of it appealed to the children many of the board were when it was first broadcast, but if they were to watch it now they'd be embarassed to find how stupid and lacking in wit much of it was. It had a sense of anarchy, featured some good bands and pushed the boundaries with Hot Gossip and their sexy dance routines. These were the reasons it was successful, and had little to do with Everett's 'gifts' as a comedian.

[Limpin' Jez McKenzie]

puerile nonsense

Ninety per cent of comedy, n'est-ce pas?

[Bungo the Mungo]

I forgot these two:





Network DVD be PRAISED!

[Bungo the Mungo]

Larry Grayson was superb. He had a genuine affection for the people he interacted with, and it really showed.

Bob Monkhouse had an incredible knowledge of his craft, and the couple of times I saw him, he was so quick it hurt.

Anyone see that Bob Monkhouse docu thing over Xmas? It was really very good.

[Django]

Bruce Forysth - he's one of the few celebrities that makes a crap show actually worth watching. Great with an audience and the 'contestants'.

You hear this sort of thing a lot about Forsyth - it's as if we're supposed to like one of these TV hosts, so it might as well be him. And he does it all so well, etc.

Just a little bit puzzling. I mean, what does he have to offer the likes of us?

It baffles me, he is someone I can absolutely not watch on TV. He comes across as an arrogant little man, with such a small reservoir of talent it is barely noticeable. If aliens landed in my backyard tonight and asked me for one human sacrifice in order to save the rest of the human race, I'd say "Forsyth!" just like that. Wouldn't even think about it. I'd go "Bruce Forsyth!" the second the alien stopped speaking. I'd offer to Google up his whereabouts for them. I would sketch him to make sure they knew what he looked like.

I remember a few years back, between his peak years and his comeback, he was dragged out on a chatshow as an expert on salsa dancing (!) and he had a little spot where he did a demonstration of salsa dancing, which consisted of him picking "volunteers" (i.e. the youngest, most attractive women) out of the audience and grinding his wizened old crotch up against them one by one, hissing "PUT YOUR SHOULDERS BACK, LOVE!" at his victims, and leering over their shoulders at the chat show host, shouting "This one's a lovely mover, isn't she?!", spit dribbling down his bizarre and otherworldly chin. HORRIBLE.

Horrible, horrible, horrible.



Horrible..

[Hugh]

Where's Bruce Fourlines when you need him?

[the masked man]

This thread just proves that British TV was an absolute wasteland in the 70s. Aside from The Fall & Rise Of Reginald Perrin, The Likely Lads and Porridge, I can't think of any UK entertainment programme from that decade I'd still happily watch.

The fact that Bernard Manning was a mainstream star shows what a grim decade it was.

[Bungo the Mungo]

Bruce Forysth - he's one of the few celebrities that makes a crap show actually worth watching. Great with an audience and the 'contestants'.

You hear this sort of thing a lot about Forsyth - it's as if we're supposed to like one of these TV hosts, so it might as well be him. And he does it all so well, etc.

Just a little bit puzzling. I mean, what does he have to offer the likes of us?

It baffles me, he is someone I can absolutely not watch on TV. He comes across as an arrogant little man, with such a small reservoir of talent it is barely noticeable. If aliens landed in my backyard tonight and asked me for one human sacrifice in order to save the rest of the human race, I'd say "Forsyth!" just like that. Wouldn't even think about it. I'd go "Bruce Forsyth!" the second the alien stopped speaking. I'd offer to Google up his whereabouts for them. I would sketch him to make sure they knew what he looked like.

I remember a few years back, between his peak years and his comeback, he was dragged out on a chatshow as an expert on salsa dancing (!) and he had a little spot where he did a demonstration of salsa dancing, which consisted of him picking "volunteers" (i.e. the youngest, most attractive women) out of the audience and grinding his wizened old crotch up against them one by one, hissing "PUT YOUR SHOULDERS BACK, LOVE!" at his victims, and leering over their shoulders at the chat show host, shouting "This one's a lovely mover, isn't she?!", spit dribbling down his bizarre and otherworldly chin. HORRIBLE.

Horrible, horrible, horrible.



Horrible..

Eurgh!

I think he's the sort of man who, had he not somehow managed to get into showbusiness, would be one of those weirdy ugly fellas ignored by his work colleagues and who would spend their weekends walking around parks and ratching through bins.

[Bungo the Mungo]

This thread just proves that British TV was an absolute wasteland in the 70s. Aside from The Fall & Rise Of Reginald Perrin, The Likely Lads and Porridge, I can't think of any UK entertainment programme from that decade I'd still happily watch.

The fact that Bernard Manning was a mainstream star shows what a grim decade it was.

I'd go for Steptoe above The Likely Lads, but I agree with your general point. It was a bleak decade for TV.

[Hugh]

If aliens landed in my backyard tonight and asked me for one human sacrifice in order to save the rest of the human race, I'd say "Forsyth!" just like that.

Can I remind you that Michael Barrymore is still alive?

[Django]

If aliens landed in my backyard tonight and asked me for one human sacrifice in order to save the rest of the human race, I'd say "Forsyth!" just like that.

Can I remind you that Michael Barrymore is still alive?

Hmm. A salient point. Maybe I could convince them to take two human sacrifices?

[Bungo the Mungo]

This thread just proves that British TV was an absolute wasteland in the 70s. Aside from The Fall & Rise Of Reginald Perrin, The Likely Lads and Porridge, I can't think of any UK entertainment programme from that decade I'd still happily watch.

The fact that Bernard Manning was a mainstream star shows what a grim decade it was.

I'd go for Steptoe above The Likely Lads, but I agree with your general point. It was a bleak decade for TV.

Adam?

[copehead]

Your air brushing of Michael Bentine from history is noted, let alone Milligan who betrode the 70s like a god with Q

[Bungo the Mungo]

I'd go for Steptoe above The Likely Lads, but I agree with your general point. It was a bleak decade for TV.

Adam?[/quote]

i love both those shows. i don't know what you want me to say, JC?

[Bungo the Mungo]

I was wondering about the 'bleak decade' thing as much as anything. I think people of our age are torn between nostalgia and disgust!

[Bungo the Mungo]

I was wondering about the 'bleak decade' thing as much as anything. I think people of our age are torn between nostalgia and disgust!

i'm in the nostalgia camp, for sure.

i feel sad that anyone could view them with disgust. i think they were made to make people laugh. and they did, i think. the 'on the buses' films were huge in the UK when they were released.

[Bungo the Mungo]

saville was everywhere.

clunk click, age of the train, totp, fix it.

weird bloke.

A lot of very weird stories about him, I don't know how much truth there are to any of them though.

[The Modernist]

This thread just proves that British TV was an absolute wasteland in the 70s. Aside from The Fall & Rise Of Reginald Perrin, The Likely Lads and Porridge, I can't think of any UK entertainment programme from that decade I'd still happily watch.

The fact that Bernard Manning was a mainstream star shows what a grim decade it was.

I'd go for Steptoe above The Likely Lads, but I agree with your general point. It was a bleak decade for TV.

Every decade is a 'bleak' decade for tv. Yes a lot of the light entertainment era was cringeworthy and tawdry, but was it really any worse than reality tv or the kind of voyeuristic freakshows that pass for human interest documentaries on Channel 4? I don't think so.

[The Modernist]

Why when John C changes his username does Solarskope's deleted account change to the same name?
I don't get it at all..does anyone have an answer?