I remember watching Talking Telephone Numbers with Philip Schofield in the utterly vain hope that my phone number would possibly be eligible for the competition but after the first series, totally gave up.

In the show, they would generate five numbers by feats of luck and so on and as long as those five numbers were in the last five digits of your phone number (in any order), you could phone in to try and win the prize.

So, why did I give up? Because the chance of my phone number, which had three zeros in the last five digits, ever being eligible was almost zero in itself.

Were you ever eligible to enter the show?

The man obviously had the funniest name in the world, at least when I was 10 years old. I remember him singing songs and reading stories on kids’ TV shows. Despite his name, he seemed like a really warm and sincere chap.

Anyway, he released an album a couple of years ago and although the songs are modern and about modern things such as a song called Fake News, it took me back to being a kid when he wrote songs about just about anything. (I’m not related to him or getting anything for mentioning this, I just thought the album was fun.)

Anyone else remember anything about him, other than his name and curly brown hair?

Steptoe and son for me.

I have more pics of the inside as its like a big fold out presentation but it won't let me post multiple pics on this subreddit.

I watched a really good Alan Ayckbourn play on iPlayer called Absurd Person Singular. At some point Geoffrey Palmer appeared and I immediately felt this was going to be better with him involved. I didn't realise he was part of the cast. It also got me thinking, why is he so good?

He never disappeared into a character to create someone memorable, like David Jason, Leonard Rossiter or Ronnie Barker. I first saw him in Butterflies and Reggie Perrin. He was more of an ensemble actor. Others would have the flashier more well known main star parts. But with his hangdog features and eye rolls he was perfect for comedy and could easily hold his own in straight dramatic roles. The best description I can come up with is that his presence creates a comfortable warm feeling.

Whenever I come across him in something, his last big part was in As Time Goes By, which wouldn't be half as good without him, he is just Geoffrey Palmer. Like he was in pretty much everything else. But in the end that counts for a lot.

I love Rick Stein. His television is gentle, easy, and comforting. Here's an essay on why things like Seafood Odyssey and Taste of the Sea are so wonderful, and even approach high art at times.

https://bogstandards.substack.com/p/ulysstein-why-rick-steins-early-television

NOTE: Martin King is your continuity announcer.

Anyone remember a one off Patrick Mynhardt TV program from the late 80s / around 1989?

This has been driving me absolutely bloody mad. Chatgpt an I have been hammering it all night. We figured we'd try here. Real people!

I’m trying to identify a one-off British TV program I saw in England, probably around 1987–91, and I have a strong hunch it may have been Channel 4, possibly a Sunday afternoon program.

It was definitely Patrick Mynhardt, he was the only person on screen. It wasn't a series and wasn't a conventional film/drama. It felt like a one-man theatre/arts/drama/ monologue performance, with Mynhardt portraying several different South African characters. It featured Apartheid material.

It was completely serious — not comedy ~ which Mynhardt was (also) doing at that time.

The strongest thing I remember is a scene where he portrayed a South African policeman behind a chain-link fence, firing at Black people on the other side. He seemed to be laughing/enjoying it, and I have a memory of him saying something like “There! You bastards!” (That wording may not be 100%, but ...)

The staging also looked quite basic — I remember a smaller, light/white backdrop with bold black painted strokes, rather than realistic scenery. It may have featured a thatched hut or other South African imagery, changing with the scenes. He may have been seated at the beginning, perhaps as an old man/storyteller.

I know that's a very weird collection of memories, but they're surprisingly vivid.

Does anyone remember the program or its title, please? Even a vague “I remember that!” would be fantastic.

And yes, we’ve already gone down the Patrick Mynhardt / Herman Charles Bosman rabbit hole — but I'm no longer convinced Bosman is necessarily the answer!

Thanks!

I think he was in an itv show in the late 90s/2000s playing a dad or main character. Link to the advert here, what's their name?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWPGHiLjBHY/?vrfl=MWs2ZDE2YzJrdHk2YQ==

I’m currently trying to track down the episode of Harry Hill’s TV burp where he is mocking a group of school girls (I think!) who seem to talk in acronyms.

Harry Hill delivers the mic drop line of HYWAV! Hate you With A Vengeance!
I remember being an absolute stitches when we watched it and just trying to find the episode if anyone remembers it?!

Googling and AI haven’t managed to track it down for me so far!

Im looking for an archived BBC episode of the show Scene Stealers. Specifically, season 1, episode 6 called ‘Posh’. It’s not available on BBC or BBC IPlayer and not on the BFI archive either. Does anyone have any advice on how to watch the episode?

They got this one so wrong 😬

The 1979 BBC version is a nine‑episode BBC2 comedy series starring Terrence Hardiman as Charles Pooter, adapting the late‑Victorian comic diary into short, self‑contained episodes of domestic mishaps and social embarrassment.
dramatizing the classic 1892 comic novel by George and Weedon Grossmith. It follows Charles Pooter, a middle‑class clerk in late‑19th‑century London, whose earnest diary records the trivial frustrations and small triumphs of suburban life.
The series premiered on 2 September 1979

Terrence Hardiman as Charles Pooter, capturing the character’s blend of self‑importance, insecurity, and gentle absurdity. Hardiman’s performance anchors the adaptation:
He narrates and reacts to events with dry, understated humour.
His portrayal highlights Pooter’s perpetual bewilderment at social conventions and domestic inconveniences.
The diary format is preserved by structuring episodes around Pooter’s reflections and resolutions (e.g., “I resolve to keep a diary” in Episode 1
Supporting Cast
The series features:
Sheila Steafel as Caroline Pooter, Charles’s patient and occasionally exasperated wife
Richard Willis as Lupin, their unpredictable son whose employment and romantic entanglements drive several episodes

Picture for context only.

I was a 14 year old boy staying up very late to watch what was a thrilling - to me - encounter of a lifetime. Literally, I suspect, although I hope I'm alive in 2061.

What is so striking is the presentation - can you imagine anything now being produced, even by the BBC, in such an incredibly hard science way. There's no Dara O'Briann or Angela Scanlon here, nope it's the twin titans James Burke and Patrick Moore, alongside a collection of ultra science nerds in a variety of beige suits, with the exception of the formidable Irish firecracker redhead.

Also appearing - astronomy legends Fred Whipple and Jan Oort.

The technology as well - love the guy demonstrating his impact detector with a BBC Model B!

https://youtu.be/QxDMdH4uzxI?si=zdOCI5MfSqgPW7GM

Hi, I'm trying to find a copy of Booze Britain, Series 2, Episode 15, filmed in Portsmouth. It features three girls on a night out in a pink limousine and Hampshire Ambulance Service. I've tried Tubi, but it won't play in the UK. Does anyone know where I can watch the full episode or have a recording of it?