Alan Briscoe

A rare sighting of Crown Court barristers James Elliott & Jonathan Fry (Charles Keating & Bernard Gallagher) without their wigs from the 1972 story "Euthanasia"). In the show's early days episodes started with black-and-white images of key figures connected with the story.

Sometimes a show is depicted within a show such as in an episode of YTV sitcom Dear Mother... Love Albert in 1971. Albert (Rodney Bewes) appeared on the fictional game show "Double Another". Comedy stalwart Damaris Hayman played a fellow contestant with American actor Al Mancini as quiz-master.

In those earlier days we also had shows which had only one series but many episodes and often they were released in discs of a few episodes each. This was even more true in the days of video and two episodes per tape. Some of these shows were never completed via this gradual approach.

Up till the early 2000s long-running shows were released series by series. While this had its virtues there were plenty of shows where only Series 1 got released or which stopped later and were never completed. Box sets have become the norm and become for the most part very good value for money.

As another sign of changing times I recall debate then over whether it would be better to release Thriller series by series rather than as a complete set. While each series would have been cheaper collecting them all would cost more plus the risk of releases stalling part way through....

The Network Thriller set also became very economical in price, certainly via sales. I'm not sure how low the price got but in later years it was very affordable - unlike now where like many Network items the price has shot up. Even at the original price 20 years ago it was an essential purchase.

I wondered why the back of the set looked unfamilar to me and then realised it had been repackaged! A lot has happened in 20 years and packaging for DVDs has become much more economical and items also undergo sometimes undergo a redesign even if the contents are unchanged.

My Network Thriller set is quite well-preserved although like Martin that's partly because I have the Australian set and that's the one I use for viewings. Martin's outlined the extra features but aesthetically the design of the Australian set I find very appealing.

A momentous release! I got mine from Bensons World who I think were the earliest to dispatch. I recall there was a problem with one of the discs (from Series 6 I think) duplicating the episodes from another but thankfully a replacement was sent rather than having to return the whole set.

It's not just TV companies who wiped or junked tapes - we did it ourselves, often for very similar reasons. It's always fascinating to come across a tape that escaped that fate.

John Comer playing a newsagent with a nice array of chocolate boxes and sweets behind him in the Children's Film Foundation 1980 film "The Boy Who Never Was". Although best-known for his long-running role in Last of the Summer Wine he guested in many other productions.

A very appetising birthday cake made for Zippy of Rainbow back in 1991. Zippy was voiced by actor Roy Skelton who was born on this day in 1931.

The end music gets overshadowed by the superb opening theme but in its way is just as good and suits the downbeat way so many episodes ended as well as fitting the literally dark visuals so well. Both themes are a supreme mix of visuals and audio - a call to action then a sombre reflection.

I was a very big fan of Charles Foster as a continuity announcer - he projected a lot of warmth, almost a kindly-grandfather figure. I miss the continuity announcers, always much better to see them in person and not just as voices.

Some profiles of actors who were part of the "Entertainers XI" squad for a charity game in February 1980. Plenty of familar names for the archive TV follower.

"Vice Versa" is one I'd never heard of. The 1970s is often seen as the "golden age" of archive TV for youngsters & Network's DVD releases helped reinforce that status. Many archive TV devotees were kids in the 1970s which also helps explain it but later shows will also have their fans decades later.

I obscured the later part of synopsis on the back as it pretty much gave away how the story ended! Maybe it was assumed readers would have seen the series and knew how it ended but some viewers may have read it because they didn't see the end while others never saw it but were curious to learn more.

Novelisation of ATV's "Echoes of Louisa" (1981) by Gail Renard who also wrote the series, ATV's last drama for younger viewers. This was a ghost story in common with ATV's earlier "Come Back Lucy" (1978) on which she co-wrote the episodes with Colin Shindler based on the novel by Pamela Sykes.

Although best known for his central role in UFO Ed Bishop guest-starred in many British shows both before and after such as in ATV series The Cedar Tree in 1976. In the episode "Fete Accompli" (Part 2) he had a fitting part playing genial American actor Earl Mulligan who was visiting the UK.

Some UK Gold listings from 30th July 1994. This early incarnation was very valued by archive TV followers with lots of BBC & Thames shows, not just the best-known ones as followed in later times. No title for the Sweeney episode but from the synopsis it could fit almost every one!

Uncredited actors don't normally go on to have starring roles but the "David & Goliath" episode of Please Sir in 1971 featured two examples. In the background of picture 1 is Vicky Williams who starred in The Changes (1975) & in picture 2 (yellow trousers) is Tina Heath, star of Lizzie Dripping.

I very much like that way of doing end titles with the actors pictured alongside their name. The sinister music - "Pulse of Fear" by Lew Stern is excellent (a KPM library piece) - and was heard as incidental music in quite a few other shows.

OTD (8th June) in 1975 the first episode of ATV Sunday drama for youngsters "The Siege of Golden Hill" notable for its depiction of gang violence, intimidation, racism, corruption and lack of opportunities. Gerry Sundquist & Billy Hamon starred, the former starred in "Soldier & Me" a year earlier.

Grant Taylor playing a senior military officer in the space-themed Doomwatch episode "Re-entry Forbidden" in March 1970 - he went on to play a similar role as General Henderson in UFO. Also appearing in that episode as themselves were presenters James Burke & Michael Aspel, both still with us.

These are the listings for Tyne Tees that day (1.6.1975) and help show the regional variations in scheduling compared to LWT.

OTD in 1975 (Sunday 1 June) LWT first broadcast the UFO episode "The Responsibility Seat" (not a repeat) & finally completed all 26 episodes which started in September 1971. Tyne Tees also give the episode its first broadcast in the same slot, completing its run which started in September 1970!

One of the bonuses of having some colour episodes of "Fly into Danger" is being able to fully appreciate this remarkable turquoise shirt and tie combination sported by Sam Dastor's character. Somehow this would have been much less striking in black-and-white!

OTD (31 May) in 1972 the first episode of "Fly into Danger", the third consecutive drama for younger viewers from ATV. Although not as well-known as its predecesors "Tightrope" & "Escape into Night" it boasts not one but TWO episodes on colour tape although the five others are b / w telerecordings.

Even Network only released Series 1 of 47A. Maybe they felt that buyers would be content with Series 1. More prolific series often face this problem. The Tomorrow People did get a full release but maybe was helped by being split into serials and as a sci-fi show had a more ardent fanbase.

That's an interesting contrast with "Pardon My Genie" which had ended only a few weeks before "Kids from 47A" started. Growing up I always tended to link 47A with adult Thames sitcom "And Mother Makes Three" and many of the plotlines weren't that different from adult family sitcoms.