Some wireless broadcasts over the last couple of days have been remarking upon and marking in their way the 75th anniversary of television, which I think is very fine and generous of the older form of broadcast in respect of its trashier upstart sibling. Not all of us will be available for the centenary so we need to do it now.
The form of the events have revolved around celebrating great or historic television moments and, in a break from the strict rule on only mentioning six items in a Top 6, I will have to make room for such memorable sporting moments as Alberto Juantorena in the Olympic Games, Stephen Roche in the Tour de France, Fulham's fairytale progress two seasons ago through the Europa Cup towards the inevitable debacle five minutes before the end of extra time, Grundy v Bustino in the King George at Ascot in 1975 and, most movingly, Little Polveir winning the 1989 Grand National at 33/1 when I still believed in him. I cried.
Of course, one wants moon landings, Camberwick Green, General Election nights, Bolan or, possibly Hendrix, on the Cilla Black Show or even the time on Big Brother when George Galloway said, 'Rula, do you want me to be the cat now'. Or possibly not that last one.
My favourite moment of all time might be this moment when the great Barney Curley has John McCririck for breakfast,
'I saved your bacon one time. You were gone.' (And he apparently did and he apparently was).
And all McCririck can say is 'yes, yes, yes'.
But, Top 6 Television programmes, apart from all that.
The Simpsons, above all others, the defintive show of its generation and, I suspect, all others. And proof that a committee can be better than one writer, which is hard to believe but ostensibly true.
Fawlty Towers. Just about flawless and impeccable. Still laugh out loud on the twentieth or thirtieth time you see them and already know what's coming because it is now all written deep down inside you.
Two somewhat different quiz shows. Gallery, in which actually the lovely Pat Nevin, a sensible footballer, guested once with the imperious Maggi Hambling and outrageous George Melly in a panel game about paintings. Admittedly, the answer almost always seemed to be 'Gericault' but Maggi's awestruck comparison of a painting with Chartres Cathedral was devastating.
And the fey romp through opus numbers, Kochel numbers and old Joseph Cooper battering at the dummy keyboard that was Face the Music. If they really are going to do away with University Challenge, then there's precious little chance we'll get that back.
There will, of course, have been music performances of endless brilliance but I'll take Top of the Pops as not only a thing to look back on with both affection and horror but the night that Jeepster was on, or when Rod did Maggie May. And, especially, this week of all weeks, when it was 'now then, now then, now then, howzabout that, then, guys n gals.' Thursday night was the only night you had to make sure of a place in the TV room at University and so we all saw at least the second half of Tomorrow's World whether we wanted to or not.
And with one choice left, although I'd like Monkey Dust, Blackadder, Alan Bates in The Mayor of Casterbridge or test match coverage when it was Derek Randall, Michael Holding, Basil D'Oliviera, Viv Richards and all, I'm going to have Brookside, because at its best in the early 1980's, it was consistently the best drama on telly week after week, month after month.
Hats off to the telly in those days. I only switch it on for horse racing and Vicky Coren now.
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