Welcome back to My 70s TV Childhood and to Quiz #78.
This week Round One is all about the shows that never quite made it to a second run. Some were cancelled after a single series. Some ran out of road before the ratings could save them. One was pulled by the BBC after just three episodes, which is a record even for television. We will give you a description of the show and you have to tell us the name. After that, we have our regular Marathon/Fil Rouge round, the Wheel of Fate landing on 1978 for Name That Tune, and the TV Times general trivia round to finish. Have a go, keep score, and let us know how you get on.
Before we start, a quick reminder that the My 70s TV Childhood Theme Tune Game is very close to the manufacturing stage. We are planning some very special events to mark the launch that you may be able to take part in. It is a nostalgic family game based on the classic British TV theme tunes we all remember, designed to be played around the table with family and friends. The perfect gift for anyone who grew up with 1970s British television.
If you would like to hear more, pop your name and email address below and we will keep you updated.
Let’s Go!
Round 1: One Season Wonders
Five shows that never made it beyond their first series. We will give you a description. You tell us the name.
Question 1: First shown on UK TV in 1978, this US sci-fi show starred Gregory Harrison, Heather Menzies and Randy Powell in a world where getting to a certain age had potentially deadly consequences.
Question 2: This show starred Ray Birdes and Phil Daniels as teenagers looking for a job, and it ran for one series in 1974 on ITV.
Question 3: Peter Cook’s chat show was cancelled by the BBC after just three episodes in 1971. What was it called?
Question 4: This 1974 TV show was a sci-fi adventure based on a film. Both the film and the TV show starred Roddy McDowall.
Question 5: Also starring Roddy McDowall, this short-lived sci-fi series was shown in 1977. He played a character called Dr Jonathan Willaway. What was the show called?
Round 2: Marathon/Fil Rouge
Named in honour of the recurring rounds in It’s a Knockout and Jeux Sans Frontieres, these questions all refer to things covered in previous episodes of the podcast. If you are a regular listener, you may have a slight advantage, though I would not count on it.
Question 1: In December 2025, we featured the US children’s show Big John, Little John. Big John, a 40-something teacher, kept being transformed into Little John, a little boy. What had Big John done to trigger this transformation?
Question 2: In June this year, we looked back at Oliver’s first proper football World Cup. Which year was that World Cup, and where were the finals played? You need both for the point.
Question 3: In August 2024, we featured Basil Brush and his various co-stars, including Mr Roy, also known as Roy North. Which pop music show did Roy North present on ITV, which we also featured in an episode in April 2025?
Question 4: Also in August 2024, we featured the lost classic children’s show Little Big Time, which included an ongoing drama involving a grandfather clock visiting a strange world full of machines. What was that drama called?
Question 5: In August 2025, Oliver interviewed Nina Saville, who starred as Mr Rumbold’s secretary in Are You Being Served? Who played Mr Rumbold?
Round 3: Name That Tune, 1978
The Wheel of Fate has landed on 1978 this week. Five theme tunes from shows first broadcast on UK TV in 1978. You will need to tune into the podcast to play this round.
Round 4: TV Times
Our general 70s TV trivia round. No particular theme this week, just five questions covering the full breadth of what British television had to offer in the 1970s.
Question 1: In the Mersey sitcom The Liver Birds, Carol, played by Elizabeth Estensen, had a brother called Lucian who was devoted to his rabbits. Who played Lucian?
Question 2: The recently departed Richard O’Sullivan played the same character in Man About the House and Robin’s Nest. What was the character’s full name?
Question 3: What would you have reached if you had dialled the number 01 811 8055 in the late 1970s?
Question 4: What was the name of the shadowy government organisation that employed Cowley, Bodie and Doyle in The Professionals?
Question 5: Which ITV regional company made World in Action?
Bonus Question
Last week I asked you: Gwen Troake’s Banquet was an episode of The Big Time shown in 1976, which effectively ended the career of which TV performer? The answer will be revealed with this week’s full answers. Well done if you got it.
This Week’s Bonus Question
In the cartoon show Battle of the Planets, UK audiences got quite a few scenes where a robot called 7 Zark 7 gave narrative updates of the plot and told the odd joke. These scenes were not included in the Japanese original. Why were they added to the US and UK version? Drop me a line at quiz@my70stvchildhood.com if you know the answer.
Want the answers now?
If you want to check your answers against this week’s full set of answers straight away, simply pop your name and email address into the box below and we will send you directly to the answers.
If you would rather wait, the answers will be revealed here on Friday.
Either way, I would love to know how you got on. Drop your score to quiz@my70stvchildhood.com or leave a comment on any of our social media pages. I read every single one.
We are back next week with a regular episode and in a fortnight with Quiz 79. Until then, thank you for playing.
Take care,
Oliver
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