Welcome back to My 70s TV Childhood and to Quiz #74.
This week we are heading back to the summer variety show that was a fixture of Saturday night television throughout the mid to late 1970s: Seaside Special. Round One is dedicated to the show, as well as a few other seaside-related favourites. After that, we have our regular Marathon/Fil Rouge round, the Wheel of Fate landing on 1975 for Name That Tune, and the TV Times general trivia round to finish. As always, there are questions across four rounds, plus a bonus question at the end. Have a go, keep score, and let us know how you get on.
Before we start, a reminder that the My 70s TV Childhood Theme Tune Game is launching very soon.
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. Our launch date is drawing closer and there will be more details to follow very shortly.
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: Seaside Special
Five questions about the summer variety show Seaside Special and a few other seaside-related TV favourites from the 1970s.
Question 1: Starting in 1975, Seaside Special was a fixture of summer Saturday night TV viewing. Who wrote and sang the theme tune “Summertime City?”
Question 2: BBC sitcom Dad’s Army was set in a fictional seaside resort. What was its name?
Question 3: Back to Seaside Special: each show came from a circus big top. Which circus provided the big top?
Question 4: Rolf Harris was a host on Seaside Special, but what was the name of his show which ran between 1977 and 1980, where he visited schools and engaged children in artistic work and games?
Question 5: On 19th June 1976, the second series of Seaside Special kicked off with a bumper show in Blackpool. As well as Tony Blackburn, Dave Lee Travis, Ken Dodd, Tom Baker, The Wombles and The Goodies, there was a guest appearance from the cast of “Are You Being Served?” What did they do as their performance?
Round 2: Marathon/Fil Rouge
Named in honour of the recurring rounds in It’s a Knockout and Jeux Sans Frontières, 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 May 2023 we went back to the era of Happy Days and The Fonz. What was the name of the diner where the gang used to hang out?
Question 2: In the same episode we also looked back at The Waltons. In which US state was the fictional Walton’s Mountain supposed to be?
Question 3: Our fourth ever episode in September 2020 revolved around The Banana Splits. In which cartoon insert during the show did the phrase “size of an elephant” come from?
Question 4: Given the recent heatwaves we have been having in the UK, it seems apt to look back at our episode from February 2024 which considered the 1976 heatwave, during which I first saw the TV version of Mr Men on a colour TV. Which Mr Man was the first to be featured in the series?
Question 5: In March 2025 we featured Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). What was the name of Marty Hopkirk’s wife?
Round 3: Name That Tune, 1975
The Wheel of Fate has landed on 1975 this week. Five theme tunes from shows first broadcast on UK TV in 1975.
You will need to tune into the podcast for 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: Frankie Howerd played the slave Lurcio in the comedy show Up Pompeii. What was the name of his bumbling master?
Question 2: Which member of the Monty Python team worked with Neil Innes to create the comedy series Rutland Weekend Television?
Question 3: Whilst it was produced in the 1960s, Thunderbirds was hugely popular in the 1970s. What name did Gerry and Sylvia Anderson give to their production style combining puppets with live action and large-scale models?
Question 4: Who played Jim “Jock” McLaren in the BBC sitcom Porridge?
Question 5: Where did The Goodies live?
Bonus Question
Last week I asked you: which popular TV actor died unexpectedly from a congenital heart defect on 19th March 1979, at the age of 31?
The answer will be revealed with this week’s full answers. Well done if you got it.
This Week’s Bonus Question
Between 5th November 1970 and 14th July 1977, an instrumental version of which Led Zeppelin song was the opening theme tune to Top of the Pops? If you know the answer, drop me a line at quiz@my70stvchildhood.com
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 75. Until then, thank you for playing.
Take care,
Oliver
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