1970s - Have we changed ? Or Has Culture Changed ? Or Both ?

Sweeney! With John Thaw as Jack "Nick 'im Carter" Regan and Dennis Waterman as George "Ok Guv" Carter.

Hammering round the east end of London in those big gas-guzzling Fords, nicking villains and "givin' them a slap".

Of course, they had proper villains in them days, with kipper ties and shooters and everyfing. Background music was pretty good too. :-)

Edited by waist.it

Preferred the catchy heading to your post rather than the lighter hearted t.v programme sub-plot.

The quick answer is YES, undoubtedly! Britain has culturally, demographically, industrially and socially changed forever.  

And for those of us old enough to remember the decade, not always for the better. ;)

waist.it said

Sweeney! With John Thaw as Jack "Nick 'im Carter" Regan and Dennis Waterman as George "Ok Guv" Carter.

Hammering round the east end of London in those big gas-guzzling Fords, nicking villains and "givin' them a slap".

Of course, they had proper villains in them days, with kipper ties and shooters and everyfing. Background music was pretty good too. :-)

 

Edited by waist.it

The Sweeney was a great TV series which is still enjoyable to watch. By the way, just to make you feel old , on 2 January 2023, it will be 48 years since the first episode was broadcast (2 Jan 1975) !!!

Kung Fu.

Edited by indemnity

Dennis Bloodnok Photography said

waist.it said

Sweeney! With John Thaw as Jack "Nick 'im Carter" Regan and Dennis Waterman as George "Ok Guv" Carter.

Hammering round the east end of London in those big gas-guzzling Fords, nicking villains and "givin' them a slap".

Of course, they had proper villains in them days, with kipper ties and shooters and everyfing. Background music was pretty good too. :-)

 

Edited by waist.it

The Sweeney was a great TV series which is still enjoyable to watch. By the way, just to make you feel old , on 2 January 2023, it will be 48 years since the first episode was broadcast (2 Jan 1975) !!!

Doesn't it just! lol. Just been watching what I think is one its best episodes. From the fourth series, 1978, starring Diana Dors in one of her last TV appearances, entitled "Messenger of the Gods".

• https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0714447/

Proper villains c/.w brilliant humour. Meantime I just cued up my next favourite, from the same series "Hearts and minds", which featured a guest appearance from comedy duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, playing themselves. They were under contract to Thames TV at the time.

• https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0714436/

indemnity said

Kung Fu.

Edited by indemnity

And the film Enter the Dragon, brought Martial Arts to the attention of the masses. A huge culture evolved, I changed my interest from long distance cycling to take up the discipline. Amazing way to gain new heights of physical fitness, body control, balance and agility. Suppose when you dedicate 4hrs daily over a few years there's a danger it will have an effect.

Space 1999

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)

Both bring back happy memories

What about “ The Professionals”. CI5

The Cow was legendary…. I’ve got the full box set on DVD. I just love the fashion too. 😎🕺

I loved "The young ones" when it first came on in the 80's - bright, funny and a shot in the arm against traditional "sitcoms". Now I prefer to watch "Dad's army" and sadly "The young ones" has aged badly and doesn't quite hold up anymore (and always a sad reminder of the loss of the true prince of comedy)

m71 said

I loved "The young ones" when it first came on in the 80's - bright, funny and a shot in the arm against traditional "sitcoms". Now I prefer to watch "Dad's army" and sadly "The young ones" has aged badly and doesn't quite hold up anymore (and always a sad reminder of the loss of the true prince of comedy)

You are right about "The Young Ones". As a programme "The Young Ones" was of its' time. That time has been and gone. Meanwhile "Dad's Army" does have a timeless appeal. I also still enjoy some (but not all) of the episodes of "Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads" from the 1970s.

Parkstone Photography said

What about “ The Professionals”. CI5

The Cow was legendary…. I’ve got the full box set on DVD. I just love the fashion too. 😎🕺

Ah yes, "The Professionals" CI5. Still an entertaining programme to watch.

I’m not sure what’s changed exactly, but it definitely has.  Modern UK fictional TV, since the 1990s, it’s very emotionally charged and puts storytelling on the back burner.  It’s about yanking on the heart strings, getting you emotionally involved in the lead characters, not the situation they find themselves in.  Using Doctor Who as an example, new Doctor Who leaves me cold, when I was a diehard fan of the original series, the story lines in the new one get the audience emotionally involved in the Doctor and companion and not the situations they get into and as a result the stories, regardless of who’s in charge, or writing them, are weak in the plotting, but strong in the character stories.  It was something that US TV suffered from until the late 1980s, but they’ve got the balance right now.  Going back to Doctor Who, the original series covered environmental and social issues through allegory, it didn’t ram it down your throats.  If you’re intelligent enough to understand it, then great.  But NuWho, that’s what it does, it lectures the audience.  Modern TV is also obsessed about psychoanalysing characters, why they are who they are, what makes them tick and how they got to be where they are.  It doesn’t leave any mysteries to be pondered on, it has to explain everything, rather than just let things come out over the course of things, little by little.

It ain't half hot mum, Are you being served, (they all showed on Dutch television) and several others already mentioned (Dad's army, the Young Ones). Loved them all. Never liked the superhero stuff from the U.S. (6 million dollarman), which has only gotten worse lately with all the Marvell cr*p.  Liked Magnum P.I. though, very British tongue in cheek, oddly enough (for an American show).

I remember being a big fan of the 6 Million Dollar Man fan back in the day. I’m a ‘Better Call Saul’ kind of  guy these days. I may have experienced some moral decline since the 80’s. 

Edited by Timmee

Top of the Pops, especially in the early 1970's.

Doctor Who

Space 1999

The Goodies just tickled me

The Magic Roundabout

Magpie because they would sometimes have racing drivers as studio guests

Paddington

(far too many to list)...