Early Days and TV Foundations
I’ve often wondered just how many hours of television I’ve watched in my life. A rough calculation—three hours a day since I was five—puts the number close to 47,000 hours. That’s a lot of TV. But every hour tells a story.
My earliest memories involve a Birds Eye shepherd’s pie and lunchtime TV: Issi Noho and Pipkins. Issi, the well-meaning panda with unreliable magic, and the Pipkins gang—Hartley Hare, Topov the Monkey, Octavia the Octopus—are etched in my memory. Pipkins even introduced me to the concept of death.
Before Channel 4 launched in 1982, we had just three channels. Programming ran from 10am to 11pm, with children’s shows clustered around dinner time. If you missed it, that was it—no repeats, no catch-up.
My viewing habits were shaped by my mother—Crossroads, Coronation Street, Dallas, Dynasty. Saturdays were mine: my dad at the Labour Club, my sisters out, my mum busy. I had the TV to myself—Swap Shop, Tiswas, Grandstand, World of Sport, switching between channels to avoid the bits I didn’t like. Then came Doctor Who—Tom Baker was my Doctor. American imports like The Dukes of Hazzard and The A-Team rounded off the evening, with Match of the Day as the final act.
The 80s introduced Minder, To the Manor Born, World in Action, and my first news memories—Yorkshire Ripper and the Iranian Embassy siege. Then came the revolution: a VCR in 1981, followed by a portable TV. We could tape Panorama while watching Minder—game changer.
Satellite, Soaps, and Archives
Channel 4 launched in November 1982. I planned my day’s viewing with The Sun’s TV guide: Countdown, Brookside, The Paul Hogan Show, Walter, Comic Strip Presents: Five Go Mad. Brookside became an instant favourite.
Teenage years brought Grange Hill, Press Gang, Murphy’s Mob, Byker Grove, and the Jenny Hanley-led Magpie. Australian imports like The Sullivans, Young Doctors, and Sons & Daughters filled out the schedules—and our Betamax timer got a workout.
By 1988, TV was shifting. Neighbours became a tea-time staple. Emmerdale Farm went evening mainstream. The Bill doubled its episodes. London’s Burning lit up screens.
Then came satellite. While most people opted for Sky, we went for BSB with its square dish. Channels like The Movie Channel, Galaxy, The Power Station, and Now opened up new frontiers. BSB soon merged with Sky.
In the early 90s, soaps ruled again: E Street, Eldorado, and ITV’s standout Cracker with Robbie Coltrane. UK Gold launched in late 1992—a treasure trove of reruns: Minder, Top of the Pops, Just Good Friends, The A-Team, The Sweeney, and more.
By the mid-90s, despite 50+ channels, the BBC remained dominant. Our Friends in the North (1996) was a defining drama. “They don’t make them like that anymore” isn’t just nostalgia—it’s truth.
From Reality TV to Streaming Culture
Come the 2000s, it was Dream Team on Sky, the saga of Harchester United. Reality TV rose—Big Brother’s early seasons were unmissable, before it became a circus.
Then came broadband. Piracy, downloads, streaming—everything changed. US shows became staples: Heroes, Criminal Minds, Prison Break, Dexter, Desperate Housewives, Sons of Anarchy, The Good Wife, and many more.
I gave up on Breaking Bad—most overrated show ever. The Walking Dead followed the same dull formula for years.
Today, I manage my own digital TV archive—over 1,100 series—viewed via my own server. From classics to the new wave, my collection reflects a lifetime of screen time.
My Top Tens
| Top Ten Soaps | Top Ten British Dramas | Top Ten British Comedies |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brookside | 1. Auf Wiedersehen, Pet | 1. Only Fools and Horses |
| 2. Dynasty | 2. Our Friends in the North | 2. The Office |
| 3. Dallas | 3. Cracker | 3. The Royle Family |
| 4. Sons & Daughters | 4. The Bill | 4. Blackadder |
| 5. Prisoner Cell Block H | 5. Minder | 5. Father Ted |
| 6. Neighbours | 6. Doctor Who | 6. Porridge |
| 7. Crossroads | 7. Line of Duty | 7. Fawlty Towers |
| 8. Dream Team | 8. Life on Mars | 8. Phoenix Nights |
| 9. Coronation Street | 9. Boys from the Blackstuff | 9. Peep Show |
| 10. E Street | 10. Grange Hill | 10. Goodnight Sweetheart |
In Summary
Television has been a constant companion through every stage of my life. From black-and-white lunchtime memories to streaming vast digital libraries today, each era brought something new. These shows have shaped not just what I watched, but how I remember growing up.
For some, TV is background noise. For me, it’s biography.