Martin Roberts

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0:00:02 > 0:00:04Telly, that magic box in the corner.

0:00:04 > 0:00:07It gives us access to a million different worlds,

0:00:07 > 0:00:10all from the comfort of our sofa.

0:00:10 > 0:00:13'In this series, I'm going to journey through the fantastic world

0:00:13 > 0:00:17'of TV with some of our favourite celebrities.

0:00:17 > 0:00:21'They've chosen the precious TV moments that shed light...'

0:00:21 > 0:00:22Oh, I loved this!

0:00:22 > 0:00:25- BOTH:- Crackerjack! - '..on the stories of their lives.'

0:00:25 > 0:00:28Oh, listen, this looks smashing, John.

0:00:28 > 0:00:30- BOTH:- # Right on time. #

0:00:30 > 0:00:31'Some are funny...'

0:00:31 > 0:00:34- I love you. - BOTH:- # Became of the people. #

0:00:34 > 0:00:35'Some...'

0:00:35 > 0:00:37- Just like that. - '..are surprising."

0:00:37 > 0:00:40I'll let you into a secret I've never told anyone before.

0:00:40 > 0:00:41'Some are inspiring...'

0:00:41 > 0:00:44I've always wanted to be a Miss Something.

0:00:44 > 0:00:47The best TV transports you.

0:00:47 > 0:00:48'..and many...

0:00:48 > 0:00:50Did George Orwell get his predictions right?

0:00:50 > 0:00:52- It's also dramatic. - '..are deeply moving.'

0:00:52 > 0:00:56- Ohh.- The death of John F Kennedy... - This takes me back.

0:00:56 > 0:01:00- Oh, makes me want to cry. - Oh. You can have a cry if you want.

0:01:00 > 0:01:04So, come watch with us as we hand-pick the vintage telly that

0:01:04 > 0:01:09helped turn our much-loved stars into the people they are today.

0:01:09 > 0:01:11Welcome to The TV That Made Me.

0:01:20 > 0:01:24My guest today is a broadcaster, journalist and presenter.

0:01:24 > 0:01:27He has been a regular host of Wish You Were Here,

0:01:27 > 0:01:32and the travel editor of Woman magazine but these days is

0:01:32 > 0:01:36best known as the host of BBC One's Homes Under The Hammer.

0:01:37 > 0:01:40It can only be Martin Roberts. And the TV that made him

0:01:40 > 0:01:44include Britain's love affair with exotic travel...

0:01:44 > 0:01:47Fish and chips. Pint of English ale and all the trimmings.

0:01:47 > 0:01:49..the birth of interactive television...

0:01:49 > 0:01:50What do you want to swap it for today?

0:01:50 > 0:01:52That tape recorder down there.

0:01:52 > 0:01:55- The one and only Martin Roberts, here you are.- Good to see you.

0:01:55 > 0:01:59Good to see you, too. I'm a huge fan of Homes Under The Hammer.

0:01:59 > 0:02:01Well, I'm very proud of it, thank you very much.

0:02:01 > 0:02:0312 years we've been going for now, so...

0:02:03 > 0:02:05- Are you looking forward to today? - Yeah.

0:02:05 > 0:02:09Honestly, when I was asked to do this and I looked through,

0:02:09 > 0:02:11delved into my history, and...

0:02:12 > 0:02:16Shows from your childhood, they trigger off so many memories

0:02:16 > 0:02:18and so many emotions.

0:02:18 > 0:02:21It was... Sort of it was tears, some of it was laughter, some of it

0:02:21 > 0:02:23was just, "Oh, my gosh, I'd forgotten all about that."

0:02:23 > 0:02:24And, so, yeah,

0:02:24 > 0:02:28really looking forward to just seeing some of the bits from my childhood.

0:02:28 > 0:02:29We're looking forward to it.

0:02:29 > 0:02:32I mean, as you're well-known today, it's a selection of TV shows that

0:02:32 > 0:02:36I feel has probably even shaped you into the person you are today.

0:02:36 > 0:02:39Shall we have a little look at what it was likely to be the young Martin Roberts?

0:02:39 > 0:02:42Let's do that. It's going to be a bit scary, this, isn't it?

0:02:44 > 0:02:47In 1963, the same year Doctor Who debuted,

0:02:47 > 0:02:51Martin Roberts also made his very first appearance.

0:02:51 > 0:02:52Born and bred in Warrington,

0:02:52 > 0:02:56he was an only child and, no doubt inspiring his lifelong

0:02:56 > 0:03:00thirst for knowledge, both his parents were research scientists.

0:03:05 > 0:03:08- It's your first TV memory we're going to show now.- OK.

0:03:08 > 0:03:13I won't say any more. Because I do think it has the best opening ever.

0:03:13 > 0:03:14Here it is.

0:03:14 > 0:03:16THEME MUSIC PLAYS

0:03:16 > 0:03:17Ohh! SIGHING

0:03:17 > 0:03:19MUSIC CONTINUES

0:03:19 > 0:03:22Aw, it just makes you feel warm and cosy.

0:03:22 > 0:03:25It's everything that was nice about being a kid, isn't it?

0:03:26 > 0:03:30The year was 1967 and this was Trumpton,

0:03:30 > 0:03:34the much-anticipated sequel to Camberwick Green.

0:03:34 > 0:03:3913 episodes produced, in animation terms, at record speed in just

0:03:39 > 0:03:40nine months.

0:03:40 > 0:03:42You look at the animation here, and it's the simplest

0:03:42 > 0:03:46kind of stop-motion animation and yet, as a child...

0:03:46 > 0:03:49I think what's interesting is how much of it's repeated.

0:03:49 > 0:03:53It is that repetition. So I think you derive huge comfort from that.

0:03:53 > 0:03:55When you look back at it now, as an adult, you think,

0:03:55 > 0:03:57"Is that a bit boring, perhaps?"

0:03:57 > 0:03:59But actually as a child you want the repetitiveness.

0:03:59 > 0:04:03It sort of goes in there and provides that whole comfort.

0:04:03 > 0:04:06"A red rose will do nicely instead of a carnation."

0:04:06 > 0:04:09Not only was the action simple, so were the stories,

0:04:09 > 0:04:12with each episode telling the tale of a single and usually

0:04:12 > 0:04:17quite small mishap attended to by the Trumpton Fire Brigade.

0:04:17 > 0:04:19"Trumpton Fire Station.

0:04:19 > 0:04:22"What? Mrs Cobbit's cottage? Branch through roof?"

0:04:22 > 0:04:24Mrs Cobbit's cottage.

0:04:24 > 0:04:25- It's all so dramatic.- Yes.

0:04:25 > 0:04:27"Yes, yes, by all means.

0:04:27 > 0:04:29"We'll come right away, right away."

0:04:29 > 0:04:30BELL RINGS

0:04:30 > 0:04:32Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew,

0:04:32 > 0:04:34- BOTH:- Cuthbert, Dibble, Grub.

0:04:34 > 0:04:36- Well remembered. - Yeah, of course. Absolutely.

0:04:36 > 0:04:41"Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grub."

0:04:41 > 0:04:43ENGINE TURNS ON

0:04:43 > 0:04:45The style of the programme also meant the writers had to get

0:04:45 > 0:04:49creative as neither water, steam nor fire could be shown

0:04:49 > 0:04:51because they were too difficult to animate.

0:04:51 > 0:04:53Then as they drive along, isn't it,

0:04:53 > 0:04:56# Did-i-la-ding ding! Did-i-la-ding, did-i-la... #

0:04:56 > 0:04:59Where is this stored in my mind?

0:04:59 > 0:05:03"No, no, not the hose, we don't want to wash the branch off the roof.

0:05:03 > 0:05:06"Cuthbert, to the box. Drive to the cottage."

0:05:06 > 0:05:10The end result was classic storylines such as the mayor's hat

0:05:10 > 0:05:11getting stuck in a tree

0:05:11 > 0:05:16and the equally dramatic tale of a paint tin jamming the town clock.

0:05:16 > 0:05:17"Elevate."

0:05:19 > 0:05:21It does take you back to that simple time

0:05:21 > 0:05:23and maybe sitting, you know, on Mum's knee or whatever it was.

0:05:23 > 0:05:29So, do these shows remind you of this happy childhood that you had?

0:05:29 > 0:05:34For me, as a child growing up, television was a magical thing.

0:05:34 > 0:05:38I remember when we got our first colour television. And I actually...

0:05:38 > 0:05:41The day it arrived, I couldn't sleep the night before.

0:05:41 > 0:05:45And as it turned out, we were going to a pantomime or something.

0:05:45 > 0:05:48And I actually came out of the school trip - I must have

0:05:48 > 0:05:51been about seven or something - left the whole school trip,

0:05:51 > 0:05:54walked down the road away from the theatre, found a phone box

0:05:54 > 0:05:58and phoned home to find out if the television had arrived.

0:05:58 > 0:06:00Because it was so exciting.

0:06:00 > 0:06:03And we rented it from like some RentaFusion, or Rediffusion,

0:06:03 > 0:06:06because you didn't own a television, or Granada, whatever it was.

0:06:06 > 0:06:07- Radio Rentals. - Radio Rentals, that's it!

0:06:07 > 0:06:10You rented the TV, you didn't actually own the TV.

0:06:10 > 0:06:13It sat there and the first time I saw colour television...

0:06:13 > 0:06:15was-was truly amazing.

0:06:15 > 0:06:20The Beeb started transmitting in colour in 1967.

0:06:20 > 0:06:22But what really made the likes of Trumpton

0:06:22 > 0:06:25so appealing was its narration, provided by the legendary

0:06:25 > 0:06:28children's presenter Brian Cant.

0:06:28 > 0:06:31"Done it already?" says Chippy. "My word, you have been quick."

0:06:31 > 0:06:33"What are you going to do with this branch?"

0:06:33 > 0:06:36"Oh," says Captain Flack, "We hadn't thought of that."

0:06:36 > 0:06:41Brian's big break came in 1964 with the creation of Playschool,

0:06:41 > 0:06:44a series he would host for the next 21 years.

0:06:44 > 0:06:48Though he also found time to narrate the Trumptonshire Trilogy

0:06:48 > 0:06:52concluding with Chigley, the tale of life in an industrial hamlet.

0:06:52 > 0:06:55Then, in the '70s, came Playaway,

0:06:55 > 0:06:58famous for its groan-inducing humour.

0:06:58 > 0:07:01Even so, it kept British kids laughing for 13 years

0:07:01 > 0:07:04and Brian went on to work on countless other shows.

0:07:04 > 0:07:08In 2010, he was awarded a well deserved BAFTA for his outstanding

0:07:08 > 0:07:11contribution to children's television.

0:07:11 > 0:07:15No wonder he was regular viewing in the Roberts household.

0:07:15 > 0:07:18So, what was your living room like, then?

0:07:18 > 0:07:20What was the seating arrangement with regards to...?

0:07:20 > 0:07:23So, I guess, I used to sit really close,

0:07:23 > 0:07:25probably on a beanbag or something.

0:07:25 > 0:07:29Don't you worry about that. We want to make you feel at home.

0:07:29 > 0:07:31- No, you haven't got a beanbag?! - Of course we have.

0:07:33 > 0:07:37- There you go.- You just... There's no expense spared, is there?

0:07:38 > 0:07:39Look at that.

0:07:42 > 0:07:45- Do you want me to sit there, then? - Yeah, of course.

0:07:45 > 0:07:46Uh!

0:07:48 > 0:07:51- Well, actually, no.- No?- I probably would have been more like...

0:07:55 > 0:07:57- Is that the look?- That is the look, yes. Definitely.

0:07:57 > 0:08:00- And what would you watching? - What would I be watching?

0:08:00 > 0:08:03Can you not hit your feet on the floor, please?

0:08:03 > 0:08:06- This is what I would have done. - No, I'm not having it.

0:08:06 > 0:08:09- But you're going to ruin the carpets.- I don't think they had...

0:08:09 > 0:08:14It's so surreal, you chatting to me seriously laying on a beanbag.

0:08:14 > 0:08:16- Does it make you feel better if I do that?- No.

0:08:16 > 0:08:19I won't stay here for long, by the way, because I do feel a bit...

0:08:19 > 0:08:22slightly out of my comfort zone. Although, actually, it's quite nice.

0:08:28 > 0:08:32So, on your beanbag, what sort of things would you be watching?

0:08:32 > 0:08:34It was something you were scared of.

0:08:34 > 0:08:38Well, my mum and dad were both sort of scientists

0:08:38 > 0:08:40and very much into educational programmes so we used to watch

0:08:40 > 0:08:43things like Horizon and all sorts of documentaries and stuff.

0:08:43 > 0:08:47But there were some which I definitely don't think were suitable for kids.

0:08:47 > 0:08:51And I remember there was one documentary about the Pharaohs

0:08:51 > 0:08:54and about Tutankhamen, in particular, which absolutely put

0:08:54 > 0:08:56the complete heebie-jeebies over me.

0:08:56 > 0:09:00And I couldn't sleep and I've been paranoid and frightened

0:09:00 > 0:09:03of mummies and I've never watched any those horror movies with mummies.

0:09:03 > 0:09:06Do you think you can cope with sitting up here and having a look at...

0:09:06 > 0:09:09- Can we hold hands?- ..one of those Pharaoh things. Yes, we can. - Thank you.

0:09:09 > 0:09:11- In a manly way, let's hold hands.- Yes.

0:09:11 > 0:09:14Don't get too frightened now, Martin. Have a little look at this.

0:09:14 > 0:09:17Peering beneath the southernmost of the three great couches,

0:09:17 > 0:09:20we noticed a small, irregular hole in the wall.

0:09:20 > 0:09:21HE WHIMPERS

0:09:21 > 0:09:24Here was yet another sealed doorway and a plunderer's hole.

0:09:24 > 0:09:28First uncovered in 1922, the tomb of Tutankhamen is

0:09:28 > 0:09:31one of archaeology's biggest ever discoveries.

0:09:31 > 0:09:3450 years later, this programme,

0:09:34 > 0:09:37Tutankhamen Postmortem, celebrated the anniversary,

0:09:37 > 0:09:41as well as documenting the reopening of the Pharaoh's tomb

0:09:41 > 0:09:43to allow for a series of x-rays.

0:09:44 > 0:09:47Only the head, protected by the golden mask,

0:09:47 > 0:09:50had escaped this carbonising damage,

0:09:50 > 0:09:52and when the last decayed bandages were removed from it,

0:09:52 > 0:09:56Carter was able to look at last at the face of the king,

0:09:56 > 0:09:59whose name on some pottery jars had set him digging for the tomb

0:09:59 > 0:10:01some ten years before.

0:10:01 > 0:10:04I mean, look, it's just spooky, spooky, spooky, spooky.

0:10:04 > 0:10:06And it's the thought that, you know,

0:10:06 > 0:10:08the people who went in there got these curses on them,

0:10:08 > 0:10:11so you know, Lord Carnarvon and his whole family was cursed

0:10:11 > 0:10:13and it carried on through the generations,

0:10:13 > 0:10:16and just this whole thought that, you know, gosh, what is that spooky stuff?

0:10:16 > 0:10:19And I don't know, the whole thing with the wrapping and all that,

0:10:19 > 0:10:20I don't now. Looking back at it now...

0:10:20 > 0:10:22Actually, this has been good therapy,

0:10:22 > 0:10:25cos I do look at that and think, what's scary about that?

0:10:25 > 0:10:27When Professor Harrison reconstructed the facial

0:10:27 > 0:10:31features on the basis of the skull of these remains, again,

0:10:31 > 0:10:34it was quite clear that they were those of a young man.

0:10:34 > 0:10:37And this would disturb the young Martin?

0:10:37 > 0:10:39It would, and I would hide behind a sofa just like this,

0:10:39 > 0:10:43but it doesn't sometimes make any sense as to why you found

0:10:43 > 0:10:48things either very appealing, like Trumpton, or very scary,

0:10:48 > 0:10:51like a silly documentary about Tutankhamen.

0:10:51 > 0:10:54Just, it all goes in there and you won't get me

0:10:54 > 0:10:57inside a pyramid for love nor money.

0:11:03 > 0:11:06I'll get rid of the beanbag now, cos I don't want you banging your feet.

0:11:06 > 0:11:11- No, I'm sorry that was annoying there.- Yeah, it was annoying me. - Sorry, Dad!- All right.

0:11:11 > 0:11:13What have you got back there?

0:11:13 > 0:11:15- Oh, wow!- I've been in the kitchen, love.

0:11:15 > 0:11:21- Oh, look at this!- So, this was part of your...- Oh, fantastic.

0:11:21 > 0:11:23- Do you want some?- Yeah.

0:11:23 > 0:11:25I used to eat cereals while I was watching telly, I have to say.

0:11:25 > 0:11:28- What's your favourite?- Well, this was more than this, because...

0:11:28 > 0:11:30- I don't know why... - I'm going to have Frosties.

0:11:30 > 0:11:33I'm going to have Coco Pops, that works well.

0:11:33 > 0:11:36- It's always the Rice Krispies that are left at the end.- Yeah.

0:11:36 > 0:11:37Nobody wants the Rice Krispies!

0:11:37 > 0:11:40Erm, but whenever we used to go on childhood,

0:11:40 > 0:11:42I used to go on childhood holidays,

0:11:42 > 0:11:45that was the only time we ever had little packets of cereal,

0:11:45 > 0:11:49and it was such a treat, and nowadays,

0:11:49 > 0:11:52whenever we go on holiday, cos I'm a huge fan of caravans...

0:11:52 > 0:11:55- Thank you very much.- Oh, really? - Yeah, I'm a huge fan of going on caravan holidays,

0:11:55 > 0:11:58and we've got a caravan, and the kids absolutely love it.

0:11:58 > 0:12:00For my age group, there's no better holiday for kids,

0:12:00 > 0:12:02but I always insist that in the caravan we have little

0:12:02 > 0:12:05packets of cereal like this. And why does it taste any different?

0:12:05 > 0:12:07But, I tell you, if I poured this out of the big packet,

0:12:07 > 0:12:13- it would not taste... Mm-mm, mm-mm.- It is lovely.

0:12:13 > 0:12:16And little packets and everything. Excellent.

0:12:16 > 0:12:20- I've got your parents' choice now. - OK.- I won't say anything.- OK.

0:12:23 > 0:12:25- Oh, fantastic!- Well, time to go.

0:12:25 > 0:12:28But it's true, it was that sort of tax in that

0:12:28 > 0:12:30sort of part of the world, in that country, Wales.

0:12:30 > 0:12:32The name of the game was Call My Bluff.

0:12:32 > 0:12:35Two teams, each with three celebrity contestants.

0:12:35 > 0:12:39They were given one word and three possible definitions.

0:12:39 > 0:12:42As I was saying when I was interrupted...

0:12:42 > 0:12:48A simple idea that ran for 33 years and was later revived for nine more.

0:12:48 > 0:12:52Stagnum is...

0:12:52 > 0:12:56an extremely important, nay, vital part of a barometer.

0:12:56 > 0:13:01It is the little bowl cistern at the bottom of a barometer,

0:13:01 > 0:13:04which contains the mercury, which expands

0:13:04 > 0:13:08and contracts according to atmospheric pressure.

0:13:08 > 0:13:10- Mum and Dad loved crosswords.- Yeah.

0:13:10 > 0:13:12Mum was an absolute wizard, she was also -

0:13:12 > 0:13:14and this is where it's quite interesting -

0:13:14 > 0:13:19she was also very into puns, my mum,

0:13:19 > 0:13:22so she would always be coming up with interesting ways of, well,

0:13:22 > 0:13:26making jokes and puns and stuff, and, actually, this probably

0:13:26 > 0:13:30went to make me what I am in terms of the stuff I say on telly.

0:13:30 > 0:13:32Robert Powell, true or bluff?

0:13:32 > 0:13:34Oh, what a shame.

0:13:35 > 0:13:37CHEERING

0:13:45 > 0:13:49Your comedy hero is the person we are about to see.

0:13:49 > 0:13:51It's interesting, cos I went through comedy heroes

0:13:51 > 0:13:54and there's obvious people like Ronnie Barker and Dave Allen

0:13:54 > 0:13:57and Morecambe and Wise, I mean, they were true comedy heroes, but in

0:13:57 > 0:14:04terms of effects on me, this person was somebody who made, who had fun...

0:14:04 > 0:14:07- Well, let's have a look.- ..with normal people.- Don't tell anyone.

0:14:07 > 0:14:11This is Martin's comedy hero, ladies and gentlemen.

0:14:11 > 0:14:12Good morning, Noel!

0:14:12 > 0:14:15- Keith Chegwin!- What a superstar.

0:14:15 > 0:14:18Well, they say there's nothing like blowing your own trumpet

0:14:18 > 0:14:20and you're right, that was nothing like blowing my own trumpet.

0:14:20 > 0:14:22Keith Chegwin began his career as an actor,

0:14:22 > 0:14:25but it was Swap Shop that made him a household name.

0:14:25 > 0:14:29He was walking down the road with two sacks in either hand

0:14:29 > 0:14:31full of telephones, and this policeman came up to him

0:14:31 > 0:14:35and said, "Hey, what are you doing with those two sacks?"

0:14:35 > 0:14:38He said, "Well, my brother said I can join his band

0:14:38 > 0:14:40- "if I have two sacks of phones." - NOEL GROANS

0:14:40 > 0:14:43Just not taking himself too seriously.

0:14:43 > 0:14:45In later life, he did that, didn't he do the naked darts thing?

0:14:45 > 0:14:48Let's not go there, let's not go there. Yeah, he did.

0:14:48 > 0:14:49But that, just again,

0:14:49 > 0:14:52sums him up in a way that he didn't take himself too seriously.

0:14:52 > 0:14:55- Cheggers, swap away. - Oh, thank you very much, Noel.

0:14:55 > 0:14:58Well, the swapping is going very well, here in Blackpool.

0:14:58 > 0:15:01The live Saturday morning programme allowed kids to swap

0:15:01 > 0:15:03just about anything they didn't want.

0:15:03 > 0:15:06- And what do you want to swap it for today? - That tape recorder down there.

0:15:06 > 0:15:09Oh, right, we're doing well this morning. There you go, madam.

0:15:09 > 0:15:14That was the first time that I felt that you, as a viewer,

0:15:14 > 0:15:18- as a child, could interact with the television...- Without a doubt.

0:15:18 > 0:15:21..because you could pick up a phone or you could go along

0:15:21 > 0:15:25to where they were doing their live bits, and you could actually

0:15:25 > 0:15:28swap physically which you owned and get something else back.

0:15:28 > 0:15:30It's like, suddenly the television wasn't just there,

0:15:30 > 0:15:33something you watched, you could actually interact with it.

0:15:33 > 0:15:36I mean, let's remind everyone, it was ground-breaking, wasn't it?

0:15:36 > 0:15:37I mean, no-one was doing this.

0:15:37 > 0:15:40No, and because it was real kids phoning up,

0:15:40 > 0:15:45so people like you as a viewer watching were actually on telly.

0:15:45 > 0:15:47"Oh, my gosh, wow! I'm talking to Noel Edmonds!"

0:15:47 > 0:15:49- Is your hand all right? - This is a phone, Brian.- Sorry.

0:15:49 > 0:15:51LAUGHTER

0:15:51 > 0:15:52Why do I do that?

0:15:57 > 0:16:02It's now time to look at the person that most influenced your career...

0:16:02 > 0:16:03- OK.- ..Martin. There you go.

0:16:04 > 0:16:06'Many Chinese learn English,

0:16:06 > 0:16:09'so the chance to try it out is quite an event.'

0:16:09 > 0:16:10Do you know the BBC?

0:16:10 > 0:16:12I know.

0:16:12 > 0:16:13Do you know what BBC...?

0:16:13 > 0:16:16BBC is the British Broadcast Company.

0:16:16 > 0:16:18Inspired by Jules Verne's classic novel,

0:16:18 > 0:16:22Around The World In 80 Days saw Michael Palin,

0:16:22 > 0:16:23formerly of Monty Python,

0:16:23 > 0:16:26transform himself from one of Britain's favourite comedians

0:16:26 > 0:16:30into one of the world's most recognised travel presenters.

0:16:30 > 0:16:31Yes.

0:16:31 > 0:16:34What comes over about Michael Palin in this,

0:16:34 > 0:16:36and everything that he does,

0:16:36 > 0:16:39- is just what a nice guy he is. - Uh-huh.

0:16:39 > 0:16:40A genuinely nice guy.

0:16:40 > 0:16:43And you felt like it really was an adventure,

0:16:43 > 0:16:44and it wasn't scripted.

0:16:44 > 0:16:47It was almost like let's just see what happens.

0:16:47 > 0:16:49It was a true adventure.

0:16:49 > 0:16:51'I'm now only six days behind Fogg,

0:16:51 > 0:16:52'and he'd lost his Passepartout,

0:16:52 > 0:16:54'who got drunk in Hong Kong.'

0:16:54 > 0:16:56So after visiting 14 countries,

0:16:56 > 0:16:59travelling 28,000 miles

0:16:59 > 0:17:02and contracting one case of Delhi belly,

0:17:02 > 0:17:05Michael Palin did indeed travel the world in 80 days,

0:17:05 > 0:17:07or to be more precise,

0:17:07 > 0:17:1079 days and seven hours.

0:17:10 > 0:17:12I'm only doing this so the cameraman can get the sunset,

0:17:12 > 0:17:14so I'll leave you to it.

0:17:14 > 0:17:15All yours, Nigel.

0:17:16 > 0:17:18It's over there, the sunset, if you can't see it.

0:17:18 > 0:17:21That big red thing behind the building, all right?

0:17:21 > 0:17:23When I started out when I was at university,

0:17:23 > 0:17:25I was also doing the hospital radio station,

0:17:25 > 0:17:30and in the local theatre was Michael Palin and Terry Jones,

0:17:30 > 0:17:32doing a two-man show.

0:17:32 > 0:17:34I thought, well, I'll go and do an interview.

0:17:34 > 0:17:37I went along and I went when they were doing the sound check.

0:17:37 > 0:17:40I went up to Michael Palin - my absolute hero - and said,

0:17:40 > 0:17:43"Can I do a little interview with you for the hospital radio?"

0:17:43 > 0:17:46And he said, "Well, come and see us at the end of the show."

0:17:46 > 0:17:50So at the end of the show, duly I went backstage into the green room.

0:17:50 > 0:17:53There was the mayor there with chains and all these local dignitaries,

0:17:53 > 0:17:54they were all in this green room.

0:17:54 > 0:17:58After about ten minutes, Michael Palin stood on a chair and said,

0:17:58 > 0:18:00"OK, everybody, you're all going to have to go now,

0:18:00 > 0:18:02"cos we've got an important interview to do."

0:18:02 > 0:18:03So I thought, that's a shame.

0:18:03 > 0:18:06Anyway, I'm walking out with the mayor, the great and the good,

0:18:06 > 0:18:09and Michael Palin comes running after me and said, "No, no, it's with you!"

0:18:09 > 0:18:12Cherished by Martin, this lesser-known Monty Python interview

0:18:12 > 0:18:16still exists, as well as a promo voiced by the stars themselves.

0:18:16 > 0:18:18You are...

0:18:18 > 0:18:20Oh, you are listening to Radio Royal.

0:18:20 > 0:18:23You're listening to M-m-m-martin Roberts...

0:18:23 > 0:18:24Roberts.

0:18:24 > 0:18:27Yes, Martin Roberts is available on the National Health

0:18:27 > 0:18:29as part of your treatment.

0:18:29 > 0:18:32And while it played to an audience of dozens rather than millions,

0:18:32 > 0:18:35Martin will never forget that day.

0:18:35 > 0:18:37There they were, comedy legends,

0:18:37 > 0:18:40you know, travel, TV reporting legends,

0:18:40 > 0:18:43my superheroes, and I was basically a nothing.

0:18:43 > 0:18:47And yet they spared the time to be with me and to do those things.

0:18:47 > 0:18:50And so when I meet people now, you know,

0:18:50 > 0:18:52people ask for autographs and they want their picture taken,

0:18:52 > 0:18:55I remember how that made me feel at the time

0:18:55 > 0:18:58- and I'll always say, "Fine, absolutely delighted."- Yeah.

0:18:58 > 0:18:59So, hero? Absolutely.

0:18:59 > 0:19:02For what he does, for what he did with Monty Python,

0:19:02 > 0:19:04for what he did subsequently, for what he does now.

0:19:04 > 0:19:06Absolutely.

0:19:11 > 0:19:14Martin, you've been a broadcaster for well over

0:19:14 > 0:19:16- a quarter of a century.- Mm-hm.

0:19:16 > 0:19:18Erm, but I want to take you back now

0:19:18 > 0:19:23- and we're going to have a look at your first big break.- No! - Have a look at this...

0:19:23 > 0:19:26Now, it's time for another report from Martin Roberts.

0:19:26 > 0:19:29This week, motorsports.

0:19:29 > 0:19:33Fantastic! This is The 8:15 From Manchester!

0:19:33 > 0:19:36- Saturday morning kids' TV...- Yeah...

0:19:36 > 0:19:40From Manchester, surprise, surprise!

0:19:42 > 0:19:46If you've outgrown your BMX, you're in for something a bit more

0:19:46 > 0:19:50exciting, something with a bit more speed...

0:19:50 > 0:19:51This could be the place to come.

0:19:51 > 0:19:56Boreatton Park in Shropshire, where you can spend the whole week trying out different motorsports.

0:19:56 > 0:19:58Like zinger quads!

0:20:00 > 0:20:02MUSIC: "The Race" by Yello

0:20:02 > 0:20:07Ha-ha-ha! I can't believe you found a clip of that!

0:20:07 > 0:20:10I didn't even think they had video recorders recording those shows!

0:20:10 > 0:20:11When you come on this holiday,

0:20:11 > 0:20:14you spend the mornings doing motorsports and in the afternoon,

0:20:14 > 0:20:19you can do other things, like the death sli-i-i-ide!

0:20:19 > 0:20:24The year was 1990 and this was 8:15 From Manchester.

0:20:24 > 0:20:25Or you can go canoeing!

0:20:25 > 0:20:28A Saturday morning children's magazine show,

0:20:28 > 0:20:31which featured cartoons, repeats of Rentaghost

0:20:31 > 0:20:34and a long-haired roving reporter called Martin Roberts.

0:20:37 > 0:20:39'How important was that to your career?'

0:20:39 > 0:20:41It was actually the first thing I did on television.

0:20:41 > 0:20:43And I'll tell me how that came about, very strange,

0:20:43 > 0:20:46I was actually working at the local radio station in the same

0:20:46 > 0:20:50building in Manchester, as where the television was produced and I actually went to the canteen

0:20:50 > 0:20:53and I was standing in the queue for the canteen and there was some

0:20:53 > 0:20:56lemon meringue pie, which was, like, phosphorescent yellow.

0:20:56 > 0:21:00And I said to the man standing beside me, "Look at this lemon meringue pie, ha-ha..."

0:21:00 > 0:21:02We laughed about it being radioactive.

0:21:02 > 0:21:05As we were walking away, he said, "By the way, what do you do?"

0:21:05 > 0:21:09I said, "I work downstairs in the radio station." He said, "Oh, have you ever thought about television?"

0:21:09 > 0:21:13I went, no! He went, "Oh, well, if you ever fancy it, Peter, fifth floor." I went, "Oh, yeah, right."

0:21:13 > 0:21:17So, later that day, I phoned up the operator and I said, "Is there a Peter on the fifth floor?"

0:21:17 > 0:21:21And they said, "Oh, only the Peter - head of television." I was like...

0:21:21 > 0:21:24- So, my big break, if you want to say...- Lemon meringue...

0:21:24 > 0:21:29- ..came as a result of talking about lemon meringue pie in the queue of the canteen.- Amazing.

0:21:34 > 0:21:37- Now, we're going to move on to comfort viewing.- Uh-huh.

0:21:37 > 0:21:39So, you're at home, you're feeling a bit under the weather

0:21:39 > 0:21:42and this is what you watch...

0:21:46 > 0:21:48Thank you.

0:21:48 > 0:21:52Fish and chips, a pint of English ale and all the trimmings.

0:21:52 > 0:21:55First launched in 1969, this is the programme that spent

0:21:55 > 0:21:59the next 38 years enticing us to go abroad.

0:21:59 > 0:22:02It inspired a series of short lived spin-offs, including

0:22:02 > 0:22:07Summer Holiday, Holiday On A Shoestring, and even

0:22:07 > 0:22:11Holiday - Fasten Your Seatbelt, where the presenters took on holiday-related jobs.

0:22:11 > 0:22:13This goes to show that going to Spain doesn't mean you must

0:22:13 > 0:22:16change your holiday habits.

0:22:16 > 0:22:21It's John Carter's voice, those wonderful, dark, syrupy, treacly...

0:22:21 > 0:22:23Because of the fuel and currency surcharges,

0:22:23 > 0:22:26this year's package deals are bound to cost more.

0:22:26 > 0:22:29But in spite of it all, some people reckon Benidorm can still

0:22:29 > 0:22:31give Blackpool a run for your money.

0:22:31 > 0:22:34'In its heyday, the Holiday programme attracted audiences of up

0:22:34 > 0:22:40'to 20 million and in 1974, ITV decided to get in on the act,

0:22:40 > 0:22:43'launching their own travel show, Wish You Were Here.

0:22:43 > 0:22:47'A series that would one day feature a fresh-faced Martin Roberts.'

0:22:47 > 0:22:50So, I was there as a travel journalist, working alongside

0:22:50 > 0:22:54Judith Chalmers, and actually John Carter and people who I had grown up with again,

0:22:54 > 0:22:55and it's just like, "Oh, my gosh,

0:22:55 > 0:22:58"I can't believe I'm working with these people!"

0:22:58 > 0:23:00It changed your life very much so doing that.

0:23:00 > 0:23:03Well, actually, it did because doing Wish You Were Here,

0:23:03 > 0:23:08one of the things I did was, I used to do a charity climb for the NSPCC.

0:23:08 > 0:23:12- And I filmed the charity climb up Kilimanjaro.- Wow!

0:23:12 > 0:23:16So, I climbed Kilimanjaro and on that charity climb,

0:23:16 > 0:23:22I met my...person who became my wife. And the mother of my children.

0:23:22 > 0:23:24So, erm, we actually, you could say,

0:23:24 > 0:23:28we fell in love on the top of Kilimanjaro because I got really

0:23:28 > 0:23:32badly sick with altitude sickness and just about made it to the top.

0:23:32 > 0:23:35Did my final piece to camera right at the top of Kilimanjaro, saying,

0:23:35 > 0:23:38"That was absolutely horrendous and I've still got to get down.

0:23:38 > 0:23:41"But I've raised all this money for the NSPCC."

0:23:41 > 0:23:44And, very emotional, did that, and it was almost like,

0:23:44 > 0:23:47my body then said, "Right, your work's done, it's MY turn."

0:23:47 > 0:23:51And...I got really badly sick with altitude sickness, which is

0:23:51 > 0:23:54very serious and you've got to get off the mountain really quickly.

0:23:54 > 0:23:57But through the mists on the top of Kilimanjaro appeared this

0:23:57 > 0:24:02behuddled figure, clutching a piece of fruit cake and it was my wife,

0:24:02 > 0:24:07subsequent wife-to-be, whose nan had baked her a fruitcake to

0:24:07 > 0:24:11take on this trip and it was the last piece of fruitcake that she had

0:24:11 > 0:24:13and she gave it to me on the top of Kilimanjaro.

0:24:13 > 0:24:16Soon after that fateful slice of fruitcake,

0:24:16 > 0:24:20Martin and Kirsty were married and today are proud parents of two.

0:24:20 > 0:24:24As for Wish You Were Here, the show that brought them together,

0:24:24 > 0:24:30it came to an end in 2003, after almost 30 years of being on the box.

0:24:30 > 0:24:33But that very same year, Martin was asked to present a brand-new

0:24:33 > 0:24:37show, one which would go on to exceed all expectations.

0:24:37 > 0:24:40We've got a clip here. Have a little look at this first.

0:24:40 > 0:24:43This is a very old clip. I can tell straightaway.

0:24:43 > 0:24:45Hello and welcome to the programme.

0:24:45 > 0:24:49We're both property developers and we love the thrill of a good deal.

0:24:49 > 0:24:51Absolutely. And in today's programme, we've got

0:24:51 > 0:24:54three potential good deals to show you.

0:24:54 > 0:24:57It's even more exciting because they're all coming up for auction.

0:24:57 > 0:25:01So, let's find out what happens to them when they go under the hammer.

0:25:04 > 0:25:06After 12 years on our screens,

0:25:06 > 0:25:09Homes Under The Hammer can boast some pretty impressive numbers.

0:25:09 > 0:25:11Over 2,000 properties featured

0:25:11 > 0:25:16and more than 180,000 miles travelled up and down the country.

0:25:16 > 0:25:20And the number of puns? Impossible to count!

0:25:20 > 0:25:22When they come back and you go...

0:25:22 > 0:25:25And they have done an incredible amount of work on that house,

0:25:25 > 0:25:28they're not lying when they say, "Oh, yes.

0:25:28 > 0:25:30"I've done this for 6,000..."

0:25:30 > 0:25:33And I can't even, I don't know, buy a toilet...

0:25:33 > 0:25:36One of my favourite stories was a chap who was going to do

0:25:36 > 0:25:41the entire house, new roof, new electrics, damp proof throughout,

0:25:41 > 0:25:44build a conservatory, rewire, new kitchen, new bathroom.

0:25:44 > 0:25:46I said, "What's your budget?" He said, "2,000 quid."

0:25:46 > 0:25:49And I was like, "OK. And how long?" "Three weeks."

0:25:49 > 0:25:52So, not surprisingly, when we came back,

0:25:52 > 0:25:55he hadn't quite finished it and he'd gone a bit over budget.

0:25:55 > 0:25:57Sometimes, quite seamlessly,

0:25:57 > 0:26:01you'll go from a little story into an apt bit of music,

0:26:01 > 0:26:04something that very much fits that moment.

0:26:04 > 0:26:07I take a bit of credit, but it's the editors.

0:26:07 > 0:26:10The editors are amazing at finding tracks that fit perfectly

0:26:10 > 0:26:13and not in... Sometimes in a really subtle way.

0:26:13 > 0:26:16You'll hear a few bars of a song and think,

0:26:16 > 0:26:19"What's that got to do with what I'm watching?" And then, you'll twig that

0:26:19 > 0:26:22somewhere in the lyrics, there's a little line,

0:26:22 > 0:26:25or sometimes it's really in your face. I know what you're thinking.

0:26:25 > 0:26:28Yuck! But no, it's a piece of architectural history.

0:26:28 > 0:26:34Do what you like with the rest of the house, but touch that at your peril!

0:26:34 > 0:26:35# You can't touch this

0:26:37 > 0:26:38# You can't touch this

0:26:40 > 0:26:42# You can't touch this. #

0:26:43 > 0:26:46It is amazing. I mean, you know...

0:26:46 > 0:26:49Problems with the sewers - Going Underground by The Jam.

0:26:49 > 0:26:53I mean, it just goes on... It is very, very good.

0:26:59 > 0:27:01So what do you watch now? What keeps...

0:27:01 > 0:27:03What floats your boat, love?

0:27:03 > 0:27:08- I tell you what, I watch a lot of CBeebies and...- Yeah, with the kids.

0:27:08 > 0:27:12And CBBC, and that's great cos they're repeating

0:27:12 > 0:27:15a lot of the programmes that I used to watch when I was a kid.

0:27:15 > 0:27:21Which is fantastic. So that... We sit down, we watch a lot of films.

0:27:21 > 0:27:23A lot of it is driven by the kids,

0:27:23 > 0:27:26so they love things like I'm A Celebrity, they love Strictly...

0:27:26 > 0:27:30- How about you? Are you a big fan of I'm A Celebrity?- Yeah, absolutely.

0:27:30 > 0:27:34- Is it something you would like to do?- Yeah! Definitely!

0:27:34 > 0:27:36- I'm up for that.- Martin, you have been a wonderful guest.

0:27:36 > 0:27:39- I hope you've enjoyed it.- It's been a pleasure. Really good fun.

0:27:39 > 0:27:42I want you to choose a theme tune now that we can go out on.

0:27:42 > 0:27:45Well, I think I'd like to go back, to the Gerry Anderson stuff

0:27:45 > 0:27:47and those theme tunes were amazing.

0:27:47 > 0:27:52The Captain Scarlets, the Joe 90s... But it has to be Thunderbirds.

0:27:52 > 0:27:53Yes.

0:27:53 > 0:27:57My favourite. Yeah, without a doubt. So, my thanks to Martin

0:27:57 > 0:28:00and my thanks to you for watching The TV That Made Me.

0:28:00 > 0:28:02We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.

0:28:04 > 0:28:10# Theme from Thunderbirds by Barry Gray