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 > 0:01:54..and a little goodie-goodie-yum-yum.

0:01:54 > 0:01:55Llan-dlubber!

0:01:57 > 0:02:00- The one and only Martin Roberts, here you are.- Good to see you.

0:02:00 > 0:02:03Good to see you, too. I'm a huge fan of Homes Under The Hammer.

0:02:03 > 0:02:05Well, I'm very proud of it, thank you very much.

0:02:05 > 0:02:0812 years we've been going for now so...

0:02:08 > 0:02:10- Are you looking forward to today? - Yeah.

0:02:10 > 0:02:13Honestly, when I was asked to do this and I looked through,

0:02:13 > 0:02:15delved into my history, and...

0:02:17 > 0:02:21Shows from your childhood, they trigger off so many memories

0:02:21 > 0:02:22and so many emotions.

0:02:22 > 0:02:25It was... Sort of it was tears, some of it was laughter, some of it

0:02:25 > 0:02:28was just, "Oh, my gosh, I'd forgotten all about that."

0:02:28 > 0:02:29And, so, yeah,

0:02:29 > 0:02:33really looking forward to just seeing some of the bits from my childhood.

0:02:33 > 0:02:34We're looking forward to it.

0:02:34 > 0:02:37I mean, as you're well-known today, it's a selection of TV shows that

0:02:37 > 0:02:40I feel has probably even shaped you into the person you are today.

0:02:40 > 0:02:44Shall we have a little look at what it was likely to be the young Martin Roberts?

0:02:44 > 0:02:47Let's do that. It's going to be a bit scary, this, isn't it?

0:02:48 > 0:02:52In 1963, the same year Doctor Who debuted,

0:02:52 > 0:02:55Martin Roberts also made his very first appearance.

0:02:55 > 0:02:57Born and bred in Warrington,

0:02:57 > 0:03:00he was an only child and, no doubt inspiring his lifelong

0:03:00 > 0:03:04thirst for knowledge, both his parents were research scientists.

0:03:10 > 0:03:13- It's your first TV memory we're going to show now.- OK.

0:03:13 > 0:03:18I won't say any more. Because I do think it has the best opening ever.

0:03:18 > 0:03:19Here it is.

0:03:19 > 0:03:20THEME MUSIC PLAYS

0:03:20 > 0:03:22Ohh! SIGHING

0:03:22 > 0:03:24MUSIC CONTINUES

0:03:24 > 0:03:27Aw, it just makes you feel warm and cosy.

0:03:27 > 0:03:29It's everything that was nice about being a kid, isn't it?

0:03:31 > 0:03:35The year was 1967 and this was Trumpton,

0:03:35 > 0:03:38the much-anticipated sequel to Camberwick Green.

0:03:38 > 0:03:4413 episodes produced, in animation terms, at record speed in just

0:03:44 > 0:03:45nine months.

0:03:45 > 0:03:47You look at the animation here, and it's the simplest

0:03:47 > 0:03:51kind of stop-motion animation and yet, as a child...

0:03:51 > 0:03:53I think what's interesting is how much of it's repeated.

0:03:53 > 0:03:58It is that repetition. So I think you derive huge comfort from that.

0:03:58 > 0:04:00When you look back at it now, as an adult, you think,

0:04:00 > 0:04:01"Is that a bit boring, perhaps?"

0:04:01 > 0:04:04But actually as a child you want the repetitiveness.

0:04:04 > 0:04:07It sort of goes in there and provides that whole comfort.

0:04:07 > 0:04:10"A red rose will do nicely instead of a carnation."

0:04:10 > 0:04:14Not only was the action simple, so were the stories,

0:04:14 > 0:04:17with each episode telling the tale of the single and usually

0:04:17 > 0:04:22quite small mishap attended to by the Trumpton Fire Brigade.

0:04:22 > 0:04:23"Trumpton Fire Station.

0:04:23 > 0:04:27"What? Mrs Cobbit's cottage? Branch through roof?"

0:04:27 > 0:04:28Mrs Cobbit's cottage.

0:04:28 > 0:04:30- It's all so dramatic.- Yes.

0:04:30 > 0:04:32"Yes, yes, by all means.

0:04:32 > 0:04:34"We'll come right away, right away."

0:04:34 > 0:04:35BELL RINGS

0:04:35 > 0:04:36Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew,

0:04:36 > 0:04:38- BOTH:- Cuthbert, Dibble, Grub.

0:04:38 > 0:04:41- Well remembered. - Yeah, of course. Absolutely.

0:04:41 > 0:04:46"Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grub."

0:04:46 > 0:04:47ENGINE TURNS ON

0:04:47 > 0:04:50The style of the programme also meant the writers had to get

0:04:50 > 0:04:54creative as neither water, steam nor fire could be shown

0:04:54 > 0:04:56because they were too difficult to animate.

0:04:56 > 0:04:58Then as they drive along, isn't it,

0:04:58 > 0:05:01# Did-i-la-ding ding! Did-i-la-ding, did-i-la... #

0:05:01 > 0:05:04Where is this stored in my mind?

0:05:04 > 0:05:08"No, no, not the hose, we don't want to wash the branch off the roof.

0:05:08 > 0:05:11"Cuthbert, to the box. Drive to the cottage."

0:05:11 > 0:05:14The end result was classic storylines such as the mayor's hat

0:05:14 > 0:05:16getting stuck in a tree

0:05:16 > 0:05:20and the equally dramatic tale of the paint tin jamming the town clock.

0:05:20 > 0:05:21"Elevate."

0:05:23 > 0:05:25It does take you back to that simple time

0:05:25 > 0:05:28and maybe sitting with me on Mum's knee or whatever it was.

0:05:28 > 0:05:33So, do these shows remind you of this happy childhood that you had?

0:05:33 > 0:05:38For me, as a child growing up, television was a magical thing.

0:05:38 > 0:05:43I remember when we got our first colour television. And I actually...

0:05:43 > 0:05:46The day arrived, I couldn't sleep the night before.

0:05:46 > 0:05:50And as it turned out, we were going to a pantomime or something.

0:05:50 > 0:05:53And I actually came out of the school trip - I must have

0:05:53 > 0:05:56been about seven or something - left the whole school trip,

0:05:56 > 0:05:58walked down the road away from the theatre, found a phone box

0:05:58 > 0:06:03and phoned home to find out if the television had arrived.

0:06:03 > 0:06:04Because it was so exciting.

0:06:04 > 0:06:07And we rented it from like some RentaFusion, or Rediffusion,

0:06:07 > 0:06:10because you didn't own a television, or Granada, whatever it was.

0:06:10 > 0:06:12- Radio Rentals. - Radio Rentals, that's it!

0:06:12 > 0:06:14You rented the TV, you didn't actually own the TV.

0:06:14 > 0:06:17It sat there and the first time I saw colour television...

0:06:17 > 0:06:20was-was truly amazing.

0:06:20 > 0:06:24The Beeb started transmitting in colour in 1967.

0:06:24 > 0:06:26But what really made the likes of Trumpton

0:06:26 > 0:06:30so appealing was its narration, provided by the legendary

0:06:30 > 0:06:32children's presenter Brian Cant.

0:06:32 > 0:06:36"Done it already?" says Chippy. "My word, you have been quick."

0:06:36 > 0:06:38"What are you going to do with this branch?"

0:06:38 > 0:06:41"Oh," says Captain Flack, "We hadn't thought of that."

0:06:41 > 0:06:46Brian's big break came in 1964 with the creation of Playschool,

0:06:46 > 0:06:49a series he would host for the next 21 years.

0:06:49 > 0:06:52Though he also found time to narrate the Trumptonshire Trilogy

0:06:52 > 0:06:57concluding with Chigley, the tale of life in an industrial hamlet.

0:06:57 > 0:07:00Then, in the '70s, came Playaway,

0:07:00 > 0:07:02famous for its groan-inducing humour.

0:07:02 > 0:07:06Even so, it kept British kids laughing for 13 years

0:07:06 > 0:07:09and Brian went on to work on countless other shows.

0:07:09 > 0:07:13In 2010, he was awarded a well deserved BAFTA for his outstanding

0:07:13 > 0:07:16contribution to children's television.

0:07:16 > 0:07:20No wonder he was regular viewing in the Roberts household.

0:07:20 > 0:07:22So, what was your living room like, then?

0:07:22 > 0:07:25It was, funnily enough, I'm sure we had furniture very...

0:07:25 > 0:07:30- Could you critique our room, I mean...- Well, I think... - Homes Under The Hammer.

0:07:30 > 0:07:35..it's covering the whole spectrum of taste/architectural eras/

0:07:35 > 0:07:40car-boot sale opportunities.

0:07:41 > 0:07:48My dad was a DIY fanatic so my memory of early childhood is a house

0:07:48 > 0:07:54that was constantly being built, knocked down, rebuilt, redesigned.

0:07:54 > 0:07:57And he never... Didn't really get round to finishing things. So he'd start projects...

0:07:57 > 0:07:59I seem to remember there was...

0:07:59 > 0:08:02Once one project was finished, another project would start.

0:08:02 > 0:08:04So the house was in this total sort of chaos.

0:08:04 > 0:08:07And I'm sure that has had something to do with how

0:08:07 > 0:08:10I ended up being into property and doing what I'm doing.

0:08:10 > 0:08:11And so how would you...

0:08:11 > 0:08:14What was the seating arrangement with regards to...

0:08:14 > 0:08:16So, I guess, I used to sit really close,

0:08:16 > 0:08:19probably on a beanbag or something.

0:08:19 > 0:08:22Don't you worry about that. We want to make you feel at home.

0:08:22 > 0:08:25- No, you haven't got a beanbag?! - Of course we have.

0:08:26 > 0:08:30- There you go.- You just... There's no expense spared, is there?

0:08:32 > 0:08:33Look at that.

0:08:35 > 0:08:39- Do you want me to sit there, then? - Yeah, of course.

0:08:39 > 0:08:40Uh!

0:08:41 > 0:08:44- Well, actually, no.- No?- I probably would have been more like...

0:08:48 > 0:08:50- Is that the look?- That is the look, yes. Definitely.

0:08:50 > 0:08:54- And what would you watching? - What would I be watching?

0:08:54 > 0:08:57Can you not hit your feet on the floor, please?

0:08:57 > 0:08:59- This is what I would have done. - No, I'm not having it.

0:08:59 > 0:09:02- But you're going to ruin the carpets.- I don't think they had...

0:09:02 > 0:09:07It's so surreal, you chatting to me seriously laying on a beanbag.

0:09:07 > 0:09:10- Does it make you feel better if I do that?- No.

0:09:10 > 0:09:13I won't stay here for long, by the way, because I do feel a bit...

0:09:13 > 0:09:16slightly out of my comfort zone. Although, actually, it's quite nice.

0:09:22 > 0:09:26So, on your beanbag, what sort of things would you be watching?

0:09:26 > 0:09:28It was something you were scared of.

0:09:28 > 0:09:32Well, my mum and dad were both sort of scientists

0:09:32 > 0:09:34and very much into educational programmes so we used to watch

0:09:34 > 0:09:37things like Horizon and all sorts of documentaries and stuff.

0:09:37 > 0:09:41But there were some which I definitely don't think were suitable for kids.

0:09:41 > 0:09:45And I remember there was one documentary about the Pharaohs

0:09:45 > 0:09:48and about Tutankhamen, in particular, which absolutely put

0:09:48 > 0:09:50the complete heebie-jeebies over me.

0:09:50 > 0:09:54And I couldn't sleep, and I've been paranoid and frightened

0:09:54 > 0:09:57of mummies and I've never watched any those horror movies with mummies.

0:09:57 > 0:10:00Do you think you can cope with sitting up here and having a look at...

0:10:00 > 0:10:03- Can we hold hands?- ..one of those Pharaoh things. Yes, we can. - Thank you.

0:10:03 > 0:10:05- In a manly way, let's hold hands.- Yes.

0:10:05 > 0:10:08Don't get too frightened now, Martin. Have a little look at this.

0:10:08 > 0:10:11Peering beneath the southernmost of the three great couches,

0:10:11 > 0:10:14we noticed a small, irregular hole in the wall.

0:10:14 > 0:10:15HE WHIMPERS

0:10:15 > 0:10:18Here was yet another sealed doorway and a plunderer's hole.

0:10:18 > 0:10:22First uncovered in 1922, the tomb of Tutankhamen is

0:10:22 > 0:10:25one of archaeology's biggest ever discoveries.

0:10:25 > 0:10:2850 years later, this programme,

0:10:28 > 0:10:31Tutankhamen Postmortem, celebrated the anniversary,

0:10:31 > 0:10:35as well as documenting the reopening of the Pharaoh's tomb

0:10:35 > 0:10:37to allow for a series of x-rays.

0:10:38 > 0:10:41Only the head, protected by the golden mask,

0:10:41 > 0:10:44had escaped this carbonising damage,

0:10:44 > 0:10:46and when the last decayed bandages were removed from it,

0:10:46 > 0:10:50Carter was able to look at last at the face of the king,

0:10:50 > 0:10:53whose name on some pottery jars had set him digging for the tomb

0:10:53 > 0:10:55some ten years before.

0:10:55 > 0:10:58I mean, look, it's just spooky, spooky, spooky, spooky.

0:10:58 > 0:11:00And it's the thought that, you know,

0:11:00 > 0:11:02the people who went in there got these curses on them,

0:11:02 > 0:11:05so you know, Lord Carnarvon and his whole family was cursed

0:11:05 > 0:11:07and it carried on through the generations,

0:11:07 > 0:11:10and just this whole thought that, you know, gosh, what is that spooky stuff?

0:11:10 > 0:11:13And I don't know, the whole thing with the wrapping and all that,

0:11:13 > 0:11:14I don't now. Looking back at it now...

0:11:14 > 0:11:16Actually, this has been good therapy,

0:11:16 > 0:11:19cos I do look at that and think, what's scary about that?

0:11:19 > 0:11:21When Professor Harrison reconstructed the facial

0:11:21 > 0:11:25features on the basis of the skull of these remains, again,

0:11:25 > 0:11:28it was quite clear that they were those of a young man.

0:11:28 > 0:11:31And this would disturb the young Martin?

0:11:31 > 0:11:33It would, and I would hide behind a sofa just like this,

0:11:33 > 0:11:37but it doesn't sometimes make any sense as to why you found

0:11:37 > 0:11:42things either very appealing, like Trumpton, or very scary,

0:11:42 > 0:11:45like a silly documentary about Tutankhamen.

0:11:45 > 0:11:48Just, it all goes in there and you won't get me

0:11:48 > 0:11:51inside a pyramid for love nor money.

0:11:52 > 0:11:55As well as peace and love, the '60s also gave us

0:11:55 > 0:12:00the documentary series, many of which would last for decades.

0:12:00 > 0:12:041967 was the year David Attenborough launched The World About Us,

0:12:04 > 0:12:06which was on air for 20 years

0:12:06 > 0:12:10and, of course, changed wildlife photography for evermore.

0:12:12 > 0:12:17Presenter Alan Whicker went on to spend 35 years travelling

0:12:17 > 0:12:20the globe, investigating everything from the building

0:12:20 > 0:12:22of Disneyland to gay rights.

0:12:24 > 0:12:28Going one better, the arts-based series Omnibus.

0:12:28 > 0:12:32First screened in 1967, it continued for 36 years,

0:12:32 > 0:12:36and during that run featured everyone from Bowie to Madonna,

0:12:36 > 0:12:39and won an impressive 12 Baftas.

0:12:39 > 0:12:43But topping all of these records is Horizon,

0:12:43 > 0:12:47the science and philosophy series which debuted in 1964

0:12:47 > 0:12:49and is still going strong to this day.

0:12:52 > 0:12:55- So, we've just watched the Tutankhamen thing...- Right.

0:12:55 > 0:12:58..and I know you're very distraught, you know, and I don't want

0:12:58 > 0:13:01you to worry, because I've got another little treat for you.

0:13:01 > 0:13:04I'll get rid of the beanbag now, cos I don't want you banging your feet.

0:13:04 > 0:13:10- No, I'm sorry that was annoying there.- Yeah, it was annoying me. - Sorry, Dad!- All right.

0:13:10 > 0:13:12What have you got back there?

0:13:12 > 0:13:15- Oh, wow!- I've been in the kitchen, love.

0:13:15 > 0:13:20- Oh, look at this!- So, this was part of your...- Oh, fantastic.

0:13:20 > 0:13:22- Do you want some?- Yeah.

0:13:22 > 0:13:24I used to eat cereals while I was watching telly, I have to say.

0:13:24 > 0:13:27- What's your favourite?- Well, this was more than this, because...

0:13:27 > 0:13:30- I don't know why... - I'm going to have Frosties.

0:13:30 > 0:13:32I'm going to have Coco Pops, that works well.

0:13:32 > 0:13:35- It's always the Rice Krispies that are left at the end.- Yeah.

0:13:35 > 0:13:37Nobody wants the Rice Krispies!

0:13:37 > 0:13:39Erm, but whenever we used to go on childhood,

0:13:39 > 0:13:41I used to go on childhood holidays,

0:13:41 > 0:13:45that was the only time we ever had little packets of cereal,

0:13:45 > 0:13:48and it was such a treat, and nowadays,

0:13:48 > 0:13:51whenever we go on holiday, cos I'm a huge fan of caravans...

0:13:51 > 0:13:54- Thank you very much.- Oh, really? - Yeah, I'm a huge fan of going on caravan holidays,

0:13:54 > 0:13:57and we've got a caravan, and the kids absolutely love it.

0:13:57 > 0:13:59For my age group, there's no better holiday for kids,

0:13:59 > 0:14:01but I always insist that in the caravan we have little

0:14:01 > 0:14:04packets of cereal like this. And why does it taste any different?

0:14:04 > 0:14:06But, I tell you, if I poured this out of the big packet,

0:14:06 > 0:14:13- it would not taste... Mm-mm, mm-mm.- It is lovely.

0:14:13 > 0:14:15And little packets and everything. Excellent.

0:14:20 > 0:14:24- We've got your parents' choice now.- OK.- I won't say anything.- OK.

0:14:27 > 0:14:30- Oh, fantastic!- Well, time to go.

0:14:30 > 0:14:32But it's true, it was that sort of tax in that

0:14:32 > 0:14:34sort of part of the world, in that country, Wales.

0:14:34 > 0:14:37The name of the game was Call My Bluff.

0:14:37 > 0:14:40Two teams, each with three celebrity contestants.

0:14:40 > 0:14:43They were given one word and three possible definitions.

0:14:43 > 0:14:47As I was saying when I was interrupted...

0:14:47 > 0:14:52A simple idea that ran for 33 years and was later revived for nine more.

0:14:52 > 0:14:56Stagnum is...

0:14:56 > 0:15:01an extremely important, nay, vital part of a barometer.

0:15:01 > 0:15:06It is the little bowl cistern at the bottom of a barometer,

0:15:06 > 0:15:09which contains the mercury, which expands

0:15:09 > 0:15:12and contracts according to atmospheric pressure.

0:15:12 > 0:15:15- Mum and Dad loved crosswords.- Yeah.

0:15:15 > 0:15:16Mum was an absolute wizard, she was also -

0:15:16 > 0:15:19and this is where it's quite interesting -

0:15:19 > 0:15:23she was also very into puns, my mum,

0:15:23 > 0:15:26so she would always be coming up with interesting ways of, well,

0:15:26 > 0:15:30making jokes and puns and stuff, and, actually, this probably

0:15:30 > 0:15:34went to make me what I am in terms of the stuff I say on telly.

0:15:34 > 0:15:37Robert Powell, true or bluff?

0:15:37 > 0:15:38Oh, what a shame.

0:15:39 > 0:15:41CHEERING

0:15:45 > 0:15:48- Do you think you'd have done well at something like this?- Yeah.

0:15:48 > 0:15:51- Absolutely.- Good, well, let's put you to the test!- Oh, right, OK.

0:15:51 > 0:15:53- I set myself up for that, didn't I?- Yes, you did.

0:15:53 > 0:15:57I'm going to give you an unusual word with three definitions, Martin.

0:15:57 > 0:16:01- OK.- It is time to test your property knowledge

0:16:01 > 0:16:05in a special edition of a game we are calling Brian's Bluff.

0:16:05 > 0:16:08I'm going to give you, well, you know the rules, don't you?

0:16:08 > 0:16:10I'm going to give you three definitions.

0:16:10 > 0:16:13- You've got to tell me which one is the real one.- OK.

0:16:13 > 0:16:15- Badigeon.- Oh, wow.

0:16:15 > 0:16:20Plaster and ground stone mixture for repairing masonry.

0:16:21 > 0:16:22That's the first one.

0:16:22 > 0:16:29- Or is the spike on the bottom of a for sale sign?- Rubbish!

0:16:29 > 0:16:33Or a mythological crossbreed between a badger and a pigeon?

0:16:33 > 0:16:36- Badigeon.- What's that got to do with property,

0:16:36 > 0:16:39apart from pigeons possibly being in the attic?

0:16:39 > 0:16:42- Don't look into it! - And badgers in the garden! Sorry.

0:16:42 > 0:16:45- You said it was all property related!- Well, it nearly is.

0:16:45 > 0:16:47- It kind of is, OK. - So, which one do you think it is?

0:16:47 > 0:16:49- Well, it's the first one, obviously.- It is.

0:16:49 > 0:16:53- Plaster and ground stone mixture. - I knew that.- Badigeon.

0:16:53 > 0:16:55Next one, abat-jour.

0:16:57 > 0:16:59Abat-jour.

0:16:59 > 0:17:06A dead bat used in Paris to ward off evil spirits in 15th-century homes.

0:17:06 > 0:17:08A French builder's hammer,

0:17:08 > 0:17:14only to be used inside the home on the Sabbath day, or...

0:17:14 > 0:17:16What?!

0:17:16 > 0:17:17A hammer for Sundays?!

0:17:17 > 0:17:22- I love that!- A skylight used to direct light into a room.

0:17:22 > 0:17:24Abat-jour.

0:17:24 > 0:17:26- I'd go for the last one. - You are absolutely correct.

0:17:26 > 0:17:28Honestly, we haven't rehearsed this, have we?

0:17:28 > 0:17:31- No, course we haven't.- People won't believe that, but there we go.

0:17:31 > 0:17:35- You're going to be so upset when you don't win anything.- No, I'm not!

0:17:35 > 0:17:39- Falconet. Please.- Falconet. - No badgering. Here we go.

0:17:39 > 0:17:41Is it a velvet curtain used to separate

0:17:41 > 0:17:45a boudoir from the toilet in a medieval times...

0:17:45 > 0:17:46- What's the word again?- Falconet.

0:17:46 > 0:17:49- OK, all right.- Falconet. The word is falconet.

0:17:49 > 0:17:54The conical stone point on the top of a castle turret,

0:17:54 > 0:17:57or, finally, a mini falcon. Falconet.

0:17:57 > 0:17:59HE LAUGHS

0:17:59 > 0:18:03- I think it's the middle one. - You think it's the middle one?- I do.

0:18:03 > 0:18:05- Incorrect. - HE GROANS

0:18:05 > 0:18:07It's a mini falcon.

0:18:07 > 0:18:08- Falcon-et.- You got...

0:18:08 > 0:18:10LAUGHTER

0:18:10 > 0:18:12- What did you say?- I said falconet.

0:18:12 > 0:18:14Fairly enough, fair enough!

0:18:21 > 0:18:24Your comedy hero is the person we are about to see.

0:18:24 > 0:18:27It's interesting, cos I went through comedy heroes

0:18:27 > 0:18:30and there's obvious people like Ronnie Barker and Dave Allen

0:18:30 > 0:18:33and Morecambe and Wise, I mean, they were true comedy heroes, but in

0:18:33 > 0:18:40terms of effects on me, this person was somebody who made, who had fun...

0:18:40 > 0:18:43- Well, let's have a look.- ..with normal people.- Don't tell anyone.

0:18:43 > 0:18:47This is Martin's comedy hero, ladies and gentlemen.

0:18:47 > 0:18:48Good morning, Noel!

0:18:48 > 0:18:51- Keith Chegwin!- What a superstar.

0:18:51 > 0:18:53Well, they say there's nothing like blowing your own trumpet

0:18:53 > 0:18:56and you're right, that was nothing like blowing my own trumpet.

0:18:56 > 0:18:58Keith Chegwin began his career as an actor,

0:18:58 > 0:19:01but it was Swap Shop that made him a household name.

0:19:01 > 0:19:04He was walking down the road with two sacks in either hand

0:19:04 > 0:19:07full of telephones, and this policeman came up to him

0:19:07 > 0:19:10and said, "Hey, what are you doing with those two sacks?"

0:19:10 > 0:19:13He said, "Well, my brother said I can join his band

0:19:13 > 0:19:16- "if I have two sacks of phones." - NOEL GROANS

0:19:16 > 0:19:18Just not taking himself too seriously.

0:19:18 > 0:19:21In later life, he did that, didn't he do the naked darts thing?

0:19:21 > 0:19:24Let's not go there, let's not go there. Yeah, he did.

0:19:24 > 0:19:25But that, just again,

0:19:25 > 0:19:28sums him up in a way that he didn't take himself too seriously.

0:19:28 > 0:19:31- Cheggers, swap away. - Oh, thank you very much, Noel.

0:19:31 > 0:19:34Well, the swapping is going very well, here in Blackpool.

0:19:34 > 0:19:37The live Saturday morning programme allowed kids to swap

0:19:37 > 0:19:39just about anything they didn't want.

0:19:39 > 0:19:42- And what do you want to swap it for today?- That tape recorder down there.

0:19:42 > 0:19:45Oh, right, we're doing well this morning. There you go, madam.

0:19:45 > 0:19:50That was the first time that I felt that you, as a viewer,

0:19:50 > 0:19:54- as a child, could interact with the television...- Without a doubt.

0:19:54 > 0:19:57..because you could pick up a phone or you could go along

0:19:57 > 0:20:01to where they were doing their live bits, and you could actually

0:20:01 > 0:20:03swap physically which you owned and get something else back.

0:20:03 > 0:20:06It's like, suddenly the television wasn't just there,

0:20:06 > 0:20:09something you watch, you could actually interact with it.

0:20:09 > 0:20:12I mean, let's remind everyone, it was ground-breaking, wasn't it?

0:20:12 > 0:20:13I mean, no-one was doing this.

0:20:13 > 0:20:15No, and because it was real kids phoning up,

0:20:15 > 0:20:20so people like you as a viewer watching were actually on telly.

0:20:20 > 0:20:23"Oh, my gosh, wow! I'm talking to Noel Edmonds!"

0:20:23 > 0:20:25- Is your hand all right? - This is a phone, Brian.- Sorry.

0:20:25 > 0:20:27LAUGHTER

0:20:27 > 0:20:29Erm, why do I do that? It's like, I don't need to do that any more, do I?

0:20:29 > 0:20:31You can go and record your mum singing now.

0:20:31 > 0:20:35Without doubt, watching Saturday morning telly was a rite of passage.

0:20:35 > 0:20:38But how many Saturdays have we shared

0:20:38 > 0:20:40with our favourite BBC kids' shows?

0:20:40 > 0:20:44In the case of Saturday Superstore, the follow-up to Swap Shop,

0:20:44 > 0:20:49which even kept the same phone number, an impressive 142

0:20:49 > 0:20:55Saturdays, though the original Swap Shop went further with 146.

0:20:55 > 0:20:57And then there's The Saturday Show,

0:20:57 > 0:21:01famous for audience participation, games and gunge.

0:21:01 > 0:21:04It boasted 172 episodes.

0:21:04 > 0:21:07Mind you, Phillip Schofield, Sarah Greene and Gordon the Gopher

0:21:07 > 0:21:09went one better.

0:21:09 > 0:21:15After six years on the air, they were Going Live for 179 Saturdays.

0:21:15 > 0:21:18But beating them all, it's Live And Kicking with eight series

0:21:18 > 0:21:22and 267 Saturday mornings.

0:21:22 > 0:21:27Martin, you're such an avid TV watcher that you even collect

0:21:27 > 0:21:29- memorabilia.- I thought you might like to play with my toys.

0:21:29 > 0:21:33- Captain Scarlet.- These are hugely collectable these days.

0:21:33 > 0:21:36These are the original Dinky Corgi toys.

0:21:36 > 0:21:39- With this kind of thing, what you really want is...- I know. I had it.

0:21:39 > 0:21:42- The fact it does that. Did you? - It fired matches from the front.

0:21:42 > 0:21:44- Yeah, and look at this. - There's Captain Scarlet.

0:21:44 > 0:21:47- There's Captain Scarlet inside. - He could come out.

0:21:47 > 0:21:49- These would move down. - You remember this completely.

0:21:49 > 0:21:51This was my era, Captain Scarlet.

0:21:51 > 0:21:54Now this, this is off another TV show.

0:21:54 > 0:21:58- This is your UFO interceptor...- Yes.

0:21:58 > 0:22:02..and again, this is really precious cos it's got all the bits.

0:22:02 > 0:22:05- I mean, you've got a young lad. - Do you want to play with it?

0:22:05 > 0:22:08- You put this in, like that.- And would you let your boy play with these?

0:22:08 > 0:22:10- Yeah, of course.- Yeah?- Yeah.- OK.

0:22:10 > 0:22:12- Push it.- Are you ready, ready, ready, ready?

0:22:12 > 0:22:13BRIAN SINGS

0:22:13 > 0:22:15Boom!

0:22:15 > 0:22:16Whoa...

0:22:16 > 0:22:19- Bring it on.- And better than that, you could put a cap in it,

0:22:19 > 0:22:21so that when it went off it went bang as well.

0:22:21 > 0:22:24Yeah, it's the sort of thing I would love to collect. I can tell you...

0:22:24 > 0:22:25What's stopping you?

0:22:25 > 0:22:28Well, I didn't want to confess, but I have...

0:22:28 > 0:22:30I'm not in your league, I haven't got the box,

0:22:30 > 0:22:32but I have got a Captain Scarlet.

0:22:32 > 0:22:35- On my 40th, my wife bought me that car.- Oh, fantastic!

0:22:35 > 0:22:37That's why I'm a bit of an expert on that one now,

0:22:37 > 0:22:40but I did have it as a child and played it to death...

0:22:40 > 0:22:43- Yeah.- ..and probably threw it away when I grew out of it.

0:22:43 > 0:22:45Yeah, of course. And that's how it should be, to be fair.

0:22:45 > 0:22:47But that is, of course, what makes them valuable,

0:22:47 > 0:22:50to get them in this kind of condition where they have either come from

0:22:50 > 0:22:53a stock in a shop, or some child who didn't play with them very much.

0:22:53 > 0:22:55Then that makes him pretty valuable. So, anyway...

0:22:55 > 0:22:57So is there something you've missed out on,

0:22:57 > 0:23:00something out there that you're desperate to get your hands on?

0:23:00 > 0:23:01Thunderbirds things - I haven't got any,

0:23:01 > 0:23:04and I think you definitely need to have Thunderbird 2.

0:23:04 > 0:23:05- That's the green one.- Yeah.

0:23:05 > 0:23:08But actually, this is big business now.

0:23:08 > 0:23:11And every now and again, you'll see some of the big auction houses

0:23:11 > 0:23:14- have auctions of TV memorabilia. - Yeah, yeah.

0:23:14 > 0:23:19And I went to one a couple of years ago, where there was lots of things,

0:23:19 > 0:23:21including some stuff from a programme called Rainbow.

0:23:21 > 0:23:23So they had Zippy...

0:23:23 > 0:23:24THEY GROAN LIKE ZIPPY

0:23:24 > 0:23:27- There it is.- And George, the pink, fluffy...

0:23:27 > 0:23:29- BRIAN GURNS That's very good.- "..George."

0:23:29 > 0:23:31- But they had...- I can't believe I done that, I'm sorry.

0:23:31 > 0:23:33Yeah, you did, it's OK, it's good.

0:23:33 > 0:23:37- But they had the original Bungle outfit.- Oh, yeah.

0:23:37 > 0:23:39You know that Bungle was the bear? The big bear outfit.

0:23:39 > 0:23:42And it sold at the auction for £10,000.

0:23:42 > 0:23:44- No?- Yeah, for the Bungle outfit. So the following day,

0:23:44 > 0:23:46they were interviewing on the radio the man who had...

0:23:46 > 0:23:49the man who was presumably the creator of Rainbow.

0:23:49 > 0:23:50They said, you must be delighted -

0:23:50 > 0:23:52you just got £10,000 for your Bungle outfit.

0:23:52 > 0:23:55And he went, "Well, tinged with a bit of sadness." "Why?"

0:23:55 > 0:23:57He said, "Well, we had two,

0:23:57 > 0:23:59"and a couple of years ago,

0:23:59 > 0:24:02"I was up in the attic, and my kids got a hamster

0:24:02 > 0:24:04"and we needed some bedding for the hamster.

0:24:04 > 0:24:07"So we actually chopped up one of the Bungle outfits

0:24:07 > 0:24:09"and used the outfit for hamster bedding."

0:24:09 > 0:24:11- £10,000.- £10,000.

0:24:11 > 0:24:13- Very expensive hamster bed.- Yeah.

0:24:19 > 0:24:21This next section is Just Because.

0:24:21 > 0:24:24We've been told it's Just Because because there's no real explanation.

0:24:24 > 0:24:27- OK.- It's just because you love it.

0:24:27 > 0:24:29# Goody

0:24:29 > 0:24:31# Goody, goody, yum, yum. #

0:24:31 > 0:24:32Oh, the kitten!

0:24:32 > 0:24:34I'd forgotten the kitten!

0:24:34 > 0:24:36LAUGHTER

0:24:36 > 0:24:40Now, what this was, was absolutely...

0:24:40 > 0:24:42- Anarchic.- ..anarchic,

0:24:42 > 0:24:44makes no sense, silly television,

0:24:44 > 0:24:47which was almost along the lines of

0:24:47 > 0:24:49Monty Python for kids, if you like.

0:24:49 > 0:24:51LAUGHTER

0:24:51 > 0:24:53With a motto, "We do anything, any time",

0:24:53 > 0:24:56Tim Brooke Taylor, Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie

0:24:56 > 0:25:00set out on their trandem on a series of bizarre adventures.

0:25:00 > 0:25:01- Where are we due?- Llan-dlubber.

0:25:01 > 0:25:03- HE SPLUTTERS - Right, we're doing Llan-dlubber!

0:25:03 > 0:25:05- LAUGHTER - ..this little island

0:25:05 > 0:25:07off the coast of Wales.

0:25:07 > 0:25:09The Goodies delighted its audiences with slapstick,

0:25:09 > 0:25:12social satire and movie parodies.

0:25:12 > 0:25:15In fact, everything from serious issues, such as apartheid,

0:25:15 > 0:25:19to being pursued by a giant Dougal from The Magic Roundabout.

0:25:19 > 0:25:24I mean, this is before, obviously, computer-generated stuff and CGI,

0:25:24 > 0:25:27but I mean they really give it a go, don't they?

0:25:27 > 0:25:30Special effects were absolutely there, weren't they?

0:25:30 > 0:25:32But look at that set - I mean it's fantastic.

0:25:32 > 0:25:34It's all wobbly at the edges and stuff.

0:25:34 > 0:25:36Seen as family entertainment,

0:25:36 > 0:25:39The Goodies often ran into trouble with its BBC bosses,

0:25:39 > 0:25:42and moral watchdogs, such as Mary Whitehouse.

0:25:42 > 0:25:45Even so, it enjoyed 12 years on the air,

0:25:45 > 0:25:47and even spawned the odd hit single.

0:25:47 > 0:25:50# Do-do-do the funky gibbon

0:25:50 > 0:25:51# The funky gibbon... #

0:25:51 > 0:25:54The most successful being The Funky Gibbon.

0:25:54 > 0:25:55# ..oo-oo-ooh!

0:25:55 > 0:25:57# Ooh-ooh-ooh... #

0:25:57 > 0:26:00Written by Bill Oddie, it spent 10 weeks in the charts

0:26:00 > 0:26:01and peaked at number four.

0:26:01 > 0:26:04# ..do the funky gibbon now. #

0:26:04 > 0:26:08And that's just one of the ways this series broke new ground.

0:26:08 > 0:26:11One of the first to use chromakey, did you know that?

0:26:11 > 0:26:12- Were they?- Yeah.

0:26:12 > 0:26:15Have you seen it available to buy on DVD or anything like that?

0:26:15 > 0:26:18Or have you seen it repeated? Is it on any of these other channels?

0:26:18 > 0:26:22I can tell you there is an actual campaign to get it out there

0:26:22 > 0:26:23and it is coming out on DVD.

0:26:23 > 0:26:25The Goodies are coming out on DVD!

0:26:25 > 0:26:27But how long has that taken,

0:26:27 > 0:26:30- cos it must be like 25 years ago when it was on?- Yeah.

0:26:30 > 0:26:31That's brilliant news.

0:26:37 > 0:26:38From three great comics,

0:26:38 > 0:26:43it's now time to look at the person that most influenced your career...

0:26:43 > 0:26:45- OK.- ..Martin. There you go.

0:26:46 > 0:26:48'Many Chinese learn English,

0:26:48 > 0:26:50'so the chance to try it out is quite an event.'

0:26:50 > 0:26:52Do you know the BBC?

0:26:52 > 0:26:53I know.

0:26:53 > 0:26:54Do you know what BBC...

0:26:54 > 0:26:58BBC is the British Broadcast Company.

0:26:58 > 0:27:00Inspired by Jules Verne's classic novel,

0:27:00 > 0:27:03Around The World In 80 Days saw Michael Palin,

0:27:03 > 0:27:05formerly of Monty Python,

0:27:05 > 0:27:08transform himself from one of Britain's favourite comedians

0:27:08 > 0:27:12into one of the world's most recognised travel presenters.

0:27:12 > 0:27:13Yes.

0:27:13 > 0:27:15What comes over about Michael Palin in this,

0:27:15 > 0:27:18and everything that he does,

0:27:18 > 0:27:20- is just what a nice guy he is. - Uh-huh.

0:27:20 > 0:27:21A genuinely nice guy.

0:27:21 > 0:27:24And you felt like it really was an adventure,

0:27:24 > 0:27:25and it wasn't scripted.

0:27:25 > 0:27:28It was almost like let's just see what happens.

0:27:28 > 0:27:30It was a true adventure.

0:27:30 > 0:27:32'I'm now only six days behind Fogg,

0:27:32 > 0:27:34'and he'd lost his Passepartout,

0:27:34 > 0:27:35'who got drunk in Hong Kong.'

0:27:35 > 0:27:37So after visiting 14 countries,

0:27:37 > 0:27:40travelling 28,000 miles

0:27:40 > 0:27:43and contracting one case of Delhi belly,

0:27:43 > 0:27:47Michael Palin did indeed travel the world in 80 days,

0:27:47 > 0:27:49or to be more precise,

0:27:49 > 0:27:5179 days and seven hours.

0:27:51 > 0:27:54I'm only doing this so the cameraman can get the sunset,

0:27:54 > 0:27:55so I'll leave you to it.

0:27:55 > 0:27:56All yours, Nigel.

0:27:58 > 0:28:00It's over there, the sunset, if you can't see it.

0:28:00 > 0:28:02That big red thing behind the building, all right?

0:28:02 > 0:28:05When I started out when I was at university,

0:28:05 > 0:28:07I was also doing the hospital radio station,

0:28:07 > 0:28:12and in the local theatre was Michael Palin and Terry Jones,

0:28:12 > 0:28:14doing a two-man show.

0:28:14 > 0:28:16I thought, well, I'll go and do an interview.

0:28:16 > 0:28:19I went along and I went when they were doing the sound check.

0:28:19 > 0:28:22I went up to Michael Palin - my absolute hero - and said,

0:28:22 > 0:28:25"Can I do a little interview with you for the hospital radio?"

0:28:25 > 0:28:27And he said, "Well, come and see us at the end of the show."

0:28:27 > 0:28:31So at the end of the show, duly I went backstage into the green room.

0:28:31 > 0:28:34There was the mayor there with chains and all these local dignitaries,

0:28:34 > 0:28:36they were all in this green room.

0:28:36 > 0:28:39After about 10 minutes, Michael Palin stood on a chair and said,

0:28:39 > 0:28:41"OK, everybody, you're all going to have to go now,

0:28:41 > 0:28:43"cos we've got an important interview to do."

0:28:43 > 0:28:44So I thought, that's a shame.

0:28:44 > 0:28:47Anyway, I'm walking out with the mayor, the great and the good,

0:28:47 > 0:28:50and Michael Palin comes running after me and said, "No, no, it's with you!"

0:28:50 > 0:28:54Cherished by Martin, this lesser-known Monty Python interview

0:28:54 > 0:28:58still exists, as well as a promo voiced by the stars themselves.

0:28:58 > 0:28:59You are...

0:28:59 > 0:29:01Oh, you are listening to Radio Royal.

0:29:01 > 0:29:04You're listening to M-m-m-martin Roberts...

0:29:04 > 0:29:06Roberts.

0:29:06 > 0:29:08Yes, Martin Roberts is available on the National Health

0:29:08 > 0:29:10as part of your treatment.

0:29:10 > 0:29:14And while it played to an audience of dozens rather than millions,

0:29:14 > 0:29:16Martin will never forget that day.

0:29:16 > 0:29:19There they were, comedy legends,

0:29:19 > 0:29:22you know, travel, TV reporting legends,

0:29:22 > 0:29:25my superheroes, and I was basically a nothing.

0:29:25 > 0:29:29And yet they spared the time to be with me and to do those things.

0:29:29 > 0:29:31And so when I meet people now, you know,

0:29:31 > 0:29:34people ask for autographs and they want their picture taken,

0:29:34 > 0:29:36I remember how that made me feel at the time

0:29:36 > 0:29:39- and I'll always say, "Fine, absolutely delighted."- Yeah.

0:29:39 > 0:29:40So, hero? Absolutely.

0:29:40 > 0:29:43For what he does, for what he did with Monty Python,

0:29:43 > 0:29:46for what he did subsequently, for what he does now.

0:29:46 > 0:29:47Absolutely.

0:29:49 > 0:29:51Perhaps inspired by his comedy hero,

0:29:51 > 0:29:54Martin decided against a career in electronics

0:29:54 > 0:29:56and pursued a life on the radio,

0:29:56 > 0:30:00eventually working as a roving reporter for the BBC's local

0:30:00 > 0:30:03stations in Merseyside, Lancashire

0:30:03 > 0:30:05and Manchester in the mid-80s.

0:30:05 > 0:30:09And at the end of the decade, he had his big break in television.

0:30:15 > 0:30:18Martin, you've been a broadcaster for well over

0:30:18 > 0:30:20- a quarter of a century.- Mm-hm.

0:30:20 > 0:30:22Erm, but I want to take you back now

0:30:22 > 0:30:27- and we're going to have a look at your first big break.- No! - Have a look at this...

0:30:27 > 0:30:30Now, it's time for another report from Martin Roberts.

0:30:30 > 0:30:32This week, motorsports.

0:30:32 > 0:30:37Fantastic! This is The 8:15 From Manchester!

0:30:37 > 0:30:40- Saturday morning kids' TV...- Yeah...

0:30:40 > 0:30:43From Manchester, surprise, surprise!

0:30:46 > 0:30:50If you've outgrown your BMX, you're in for something a bit more

0:30:50 > 0:30:53exciting, something with a bit more speed...

0:30:53 > 0:30:55This could be the place to come.

0:30:55 > 0:31:00Boreatton Park in Shropshire, where you can spend the whole week trying out different motorsports.

0:31:00 > 0:31:02Like zinger quads!

0:31:03 > 0:31:06MUSIC: "The Race" by Yello

0:31:06 > 0:31:10'Ha-ha-ha! I can't believe you found a clip of that!'

0:31:10 > 0:31:14I didn't even think they had video recorders recording those shows!

0:31:14 > 0:31:15When you come on this holiday,

0:31:15 > 0:31:18you spend the mornings doing motorsports and in the afternoon,

0:31:18 > 0:31:23you can do other things, like the death sli-i-i-ide!

0:31:23 > 0:31:28The year was 1990 and this was 8:15 from Manchester.

0:31:28 > 0:31:29You can go canoeing!

0:31:29 > 0:31:31A Saturday morning children's magazine show,

0:31:31 > 0:31:35which featured cartoons, repeats of Rentaghost

0:31:35 > 0:31:38and a long-haired roving reporter called Martin Roberts.

0:31:40 > 0:31:42'How important was that to your career?'

0:31:42 > 0:31:45It was actually the first thing I did on television.

0:31:45 > 0:31:47And I'll tell me how that came about, very strange,

0:31:47 > 0:31:50I was actually working at the local radio station in the same

0:31:50 > 0:31:54building in Manchester, as where the television was produced and I actually went to the canteen

0:31:54 > 0:31:57and I was standing in the queue for the canteen and there was some

0:31:57 > 0:32:00lemon meringue pie, which was, like, phosphorescent yellow.

0:32:00 > 0:32:04And I said to the man standing beside me, "Look at this lemon meringue pie, ha-ha..."

0:32:04 > 0:32:06We laughed about it being radioactive.

0:32:06 > 0:32:09As we were walking away, he said, "By the way, what do you do?"

0:32:09 > 0:32:13I said, "I work downstairs in the radio station." He said, "Oh, have you ever thought about television?"

0:32:13 > 0:32:17I went, no! He went, "Oh, well, if you ever fancy it, Peter, fifth floor." I went, "Oh, yeah, right."

0:32:17 > 0:32:21So, later that day, I phoned up the operator and I said, "Is there a Peter on the fifth floor?"

0:32:21 > 0:32:25And they said, "Oh, only the Peter - head of television." I was like...

0:32:25 > 0:32:28- So, my big break, if you want to say...- Lemon meringue...

0:32:28 > 0:32:33- ..came as a result of talking about lemon meringue pie in the queue of the canteen.- Amazing.

0:32:34 > 0:32:38Children's television has launched the career of many a celebrity.

0:32:38 > 0:32:41Like Todd Carty, whose breakthrough role was as

0:32:41 > 0:32:43the iconic Tucker Jenkins in Grange Hill

0:32:43 > 0:32:49before he moved to Albert Square and played EastEnders' Mark Fowler.

0:32:49 > 0:32:51Fearne Cotton may be best known for Xtra Factor

0:32:51 > 0:32:54and Celebrity Juice but her debut was at 15,

0:32:54 > 0:32:58presenting the Disney Club on Good Morning Television.

0:32:58 > 0:33:02Meanwhile, Ant and Dec didn't always rule the world of light entertainment.

0:33:02 > 0:33:05Their big break came putting Geordie accents

0:33:05 > 0:33:08and Tyneside on the kids' TV map, in Byker Grove.

0:33:10 > 0:33:12Zoe Ball's entry into the world of showbiz

0:33:12 > 0:33:20was as a presenter on Live And Kicking. Mind you, she is not alone.

0:33:17 > 0:33:20During its eight-year run, the series also helped raise

0:33:20 > 0:33:23the profile of Andi Peters and Jamie Theakston.

0:33:23 > 0:33:28And even Doctor Who's sidekick, John Barrowman.

0:33:32 > 0:33:35- Now, we're going to move on to comfort viewing.- Uh-huh.

0:33:35 > 0:33:38So, you're at home, you're feeling a bit under the weather

0:33:38 > 0:33:40and this is what you watch...

0:33:44 > 0:33:47Thank you.

0:33:47 > 0:33:50Fish and chips, a pint of English ale and all the trimmings.

0:33:50 > 0:33:54First launched in 1969, this is the programme that spent

0:33:54 > 0:33:58the next 38 years enticing us to go abroad.

0:33:58 > 0:34:01It inspired a series of short lived spin-offs, including

0:34:01 > 0:34:05Summer Holiday, Holiday On A Shoestring, and even

0:34:05 > 0:34:09Holiday - Fasten Your Seatbelt, where the presenters took on holiday-related jobs.

0:34:09 > 0:34:12This goes to show that going to Spain doesn't mean you must

0:34:12 > 0:34:14change your holiday habits.

0:34:14 > 0:34:20It's John Carter's voice, those wonderful, dark, syrupy, treacly...

0:34:20 > 0:34:22Because of the fuel and currency surcharges,

0:34:22 > 0:34:24this year's package deals are bound to cost more.

0:34:24 > 0:34:28But in spite of it all, some people reckon Benidorm can still

0:34:28 > 0:34:30give Blackpool a run for your money.

0:34:30 > 0:34:33'In its heyday, the Holiday programme attracted audiences of up

0:34:33 > 0:34:38'to 20 million and in 1974, ITV decided to get in on the act,

0:34:38 > 0:34:41'launching their own travel show, Wish You Were Here.

0:34:41 > 0:34:46'A series that would one day feature a fresh-faced Martin Roberts.'

0:34:46 > 0:34:49So, I was there as a travel journalist, working alongside

0:34:49 > 0:34:53Judith Chalmers, and actually John Carter and people who I had grown up with again,

0:34:53 > 0:34:55And it's just like, "Oh, my gosh,

0:34:55 > 0:34:57"I can't believe I'm working with these people!"

0:34:57 > 0:35:00And I got to do that job, of being a travel journalist,

0:35:00 > 0:35:03travelling the world and reporting on it.

0:35:03 > 0:35:06Is it as amazing as it seems, or, you know...?

0:35:06 > 0:35:08You know, you'll never get any sympathy from people

0:35:08 > 0:35:12when you say... Yes, it is the most amazing thing ever.

0:35:12 > 0:35:15The reality is, holidays and travelling is about the people

0:35:15 > 0:35:17you are with and there were lovely crews and great people.

0:35:17 > 0:35:21It's not quite like travelling with your family. And also, it's all done on a,

0:35:21 > 0:35:24- "We've got to get in and out as quick as possible".- Yeah, yeah...

0:35:24 > 0:35:26So, I remember one of my trips, I did Vancouver, which is

0:35:26 > 0:35:30an amazing place, in Canada, and we did Vancouver for a day.

0:35:30 > 0:35:31So, it was...

0:35:31 > 0:35:34It was an 8 1/2 hour journey there, it was 24 hours in Vancouver,

0:35:34 > 0:35:37- and it was 8 1/2 hours flying back. - And it changed your life.

0:35:37 > 0:35:40It changed your life very much so doing that.

0:35:40 > 0:35:43Well, actually, it did because doing Wish You Were Here,

0:35:43 > 0:35:48one of the things I did was, I used to do a charity climb for the NSPCC.

0:35:48 > 0:35:52- And I filmed the charity climb up Kilimanjaro.- Wow!

0:35:52 > 0:35:56So, I climbed Kilimanjaro and on that charity climb,

0:35:56 > 0:36:02I met my...person who became my wife. And the mother of my children.

0:36:02 > 0:36:04So, erm, we actually, you could say,

0:36:04 > 0:36:08we fell in love on the top of Kilimanjaro because I got really

0:36:08 > 0:36:12badly sick with altitude sickness and just about made it to the top.

0:36:12 > 0:36:15Did my final piece to camera right at the top of Kilimanjaro, saying,

0:36:15 > 0:36:18"That was absolutely horrendous and I've still got to get down.

0:36:18 > 0:36:21"But I've raised all this money for the NSPCC."

0:36:21 > 0:36:23And, very emotional, did that, and it was almost like,

0:36:23 > 0:36:27my body then said, "Right, your work's done, it's MY turn."

0:36:27 > 0:36:31And...I got really badly sick with altitude sickness, which is

0:36:31 > 0:36:34very serious and you've got to get off the mountain really quickly.

0:36:34 > 0:36:37But through the mists on the top of Kilimanjaro appeared this

0:36:37 > 0:36:42behuddled figure, clutching a piece of fruit cake and it was my wife,

0:36:42 > 0:36:47subsequent wife-to-be, whose nan had baked her a fruitcake to

0:36:47 > 0:36:51take on this trip and it was the last piece of fruitcake that she had

0:36:51 > 0:36:53and she gave it to me on the top of Kilimanjaro.

0:36:53 > 0:36:56Soon after that fateful slice of fruitcake,

0:36:56 > 0:37:00Martin and Kirsty were married and today are proud parents of two.

0:37:00 > 0:37:04As for Wish You Were Here, the show that brought them together,

0:37:04 > 0:37:09it came to an end in 2003, after almost 30 years of being on the box.

0:37:09 > 0:37:13But that very same year, Martin was asked to present a brand new

0:37:13 > 0:37:17show, one which would go on to exceed all expectations.

0:37:17 > 0:37:20We've got a clip here. Have a little look at this first.

0:37:20 > 0:37:23This is a very old clip. I can tell straightaway.

0:37:23 > 0:37:25Hello and welcome to the programme.

0:37:25 > 0:37:29We're both property developers and we love the thrill of a good deal.

0:37:29 > 0:37:31Absolutely. And in today's programme, we've got

0:37:31 > 0:37:34three potential good deals to show you.

0:37:34 > 0:37:37It's even more exciting because they're all coming up for auction.

0:37:37 > 0:37:41So, let's find out what happens to them when they go under the hammer.

0:37:44 > 0:37:45After 12 years on our screens,

0:37:45 > 0:37:49Homes Under The Hammer can boast some pretty impressive numbers.

0:37:49 > 0:37:51Over 2,000 properties featured

0:37:51 > 0:37:56and more than 180,000 miles travelled up and down the country.

0:37:56 > 0:38:00And the number of puns? Impossible to count!

0:38:00 > 0:38:01When they come back and you go...

0:38:01 > 0:38:05And they have done an incredible amount of work on that house,

0:38:05 > 0:38:07they're not lying when they say, "Oh, yes.

0:38:07 > 0:38:10"I've done this for 6,000..."

0:38:10 > 0:38:13And I can't even, I don't know, buy a toilet...

0:38:13 > 0:38:16One of my favourite stories was a chap who was going to do

0:38:16 > 0:38:20the entire house, new roof, new electrics, damp proof throughout,

0:38:20 > 0:38:23build a conservatory, rewire, new kitchen, new bathroom.

0:38:23 > 0:38:26I said, "What's your budget?" He said, "2,000 quid."

0:38:26 > 0:38:29And I was like, "OK. And how long?" "Three weeks."

0:38:29 > 0:38:32So, not surprisingly, when we came back,

0:38:32 > 0:38:35he hadn't quite finished it and he'd gone a bit over budget.

0:38:35 > 0:38:38Have there been people that have literally blown you away?

0:38:38 > 0:38:42Or on the other spectrum, you've gone back and gone - ahem?

0:38:42 > 0:38:43Yes, absolutely.

0:38:43 > 0:38:46My most touching ever story, and this will make me cry,

0:38:46 > 0:38:50but there was a story we did where we followed a couple who'd bought

0:38:50 > 0:38:52a house in Stockport.

0:38:52 > 0:38:56We were filming with them and I said, "Why did you buy this property?"

0:38:56 > 0:39:00And the lady said, "Unfortunately, my mum has just passed away

0:39:00 > 0:39:03"and we used to go and visit her in the hospice

0:39:03 > 0:39:06"and we used to sit with her and watch Homes Under The Hammer

0:39:06 > 0:39:10"and she said, when I die, I want you to take some of my inheritance

0:39:10 > 0:39:14"and I want you to do what this man is telling you."

0:39:14 > 0:39:16So we were all there and she said, "That's what we've done.

0:39:16 > 0:39:18"We've used my mum... She died a few months ago.

0:39:18 > 0:39:21"We've taken that money and that's what we've bought."

0:39:21 > 0:39:24And it was like her mum's spirit was in the room.

0:39:24 > 0:39:27And the big hairy cameraman was crying, I'm crying,

0:39:27 > 0:39:31the woman's crying, and in that instance, you think, "There you go.

0:39:31 > 0:39:35"Her mum's spirit was there," and they'd done really well with this house.

0:39:35 > 0:39:38So you get into people's lives and I'll never take that for granted.

0:39:38 > 0:39:41I like the say sometimes, quite seamlessly,

0:39:41 > 0:39:45you'll go from a little story into an apt bit of music,

0:39:45 > 0:39:48something that very much fits that moment.

0:39:48 > 0:39:51I take a bit of credit, but it's the editors.

0:39:51 > 0:39:54The editors are amazing at finding tracks that fit perfectly

0:39:54 > 0:39:58and not in... Sometimes in a really subtle way.

0:39:58 > 0:40:00You'll hear a few bars of a song and think,

0:40:00 > 0:40:04"What's that got to do with what I'm watching?" And then, you'll twig that

0:40:04 > 0:40:06somewhere in the lyrics, there's a little line,

0:40:06 > 0:40:09or sometimes it's really in your face. I know what you're thinking.

0:40:09 > 0:40:12Yuck! But no, it's a piece of architectural history.

0:40:12 > 0:40:18Do what you like with the rest of the house, but touch that at your peril!

0:40:18 > 0:40:20# You can't touch this

0:40:21 > 0:40:23# You can't touch this

0:40:24 > 0:40:26# You can't touch this. #

0:40:26 > 0:40:28Well, if you were in the edit, Martin,

0:40:28 > 0:40:34let's see how you would do with the Homes Under The Hammer songbook.

0:40:34 > 0:40:37- Oh, boy.- Mm-hm. So, I've got some...

0:40:37 > 0:40:38This is the ultimate guide,

0:40:38 > 0:40:43the perfect song to use in any property-based situation.

0:40:43 > 0:40:45Excellent.

0:40:45 > 0:40:50A couple have bought a house that is across an overflowing river

0:40:50 > 0:40:55and can only be reached by a bridge. What song should we use?

0:40:55 > 0:40:58Got to be Bridge Over Troubled Water.

0:40:58 > 0:41:03Er... Bridge Over Troubled Water. Correct.

0:41:03 > 0:41:05Thank you.

0:41:05 > 0:41:09A property developer has decided to extend his plans to the

0:41:09 > 0:41:12floor above and build a room in the loft.

0:41:12 > 0:41:15What song does he choose?

0:41:15 > 0:41:18Ah... Um... Three Steps To Heaven.

0:41:18 > 0:41:20Three Steps To Heaven...

0:41:23 > 0:41:25Yes.

0:41:25 > 0:41:29And finally, a house has been snapped up by a developer

0:41:29 > 0:41:35- and it is exactly halfway along the length of the street.- OK.

0:41:35 > 0:41:39- We're talking about a house... - It's in the middle of the street. OK.

0:41:39 > 0:41:43- You'd have to then find a song which had middle of the street...- Yeah.

0:41:43 > 0:41:47Something middle of the road, middle of the street... Madness.

0:41:47 > 0:41:49# Our house, in the middle of our street

0:41:49 > 0:41:51# Our house. #

0:41:51 > 0:41:52- Bingo!- Wrong.

0:41:52 > 0:41:55- Oh.- No, you're right.

0:41:55 > 0:41:57It is amazing. I mean, you know...

0:41:57 > 0:42:01Problems with the sewers - Going Underground by The Jam.

0:42:01 > 0:42:05I mean, it just goes on... It is very, very good.

0:42:10 > 0:42:12So what do you watch now? What keeps...

0:42:12 > 0:42:15What floats your boat, love?

0:42:15 > 0:42:20- I tell you what, I watch a lot of Cbeebies and...- Yeah, with the kids.

0:42:20 > 0:42:24And CBBC, and that's great cos they're repeating

0:42:24 > 0:42:27a lot of the programmes that I used to watch when I was a kid.

0:42:27 > 0:42:32Which is fantastic. So that... We sit down, we watch a lot of films.

0:42:32 > 0:42:34A lot of it is driven by the kids,

0:42:34 > 0:42:38so they love things like I'm A Celebrity, they love Strictly...

0:42:38 > 0:42:42- How about you? Are you a big fan of I'm A Celebrity?- Yeah, absolutely.

0:42:42 > 0:42:45- Is it something you would like to do?- Yeah! Definitely!

0:42:45 > 0:42:48- I'm up for that.- Martin, you have been a wonderful guest.

0:42:48 > 0:42:51- I hope you've enjoyed it.- It's been a pleasure. Really good fun.

0:42:51 > 0:42:53I want you to choose a theme tune now that we can go out on.

0:42:53 > 0:42:57Well, I think I'd like to go back, to the Gerry Anderson stuff

0:42:57 > 0:42:59and those theme tunes were amazing.

0:42:59 > 0:43:03The Captain Scarlets, the Joe 90s... But it has to be Thunderbirds.

0:43:03 > 0:43:05Yes.

0:43:05 > 0:43:08My favourite. Yeah, without a doubt. So, my thanks to Martin

0:43:08 > 0:43:11and my thanks to you for watching The TV That Made Me.

0:43:11 > 0:43:13We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.

0:43:16 > 0:43:22# Theme from Thunderbirds by Barry Gray