Richard Arnold The TV That Made Me

TV, the magic box of delight.

As kids, it showed us a million different worlds

all from our living room.

-So funny!

-That was state-of-the-art.

-Aah!

-I loved this.

'Each day, I'm going to journey

'through the wonderful world of telly...'

-Cheers.

-'..with one of our favourite celebrities...'

-'We're going into space.'

-It is just so silly.

Oh, no!

-Yeah!

-'..as they select the iconic TV moments...'

-My God, this is the scene!

-Oh, dear.

'..that tell us the stories of their lives.'

-I absolutely adore this.

-'Some will make you laugh...'

Don't watch the telly, Esther, watch me.

-'..some will surprise...'

-HE LAUGHS

No way, where did you find this?

'..many will inspire...'

It used to transport us to places that we could only dream about.

'..and others will move us.'

-I am emotional now.

-'Today, we look even more deeply.'

Why wouldn't you want to watch this?

So, come watch with us as we rewind to the classic telly

that helped shape those wide-eyed youngsters

into the much-loved stars they are today.

-APPLAUSE

-Welcome to The TV That Made Me.

My guest today knows a thing or two about television.

He is the one and only Mr Richard Arnold.

Richard! Welcome, welcome to my flat.

Thank you. Thank you.

A radio and TV presenter for over 20 years,

Richard's made a career of knowing about what's on the box,

working as a TV critic for GMTV

and most recently, as the entertainment editor

on Good Morning Britain.

The TV that made him includes a very fashionable costume drama,

an inspirational talk show legend...

A veritable maelstrom of emotional carnage.

..and a TV show that kicked off his career.

Bless her heart. Well, Tina, who am I to refuse a damsel in distress?

Richard, you must know more about TV than anyone else does.

I mean, you're famed for being a TV critic, you know,

-and your magazine articles, things like that.

-Yeah.

So, you should be an expert on this show.

See this is where you're always put...

under the cosh when people assume that you have seen absolutely

every hour of television over the last 30 years.

-I probably have, but I can't remember a lot of it.

-Mm-hm.

You know, being at Good Morning Britain every day

as well, you fill your head with all sorts of nonsense,

so I always have to clear a space.

Do you find, when you're watching telly,

that you're constantly critiquing it, you're constantly sort of...

-pulling it apart...

-These days.

-..or you can relax?

-Well, these days...

I sort of drift in and out of consciousness mostly these days

when I'm watching it, to be quite honest.

LAUGHTER It's interesting because, obviously,

filming a lot behind the scenes

certainly on the big shows of today like Strictly Come Dancing,

having been a part of that show even

was fantastic.

Once you get invited through that door -

and it's a real privilege -

and you see how it all works,

it takes away some of the mystique, but on the other hand, it's like...

you know, I can still sit there and watch an episode

of EastEnders or Coronation Street

and feel like I'm in The Vic or feel like I'm in The Rovers.

You know, even though I've actually been there myself

-and know there's only three walls.

-Shh! Don't burst their bubble.

-No, don't burst their bubble.

-Well, today is a celebration

of your favourite TV moments.

-Oh, you will have me tearing up.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Do you think so?

-Oh, yeah.

-Yeah?

-I love pressing that nostalgia button.

You know, when you start talking about TV of old,

it takes you right back. It's the best therapy...

-We're going to need a bigger couch, though.

-You think so? Why?

-Well, cos if I'm in therapy, I like to stretch out.

-OK.

-You can stretch out.

-I can stretch out?

-You're good with that, aren't you?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Of course he is. Of course he is.

-Well, before we get started,

we're going to find out a little bit more about the young Richard Arnold.

-Right, OK.

-Have a little look at this.

Born in 1969 in Hampshire, Richard grew up with his mum, Dot,

and his dad, Dave, who was a helicopter engineer.

The family moved to Aberdeenshire when he was 11,

and he went on to study at Edinburgh University.

After uni, Richard headed to London to take a course

in journalism.

This would eventually lead to him getting the job that would shape the

rest of his career when he became a reporter for Inside Soap magazine.

Richard's first TV gig was The Sunday Show in 1995,

and he's been a familiar face on our screens ever since.

-Takes you back, doesn't it?

-Doesn't it?

TV, for us, was appointment to view.

It was actually quite unifying.

We always ate our dinner or whatever at the table,

but we went to the TV, obviously, and gathered around it.

And we would watch shows as a family.

I'm an only child, so it was me, Dot and Dave.

And they're still with us, you know.

And we still to this day, whenever they come and stay,

we'll sit down and watch the big shows like Strictly and X Factor.

-Yeah?

-And the dramas and all that sort of...

How did they feel about you being on Strictly, Mum and Dad?

Ooh, they loved it. Well, I think my dad knew very early on

I was never going to kick a ball around, Brian, so...

LAUGHTER

When he knew, you know, I had a good sense of colour, fashion

and a bit light on my feet, you know,

it came as no surprise that I ended up under that glitter ball.

-I want to take you back to your earliest TV memory now, Richard.

-OK.

I'm not going to say any more,

but let's have a little look, shall we?

-Ooh.

-La Maison de toutou.

-Yes.

-The letterbox.

I'd forgotten that.

It was originally a production

from France.

-Was it? I had no idea.

-Yeah, yeah.

They added British voices at a later date.

DOG WHISTLES

Why are you whistling, Hector?

I'm calling Mrs Frog. I'm bored.

-I feel like some company.

-Oh, Hector.

First broadcast in the UK in the '60s,

Hector's House was a popular but rather basic hand puppet show.

..Mr Hector calling.

-That's brilliant!

-Oh, the frog.

-I'm regressing.

-The frog.

I know, I'm regressing.

Weren't we easily pleased? LAUGHTER

We really were.

The funny thing, this is the sort

-of thing you can watch now and it's quite hypnotic, isn't it?

-Yeah.

This gentle children's TV series featured Hector the Dog,

Zsazsa the Cat and Kiki the Frog,

as they got up to all sorts of adventures in Hector's back garden.

Nothing there? Oh, well, the postman hasn't been yet.

-Let's go and put it in the box.

-Oh, yes.

What do you think of the puppetry? It's hilarious.

Well, it's state-of-the-art. It's state-of-the-art, who needs CGI(?)

-I don't.

-What's not to love?

Could you imagine children today enjoying it?

STAMMERS: I think if you take these devices out of their hands

and stuff, you know, their imagination is just as vivid

as it was...

Goodness knows we needed imagination to fill in the gaps here,

didn't we, when we were younger?

Do you know what I mean? I wonder where those puppets are.

They're probably in an attic with a lot of old memories.

-HECTOR CLEARS THROAT READS:

-"My dear Hector..."

-"My dear Hector..."

-Yes, my dear Hector.

"You are a great big old Hector..." Ha, you see, they know me.

Oh, yes.

So, this is a very young Richard just getting

-engrossed into Hector's House, was it?

-Mm-hm. Yeah.

-Yeah?

Well, it was the narrative, very tightly woven plots,

Brian, that got me into it, I think(!)

LAUGHTER It was utterly gripping.

I wish there had been an omnibus, let's put it that way.

-Hector's House, you'd watch that with your mum and dad or...?

-Yes.

-Yeah?

-Yeah, Hector's House, something like that

or there were other shows

that were on at the time, it always reminded me of sort of

being off games, if you like.

-You know, when you were ill.

-Oh, right, yeah.

At school, so you'd come home, and it was back in the days

when, you know, your mum would put you on the sofa

-and they'd throw a fizzy drink at you. We know the brand.

-Yeah.

And, "You'll be all right." What could possibly go wrong?

Because, of course, they used to let you run free in the sunshine back

then without any protection.

My poor mum is going to... HE LAUGHS

I'm going to be across her knee for this.

Yeah, and then she'd slap on a bit of calamine lotion.

So it was back then when they thought...

Fizzy drink, that will cure all ills.

So, it just reminds me of... In fact, rather than the coffee,

we should have one of those on the go here now,

cos that would take me right back.

-I'll get foetal and start sucking my thumb.

-Oh, really?

-Yeah.

-Oh, well, it just so happens...

-LAUGHTER

-You better enjoy your coffee.

-Is that extra?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Brilliant.

We're going to go to Must See TV.

-And before we...

-Oh, my God.

..we have Must See TV, there is a little clue as to what it might be.

-You sure this goes on the afternoon?

-Yeah, yeah.

Can you guess what the show might be if we've given you this?

-If you've given me this?

-No, no, no. You've got a little...

Is this like a dressing gown that I wore in my misspent youth

while I watched my favourite show?

-Well, I believe it's someone on that show...

-Right.

..who used to wear something very similar to that.

-Come on.

-Yeah, it's what I'm thinking about.

-It's Dallas.

It's Dallas. Right. OK, yeah, this is my favourite show of all time.

I actually go to Southfork, well,

-have done for the last six years, every year.

-Every year?

-Every year.

-Like...to pay homage?

-Well, yes, yeah! Give it a dust.

-Should we have a little look?

-Yeah, go on.

Take me back, take me back. Here's a bit of Dallas.

Debuting in 1978 as a five-part miniseries, the original run of

Dallas was extended and went on to air for over 13 seasons

between 1978 and 1991.

Thanks to its gripping sensational storylines,

Dallas was a huge success and went on to be dubbed

in 67 languages,

broadcasting in more than

90 countries.

I'm a complete Dallas aficionado/fan.

It was the show that we watched as a family, again,

because you had to stay in for television then.

So, this was obviously pre-the VCR or whatever.

And so, when it started in 1978,

I remember sitting down and watched it.

Then, of course, the whole shooting of JR thing happened in 1980,

and it all took off. And I would sit in a...

HE LAUGHS

..not something too dissimilar.

-It was like a sort of quilted silk dressing gown.

-Right.

You know, on Dallas, JR's favourite drink was bourbon and branch,

which is like a Scotch and water, I suppose, isn't it? Whatever.

So, I would...

get Mum to put lots of ice in Coca-Cola

so that when he drank, I would drink.

And it would rattle like it does on the show.

Like a young person's drinking game, isn't it?

HE LAUGHS That's where it started.

-Well, we have a scene here, and it involves Larry Hagman.

-Go on.

Slightly risque. Well, you can almost see everything.

Well, just keep spreading the Bs, boy.

'Yes, sir.'

Booty, booze and broads.

The first thing you taught me

a good lobbyist likes.

Oh, close your...

-BOTH:

-Ooh!

That could have gone either way.

Oil baron JR Ewing was only meant to be a supporting role,

but this addictive villain proved hugely popular with viewers

and soon became a lead.

Brilliantly played by Larry Hagman,

JR was the only character to appear in all 357 episodes.

-Well, what have we here?

-GLASS CLINKS

Now, that's a dressing gown, Richard.

Well, it's a little closer to what I normally wear at home, actually.

-Really?

-Yeah, the company I keep is marginally different.

LAUGHTER

-But the gaping kimono, I do own.

-Really?

-Yes, I do own. Yes.

So, did you have a favourite character within the show?

It was Linda Gray, Sue Ellen and JR.

It was all about them for me.

But what about when it came back and it was all a dream?

-Oh, Bobby? Yeah, the shower?

-Yeah.

In one of the most bizarre plot lines ever seen on primetime

television, Bobby Ewing returned to Dallas a year after being

killed off.

And the explanation of his return -

that the whole previous season's

events had been a dream.

Good morning.

How did that sit with you?

-I loved it cos it was great to see Patrick Duffy back.

-Yes.

So, I would forgive them anything,

if it was getting the whole family back together,

so that didn't bother me.

I managed to suspend disbelief. I mean, I think the show went

a little downhill then, but nevertheless, I stuck with it

all the way to the end. Watched every episode.

You are without doubt a Dallas expert,

so we would like to put you to the test right now.

I'd like to remind everyone that you actually did this...

this is your specialist subject on Mastermind.

-Yeah, it was, yeah.

-It was.

Starting now. After the initial pilot episodes of Dallas,

Duncan Acres became the location for which fictional Texas ranch,

the home of the Ewing family?

-Southfork Ranch.

-Yes.

-Richard.

-Yes.

-This is your Dallas quiz.

-STOPWATCH CLICKS

-When JR was first shot

on March 21st, 19...

-'80.

-See, you know all that.

..who did it?

Was it Kristin Shepard, Sue Ellen, Cliff Barnes or Miss Ellie?

-Kristin Shepard.

-Absolutely correct.

-Sue Ellen's sister. Yes.

-HE LAUGHS

-Won that.

-That is your...that is your...

-Do I have to put it on?

-Yes, you do.

I'm not sure it goes with my kimono, but I'll give it a shot, Brian,

just cos I'm a big fan.

Shall I just put it on my nose? I mean, we'll just do that.

OK, we are good.

-Name...

-AUDIENCE LAUGHS

This is a serious quiz, ladies and gentlemen.

I'm on a knife's edge, ladies and gentlemen, here.

-Well, my career is, anyway.

-Name...

-THEY LAUGH

-Name the Dallas spin-off series that ran from 1979 to 1993.

-That...

-Was it...? Oh, you don't even need these.

-Go on.

..Santa Barbara, Knots Landing,

The Colbys, The Ewings?

It was Knots Landing, and I've been there too. Three times.

-A cul-de-sac in California.

-Great.

-Yep.

-You've upgraded now.

-Have I?

To a slightly bigger hat. You can take that one off.

-Well, that might work. I can take that one off, can I?

-Yes.

-Right.

Oh, OK. Right, I might have to wear at a jaunty angle for now.

Is that all right?

Which Academy award-winning actress replaced

Barbara Bel Geddes in the role of Miss Ellie for just one season?

Was it A - Donna Reed, B - Elizabeth Taylor,

C - Jessica Tandy or D - Katharine Hepburn?

The late great Donna Reed.

-Donna Reed.

-APPLAUSE

We're getting there. HE CHUCKLES

In 1987, which Hollywood heart-throb had an early role as Randy,

the boyfriend of Charlie Wade?

Was it A -Brad Pitt, B - Johnny Depp,

C - John Cusack or D - Ben Affleck?

-Brad Pitt.

-That is correct.

-Yeah, yeah, that's right.

APPLAUSE

-OK, slightly bigger.

-Well, it's a bit...

-It's Tex-Mex, I'll give you that. It's Tex-Mex.

-Final question.

Name all four Ewing brothers.

Gary, Ray, Bobby and JR.

-Absolutely right.

-Thank you very much.

Do I get the full ten gallons now?

LAUGHTER

Did you win this in a raffle?

-Your applause, please...

-APPLAUSE

-..to the king of Dallas.

-Thank you.

The man who pretty much knows it all. Well done indeed.

Thank you, ma'am.

Can I show you something now that is very intimidating to a young

Richard Arnold?

-And it is Hammer House Of Horror.

-HE SIGHS

EERIE MUSIC

In 1980, the well-known British

film company Hammer Films

decided to branch out and make a series of scary short stories for TV

and so, Hammer House Of Horror was born.

EERIE MUSIC CONTINUES

Did you find the title scary?

The music is taking me back a bit, but it's that statue one, isn't it?

-It's the little...

-Charlie Boy.

-Charlie Boy, yeah.

All of that sort of stuff.

I mean, I can't watch any horror films.

I mean, watching it now, it seems a bit kitsch,

but as a youngster, you know, my imagination was far too furtive...

-I can't wait forever.

-'Raise your share of the money.'

-I can't wait...

-'The money, Graham.'

-..forever.

'Can't wait forever, you know.'

This terrifying episode centres on an African wooden carving

nicknamed Charlie Boy, a voodoo doll with an appetite for death.

See, you wouldn't see that on Hector's House.

LAUGHTER

I mean, that's not ideal, is it,

if you're watching this and you're 11 years old?

It's so funny, though, that I remember this one in particular.

It was the statue. It's like clowns, you know,

there's something inherently sinister about,

or I find anyway, clowns and statues and...

I mean, this is fine. This is Black Beauty.

-We can live with this.

-Yeah, we can live with this.

And it's much safer than watching it on Poldark,

cos he is always too near the cliff. LAUGHTER

-It's right, though, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Always too near the cliff on the horse.

-I'm feeling tense, though.

-Are you feeling tense?

-I'm feeling tense, yeah, but I think it's...

I think it's the sofa, Brian. Oh!

AUDIENCE GROAN Oh, no!

What could possibly go wrong, ladies and gentlemen(?)

Oh! Oh, look. Yeah, that's right, they cut back to statue every time.

EVERYONE SCREAMS

Oh, yeah, that's not ideal.

That must've hurt.

Course, because it's like the 1970s, your mum would go,

"Oh, don't make a fuss."

-Yeah.

-Yeah. "Kiss it, it'll get better."

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Many actors who appeared on Hammer House Of Horror

went on to become familiar faces on our TV screens

like Norman Beaton, who we fondly

think of as the lovable

hairdresser Desmond Ambrose in the Channel 4 show Desmond's.

Jeff Rawle also starred in an episode.

Most of us remember him

as a long-suffering George from Drop The Dead Donkey,

although the kids will probably know him

as the evil Silas from Hollyoaks.

And would you believe award-winning Scottish actor Brian Cox

even featured on the show?

Nowadays, he is all about Hollywood blockbusters

and top TV dramas like War And Peace.

Even the dashing Pierce Brosnan

got in on the action.

Long before Remington Steele

or Bond,

this suave Irish actor appeared

as the character called Last Victim.

Catchy.

-My goodness me, yeah.

-So, as a child, you had a vivid imagination.

Yeah, very vivid imagination.

Yeah, I think... Also I had a lot of Legos, like most kids growing up,

and I had a Legos village set out.

And because I was into my telly back then as well, I would actually...

do a TV chart, like a ratings chart, of the top ten shows

for my little town that they were watching.

I had a set of pens, coloured pens - used to love all of that -

and I would to the logos exactly as they were on the telly.

Like Magnum PI, you know, all those shows that I loved.

So, yeah, like I said, I had to fill in a lot of blanks

when I was a nipper because I was the only one around.

Does it...move you? Does it upset you?

-What, being the only one around?

-Yeah.

-No, I used to love it!

Because, you know, I had loads of mates.

I think that's a bit of a myth about only children, to be honest.

Cos I was actually much more social

cos I was always out and about, you know?

But on the other hand, I do...

It's interesting because I love my job now

and I love being out and about,

but I also love coming home.

I remember...

Speaking of Strictly again,

we were at the National TV Awards one year and it was the year

that I was lucky enough to be in Strictly, so it was 2012.

And it was up for a gong, obviously, as Best Show and Tess Daly,

lovely woman, came up to me on the red carpet cos I was reporting on it

as well and she said, "Richard, if we win,

"we will get you up on stage."

And I thought, "OK, all right."

What I didn't have the heart to tell her is that

I wasn't going to go into the awards because I had a fast car waiting to

get me home cos it is so much nicer watching the awards at home.

And of course, they won! The only time I would have been up

on the stage, you know, at the National TV Awards.

-But I'm quite a homebody.

-Yeah?

Yeah, once I get behind that door, I'm like,

"OK, we chill out now."

Yeah. "We relax." So, I think that's probably where the only child

thing lingers, is I'm very happy in my own company.

Yeah.

-And we're going to do an Advert Break now.

-OK.

It's a VW advert.

-Oh, OK, right.

-Starring...

-Is this Paula...?

-..Paula Hamilton.

-Yeah, yeah, I do remember this.

-Yeah.

-Oh, this was great.

# Everyone is going through changes... #

I can't believe you found this.

# And no-one knows what's going on. #

It's almost 30 years since Paula Hamilton reached the heights

of her modelling career,

starring in one of the most iconic TV ads of the '80s.

She going to keep that fur coat?

I think we've all had days like this, haven't we, ladies?

Or dates that have gone wrong like that?

So, she's, obviously, not in the best of moods.

Look at the shoulder pads on that.

Thinks about dropping the keys through the drain,

but she's not going to give up the motor.

And there she goes.

Now, which one of us hasn't re-enacted that moment?

LAUGHTER

# But the world goes on the same. #

And also, I think you hear the music then.

Adverts around that time in the '80s

had soundtracks, effectively, didn't they?

And the songs became hits off the back of them,

so Sam Cooke, the old Levi's adverts, you know?

It sort of all caught on.

You know, these songs suddenly became big hits off the back of,

you know, obviously, being in adverts.

Now, Richard, we are moving onto your Family Favourite.

'This is my boss, Jonathan Hart.'

Oh, used to love this show!

Frothy amateur detective drama Hart to Hart

starred Robert Wagner and Stephanie Powers.

'This is Mrs H. She's gorgeous...'

They were a fabulously rich couple who were forever finding

themselves in the middle of a mystery.

And the late Lionel Stander joined them as their loyal servant Max.

'Which ain't easy cos their hobby is...murder.'

This is actually, ladies and gentlemen,

this is the first show we ever recorded on the VCR, right?

And I remember, we got it... I think we got the...

'82, '83 and I remember to this day,

Mum and Dad are sat

and I go forward -

cos it's one of those old VCRs

where you've got to actually lean forward and press the buttons -

and the minute I pressed record,

I turned around to Mum and Dad and say, "Shh, shh,"

cos I thought their voices were going to come out on the machine.

LAUGHTER

True story.

If I'm feeling a little bit flat in the afternoon or something,

you know, and I put a bit of a brew on,

I could sit in Hoover this stuff up.

You know, just absolutely love it.

It is like putting on a little blanket and just...

Actually, it demands nothing of you. Look at the lack of frenzy.

This is the look I was trying to achieve this morning.

Stephanie Powers look, obviously.

I think she looks absolutely beautiful in it.

As though the killer being here was no surprise.

HE SNIFFS

-You getting a cold?

-No.

-You're sniffling.

The hugely popular series had a five-season run

followed by eight TV movies.

Viewers lapped up the killer chemistry

between Powers and Wagner as they made solving crimes sexy.

-Amazing. Look at that. And they were a terrific couple.

-They were.

-They had a wonderful partnership.

-Wonderful chemistry.

-Yeah.

Rather like us today, Brian.

Yes, darling, yeah.

Oh, hello!

-Jennifer.

-Hm?

Take a look at this.

What?

-Notice anything unusual?

-No.

Jonathan and Jennifer's super sleuthing saw them solve cases

involving smuggling, theft, international espionage and murder.

I think they're in my closet.

LAUGHTER

Brilliant stuff.

Absolutely fantastic.

And the first part of the show always ended in the body, obviously,

being found. He's dead, or she's dead. "Oh, my God, he's dead."

"Oh, my God, she's dead." That was basically it, wasn't it?

And then it would take them another two parts to unravel it.

So, what do you think sucked you in? What gripped you so much?

Was it - once again, like Dallas - the glamour, you know?

-I mean, it was the '80s.

-Cos it was very glamorous, wasn't it?

Yeah, I mean, the '80s... Obviously, growing up

as a teenager in the '80s, much of the TV that you watched,

or that came from America, was aspirational...

viewing, you know? It was... The sitcom was the dominant genre,

I suppose, in the 1970s, but then when the '80s kicked off for me

and I was thrust into the perils of pubescence,

I found myself hooked on these sort of shows.

I used to love them. Absolutely loved anything

that came out of the States.

Well, we've got something now that's got plenty frocks

and the odd shock.

RICHARD LAUGHS Oh, it's The House Of Eliott!

This 1920s period drama followed the fate of two sisters

after their philandering father dies,

leaving them penniless.

The sisters set their sights on starting up a dressmaking business.

I'll have it sorted out in a minute.

Louise Lombard, was it?

-Yes, she was. Louise Lombard.

-Yeah, Louise Lombard. Yeah.

-It's been a very heavy day for all of us.

-Right.

Um, right, well, there were 36 garments in the small store.

-Now, they're undamaged.

-Only 36?

-I'm afraid so.

-The House Of Eliott. Sunday nights.

-Yeah.

And it was such kitsch viewing.

So, two women, obviously, setting up their own fashion house,

which was The House Of Eliott.

French and Saunders did a fantastic spoof of it

called The House Of Idiot. LAUGHTER

You know what French and Saunders are like, God bless them.

They got it absolutely bang on. Every episode would sort of open

-with a penny-farthing coming into view.

-Yeah.

Um, it was all that sort of business.

But with a bit of overtime here and at Bayswater,

I reckon we could make up the lost time in about eight weeks.

As soon as that?

-I think that's a little optimistic.

-Well, everyone's keen to try.

Well, I think we better err on the side of caution and say ten weeks.

-Don't you agree?

-Yes, I do.

This became quite... It got quite a big following

because it was, you know, a very kitsch sort of show.

People couldn't understand

why it was so popular, I think, and it became...

-It was the Downton of its day, if you like.

-Yeah, yeah.

Or certainly in a similar slot.

It's something you watched religiously?

Yeah, we used to watch it on Sunday nights. I'd just moved to London.

We were living hand-to-mouth, so we would always be staying in.

You know what I mean? Eating tuna pasta bake or whatever.

I was living with two friends at the time, Shona and Louise,

-and the three of us would re-enact scenes.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-With your Lego?

-Not with the Lego. LAUGHTER

I was 22 by that point. LAUGHTER

So, about two years before that, I'd put it in the loft.

Yeah, we used to love it. It was terrific.

Absolutely terrific.

-That takes me right back, that does.

-Aw.

I mean, this was a costume drama, so were you into fashion?

Not really into fashion, you know, um, but I loved...

-Again, I suppose it is that sort of glamour...

-Is it the romance?

..the romance, yeah. I loved all...

You know, like A Passage To India, A Jewel In The Crown.

-Loved all those shows.

-Mm-hm.

Give me a sweeping saga, and as you say, frocks and shocks,

-and I'm a happy man.

-Yeah.

And they're vintage, you know. Perhaps House Of Eliott less so,

with the greatest of respect to the creative team behind it.

But when you think about Brideshead Revisited

and shows like that, I mean,

I just think we set the standard in this country.

So, I do, I love shows like that.

So, when did you last see The House Of Eliott?

I bought the box set. LAUGHTER

-I've bought the box set.

-Really?

-Yeah.

So, rather embarrassingly, I think just before Christmas.

Is there any room left in your house, Richard?

Um, yeah, well, I'm very lucky to have space outside

that I can lock everything in, as it's my other half.

Cos you can't have all that tat floating around.

Um, but, yeah, I bought that. I... Yeah.

But I'm terrible. As I say, you see that these things,

these old shows that we love,

start coming out on DVD and you think,

"Ooh, that'll take me back. That'll take me back."

Do you think it was the soap of the sort of 1920s, you know?

Yeah! It's a frothy narrative, isn't it?

Again, it doesn't require much of you.

Let's face it - Sunday night is bath night,

so you've already got a lot on your plate.

So, I'd be sat there with cheese on toast watching that

and then, obviously, rinse out my tights to go to work the next day.

-You'd have the dressing gown on?

-I'd have my dressing gown on.

-LAUGHTER I did indeed.

-Yeah, that's a must.

As The House Of Eliott proved, we Brits love a show

set in a different era.

Just look at Downton Abbey.

For five years, millions of us were hooked.

We soaked up the lives of the Crawley family

and their servants, set from 1912 until 1926.

Moving on a decade and we hit

All Creatures Great And Small.

We lapped up this smash hit drama

set in the 1930s through to the 1950s,

as over 20 million of us tuned in

to follow the adventures of a veterinary office in Yorkshire.

The series Born And Bred

was also set in the 1950s.

Based in a Lancashire cottage hospital,

it centred around a city doctor

and his village GP father.

We were then transported to the swinging '60s

in the comedy series Hippies.

Starring Simon Pegg and Sally Phillips,

this sitcom lasted just six episodes.

The 1970s was the setting

for the sitcom The Kennedys.

It followed a family living in a new housing estate in Stevenage

and desperately trying to climb the social ladder.

Finally, we reach the excesses of the 1980s.

This was the decade that defined the drama Money,

an adaptation of Martin Amis's cult novel.

Richard, we're going for your Biggest TV Influence now.

I won't say anything, but have a look at this.

Here he is. The governor.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

-Aw.

-He is a legend, isn't he?

-Yeah, absolutely.

Compliments of the season to you, my people,

and a very happy Christmas.

In the decade that Wogan aired,

this hit talk show pulled in the biggest stars.

Generally broadcast live, the late, great Sir Terry

'was known for his unflappable and humorous interviewing skills.'

This is a Dallas one. I've got this on VHS.

-I've got this on VHS!

-You are unbelievable.

-Yes.

A good old Texas boy, John Ross Ewing Jr,

otherwise known as Larry Hagman.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

I can almost quote it word for word.

You cracked the old whip, didn't you, by bringing back Bobby?

Well, no. No, not at all. I...

My whole modus operandi

was to get the show back to where it was a year ago.

Because it had slumped in the ratings?

Not because it had slumped in the ratings.

Because it wasn't any fun any more.

-An absolute master of his game, Wogan.

-Yeah.

-And remember, this show was going out live...

-Mm-hm.

-..at minimum of three times a week, wasn't it? You know?

-Yeah.

-I know that. I used to do the warm ups.

-Did you?

Not all the time, but I used to do the Terry Wogan warm ups.

-Yeah.

-It's all of your yesteryears as well.

That's the wonderful thing. We're very lucky.

I've come from a cul-de-sac in rural Aberdeenshire, really.

And so to end up working alongside people like Wogan...

-Your good self, even.

-Oh.

Just being around it all, it's such an enormous privilege.

And Wogan, I just remember listening to on the radio.

Mum always had Wogan on.

And obviously, growing up...

Cos I would have been about sort of 13, 14, 15

around this time anyway, so it was hugely influential.

I had no idea what I wanted to do.

Kids these days are much more driven, I think,

certainly when it comes to getting work experience

and getting out there in the big, wide world.

I had no idea what I wanted to do.

And just watching this,

-I used to pretend I was being interviewed by him.

-Oh, no.

I was an only child, Brian, so you had to make a lot of it up,

fill in the blanks, and I used to pretend I was being interviewed.

-There was no singing in a hairbrush for me.

-No.

But there was sort of, you know, imagining being interviewed,

-rather like you're doing now.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Um, and Wogan was always my preferred...

No disrespect, but, you know... LAUGHTER

He's a cocky devil, isn't he?

-Why would you say that?

-LAUGHTER

There is something about his demeanour.

What do you think of Wogan's technique?

He just... He has... He had a...

-His charm.

-Mm-hm.

-You know?

I think it was that twinkle in the eye, his charm,

-he sort of affectionately ribbed people.

-Mm-hm.

It felt very inclusive.

You know, I just think, as I say, a master of his game.

He was indeed.

Legendary entertainer Sir Terry Wogan started his career

on Irish radio before joining the BBC in the mid-'60s.

Thanks to his quick wit, wisdom and charm,

he became a broadcasting superstar of both radio and television.

Sir Terry could turn his hand to anything,

from fronting a hit game show to co-hosting Children In Need.

Not only did the world's biggest celebrities

flock to be interviewed by the great man...

..his Radio 2 breakfast show regularly boasted

eight million listeners, including the Queen,

which made him the most popular radio host in Europe.

Speaking of Europe, Sir Terry was, of course,

famed for his cheeky commentary on the Eurovision Song Contest.

Yeah, I think I've made a little mistake.

That's OK. You're fired.

Without doubt one of the most popular

and best-loved broadcasters in Britain,

Sir Terry, we miss you.

So, as a young man, Richard Arnold will be looking at this

dreaming of being the Terry Wogan interviewing many guests.

Yeah, absolutely.

As I say, the fact that I've ended up being in a position

to interview all these big names over the years -

could be sportsmen, you're shaking hands with prime ministers,

-you've met all your TV heroes...

-Yeah.

..it's extraordinary.

I mean, who have you been in awe of when...?

-You know, present company...

-LAUGHTER

-Oh, I'm a bag of nerves just sat here opposite you.

-I know, I know.

But is there...you know, that's really sort of touched you?

I think, for me, yeah,

I remember there are two standout ones in recent years.

I was flown to New York to interview Barbra Streisand.

StreisAND.

And...

Cos I called her Barbra Streisand, which you tend to do in Britain.

Of course, she's quick to correct. She said, "It's StreisAND."

But she was wonderful.

You get showed into the room. You're sat there and she's there.

There's this lighting rig going on. Everything is fabulous.

Anyway, it's a very hot day in New York.

It's early autumn and we're in this hotel, as I say.

The lights are up

and I started to get a bead of sweat on my top lip.

It wasn't nerves at all because I think if you've done your prep -

and obviously being a big Barbra fan,

which may come as a shock to you... LAUGHTER

..I was, you know, giddy more than anything. Really excited.

Anyway, the interview, I think, is going really, really well

and she's tittering away.

She said, "You're my leading man for today."

I thought "Great, I'll have that."

And she then stopped the interview.

And she just leant forward with a tissue and mopped my top lip

and she said, "We've got to take care of each other, right?"

-It was unbelievable. I was like...

-Lovely.

Extraordinary.

-And the second time was also in New York.

-You've got a bogey.

Have I got a...? Have I? LAUGHTER

She did with a bit more panache.

Well done. She did it with... And there it is.

-I love the way you bit. "Have I? Have I?"

-Yeah.

We were in Tony Bennett's apartment in New York.

-Oh, my God.

-My dad thought I'd won the World Cup. This was his idol.

And it was extraordinary being shown into Tony Bennett's apartment.

You've got a piano. There's presidents on the piano.

Not literally, obviously. Pictures of them.

There's a picture of him with Sinatra. And there's...

It looks right over Central Park.

His TV is basically the view of Central Park.

But what an absolute legend he was.

-Cos I'm a big fan of all the crooners, you know.

-Mm-hm.

Like your good self.

But it's extraordinary when you're standing there

and you're chatting to a man who...

It's a phrase that's bandied around a lot, you know -

the soundtrack of our lives -

-but also a man who's lived so many lives in his 80-odd years.

-Mm-hm.

He's got a little dog called Happy

who's the fluffiest little thing ever.

No wonder it's called Happy, skittering around the apartment.

-And it was just wonderful.

-Yeah.

They're magical moments because you don't think you're paths

-are going to cross with legends like that.

-No.

What was your first break into television then, Richard?

How did you go from being interviewed,

pretending to be interviewed by Wogan to...?

To getting on the telly?

I was working for a magazine in London at the time.

It was one of its kind at the time.

It was a magazine about soap operas,

and this was my sort of work experience

when I came down from Scotland,

cos I actually started off studying law at Edinburgh.

Gave it up after about three weeks. It was a little too...

It wasn't like Crown Court - let's put it that way.

And so moved down and a phone call came into the office saying,

"We're looking for someone to come on and talk about telly

"on this new show."

It was a youth show called The Sunday Show.

It was out on Sundays, funnily enough.

Did exactly what it said on the tin.

And it was about '94, '95,

and my nickname on the show was Soapy Dick.

LAUGHTER

-That's a moniker that can stick with a gentleman.

-Yes, yes.

And so that's how it started,

and we did a sort of surreal take on the week's TV.

Well, let's have a look, shall we, at your big break?

We've got this rather heart-rending letter from...

HE LAUGHS 'Oh, no way!'

-This is you on The Sunday Show, Richard.

-No way!

Where did you find this?

Broadcast on a Sunday lunchtime,

the show gave the lowdown on what was happening

in the world of entertainment.

"..why we are so unpopular.

"I just want people to accept us the way we are, pigs and all.

"Can you help? Love always, Tina." Bless her heart.

Well, Tina, who am I to refuse a damsel in distress?

So, I've brought in a couple of media moguls

into the studio today to help boost and polish up the Dingles' image.

'I remember the shirt. Notice the sheen on it.'

And the bouff, look at the bouff, girls.

-Oh, yeah.

-It's not bad. Well, I've still got my hair at least.

So, save our bacon. And his going to...

'How old am I here then? 24?'

-You've got to be in your early 20s, haven't you?

-'Yeah.'

-'Been around a while, haven't we?'

-You have, love. Not me.

HE LAUGHS

-This was Sunday morning hangover television.

-Yeah.

That was just me presenting it, but...

-Was it nerve-racking?

-Yeah, it was. It was. It was very nerve-racking.

This is the first national live television that I did.

I did a bit of cable as a pundit before that,

and then a couple of years later,

the phone call came from breakfast TV and that was it.

I've never had a lie-in since.

I mean, I suppose the practicality of actually, you know,

getting up every morning at the crack of dawn,

how difficult is it?

Uh, do you know, it's not as bad as people...

I am a bit of a morning person.

I do like to be tucked up in my bed, the earlier the better.

But, yeah, I've been woken up by the driver once

-in the best part of 20 years, yeah.

-Oh, right.

-Yeah.

And it's like anyone who oversleeps for work -

it throws you completely.

Mum, God bless her, she's all of 79 years of age, and very robust.

-Can I touch some teak?

-Yeah, of course you can.

And it's funny, cos she'll ring up -

and I know when the call is coming

cos I'm feeling a little bit under the weather.

And about sort of ten o'clock at night

and Dad will have told her not to bother me...

You know, "Leave the boy alone."

..she'll ring up and say, "Everything all right?"

I said, "Yeah. What?"

"You looked a bit tired this morning."

I said, "Mum, you're the only woman who still knows

"what her 46-year-old son is wearing to school, effectively," you know.

So, they enjoy that,

because I'm still living with them at home, essentially,

cos they can get up every morning...

Mum's always like, "What's he said now?

"Oh, he can't say that," you know.

"Leave him alone, Dot. Leave him alone, Dot."

So, Richard, what TV do you watch now?

I don't watch a lot of television in real-time any more.

The only things I will sit down for are the big shiny floor shows,

you know, like Strictly and The X Factor,

so I tend to download a lot of television.

-But, yeah, it's all those sort of...

-What about Downton?

Downton, I love Downton.

Downton, I was on the very first series.

I was working below stairs.

I was on set for the very first series,

and that was quite extraordinary being part of that

and getting to know the cast then

and then obviously watching as the show took off,

and it's impossible to overestimate

the popularity of that show in America.

-Oh, really?

-It's extraordinary.

And to be part of every series,

to go down and visit the set every series

and get to know the cast - Dan Stevens, Michelle Dockery...

-So, you would be on interviewing the guests?

-That's right.

-And so you would be on that journey, if you like, with them...

-Mm-hm.

..cos they remember you coming to the very first episode.

That's been a real privilege,

-being part of that, albeit from a very, you know...

-Yeah.

Removed from it. That is extraordinary, that success.

Now, we give our guests a chance to choose their theme tune

-that we're going to play out.

-Oh, right. OK. Right.

So, what's it going to be?

OK, well, obviously, Dallas is too much of an obvious one,

and I hear that enough, but there is one particular theme

which I guess was the Dallas of its day

as far as we had over here.

-Howards' Way. Do you remember Howards' Way?

-Yeah.

Used to love it.

I was brought up in Hampshire, as I said,

so the fact that this was down on the Solent

and you could actually go and drink in the local pub

and all that sort of business... Not at that age, clearly, but...

-Shall we have it?

-Shall we?

-OK.

-Let's go. Take it away.

-My thanks...

-I've got to do the bye bit!

-Do you? LAUGHTER

-Yeah!

-Sorry.

-It was going so well.

-MUSIC: Howards' Way theme

Thanks to Richard, and we're going to listen to Howards' Way.

And I would like to say thank you for watching The TV That Made Me.

-Can I say bye-bye?

-Um...

Bye-bye.

Thank you. APPLAUSE

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