Two Good Turns
This popular adaptation of Just William brought its own version of the 1920s to tea-time television in 1970s Britain.
Part of the enduring appeal of Richmal Crompton's Just William stories is a nostalgia for the fashions and follies of its 1920s origins. That's particularly true of this London Weekend Television adaptation, which offered light relief from the harsh realities of mid-1970s Britain.
Unfortunately, this episode is marred by the liberal use of offensive descriptions and stereotyped representations of Native Americans - reflecting attitudes that were still widespread in the UK even as they were increasingly being challenged in the US.
The episode centres around the Brown family, who, with the exception of boring Uncle Frederick, are less broad caricatures than some of the series' other characters. Adapting the tone of the book to screen presented a range of issues. Many contemporary reviewers who had been brought up on Thomas Henry's book illustrations found Adrian Dannatt's William a little too clean and tidy in the flesh - though they appreciated the more rough-and-ready version in Terry Griffiths and Pat Gavin's delightful opening title graphics.
William is shocked to discover that Ethel has a problem - she drinks!
Tags
Kid's TV
Our relationship with the small screen starts early in life, opening our square eyes to a heady mix of drama and comedy; fantasy and fact.
Dedicated children’s programming has been part of the television mix from its earliest years, growing from short intervals “For The Children” after WWII, to a plethora of standalone channels today. The start of the BBC’s long-running “Watch With Mother” series in 1953 set much of the template for pre-school television, blending puppets, song and animation, with the implicit expectation that mum - assumed to be a housewife - would supervise.
Catering for older children, meanwhile, sought to balance the kinds of programmes children want to watch with those their parents want them to see. Eventually a fuller menu of drama, comedy, factual and magazine programmes for children - in other words, versions of 'grown-up' programmes for 'small people' - came to fill the schedules of weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings.
Sadly, the segregation of children’s television to its own satellite, cable and digital channels has made its much less likely for adults to experience the frequent delights of kids’ TV. But our collection welcomes all ages! (Though please note that some programmes maybe flagged as unsuitable for young children.)
48 videos in this collection
1
2
Diane's Panda Party [28/09/72]
3
Animal Kwackers [09/10/75]
4
Witches' Brew [28/12/72]
5
Origami [09/04/70]
6
Mr. Trimble [21/02/73]
7
Gathercole Bunch
8
The Distant Voice
9
The Challenge
10
Play It Again, Stewpot [25/07/74]
11
Play It Again, Stewpot [05/09/74]
12
A Handful of Songs [27/05/77]
13
Saturday Scene Road Show [11/05/75]
14
Big and Bigger
15
Mickey the Demon Barber
16
Kevin Goes to the Library
17
Ragdolly Anna and the Bacon
18
Britain in the Year 2000
19
Delilah
20
Zzzap! [19/02/93]
21
Granny's Kitchen [26/05/77]
22
Heavens Above [23/02/81]
23
Moving In
24
Nature Trail [16/05/83]
25
Our Show [29/10/77]
26
Peter Ustinov Tells Stories from Hans Andersen
27
Quest of Eagles Episode 1 Sailor
28
Sunny Side Up [28/04/82]
29
The Children's Royal Variety Performance
30
There's Nobody There
31
Think Tank [18/08/81]
32
Two Good Turns
33
William Clears the Slums
34
Gus Hunnybun
35
One Day in the Life of Television
36
Gus Honeybun Animation
37
Gus Honeybun around Plymouth
38
Modern Music
39
Calendar Kids
40
Sus
41
School Around the Corner
42
Tots TV [19/03/93]
43
The Raggy Dolls [10/11/92]
44
Skoosh Summer Special [14/07/98]
45
Zig Zag (Prog 11)
46
Stookie [15/09/85]
47
Brushes
48