What we were watching in 1976

Forty years go a population of 55 million had an 18 hour day of only three channels. Here we take a look at what was on the box on Tuesday July 20 1976.

The summer Olympic Games from Montreal were in full swing and BBC1’s schedule was altered to incorporate afternoon and late night editions of Olympic Grandstand.

As if this wasn’t important enough they even had time to interrupt this to broadcast the first pictures from Mars taken by the Viking lander.

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From 4.25 on BBC1 the listing is one that everybody over the age of 45 will recognise.

Play School

Animal Magic

Lippy Lion

Barbapapa

The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau

Sutherland’s Law

The Good Life

It was much the same over on Yorkshire Television

Whicker’s World

Jason King

The Swiss Family Robinson

Magpie

Fantastic Voyage

Crossroads

And at five minutes past seven and somewhat shadily, Husband of the Year ‘76

BBC2 featured a range of less well known but more intellectual offerings with a Tuesday Cinema at 9 o’clock and topped off at 10.40 by Johnny Mathis in concert.

A fraction of the choice that we have today but of a higher calibre? Or is it all just nostalgia?

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