This post is a collaboration with TV Licensing (a trademark of the BBC), but all thoughts and experiences are my own.
From nostalgic memories of programmes we used to watch when we were little, shows we watch cosied up together under a blanket, the social gatherings that bring us together to watch live sport on TV, or any of those memorable TV programmes that connect us in some way, there is no question that TV leaves a lasting impression on all of us at some point on our lives.
I’ve spent a bit of time recently reminiscing about some of those moments – I think it’s probably because my kids are now teenagers with busy social lives and so time spent watching TV together is far less than it used to be. And I wanted to share the top 5 memorable TV programmes that have captured key moments in my life and evoke really strong memories for me. Perhaps you will recognise some of them and perhaps you will be able to relate to what I’m sharing. Come with me as I take you on a TV watching journey…
1. Beijing Olympics 2008
2008 was a special year and one that forever sticks in my mind. You see, on June 29th 2008 at 3.03am I gave birth to my first child. A healthy baby boy who we named Finlay. Because it had been my first pregnancy, myself and my husband had joined the local NCT group and at that group I made friends with a girl called Clare, who also ended up having a boy just a couple of weeks before I had my son.
Now, turns out Clare’s brother was none other than Tim Brabants, the Olympic canoeist. He’d previously won bronze in the K1 1000m at the Sydney Games in 2000 and was set to compete in the Beijing Olympics that summer. I’m not going to pretend I was heavily into canoeing, because I wasn’t, but when it’s someone that you kinda sorta know, in a brother of a friend kinda way, you care more right!?!
And so, on Friday 8th August 2008, my husband and I, with baby Finlay sleeping in my arms, sat down to watch Tim represent team GB in the K1 1000m canoe race. I don’t think I have ever got so excited watching a canoe race before, if I come to think about it, I don’t think I’d ever watched a canoe race before, but the atmosphere was electric. Knowing how much this meant to him, and how much it meant to Clare, made it even more intense and as Tim crossed the finish line in first place, Britain’s first gold medal in canoeing, both me and my husband leapt up off the sofa, clutching baby Finlay who by this point had very much woken up and we hugged and jumped around, absolutely ecstatic for a man we had never met and for a girl we’d only known a couple of months.
2. Ghostwatch
It’s Halloween 1992. I’m 14 nearly 15, my walls are plastered with Take That posters and my shelves are packed full of Point Horror books. I was obsessed with all things horror and stories of the unknown back then. But my parents didn’t believe in trick or treating, telling me they wouldn’t allow me to go begging round the neighbours’ and so Halloween wasn’t a particularly big deal for us. I was probably in a mood about it, and I would probably have preferred to have been up in my room watching some horror film I’d recorded off the telly on our Betamax, but that was before I had a TV in my room and so a night sat in the living room with my parents and younger brother would have to do.
As my dad flicked through the four available channels, he landed on Ghostwatch. Now, Ghostwatch was very much ahead of its time, this was before reality TV was a thing, and to my easily influenced teenage mind this was everything and more. The programme was centred around the spooky goings on in a family home in Northolt, North London, and me, along with 11 million other viewers that night, were tricked into believing that what we were watching was real. The show was hosted by Michael Parkinson, Sarah Green, Mike Smith, and Craig Charles and was basically a live broadcast of a ghost hunt – a precursor to Most Haunted if you like. This felt like groundbreaking stuff. And of course it was real, if someone on telly told us it was real, it was real. Who were we to argue when it was as convincing as it was!
The back story was that ‘Pipes’ a poltergeist figure which had been causing all the disturbances, was an evil man who had once lived in the house and was guilty of child abuse and other terrible attacks, leading him to commit suicide. Throughout the programme we would get small glimpses of Pipes in the reflection of a window or the outline on a curtain. And it was utterly terrifying. The final crescendo came when the team visiting the house took part in a seance which led to Pipes being released into the studio, making the lights go out and leaving Michael Parkinson in silence. Cue credits. No explanation, no confessions of ‘oh sorry guys we made this all up’ it was just left that this had happened and now you should all go to bed. Umm no, I don’t think I’ll ever sleep again!
It was some time before I learned that the programme was fake. It was certainly the talk at school the following day, everyone I knew had seen it, and we’d all fallen for it. But at least I then knew I wasn’t the only one not out trick or treating.
3. In the Night Garden
If you’ve got kids who are now in their mid to early teens, you’ll know all about the In The Night Garden. With characters including Iggle Piggle, Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka, and the Tombliboos, In The Night Garden is your typical successful kids TV show – it’s full of life sized brightly coloured characters, who speak absolute rubbish, do really strange things, and as an adult none of it makes any sense. But young kids just get it. And when you think about it, we had exactly the same kind of stuff when we were younger, I mean The Flumps, Button Moon, The Teletubbies, it’s all born out of utter insanity when we take a step back and try to figure out what the hell any of it means. But In The Night Garden will forever hold a place in my heart and here’s why.
My son, who is now 16 and would die on the spot if he knew I was writing about this, loved In The Night Garden. He had all the teddies, all the books, the clothes, the bedding, the bath towel, you name it this boy had it, he was absolutely merched up to the eyeballs. And every night, after he’d had his bath, he’d come downstairs in his pyjamas and slippers (In the Night Garden themed, obvs.) and would sit cuddled up next to me with his beaker of warm milk and watch that night’s adventures unfold. Now, if you’ve ever seen In The Night Garden you’ll know that they always play the same song at the end of the episode all of the characters gather round the carousel and dance along to the song. My son’s favourite character was Iggle Piggle and when he heard the first notes of that legendary song he would leap off of the sofa, dummy in mouth and would mimic Iggle Piggle’s dance – a very simple side to side sway. I think I have it on video somewhere, but I’ll save him his blushes and keep that one private.
After the dance, the characters would all go to bed and Iggle Piggle would sail away on his boat and this would mark the time that my son would go up to bed too. And it was like magic. No tantrums, no begging for more, no tears, he would just know that if Iggle Piggle has gone to bed it was time for him to do so too. And off we’d go upstairs, to brush his teeth, read a story together, and then have a cuddle before saying goodnight.
4. The Great British Bake Off
I mean we can’t have a list of memorable TV programmes without including The Great British Bake Off, right!?! I have always loved to bake. I wouldn’t say I’m pro, but I can bust out a pretty fine looking birthday cake, a decent banoffee pie, and a flippin’ amazing flapjack when I need to.
The Great British Bake Off is one of those classic, quintessential TV shows that just makes you feel good. The combination of quirky British humour mixed together with showstopping afternoon tea style bakes all presented inside a perfectly twee marquee is what great British Tv is all about.
For me, the thing that makes it so memorable, is how it connects myself and my daughter. We have a great relationship, but you know what teenage girls can be like, they have their moments, right?. And the older they get, the more they retreat into their rooms, door closed, doing their own thing. However, when The Great British Bake Off comes on, she emerges from her room, joins me under a blanket on the sofa and we sit in comfortable silence together, occasionally mmm’ing or ahhh’ing over the delicacies displayed on the screen.
5. Strictly Come Dancing
And finally, in my list of memorable TV programmes is Strictly Come Dancing. Who can forget Ann Widdicombe being dragged across the dance floor by Anton Du Beke, Ed Balls ‘dancing’ to Gangnam Style, or Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice’s stunning dedication to the deaf community, and Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse genius take on ‘Rapper’s Delight’. All of them are striking memories in their own right, yet again what comes through for me is not just the memories of the programmes, but the moments I shared with other people whilst watching them.
In our house, Saturday Strictly night’s meant getting into pj’s, lights dimmed, woodburner on, bowl of popcorn and chocolate at the ready. And there we would sit, giving judgements on what everyone was wearing as they glided down the staircase at the start of the show, saying whether we would wear them or not. Often when the dances were happening, my daughter (certainly when she was younger, pretty sure as a teenager it would be too cringe to do this now) would leap up and copy them, twirling and whirling across the living room floor. Then finally when it came to the scores, we would all grab our homemade scoring paddles, made from paper plates and lollipop sticks, and rate each dance. Yelling out in delight if we happened to say the same score as one of the judges.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this, and that it has taken you on a lovely little blast from the past. I would love to hear what 5 memorable TV programmes would make it on to your list. Let me know:
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This post was written in collaboration with the BBC TV Licensing Moments That Connect Us Campaign.
Your TV Licence lets you enjoy a huge range of live TV.
It covers you for
- All TV channels, like BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Dave and international channels – but you don’t need a licence if you only watch non-BBC channels on-demand
- Pay TV services, like Sky, Virgin Media, and BT – but these are platforms that could have both live and on-demand services
- Live TV on streaming services, like YouTube and Amazon Prime Video
- Everything on BBC iPlayer.
This includes recording and downloading. On any device.
Author Bio
Becky Stafferton is a full-time content creator, web publisher, and blogging coach. She continually strives to promote a realistic, sustainable and positive image of how to lead a healthy life. When she’s not writing she can be found running through muddy puddles, making lists of lists, having a good old moan, talking in funny voices to her dog, renovating her house in the country, and teaching others how to make money from their blogs.