There are certain sounds that will forever live rent-free in my head. The thud thud thud of Contenders ready? Gladiators ready? The little trumpet jingle of Blue Peter and that eerie theme tune from Knightmare that made my living room feel like it had suddenly been transported to a haunted castle. Growing up in Britain, TV wasn’t just something we watched it raised us, entertained us and occasionally scarred us for life. These are some of the TV shows that shaped my childhood.
Blue Peter!
If you grew up in the UK, there’s a 99% chance you’ve tried and failed to make something with sticky back plastic because Blue Peter told you it was so easy. Blue Peter was like an after-school club on TV. You got crafts, pets (I loved the tortoises) and you got presenters who felt like your slightly cooler older brothers or sisters and let’s not forget the Blue Peter badge. That tiny piece of plastic was basically childhood royalty. If you had one, you could stroll into theme parks and museums for free, which in kid currency was priceless.
Knightmare!
Knightmare was a fever dream of a TV show and I still can’t believe it actually existed. You’d get this poor kid shoved in a giant horned helmet so they couldn’t see a thing, then their mates had to guide them through a medieval dungeon full of dodgy CGI monsters. The graphics were not good when you look back now but it was terrifying at the time. I was always shouting at the screen because the kid was about to walk straight into a pit of fire! It was basically the 80s and 90s version of a video game but on the TV and way more stressful.
Byker Grove!
This was meant to be a cool, gritty show for teens but most of us were watching it years before we were anywhere near the age of the characters. It felt grown up. The storylines were heavy with bullying, relationships, even drugs but the one that made everyone gasp was the infamous paintball incident. Poor PJ getting blinded!
Gladiators!
Saturday nights were never boring when Gladiators was on. Forget Marvel superheroes, we had Jet, Hunter and of course, Wolf, the pantomime villain who made kids either terrified or obsessed. The whole thing was way over the top. The giant cotton bud battles or Duel if we’re being proper, were everyone’s favourite. Two grown adults smacking each other while balanced on a podium. That’s quality television right there and the Eliminator course which I always wanted a go at!
Fun House!
No childhood TV list is complete without Fun House. The slime, the games, the mullet were iconic but the real dream was the go-karts. Every kid watching just wanted a go on them. The Fun House itself was basically every child’s fantasy playground, filled with ball pits, foam and prizes that were usually a Walkman or a mountain bike.
Animals of Farthing Wood!
If you know, you know. This animated show was supposedly for kids but it was more like a crash course in heartbreak. The series followed woodland animals trying to survive and reach a new home and along the way, well, let’s just say things happened. Disturbing, emotional, hide behind the cushion things. Whole generations were left sobbing over foxes and hedgehogs.
The Generation Game!
This was family TV at its finest. Bruce Forsyth was the master of cheesy jokes and audience banter and the games were always chaotic. Watching people try to make pottery in 60 seconds or dance with complete strangers was pure comedy and let’s not forget the conveyor belt finale, always with a cuddly toy!
Saturday Morning Chaos - Live & Kicking, SMTV: Live and Going Live!
Saturday mornings were something special. Forget sleeping in you had to be up early for Live & Kicking, Going Live or SMTV: Live. Between phone in competitions, celebrity interviews and sketches that were organised chaos, it was the perfect start to the weekend! Ant & Dec on SMTV: Live was comedy gold. “Wonky Donkey” still lives in my brain rent-free.
Nowadays, kids have all the streaming services where everything is on demand but there was something magical about sitting down as a family or rushing home from school to catch a show before tea.
What did you used to love watching on TV as a child?
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