1970s TV Shows

The Morecambe & Wise Show was a comedy sketch show originally broadcast by BBC television starring English comedy double-act Morecambe and Wise. It began airing in 1968 on BBC2, specifically because it was then the only channel broadcasting in colour.
The Two Ronnies was a British television comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett which aired on BBC1 from April 1971 to December 1987. The usual format included sketches, solo sections, serial stories and musical finales, many of which had our dynamic duo dressing as women. This willingness to dress up as women was rife in 70's comedy, mady particularly famous by Les Dawson and Roy Barraclough's incorrigible Cissy and Ada - a couple of northern ex-mill workers.

Here are some of the popular British Sitcoms - I've bolded my abolute faves:
Are You Being Served? (’73-’85), Bless This House (’71-’76), Butterflies (’78-’83),
Citizen Smith (’77-’80), Dad’s Army (’68-’77), Doctor in the House (’69-’70),
Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (’76-’79), Father Dear Father (‘68-’73), Fawlty Towers,
George and Mildred (’76-’79), The Good Life (’75-’78), The Goodies (’72-’76),
It Ain't Half Hot Mum (’74-’81), Last of the Summer Wine (’73-’ 01), The Liver Birds (’74-’81),
Love Thy Neighbour (’74-’81), Man About the House (’73-’76),On the Buses (’69 -’73),
Please Sir! (’68-’72), Porridge (’74-’77), Rising Damp (’74-’78), Robin’s Nest (’77-’81),
Steptoe and Son (’70-’74), Till Death Us Do Part(’65-’75), To the Manor Born (’79-’81),
Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (’73-’74), Up Pompeii (’75-’91)

And some of the UK Crime Series

Hazell (’78-’79), The New Avengers (’76-’77), New Scotland Yard (’78-’79),
The Persuaders! (’71-’79), The Professionals (’78-’79), The Protectors (’72-’74),
Raffles (’78-’79), Return of the Saint (’78-’79), Shoestring (’79), The Sweeney (’78-’79),
Target (’78-’79), Randall and Hopkirk (deceased '69-'70) , Van der Valk (’78-’79),
The XYY Man (’78-’79), Z Cars (’62-’78).

Popular US Crime Series
Baretta (’75-’78), Cannon (’71-’76), Charlie’s Angels (’76-’81),
Chips (’77-’83), Columbo (’71-’03), Hart to Hart (’79-’84), Hawaii Five-O (’68-’80),
Ironside (’67-’75), Kojak (’73-’78), Longstreet (’71-’72), McCloud (’70-’77),
Policewoman (’74-’78), Quincy(’76-’83), Rockford Files (’74-’80), Shaft (’73-’74),
Streets of San Francisco (’72-’77), Starsky & Hutch (’75-’79)

In 2004, over a million people voted for Britain’s best sitcom, and half of these were broadcast in the 70s. Here’s the top 10:

	Title	Broadcast	Votes
1	Only Fools and Horses	1981–2003	342,426
2	Blackadder	1983–1989	3282,106
3	The Vicar of Dibley	1994–2007	212,927
4	Dad's Army	1968–1977	174,138
5	Fawlty Towers	1975–1979	172,066
6	Yes Minister	1980–1984	123,502
7	Porridge	1974–1977	93,902
8	Open All Hours	1976–1985	67,237
9	The Good Life	1975–1978	40,803
10	One Foot in the Grave	1989–2000	31,410

1977 Top Thirteen

1) The Eagles - Hotel California - 05-1977
2) The Emotions - Best Of My Love - 09-1977
3) The Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do - 09-1977
4) The Bee Gees - How Deep Is Your Love - 11-1977
5) Heatwave - Boogie Nights - 02-1977
6) Andrew Gold - Lonely Boy - 05-1977
7) Carly Simon - Nobody Does It Better - 08-1977
8) Santana - She's Not There - 11-1977
9) Queen - We Are The Champions - 11-1977
10) Abba - The Name Of The Game - 11-1977
11) Elkie Brooks - Pearl 's A Singer - 04-1977
12) Leo Sayer - When I Need You - 02-1977
13) Yes - Wonderous Stories - 09-1977


And bubbling under - so many good ones this year - even a couple of novelty ones!

Fleetwood Mac – Don’t Stop - 1977 
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man - 06-1977
The Commodores - Easy - 08-1977 (Motown)
Elvis Costello - Watching The Detectives - 12-1977 (Stif)
Carole Bayer Sager - You're Moving Out Today - 06-1977 (Elektra)
Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke - 04-1977 (Motown)
Alessi - Oh Lori - 07-1977 (A&M)
Deniece Williams - That's What Friends Are For - 08-1977 (CBS)
The Jacksons - Show You The Way To Go - 06-1977 (Epic)
David Soul - Don't Give Up On Us - 01-1977 (Private Stock)
Meri Wilson - Telephone Man - 09-1977 (Pye International)
Thin Lizzy - Dancin' In The Moonlight - 09-1977 (Vertigo)
The Stranglers - No More Heroes - 10-1977 (UA)
Candi Staton - Nights On Broadway - 08-1977 (Warner)
Status Quo - Rockin' All Over The World - 10-1977 (Vertigo)
Roxy Music - Virginia Plain - 11-1977 (Polydor)
Billy Ocean - Red Light Spells Danger - 04-1977 (GTO)
The Moments - Jack In The Box - 02-1977 (All Platinum)
Mr. Big - Romeo - 02-1977 (EMI)
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Don't Leave Me This Way - 02-1977
The Floaters - Float On - 08-1977 (ABC)
Patsy Gallant - From New York To L.A. - 10-1977 (EMI)

70s Men's Fashions

The 70s saw a plethora of different styles for both women and men, the latter including such gems as Double Denim, leather Jackets, curly perms and the ubiquitous platform shoes. Status Quo were avid exponents of the double (and even triple) denim.

The so-called “Peacock Revolution” which started in the 1950s had made it acceptable for men to wear brighter colours, bolder prints and wear their hair long. While the suit continued to be a staple for many men, new, inventive styles were popularized. It started with a hippie 60s hangover – baggie tie-dye shirts and psychedelic prints, then a host of “wash and wear” synthetic materials led to many casual leisure clothes like tracksuits being worn outside of sports.

Bell-bottom trousers, characterized by a high waist, a tight fit through the thighs, and a flare beginning at the knees and extending outward, were paired with suits and wide collar shirts in varying patterns from loud florals to polka dot to checks and everything in between.

In the early 1970s, men’s fashion tried to emphasize a tall, lean figure. Turtlenecks, slim-fitting shirts, and tight-fitting flared pants all worked to popularize the silhouette. The safari suit, popularized by Roger Moore as James Bond, was a popular option in the summer: the light-coloured suit was worn belted and had large patch-pockets and came many variations of long- or short-sleeves and trousers or shorts.

Chunky cable knit turtleneck sweaters (often with matching belts or hats) preceded three-piece disco suits circa 1977’s hit flick Saturday Night Fever. As the decade progressed, the dominant menswear silhouette widened as double-breasted suits with wider shoulders and narrower legs and lapels came into fashion.

Right at the end, punk styles, as popularised by the Sex Pistols, emerged. Clothes were slashed and ripped, embellished with safety pins, zips and studs and T-shirts were printed with aggressive anarchistic slogans.

1976 Top Thirteen

Hmmm. At this point I can't decide if the large bias toward the rockier tracks is is more to do with my present-day tastes than 17-year-old me.
But my criteria when ordering the top 13 involves putting myself back in my sixth form shoes and visualising which records I actually bought (or taped from the top 20 run-down on Sunday - come on, we all did it!) and listened to while doing my homework.
Or the ones I danced around the kitchen to while making the evening meal for the family. And of course the ones I danced to in discos.


1) Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Blinded By The Light - 09-1976
2) John Miles - Music - 04-1976
3) Chicago - If You Leave Me Now - 10-1976
4) Abba - Dancing Queen - 09-1976
5) Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town - 07-1976
6) Dolly Parton - Jolene - 06-1976
7) Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon - 02-1976
8) The Four Seasons - December '63 (Oh What A Night) - 02-1976
9) Elton John & Kiki Dee - Don't Go Breaking My Heart - 07-1976
10) Gladys Knight & The Pips - Midnight Train To Georgia - 06-1976
11) Queen - Somebody To Love - 11-1976
12) The Bee Gees - You Should Be Dancing - 08-1976
13) 10cc - I'm Mandy Fly Me - 04-1976



And the ones I couldn't bear to leave out:
The Shangri-Las - Leader Of The Pack - 07-1976
Leo Sayer - You Make Me Feel Like Dancing - 11-1976
Steve Harley - Here Comes The Sun - 08-1976
The Isley Brothers - Harvest For The World - 08-1976
The Climax Blues Band - Couldn't Get It Right - 11-1976
Bonnie Tyler - Lost In France - 11-1976
Neil Diamond - Beautiful Noise - 11-1976
Candi Staton - Young Hearts Run Free - 06-1976
Sailor - Glass Of Champagne - 01-1976
The Real Thing - You To Me Are Everything - 06-1976
Robin Sarstedt - My Resistance Is Low - 05-1976
Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music - 11-1976
David Dundas - Jeans On - 08-1976
Tina Charles - I Love To Love (But My Baby Loves To Dance) - 02-1976
Andrea True Connection - More, More, More - 05-1976
Yvonne Fair - It Should Have Been Me - 02-1976
The Kursaal Flyers - Little Does She Know - 12-1976
Manuel & His Music Of The Mountains - Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto De Aranjuez - 02-1976
Paul Nicholas - Dancing With The Captain - 11-1976
Sherbet - Howzat - 10-1976