DRAMA
Radio1982
Aimed at younger viewers this drama set in a radio station was the follow up to the Southern series 'Going Out'. When TVS first went on air Coast to Coast was transmitted for a whole hour from 5.30pm, which left a fifthteen minute gap after children's programmes. Radio was created specifically to fill that gap.
C.A.T.S. Eyes1985
Jill Gascoigne reprises the role of Maggie Forbes, previously seen in the LWT series The Gentle Touch. Also staring a young Leslie Ash. The series was based around the EYES detective agency which was really a front for a Home Office Team known as Covert Activities Thames Section.
C.A.T.S. Eyes1986 New titles and a new theme tune for series 2 and 3 of the all-female crime drama.
This recording comes from a 1990s airing on Family Channel, which had taken over TVS (along with the rights to many of its biggest programmes) early in 1993.
The Heroes1988
Jason Donovan stared in this three part co-production with Australia's Network Ten. Based on the book of the same name by Ronald McKie in which a small group of Australian soldiers accomplished a daring raid on the Japanese fleet during World War II. 'Heroes II - The Return' followed two years later.
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries: Inspector Wexford1990 A highly aclaimed series of Sunday evening mystery dramas based on Rendell's Inspector Wexford and the jewel in the crown of TVS programmes. The series can now be seen on ITV3, thanks in part to George Baker who in 2000 discovered that the series had been transmitted internationally without any royalty payments.
Perfect Scoundrels1990
Peter Bowles and Bryan Murray created and started in this drama about two con men who meet and decide to form a scoundreless partnership. The series sees them take on various guises as they try to trick the people they meet out of money.
Appointment With Fear: House of Glass1990
One-off tale of the supernatural. A young couple return to the family home, only to find that the ancesters are still very much in evidence.CHILDREN'S
Art Attack1990
Already a familiar face from TVS' Saturday morning programmes, Neil Buchanan came up with the idea of an art show for children who weren't particualrly good at art. So while the BBC had Tony Hart explain the technical details CITV had Neil creating giant pictures and throwing paint filled balloons at paper. The logo was designed to the same effect made out of plasticine and designed by Dave Tasker.
The programme continued after TVS lost their franchise until 2007.
Dramarama: Rip it Up1983
Dramarama was a networked children's drama slot which most ITV companies contributed to. The idea for the show was concieved by TVS' head of children's programmes Anna Home, although Tyne Tees administered the series as they had more experience in arranging cross-franchise series for the network.
Rip It Up was the second episode in the seires and starred a young Nick Berry. Set in 1958 the story revolves around a youth club where the youth want rock and roll but only get table tennis.
Dramarama: Codzmorf1989
A magician causes havoc at home with his spells and magic word 'codzmorf'.
Codzmorf was the first episode from the final series of Dramarama. TVS produced more episodes for Dramarama than in any other ITV company. In total they made 25 individual episodes between 1983 and 1989.
Finders Keepers1991 Neil Buchanan (who else?!) gave kids the chance to mess up every room in the house in this gameshow which continued on CITV long after TVS had left the ITV network. Based on the US gameshow of the same name.
This fast-paced title sequence is set to the music of Mr. Miller & Mr. Porter.
Fraggle Rock1985 Fraggle Rock was the acclaimed children's series which featured the Fraggles that lived at Fraggle Rock. The programme was international with each country having its own inserts - in the UK TVS were responsible for bringing the programme to UK screens with scenes filmed in a lighthouse with the captain and Sprocket the dog were filmed at TVS' Television Theatre in Gillingham. The series led to a series of co-productions between TVS and the Jim Henson company later in the decade.
Sadly the whereabouts of just 12 of the original UK series of 96 are known to exist today.
Grandpa1988
Animation based on the book by John Burningham and the last animation to be directed by Dianne Jackson who directed the legendary Snowman film.
Transmitted on New Year's Eve 1989 on Channel 4 this story of a little girl voiced by Sarah Brightman who imagines a fantasy world in which she shares "adventures" with her Granpa, voiced by Peter Ustinov.
Jim Henson's The Storyteller1988 Following the success of Fraggle Rock, TVS and the Jim Henson company teamed up once again and produced this series of european folk stories. John Hurt starred as The Storyteller in the first series with Michael Gambon taking the role on for the second series based on Greek Myths.
The scripts were written by Anthony Minghella.
Knights of God1987
Science fiction drama series was set in 2020 and tells the story of a fascist and anti-Christian religious order that came to power during a brutal civil war at the turn of the milennium.
The series, written by Richard Cooper, was produced in 1985 but did not get transmitted until 1987 by which time two of the main stars Patrick Troughton and Nigel Stock had died.
Living With Dinosaurs/Monster Maker1989
TVS continued its working relation with Jim Henson for two special one-off stories in 1989. Monster Maker was adapted from a story by Nicholas Fisk and tells of a boy who is obsessed by the monsters from the movies. Living With Dinosaurs was written by Anthony Minghella and is about a boy who shares his problems with a toy dinosaur.
Both were transmitted in the UK on Channel 4 but were broadcast in America (along with The Storyteller) as part of the Jim Henson Hour.
Motormouth1992 Motormouth was the replacement for No. 73 and many of the presenters came directly from there. However unlike No. 73 (or 7T3 as the final series was known) the programme was presented as a straight-forward magazine programme. These titles are from the final series which ended mid-1992.
The first series retained a drama element called Spin-Off which was a spoof soap following the 'production staff' of the programme. For the final series the idea was again revived culminating in a wedding special ending to the series.
Mr Majekia1987
Stanley Baxter starred as a wizard expelled from Walpurgis for failing his magic exam and sent to Britland where he finds work as a teacher in the village of Much Barty.
Based on the books by Humphrey Carter and adapted by Jenny McDade.
No 731982 The opening moments of No 73 from January 2nd 1982. TVS opted to replace Tiswas (showing elsewhere on the network) with their own creation. A saturday morning programme with a difference. Instead of a studio based programme the show was presented as a drama with the main characters also acting as presenters.
There are no opening titles for the programme, the theme music is not the more famous 'Hey You' and just look at the tiny number 73 on that door. Not only would the door number grow bigger but the show did too as it began broadcasting to the entire network the following year.
No 731983
You never know what your gonna see when you go through the door with the 7-3. A more recognisable theme tune for the third series of the saturday morning programme. At this point production moved to the new Vinters Park studios, while the house didn't change at all its postcode did swap from a Southampton one to a Maidstone one.
No 73 carried on until 1988, briefly being known as 7T3 and set in a Wild West theme park until March that year.
On Safari1984
Safari, so goody! as Chris Biggins would say at the start of each programme. This was children's gameshow set in a jungle setting - it even had its own swamp although all were fitted into Studio 1 in Southampton, which features in the opening titles.
The first series was co-hosted by future EastEnders star Gillian Taylforth.
Panic Station1988
An anarchic children's science programme mixing puppets and human presenters set in a disused London Underground station.
Puppets designed by Christopher Maughan and the programme was filmed at the TV theatre in Gillingham. The programme ran for three series before making way for How 2.
Rupert1991
Animated version of the famous bear, which was animated by Nelvana in Canada. Narrated by Ray Brooks.
Once TVS learnt they had lost the franchise Scottish TV provided the UK funding for the series.
The Tale of Little Pig Robinson1990
French and Saunders, Timothy Spall and Thora Hird were just some of the star names that were made up for this charming retelling of Beatrix Potter's tale of Little Pig Robinson.
Filmed in Cornwall and produced by Dreamscape Productions for TVS.
The Telebugs1987
An animation series produced by Telemagination for TVS and broadcast during Children's ITV. 85 five minute episodes were made between 1983 and 1987 following Chip, Bug, Samantha and Mic setting out to stop the evil Baron Bullybyte afrom brainwashing young children with their video games.
Featuring the voice of Ron Moody.
Travellers By Night
Peacham's circus is closing down and the future for the animals looks bleak but Belle (played by Lisa Coleman) comes up with an idea to save the elephant.
Based on the book by Vivien Alcock who had also written The Haunting of Cassie Palmer - one of the first children's series produced by TVS.
Tugs1990
Produced by the makers of Thomas the Tank Engine, Clearwater Features.
Tugs follows two competing tugboat fleets in the 1920s Bigg City Port and was narrated by Patrick Allen. Scenes from the series were later edited into the american programme Salty's Lighthouse which was also broadcast on Channel Four.
What's Up Doc1992
This programme was actually a Scottish Television programme but as TVS had the responsibility for providing the network with the main Saturday morning show for the final few months of the franchise Scottish TV produced the show for TVS - although it was actually made in Maidstone by TVS staff - confusing huh?