Help identifying two late 1980’s - Kids TV Shows

Jaygon2009

It’s possible that neither show was European- produced but both shows were certainly broadcast in the UK and Ireland in the late 1980’s.

1. A series which featured a bearded narrator, sitting by the fireside and who introduced a story in each episode.

2. An episode which I believed to be from the Australian- Around The Twist series (but seemingly not) whereby a family win the lotto by means of inviting some sort of wish-maker/genie into their home only to subsequently offend it. In anger it eats the winning ticket at the celebration party, leaving the ungrateful family penniless.

Any suggestions?

Hangdogroad

The first sounds like it could be one of the short slots Eddie Lenihan would do on RTE. It went through a couple of name changes but was basically the same concept. There's a couple of episodes online of when it was called the Storyteller. About a year or so later it changed its name to Ten Minute Tales, the music for the opening and closing of that version was the main theme from the film Betty Blue

https://youtu.be/JxWTcJQfnSY

Jaygon2009

Thanks for the response!

’Storyteller’ might be one of those occasions where separate memories have been jumbled together.

I did initially think of the title ‘Storyteller’ and upon doing a search this morning came up with the US series : Jim Henson’s ‘The Storyteller’ with John Hurt.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gDCOoJSeEc4

I had thought this to be the correct series except for the fact that I remembered the narrator had been similar to Hagrid from the Harry Potter series rather than this Jim Henson puppet-style presenter.

Looking at the Irish ‘Storyteller’, I may have jumbled memories of the two series together.

Jaygon2009

The second one is much more frustrating!! I definitely saw it repeated more than twice in the very early 1990’s.

I was sure it was an episode of Around the Twist but can’t find anything that matches

Jaygon2009

This is still bugging me 12 months on! The more I think about it, the more I think it was a UK production. Possibly an episode of Dramarama or something.

An episode which I believed to be from the Australian- Around The Twist series (but seemingly not) whereby a family win the lottery by means of inviting some sort of wish-maker/genie into their home only to subsequently offend it. In anger it eats the winning ticket at the celebration party, leaving the ungrateful family penniless.

Weird as it was, it had a lighter tone and was most likely aimed at kids.

Resurrecting this thread in the hopes somebody might have some ideas.

Hangdogroad

Second one could have been an episode of Dramarama. It used to be shown on RTE in a slot on Action Station Saturday but I'm pretty sure they just showed the final series or possibly the last two. They didn't show the very early series anyway.

Jaygon2009

Dramarama is a really good suggestion. This was a series that also had the same tone as ‘Around The Twist’, which I initially believed to be the series/programme I had remembered.

I guess I need to hunt down some episode guides. IMDB info is incomplete for many episodes.

NewbridgeIR

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120704463#Comment_120704463

Here's the episode guide for Dramarama

Network Distributing released two DVDs. The first was all the Thames productions while the second was everything shown under the Spooky banner (1983)

Both DVDs are long OOP. Unfortunately prices are likely to rise given that Network collapsed in recent weeks.

What you're looking for is not on the Spooky series and I don't recall it from the others I have seen. Given that it was made from many franchises within the ITV network, what was broadcast in Ireland (RTE and HTV) was sporadic.

Spooky (1983)

1 War Games with Caroline

2 The Exorcism Of Amy

3 The Danny Roberts Show

4 The Ghostly Earl

5 In A Dark, Dark Bix

6 The Restless Ghost

7 The Keeper

Series One (1983)

1. Mighty Mum and the Petnappers (TVS)

2. Rip It Up (TVS)

3. Venchie (Tyne Tees)

4. Jack and the Computer (TVS)

5. Because I Say So (Central)

6. Bully for Cosmo (Central)

7. Messages (Tyne Tees)

8. The Young Person's Guide to Getting Their Ball Back (TVS)

9. Sweet Revenge (Central)

Series Two (1984)

1. Night of the Narrow Boats (Central)

2. Fowl Pest (TVS)

3. Dodger, Bonzo and the Rest (Thames)

4. Que Sera (TVS)

5. Stalemate (Central)

6. Snoop! (Thames)

7. Mr. Stabs (Thames)

8. Josephine Jo (Central)

9. The Purple People Eater (TVS)

10. On Your Tod (Thames)

11. The Old Firm: Two for Starters (Granada)

12. Rachel and Rosie (TVS)

Series Three (1985)

1. Easy (TVS)

2. The Coal Princess (Tyne Tees)

3. Look at Me (Central)

4. The Young Person's Guide to Going Backwards in the World (TVS)

5. The Audition (Tyne Tees)

6. The Universe Downstairs (TVS)

7. A Proper Little Nooryeff (Central)

8. Frog (TVS)

9. Private Eye (Scottish)

10. Emily (TVS)

11. Silver (Scottish)

12. The Golden Conch (HTV)

13. Purple Passion Video (HTV West)

Series Four (1986)

1. The Come-Uppance of Captain Katt (TVS)

2. A Couple of Charlies (Central)

3. Wayfarers (Scottish)

4. Play Acting (HTV)

5. Last Days at Black Bert's (TVS)

6. Maureen Reid, Where Are You? (Scottish)

7. Flashback (HTV West)

8. Direct Action (TVS)

9. Waiting for Elvis (Scottish)

10. Just a Game (TVS)

11. Flyaway Friend (Tyne Tees)

12. Pig Ignorance (Thames)

13. Jessie's Place (Thames)

14. Frankie's Hat (Thames)

Series Five (1987)

1. Cannondrum (TVS)

2. Snap (TVS)

3. The Horrible Story (Thames)

4. My Friend Julie (Thames)

5. The Creature Beyond Torches' End (TVS)

6. My Mum's a Courgette (Scottish)

7. Brainwaves (Scottish)

8. Undertow of the Armada (Ulster)

9. Stan's First Night (Scottish)

10. Living Doll (TVS)

11. Peter (Central)

12. The Halt (Central)

13. Mr Magus is Waiting for You (Thames)

14. Tam (HTV West)

15. A Spirited Performance (HTV Wales)

16. Badger on the Barge (Border)

Series Six (1988)

1. Forever Young (Granada)

2. The Macramé Man (Scottish)

3. The Wrong Button (Central)

4. Bubbles (Granada)

5. Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night (Granada)

6. Big T for Trouble (Tyne Tees)

7. Room for One More (Scottish)

8. Making Waves (TVS)

9. Just a Normal Girl (Husson Productions for Central)

10. Now You See Them (TVS)

11. Bogeymen (TVS)

12. The Alien (Border)

13. The Secret of Croftmore (Scottish)

14. The Bubblegum Brigade (HTV)

15. Playing for Wales (HTV Wales)

16. Snap Decision (Husson Productions for Central)

Series Seven (1989)

1. Codzmorf (TVS)

2. Ghost Story (Granada)

3. Badger (Granada)

4. Back to Front (Yorkshire)

5. Monstrous (HTV Wales)

6. The Pisces Connection (HTV West)

7. Rosie the Great (Teliesyn Productions for Thames)

8. Snakes and Loofahs (KPO Ltd/Border)

9. Just Wild About Harry (Tyne Tees)

10. Mitchin (TSW)

11. In the Pink (Husson Productions for Central)

greenspurs

A bit of a derail...

But your post made me remember the series "Tom Grattans War"....

https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1960s/tom-grattans-war/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX6_qfSG6uw&t=18s

I remember watching it on Action Station Saturdays (?) , or was it a stand alone programme on Saturday morning?

I loved it as a young lad.....

Hangdogroad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120829233#Comment_120829233

Originally produced by Yorkshire Television between 1968 to 1970. RTE have reran it a good few times. First saw it on RTE 1 circa 1980