Rentaghost and Worzel Gummidge Returning?
Classic children's shows Rentaghost and Worzel Gummidge could be returning to TV after rights to the programmes were obtained by a UK production company, RDF.
Nigel Pickard, from RDF, said: "We feel there is real potential for these classic brands to be reworked for a modern day audience."
Links:
BBC News
Airwolf
Stringfellow Hawke (played by Jan-Michael Vincent), a recluse who lives in a cabin in the mountains, spending most of his time alone with his priceless collection of paintings, and serenading eagles with his equally priceless Stradivarius cello. His only real friend and mentor is the older, eternally cheerful Dominic Santini (Ernest Borgnine).
Hawke was a testpilot for Airwolf, a helicopter, but it’s no ordinary helicopter, it's an advanced supersonic helicopter with stealth capabilities and a formidable arsenal. Hawke is called upon by a man code named Archangel – the leader of "the FIRM", a covert branch of the CIA that built Airwolf – to steal Airwolf back from its inventor, Doctor Charles Henry Moffet, who had taken it to Libya.
Hawke chooses not to return it. Instead, Hawke and Santini hide Airwolf in an extinct volcano. Hawke refuses to return Airwolf until the FIRM can recover Stringfellow's brother who has been missing in action since Vietnam. To take advantage of using Airwolf, Archangel offers Hawke protection from other government agencies who will try to recover Airwolf in exchange for flying missions of national importance for the Firm.
All of which is better explained in the opening description:
"This briefing is from file A56-7W. Classified Top Secret. Subject is, Airwolf.
A Mach 1+ attack helicopter with the most advanced weapons system in the air today. It’s been hidden somewhere in the Western United States by it’s test pilot Stringfellow Hawke. Hawke has promised to return Airwolf only if we can find his brother, St. John, an MIA in Vietnam.
We suspect that Archangel, deputy director of the agency that built Airwolf is secretly helping Hawk in return for Hawke flying Airwolf on missions of national concern.
Stringfellow Hawk is 34, a brilliant combat pilot. His only friend is Dominic Santini, who’s air service is the cover for their government work.
With Hawk and Santini working as a team and flying at speeds rivalling the fastest jets, maxed by unmatched firepower, Airwolf is too dangerous to be left in unenlightened hands. Finding it is your first priority."
Devised by Donald Bellisario, who had previously created Magnum, P.I. so you knew it was going to be good,
I used to have arguments over who would beat who in an airfight. My friends always chose Blue Thunder but I liked Airwolf.
Links:
IMDB: Airwolf
The Adventure Game Contestants
The following list is of all the people who were on the show:
Series 1 (1980)
1 - Saturday 24 May 1980. Elisabeth Estensen, Fred Harris, Mark Dugdale.
2 - Saturday 31 May 1980. Liza Goddard, Michael Rodd, Stephen Cox.
3 - Saturday 7 June 1980. James Burke, Maggie Philbin, Pat Cater.
4 - Saturday 14 June 1980. Denise Coffey, Dr. Garry Hunt, Toby Freeman.
5 - Saturday 21 June 1980. Paul Darrow, Lesley Judd, Robert Malos.
Series 2 (1981)
1 - Monday 2 November 1981. Graeme Garden, Carol Chell, Nicholas Hammond.
2 - Monday 9 November 1981. Madeline Smith, David Yip, Derek Gale.
3 - Monday 16 November 1981. David Singmaster, Sue Cook, Philip Sheppard.
4 - Monday 23 November 1981. Tessa Hamp, Nerys Hughes, Derek Griffiths.
5 - Monday 30 November 1981. John Craven, Bill Green, Kirsty Miller.
Series 3 (1984)
1 - Thursday 2 February 1984. Sarah Greene, Anne Miller, Richard Stilgoe.
2 - Thursday 9 February 1984. Sue Nicholls, Duncan Goodhew, Emma Disley.
3 - Thursday 16 February 1984. Sandra Dickinson, Chris Searle, Adam Tandy.
4 - Thursday 23 February 1984. Paul McDowell, Bonnie Langford, Christopher Hughes.
5 - Thursday 1 March 1984. Neil Adams, Nigel Crocket, Janet Fielding.
6 - Thursday 8 March 1984. Fern Britton, Noel Edmonds, Ray Virr.
Series 4 (1986)
1 - Tuesday 7 January 1986. Sheelagh Gilby, Ian McNaught-Davis, Roy Cane.
2 - Tuesday 14 January 1986. Barbara Lott, Johnny Ball, Liz Hobbs.
3 - Tuesday 21 January 1986. Fiona Kennedy, Ian McCaskill, David Sanderman.
4 - Tuesday 4 February 1986. Ruth Madoc, Prof. Heinz Wolff, Deborah Leigh Hall.
5 - Tuesday 11 February 1986. Joanna Munro, George Layton, Val Prince.
6 - Tuesday 18 February 1986. Heather Couper, Keith Chegwin, Adam Gilby
The Adventure Game
Three celebrity contestants were kidnapped transport by space ship (or by London Underground) to the planet Arg, inhabited by shapeshifting dragons known as Argonds, to complete a number of tasks for the entertainment of a cross aspidistra called the Rangdo!
The programme is often considered to have been a forerunner of The Crystal Maze as the celebrities had to complete tasks or games in order to achieve their overall goal (e.g. regain their crystal and return to their ship).
The show climaxed with the Vortex. Players cross a gameboard without stepping on the same point as the Vortex. The Vortex couldn't move into the players area, but players could step onto the Vortex.
Being zapped by the Vortex meant a long trip home through space on foot. Brrr.
Did you know that Moira Stewart played a dragon in the first series, before she was a news reader!
Bring back The Adventure Game!! Gronda Gronda!!
Links:
BBC: The Adventure Game title sequence
80's A-Z : A
The 80's, 10 years condensed to 26 blog posts in bullet point format...
A-Ha - Reformed and going strong apparently, but the 80's were the hayday for the Norwegian popsters.
The A-Team - "I ain't gettin' on no plane! Fool!"
Adam and the Ants - Stylised punk-pop pirates!
The Adventure Game - Gronda Gronda!!
Airwolf - A super helicopter, fantastic effects, and a great theme tune, nothing more was needed!
ALF - American sitcom about an extraterrestrial "Alien Life-Form".
Animal Magic - Johnny Morris, the voice of anthropomorphic animals everywhere.
Atari - Ok, Pong was launched in the early 70's but it was the Atari2600 home console that was in everbodies home and effectively started the home console industry.
Audi Quattro - Recently reborn as a style icon in Ashes to Ashes.
Automan - a nerdish police computer expert who creates a computer game featuring "Automan" - which came alive and helped him solve crimes!