This post is a collaboration with TV Licensing (a trademark of the BBC), but all thoughts and experiences are my own.
From nostalgic memories of shows we watched when we were little, shows we watched snuggled up under a blanket, the social gatherings that bring us together to watch live sports on TVor any of those memorable TV shows that connect us in some way, there is no doubt that TV leaves a lasting impression on all of us at some point in our lives.
I’ve been spending some time lately reminiscing about some of those moments. I think it’s probably because my kids are teenagers now with busy social lives, and the time we spend watching TV together is much less than it used to be. And I wanted to share the top five memorable TV shows that captured important moments in my life and bring back very strong memories for me. Maybe you recognize some of them and maybe you recognize yourself in what I share. Join me as I take you on a TV viewing journey…
1. Olympic Games in Beijing 2008
2008 was a special year that will remain in my thoughts forever. You see, on June 29, 2008 at 3:03 am I gave birth to my first child. A healthy baby boy we named Finlay. As it was my first pregnancy me and my husband had joined the local NCT group and through that group I befriended a girl called Clare who also ended up having a boy just a few weeks before I had my son.
It now turns out that Clare’s brother was none other than Tim Brabants, the Olympic canoeist. He had previously won bronze in the K1 1000m at the Sydney Games in 2000 and was due to compete in the Beijing Olympics that summer. I’m not going to pretend that I was really into canoeing, because I wasn’t, but if it’s someone you know a little bit, in a friend’s brother way, then you care more right!?!
And so on Friday 8 August 2008, my husband and I, with baby Finlay sleeping in my arms, sat down to watch Tim represent team GB in the K1 1000m canoe race. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited watching a canoe race. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a canoe race before, but the atmosphere was electric. Knowing how much this meant to him, and how much it meant to Clare, made it even more intense and when Tim crossed the finish line first, Britain’s first gold medal in canoeing, both me and my husband jumped up from the bench , we held baby Finlay, who was very awake at that point and we hugged and jumped around, absolutely ecstatic for a man we had never met and for a girl we had only known for a few months.
2. Ghost Watch
It’s Halloween 1992. I’m 14, almost 15, my walls are plastered with Take That posters and my shelves are full of Point Horror books. At the time I was obsessed with all things horror and stories about the unknown. But my parents didn’t believe in trick or treating and told me they wouldn’t allow me to beg from the neighbors, and so Halloween wasn’t that big of a deal for us. I was probably in the mood for it, and I probably would have preferred to be in my room watching a horror movie that I recorded from the television on our Betamax, but that was before I had a TV in my room and such an evening in the living room sitting with my parents and younger brother should be enough.
As my father was browsing through the four available channels, he came across Ghostwatch. Now Ghostwatch was ahead of its time, this was before reality TV existed, and to my easily influenced teenage mind it was all that and more. The program revolved around the eerie events in a family home in Northolt, North London, and I, along with eleven million other viewers that evening, was tricked into believing that what we were watching was real. The show was hosted by Michael Parkinson, Sarah Green, Mike Smith and Craig Charles and was essentially a live broadcast of a ghost hunt – a precursor to Most Haunted if you will. This felt like groundbreaking stuff. And of course it was real, if someone on television told us it was real, then it was real. Who were we to argue when it was as compelling as it was!
The backstory was that ‘Pipes’, a poltergeist figure who had caused all the disturbances, was an evil man who had once lived in the house and had committed child abuse and other terrible attacks, causing him to commit suicide. Throughout the program we got small glimpses of Pipes in the reflection of a window or the outline of a curtain. And it was downright terrifying. The final crescendo came when the team visiting the house took part in a séance that led to Pipes being released into the studio, causing the lights to go out and leaving Michael Parkinson in silence. Cue credits. No explanations, no confessions of ‘oh sorry guys, we made this all up’. It just stood that this had happened and now you all had to go to bed. Um no, I don’t think I’ll ever sleep again!
It took me some time to figure out that the program was fake. It was definitely the talk of school the next day, everyone I knew had seen it, and we had all fallen for it. But at least then I knew I wasn’t the only one not trick or treating.
3. In the Night Garden
If you have kids who are now in their mid-teens, you know all about the In The Night Garden. Featuring characters like Iggle Piggle, Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka and the Tombliboos, In The Night Garden is your typical hit TV show for children – it’s full of larger than life brightly colored characters, who speak absolute nonsense, do very strange things, and act like an adult , it all makes no sense. But young kids just get it. And if you think about it, we had the exact same kind of stuff when we were younger, I mean The Flumps, Button Moon, The Teletubbies, it was all born out of utter madness when we take a step back and try to figure out what what it all means. But In The Night Garden will forever hold a place in my heart, and here’s why.
My son, who is now 16 and would die on the spot if he knew I was writing about this, loved In The Night Garden. He had all the stuffed animals, all the books, the clothes, the bedding, the bath towel, you name it, this boy had it, he was completely made up down to his eyes. And every night, after his bath, he would come downstairs in his pajamas and slippers (with the “Night Garden” theme, obvs.) and sit next to me with his cup of warm milk and watch the evening’s events. adventures unfold. If you’ve ever seen In The Night Garden, you know that they always play the same song at the end of the episode. All the characters gather around the carousel and dance along to the song. My son’s favorite character was Iggle Piggle and when he heard the first notes of that legendary song, he would jump off the couch with a dummy in his mouth and imitate the Iggle Piggle dance – a very simple back and forth swing. I think I have it on video somewhere, but I’ll spare him his blushes and keep it private.
After the dance the characters all went to bed and Iggle Piggle sailed away on his boat and this would mark the time when my son would also go to bed. And it was like magic. No tantrums, no begging for more, no tears, he would just know that once Iggle Piggle has gone to bed, it’s time for him to do so too. And then we went upstairs to brush his teeth, read a story together and then cuddle for a while before saying goodnight.
4. The great British bak-off
I mean, we can’t have a list of memorable TV shows without The Great British Bake Off, right!?! I have always liked to bake. I wouldn’t say I’m a professional, but I can make a nice birthday cake, a decent banoffee cake, and a great flapjack when the need arises.
The Great British Bake Off is one of those classic, quintessential TV shows that just makes you feel good. The combination of quirky British humor mixed with breathtaking afternoon tea style bakes, all presented in a perfect twee marquee, is what great British TV is all about.
What makes it so memorable for me is the way it connects me and my daughter. We have a great relationship, but you know how teenage girls can be, they have their moments, right? And the older they get, the more they retreat to their rooms, close the door, and do their own thing. However, when The Great British Bake Off starts, she comes out of her room, joins me under a blanket on the sofa and we sit together in comfortable silence, occasionally mmmming or ahhhing over the treats on the screen. are displayed.
5. Come and dance strictly
And finally, Strictly Come Dancing is in my list of memorable TV shows. Who can forget Ann Widdicombe being dragged across the dance floor by Anton Du Beke, Ed Balls ‘dancing’ to Gangnam Style, or Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice’s stunning dedication to the deaf community, and Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse on ‘Rapper’s Delight’. These are all striking memories in themselves, and yet for me it is not just the memories of the programs that come to mind, but also the moments I shared with other people while watching them.
In our house, Saturday evening strictly speaking meant putting on pajamas, the lights dimmed, the wood-burning stove on, a bowl of popcorn and chocolate at the ready. And there we were, at the beginning of the show, passing judgment on what everyone was wearing as they slid down the stairs, saying whether we were going to wear them or not. When the dances were happening, my daughter (certainly when she was younger, pretty sure it would be cringe-worthy as a teenager to do this now) would often jump up and copy them, spinning and whirling around the living room floor. When it finally came to the scores, we all grabbed our homemade scoring paddles, made from paper plates and lollipop sticks, and rated each dance. We would scream with joy if we happened to say the same score as one of the judges.
I hope you enjoyed reading this, and that it took you back for a nice little blast from the past. I’d love to hear what 5 memorable TV shows would be on your list. Let me know:
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This post was written in collaboration with the BBC TV Licensing Moments That Connect Us campaign.
With your TV license you can enjoy a huge range of live TV.
It covers you
- All TV channels including BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Dave and international channels – but you don’t need a license if you only watch non-BBC channels on demand
- Pay TV services, such as Sky, Virgin Media and BT – but these are platforms that can offer both live and on-demand services
- Live TV on streaming services, such as YouTube and Amazon Prime Video
- Everything on BBC iPlayer.
This includes recording and downloading. On any device.
Author biography
Becky Stafferton is a full-time content creator, web publisher and blogcoach. She continually strives to promote a realistic, sustainable and positive view of how to live a healthy life. When she’s not writing, you can find her running through muddy puddles, making lists, moaning, talking to her dog in funny voices, renovating her country house, and teaching others how to make money from their blogs.
