On Reflection: Getting comfort from the television classics

There’s nothing like a trip down memory lane to help get you through a global pandemic.

Fortunately, our terrestrial television schedules are jam-packed with ‘classics’ – a fancy word for repeats – so it isn’t hard to find

programmes from yesteryear.

I have found great comfort in re-watching Friends most days.

Yes, it’s almost got to the stage where I can quote huge chunks of it, but I’m still enjoying it and laughing along. Thank goodness there’s 10 years’ worth of it to watch!

Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow on Saturday nights revived a selection of family favourites from the ‘80s and ‘90s.

We were treated to re-vamped versions of Play Your Cards Right, The Price Is Right, Take Your Pick, Strike It Lucky and Bullseye.

I’d forgotten how much I loved these shows.

I know the originals are probably lurking somewhere on Challenge (Freeview 46, if you’re interested), but I haven’t seen most of them since back in the day when they were fronted by gameshow-host legends Bruce Forsyth, Leslie Crowther, Des O’Connor, Michael

Barrymore, and Jim Bowen.

But despite this, I still knew all the catchphrases and could shout them back to Alan... ‘You get nothing for a pair, not in this game!’; ‘Higher, lower, freeze!’; Come on down!’; ‘Open the box!’; ‘What is a hot spot not? A good spot!’; ‘Keep out of the black and in the red, there’s nothing in this game for two in a bed!’ and doubtless countless more.

These programmes, along with The Generation Game and Blankety Blank on BBC1, were shows the whole family watched together.

Our choice of channels was admittedly limited – oh, I can recall the genuine excitement when Channel Four arrived – but not only did they unite families, the whole country was united in watching them too.

They were far simpler times.

Right, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to watch The Golden Girls (Channel Five, weekdays, lunch time), *sings* ‘Da, da, da, dah, Thank you for being a friend...’