Down Memory Lane (Or 80s Kids TV)

This week I have decided to take you on a trip back to my childhood and the TV programmes I like to used to watch. I've probably at least mentioned some of these before.

I can spend ages on YouTube clicking on random videos and singing along to theme tunes such as Dogtania and Danger Mouse.

If I just listed them all you’d be here til Halloween so I thought I’d just give you four of my favourites (and their theme tunes). The great thing about the first two is that the opening credits explain what it is about… for those of you who are unaware of the 'plot'.

These aren’t in any particular order… except for the last one which is was my favourite.

First up we have the plasticine marvel that is The Trap Door… which me, my brother and my sister still quote to this day. When we were younger one episode of this seemed to last about half an hour, when in reality they only last about five minutes each.

Then we have Count Duckula – voiced by the same person as Danger Mouse – David Jason. In fact Count Duckula actually appeared on Danger Mouse before he got his own show.

I don’t know how widely distributed (is that the word I’m looking for?) The Trap Door and Count Duckula were outside of the UK. But the next one (and then the last one) should be ones that non-UKers will recognise. In fact they really ought to be recognised. If you’ve never seen these (or the movies) well you’ve just never lived!

So next up is The Real Ghostbusters. So called because there was another cartoon called Ghostbusters which looks as though it was kind of like Scooby-Doo (I don’t know for sure as I haven’t watched it - Ghostbusters that is, I've seen Scooby-Doo).

And last and most importantly we have the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles – note the Hero part of that. Here in the UK we did not have Ninja Turtles but Hero Turtles. And so the parts of the theme song that include the word ninja were replaced with the word hero or fighting (and it is the version that I sing in my head when I hear the theme tune).

I couldn't find a clip of the original opening credits that was embedable so I'm afraid this one is just a picture :( But I did find a rock version :)

Not that I’m in anyway childish but I do happen to have t-shirts with all these programmes on except for The Trap Door – but my brother has a t-shirt with that on so it’s all good.

And I do happen to have all of The Trap Door and Count Duckula on DVD. I also have a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DVD but I can’t remember how many episodes are on that. And on my special edition of Ghostbusters 1 & 2 there are two episodes of The Real Ghostbusters. Each episode links in some way to one of the films.

They don’t make kids TV like they used to!

And don't forget about Tim Brannan's Monstrous Monday Blogfest on... err... Monday - there's still time to sign up.