New article is 5 Out-of-Reach British TV Programmes I’ve Never Seen. Many of these programmes only ever aired once and, somehow, escaped being preserved on home recordings. I may never get to see them.

Cooper and Lambert have been assigned. Back to the cafe with a couple of classics and one I’m not sure if I saw.👍🏿 A great overview and reminder to rewatch even more stuff. The pile totters. Happy Day.👏🏿 🧟‍♂️ 🚸📺 🚶🏿‍♂️🎧📻

It's a YoLD bonus mini-edition covering those ten weeks in 1976 everyone's been banging on about this week. What were we watching? Drama in which nothing happens, cartoons in which everything happens, monumentally inane competitions and a touch of rabies. open.substack.com/pub/historyo...

☀️ Ray's headed out to the beach on his trike to catch some rays, and as that's over 100 miles away we're taking a little minibreak until his return. Remember to unplug your aerial if it starts thundering, or to be extra safe nip out and take it down. ☀️

Late to the party but this is good stuff. Nice to see Death is a Good Living covered as it's a gem of a series, and thanks to Una I now know that Michael Powell directed episodes of Espionage which will encourage me to dig out the DVD set. Well worth a listen.

Iconically brandishing there a classic Woods Ware Iris cup and saucer, the official crockery of @cathoderays.bsky.social , Ivy's of Holmfirth, a community centre in Ashes to Ashes and many many more.

Celebrating Sue Townsend's wit and observational genius creating #AdrianMole, it's also important to remember her passionate campaigning against poverty - as Roy Hattersley did with this lovely response to an article she wrote (which is quoted in its replies).

With a gap in the 2026 Christmas schedule for a returning children's favourite, how about a tender for plague victim prankster Nobody, a sepia psycho ghost girl, or a Happy Day of layline-fuelled psychosis?

#SapphireAndSteel, #ChildrenOfTheStones, and #NobodysHouse provide a feast of youthful 1970s TV chills for Hannah and Pete this time at Ray's... with Terrifying Children?! 💎 Podbean tinyurl.com/3a9s3bd8 🗿 Spotify tinyurl.com/2p69h7kn 👻 YouTube tinyurl.com/3w624f8y

Do CRT TV programmes contain more terrifying children than TV terrifies? Hannah and Pete have been very brave for tackling some of this week's shows.

My absolute favourite campus-life drama. It is simultaneously spot on as to what it's like to work at a university and utterly, utterly bonkers. Also, I've been on committees with all these characters.

She's on OTHER podcasts?!

Saved this for the drive home!

We challenged ourselves to give a taste of three espionage shows in about an hour, and it was a blast! As a complete newbie there was so much to take in. Head to @cathoderays.bsky.social ...but watch your back 🥷

I listened to this earlier today and I thought it was brilliant. Three series I’ve never seen (including one I’d never heard of) but now I really want to watch them all.

I massively enjoyed doing this: watched episodes of shows I’d never seen before. Plus bonus Michael Powell content!

I spy @unamccormack.bsky.social parachuting in to Ray's to talk spies! Leonard Rossiter wants to retire but Death Is A Good Living, an electrifying episode of Espionage, and the arrival of The Sandbaggers. 🥷 Podbean tinyurl.com/3a9s3bd8 ⚛️ Spotify tinyurl.com/2p69h7kn 🕵️ YouTube tinyurl.com/3w624f8y

What's that? You want MORE Leonard Rossiter than this? As you've probably never seen him before?

We're entering a suspicious world for our next episode... Here's what's coming up on Ray's specials board this week!

When you're encouraged to use AI creating an upcoming presentation at work...

We're not sure We love you ...is a lyric so deftly ambiguous and unsettling, it should've been a huge hit single! We'd love to know if a full-length version was ever recorded? Elkie Brooks absolutely takes you there. #AVeryPeculiarPractice youtu.be/04qsAE5ZuX8?...

We can neither confirm nor deny Ray’s influence on broadcasting decisions, but our latest episode has obviously gone down well.

And just like that, A Very Peculiar Practice pulls up on the iplayer - the power of Catastrophe Theory?

One of us was influenced by the music of Goodnight Sweetheart…

Had enough of this malarkey? Need a fresh start? Dive with us into 70s suburban rebirth, twisted 80s academia and 40s/90s blitz hopping! via #ReginaldPerrin #AVeryPeculiarPractice & #GoodnightSweetheart 🥸 Podbean tinyurl.com/3a9s3bd8 🩺 Spotify tinyurl.com/2p69h7kn 💣 YouTube tinyurl.com/3w624f8y

This coming week we're looking at characters who have all decided on a fresh start, somewhere else, perhaps as someone else... Here's what's on the Cathode Ray's specials board.

When #TheTripods series 1 finale rewarded our patience with the coolest TV laser battle of the 80s

Listened to this. Then I watched a show, and bought a novelisation of a missing show. So I guess I liked it!

At the Cafe with dystopian themes amongst the pastries and drink.👍🏿 Add a great trio looking at a terrific trio. I had hopes for The Tripods back in the day. At least I can try the books or listen to the score(s).🤔 Some rewatching to add to the tottering viewing pile of goodies. Fab listen.👏🏿 🚀📺 🚶🏿‍♂️🎧📻

In The Machine Stops, Out of the Unknown shows us a world where people can circumnavigate the globe in a couple of hours, but find it a rather tiresome bother.

Mission accomplished!

Southern always seemed a bit glamorous from up here in Central. Telly from places you go to on holiday!

Really enjoyed this. Well worth tuning into this if you like stuff I like. Nice, friendly presenters who discuss their choices with insight and clarity. Like being in a room with jolly enthusiasts telling you interesting stuff. Great subject matter too.

The Machines have taken over! But Conrad Westmaas @hairofthehound.bsky.social has joined the fightback at Ray's Café, as we dive into #AForAndromeda, #TheTripods and #TheMachineStops from #OutOfTheUnknown. 🌌 Podbean tinyurl.com/3a9s3bd8 🧢 Spotify tinyurl.com/2p69h7kn 🛑 YouTube tinyurl.com/3w624f8y

Tomorrow the café welcomes our first guest to the Cathode Ray's Podcast! Here's what's coming up on the specials board this week.

On the brand new Trap One🎙Podcast @drwhonovels.bsky.social, @melvinpena.bsky.social, @jeffgoddard.bsky.social & @quarkmcmalus.bsky.social celebrate The Rescue’s vinyl release with a look at this classic story: Apple: tinyurl.com/mtuxw9cb Spotify: tinyurl.com/yt3jp86h Podbean: tinyurl.com/ery97zar

Finalising tomorrow's episode with a sprinkling of dialogue clips, it's remarkable what was acceptable in the 80s...

A-grade observation

Your intrepid podcast team go to the greatest lengths to capture cathode rays for Ray.

Amazing that our comparison of #schooluniform policy at Grange Hill vs Adrian Mole's Neil Armstrong Comp vs Press Gang's Norbridge High has now been followed by publication of a new government report into the issue. Just wait until next Tuesday's episode drops... 🤖

ICYMI We opened Cathode Ray's this week! Thanks to everyone who’s joined us for a cuppa. Our first episode digs into teenage kicks, comparing #PressGang, #AdrianMole and #GrangeHill. Available everywhere now! ☕Podbean tinyurl.com/3a9s3bd8 🍰Spotify tinyurl.com/2p69h7kn 🍫YouTube tinyurl.com/3w624f8y

Toasting our first pod cast and full of future plans, cheers everybody! 🍻

Visitors to Ray’s listen at their own risk and we cannot be held responsible for causing your DVD pile to grow, or your bank account to empty.

As mentioned in our chat about Grange Hill’s (lack of) smokers, actual proof of Nick O’Teen!

Taking credit for @cathoderays.bsky.social summoning this up. What will we enable the TV universe to bring back next…?

*gasp* Have I summoned this via @cathoderays.bsky.social ?!

Were you a field trip arsonist, a naive intellectual snob, or a quipsome clever clogs? For me Adrian Mole is the most realistic depiction of adolescence because he's so completely normal... right?

Welcome to Cathode Ray's, the café where the tea is piping hot and the drama's 4:3. Our first episode digs into teenage kicks, comparing #PressGang, #AdrianMole, and #GrangeHill. Available everywhere now! ☕ Podbean tinyurl.com/3a9s3bd8 🍰 Spotify tinyurl.com/2p69h7kn 🍫 YouTube tinyurl.com/mre46fm3

My hills, granged.