Special effects were not generally a strength of Thames' 1970 science fiction series The Tomorrow People but it did make some good use of optical effects such as in this colourful, psychedelic image from the 1974 serial "The Blue and the Green".

Crime-writer, crime-fighter and playboy Jason King - or is it?

John Le Mesurier, Carol Lynley and Francesca Annis in "Death of an Old-Fashioned Girl", an episode of Orson Welles' Great Mysteries (Anglia). All three also had starring roles in ATV's Thriller but unlike Thriller OWGM wasn't networked & this episode appeared at various points in 1975 & 1976.

Ulster TV did not start showing UFO until Friday 29th September 1972. An overall broadcast order is impossible as most of the earlier screenings had no episode title but it it possible to identify when the "late night", "sensitive-content" episodes were first broadcast.

"The Vampire from Space" - the original name for the 1971 Doctor Who serial "The Claws of Axos". It isn't unusual in TV for stories or episodes to have originally had different titles but it's quite rare to have on-screen evidence of the original.

Colourful ident for Trident Television. Trident was a company that handled sales for both Yorkshire Television and Tyne Tees. The three prongs of the trident represented these two companies and Trident's extensive other business interests.

Nicholas Pennell, "Gail" aka Helen Worth and Bernard Kay in the Doctor Who serial "Colony in Space" broadcast in May 1971.

Thames TV ident from its earliest days in 1968, very different to its later, best-known incarnation but still accompanied by the famous fanfare. New ITV channels often had at least one ident before reaching the versions for which they are best remembered.

First broadcasts of Gerry Anderson's UFO on Grampian spanning three and a half years from mid 1971 to late 1974. This was a difficult region to compile with the show disappearing for long periods and with repeats mixed with first broadcasts. Grampian did not start colour broadcasts until 30.9.71.

The 1974 Thriller episode "Death To Sister Mary" focused on the targeting of an actress playing a nun in a TV series set in a convent. A seemingly improbable setting for a drama but it had been used in the 1967-1968 Rediffusion series "Sanctuary" starring Joanna Dunham - only one episode exists.

Listing for the episode "Nowhere for the Kids" from Series 2 of LWT's prison drama "Within These Walls", 24th January 1975. Curiously this episode is missing and it's uncertain how it happened with all other episodes of the show's five series in existence, possibly a case of accidental wiping.

Listing from September 1969 for the first episode of "Parkin's Patch", a series about ruling policing and an early YTV production. This notes that lead actor John Flanagan was himself the son of a police officer. He went on to play detectives or police in later shows such as The Sweeney & Thriller.

Actresses Barbara Mitchell and Polly James as guest storytellers on Rainbow in late 1972. The show was then its early days but lasted another 20 years. Also lasting those 20 years was its famous theme tune which was never re-recorded or "updated" as other long-running themes have been.

Listings for Ulster TV for 20th December 1973. An odd feature is the reference to "The World of Jason King" - the original name for the Jason King series but dropped before screening. The show had been on TV for two years by this time so it's puzzling the old name was used.

Sheila Fay and Sarah Greene in a publicity picture for Southern TV daytime soap "Together" (in which they played mother and daughter) as it started its run in January 1980. Sheila was a well-established actress; Sarah was very early in her career but later that year moved on to present Blue Peter.

Evening listings for HTV West on 2nd March 1973 including a very late screening for new sitcom "The Upper Crusts" starring Charles Gray about an upper class family forced by debts to move into a council house. Some other new shows ended up in graveyard slots in various ITV regions.

UFO was first broadcast in 3 areas (ATV, Border, Tyne Tees) OTD (16th September) in 1970. To mark this it's interesting to see the rank order of episodes on the IMDb. Obviously for this or any series our own preferences may be very different but it's always useful to see what others think.

A 1972 credit highlighting that Larry Grayson was appearing at the Golden Garter club in Wythenshawe - a reminder of the days when light entertainment or comedy programmes often had this or a voiceover about a star appearing in some show or venue. The Golden Garter is also long gone.

Peter Cellier & Alethea Charlton in the 1971 Shadows of Fear episode "Repent at Leisure". Two years later they appeared in the Thriller episode "Someone at the Top of the Stairs" in distinctly sinister roles. Alethea sadly died quite young in 1976 but Peter is still with us and nearing 100.

An appropriate image for this date.

OTD 50 years ago - Sunday 10th August 1975 - Grampian TV repeated the UFO episode "The Long Sleep". This is the only known example in the 1970s of that episode being shown outside a late-night slot. Grampian also repeated other episodes of UFO with "sensitive content" in that slot in summer 1975.

A rare sighting of Crown Court barristers James Elliott & Jonathan Fry (Charles Keating & Bernard Gallagher) without their wigs from the 1972 story "Euthanasia"). In the show's early days episodes started with black-and-white images of key figures connected with the story.

Sometimes a show is depicted within a show such as in an episode of YTV sitcom Dear Mother... Love Albert in 1971. Albert (Rodney Bewes) appeared on the fictional game show "Double Another". Comedy stalwart Damaris Hayman played a fellow contestant with American actor Al Mancini as quiz-master.

John Comer playing a newsagent with a nice array of chocolate boxes and sweets behind him in the Children's Film Foundation 1980 film "The Boy Who Never Was". Although best-known for his long-running role in Last of the Summer Wine he guested in many other productions.

A very appetising birthday cake made for Zippy of Rainbow back in 1991. Zippy was voiced by actor Roy Skelton who was born on this day in 1931.

Some profiles of actors who were part of the "Entertainers XI" squad for a charity game in February 1980. Plenty of familar names for the archive TV follower.

Novelisation of ATV's "Echoes of Louisa" (1981) by Gail Renard who also wrote the series, ATV's last drama for younger viewers. This was a ghost story in common with ATV's earlier "Come Back Lucy" (1978) on which she co-wrote the episodes with Colin Shindler based on the novel by Pamela Sykes.

Although best known for his central role in UFO Ed Bishop guest-starred in many British shows both before and after such as in ATV series The Cedar Tree in 1976. In the episode "Fete Accompli" (Part 2) he had a fitting part playing genial American actor Earl Mulligan who was visiting the UK.

Some UK Gold listings from 30th July 1994. This early incarnation was very valued by archive TV followers with lots of BBC & Thames shows, not just the best-known ones as followed in later times. No title for the Sweeney episode but from the synopsis it could fit almost every one!

Uncredited actors don't normally go on to have starring roles but the "David & Goliath" episode of Please Sir in 1971 featured two examples. In the background of picture 1 is Vicky Williams who starred in The Changes (1975) & in picture 2 (yellow trousers) is Tina Heath, star of Lizzie Dripping.

OTD (8th June) in 1975 the first episode of ATV Sunday drama for youngsters "The Siege of Golden Hill" notable for its depiction of gang violence, intimidation, racism, corruption and lack of opportunities. Gerry Sundquist & Billy Hamon starred, the former starred in "Soldier & Me" a year earlier.

Grant Taylor playing a senior military officer in the space-themed Doomwatch episode "Re-entry Forbidden" in March 1970 - he went on to play a similar role as General Henderson in UFO. Also appearing in that episode as themselves were presenters James Burke & Michael Aspel, both still with us.

OTD in 1975 (Sunday 1 June) LWT first broadcast the UFO episode "The Responsibility Seat" (not a repeat) & finally completed all 26 episodes which started in September 1971. Tyne Tees also give the episode its first broadcast in the same slot, completing its run which started in September 1970!

OTD (31 May) in 1972 the first episode of "Fly into Danger", the third consecutive drama for younger viewers from ATV. Although not as well-known as its predecesors "Tightrope" & "Escape into Night" it boasts not one but TWO episodes on colour tape although the five others are b / w telerecordings.

OTD (30th May) in 1973 the first episode was broadcast of ATV's "The Kids from 47A". This was a notable series in various ways - a rare example of a 1970s sitcom for kids, the first ATV kids' show to exist wholly on original colour tape & it stretched to three series & 41 episodes, ending in Oct 74.

Saturday March 9th 1974 & an undiscovered episode of Thriller called "Sign of Death"? The adjacent listing for Harlech (HTV) spoils that illusion & it's just a misprint for "Sign It Death". I'm sure Brian Clemens though could have written a Thriller episode with that "new" title!

First broadcasts of UFO on Tyne Tees. After being one of the prime-time front runners later episodes became very hard to track with the show disappearing for long periods, reappearing in new slots, new episodes mixed with repeats and so on. The last episode aired almost 5 years after the first!

First broadcasts of UFO on Westward in the far South West of England. Although Westward didn't start the show until October 1971 it then gave it a largely continuous run until June 1972 with most episodes in the familar Saturday teatime slot and the seven "sensitive content" ones shown late-night.

First broadcasts of UFO on Southern TV. Southern was one of the earlier channels to start the show in February 1971 & then had an almost continuous run of the "family-friendly" episodes in the Saturday teatime slot with the more "sensitive-content" ones airing in a late-night block in Spring 1972.

First broadcasts of UFO on HTV West. These were delayed until 16.9.72 but from that point a largely continuous run, firstly Saturday teatimes & soon after the usual late screenings of more "sensitive" episodes. Sister channel HTV Wales usually broadcast the same episode as West the following Friday.

First broadcasts of UFO in HTV Wales. Probably the most remarkable scheduling with the show delayed until September 1972 & then with all episodes starting at 11.30pm or later. On the plus side at least viewers had a consistent day of the week and time slot and an almost continuous run....

Chart showing first broadcasts of Gerry Anderson's UFO on Anglia. This looks like the best region to have seen the show, finishing in June 1971 well before others & with only one late night episode. New broadcasts were also not mixed with repeats which can mean they're missed by viewers.

Chart showing when the different ITV regions started to show Gerry Anderson's UFO with over two years separating the first regions in September 1970 and the last (Ulster) in September 1972. Most settled on the Saturday teatime slot with HTV Wales offering a remarkable variation for night owls.

Scene from an episode in 1973 of Thames sitcom for kids "Pardon My Genie". Given that this was for younger viewers the headline in the newspaper a passenger is reading is somewhat surprising but was probably missed at the time when viewers didn't have the means to pause or rewatch programmes.

Southern TV programmes for Saturday 26th June 1971 including its first broadcast of the UFO episode "Computer Affair". By this time the Saturday teatime slot had become the dominant one for the show across channels but across the 1970s it appeared at all times from morning through to midnight.

"Come Back Lucy" which debuted on this day in 1978 was based on the novel by Pamela Sykes. For a long time it was only available in the UK via a German release which re-edited it into four parts, dubbed in German but with English soundtrack available. Network released it in original format in 2022.

OTD (23rd April) in 1978 the first episode broadcast of ATV serial "Come Back Lucy" about a lonely girl struggling in her new adoptive family who is "befriended" by Alice, the ghost of an earlier girl - who turns out not to be much of a friend at all. Another well-remembered telefantasy series.

OTD (April 19th) in 1972 the first episode of ATV serial Escape Into Night, one of the best-remembered series for younger viewers of that era about a girl whose drawings seem to come to disturbing life in her dreams with the lines between dreams, nightmares and reality becoming very blurred.

"Fly Into Danger" (1972) & "4 Idle Hands" (1976) were two ATV series in the early / mid 1970s. Very unusually neither has any opening or closing music, the credits rolling to ambient airborne / workplace noises respectively. Both were produced by David Foster who may have chosen this approach.

Scene from the 1978 horror film "Terror" directed by Norman Warren. One of the film posters is for "Satan's Slave" - also directed by Norman Warren! The film "Thriller" starring Christina Lindberg was rather different to the ATV Thriller series in which actor John Nolan made a memorable appearance.