Shows that people forget or get lost in time

Yes the episode that included a very early appearance by Michael Barrymore so pops up on clip shows now and then


Superstore is probably the least fondly remembered of the 4 big Saturday morning shows, but it's hardly long forgotten or obscure. I think it has the same problem as Noels Saturday Roadshow in that it came between two other similar shows that made more of an impact and are therefore better known.

INTERESTING FACT (PERHAPS): I did a bit of research into that recently and there were actually two episodes from the Play School set, but the other one's been wiped. That was the same strike that also led to this...

The Saturday after this edition originally went out, The Late Late Breakfast Show was broadcast live from the #TOTP set. pic.twitter.com/bMv0TtKbS3

— BBC Four (@BBCFOUR) May 12, 2017

Despite what Cheggers said in the doc, it wasn't Wet Wet Wet's first TV appearance on SuperStore, they were on The Tube as an unsigned band in 1986, but it was probably the first time they did Wishing I Was Lucky on the telly. The OBs did become more adventurous during the run of Saturday mornings, the early Swaporamas were incredibly primitive and literally just swapping, but even by the end of the run of Swap Shop they were having bands and guests on them.

I remember seeing an episode of Blue Peter as a kid that was just the three presenters sitting on cushions in a bare studio. Presumably the same strike?

Odd considering it was one of the programmes with the least scenery

I vaguely remember that when Newsnight first started (1979 ?) (which was a struggle involving various union issues) there was not a Friday edition for a few months, because it shared Swapshop's studio ?

Happened a couple of times. There was a strike in September 1980 where they did two shows in a completely empty studio, the same strike that saw an episode of Top of the Pops, as seen on BBC4, which was just videos and repeats linked by Simon Bates in front of some lights.

And then there was a long-running strike in 1983/84, which began in November with those issues with SuperStore and the Late Late, and then in February 1984 there was a dispute which lasted for six weeks which meant numerous shows had to double up sets. We've just seen the half dozen episodes of Pops on BBC4 which were filmed on a much smaller temporary set, I think because they couldn't remove the audience seating, and the set for The Laughter Show stayed up in Studio 1 for several weeks so they had to record loads of shows on it, including A Song For Europe.

And the strike also led to this...

Breaking news: tonight’s #TOTP from February 1984 was affected by a scenery workers’ strike at the BBC. Even Blue Peter had to rough it. pic.twitter.com/w7MJ69iVs5

— BBC Four (@BBCFOUR) July 6, 2017

If you hadn't noticed, it is certainly worth following BBC4 on Twitter.

Not sure on that - wouldn't Newsnight have been at Lime Grove in 1979? Could the problem have been with Grandstand rather than Swapshop?

In the 1979 Christmas Tape, Frank Bough explains that he is in the Nationwide studio to record his greeting to the VT engineers due to an indistrial dispute. Not sure whether that is genuinely the case or just a throwaway gag.

I can't remember, it might have been. It took ages for Newsnight to finally launch, I think
the problem centred around whether it should come under 'news' or 'current affairs'
Back then the two departments were quite separate, with news living at TVC, and CA living at Lime Grove.

Saturday Superstore is probably best remembered for the Matt Bianco phone-in incident.

The other well worn bit of footage from it is Maggie Thatch reviewing music videos.

Did Maggie's approval for one band on that show actually kill them off?

On the very first edition of Saturday Superstore, Mike Reid was surprised when Elton John called in from Los Angeles, at about 3am LA time!

The one that's always shown was Pepsi & Shirley, and they were never going to have the longest of musical careers!