Yes, the God slot initially ran 6-15-7.25, then from 1977 to 1992 it was 6.40-7.15. Why they didn't choose to start or end it on the hour, heaven knows.
Just quoting this bit so everyone can appreciate the great pun
In my memory 7:15 on ITV was always a half hour programme, either a quiz or sitcom - Family Fortunes and The Two of Us spring to mind for that slot.
The Muppet Show ended up networked at 7:15 Sundays, although I seem to recall the first series, was all over the place in different ITV regions ?
Southern had it at about 3:30 on Sundays ISTR ?
I can say with 100% certainly say that The Muppet Show, at one point anyway, was shown at 7pm on a Friday evening in the Southern region. I know this because it was the one and only time I passed as ‘satisfactory’ a reel of commercials as being technically ok when in fact it had a mis-splice in the middle of it. The break in question was the centre break in the Muppet show. Being slightly concerned I made a point of watching the break in question at home - and of seeing a colleague back at work racking the opening optical into the break to get it right. I got the phone call at home about 5 minutes later.
I have been reading a lot about Sunday schedules of the past, and before 1972 there were very strict rules in place of what could be broadcast and when on a Sunday.
For example by the mid 1960s (1966 as an example) the broadcasting authorities permitted only 15 hours of regular programming to air over Saturday and Sunday, amounting to 7.5 hours per day. Anything else that the BBC or ITV wanted to air had to be either exempted programming such as adult education, Welsh language programming or religious programmes - or live outside broadcasts which mostly covered sport on a Saturday, with Grandstand on BBC One and World of Sport on ITV eating up a fair dollop of the permitted 300 hours per day of outside broadcasts allowed.
On a Sunday, there could be no general entertainment until at least 2.30pm at the earliest. The mornings and into the afternoon were restricted to adult education and religion, with ITV forced (as it was put) to air a 75 minute religious outside broadcast at 11.00am, with Sunday Session adult educational programmes aired before or after it.
BBC One back in the sixties used to air adult education 9.00am - 10.30am, religious service 10.30am - 11.30am, more adult education from 11.30am - 1.00pm, followed by a break until around 2.30pm for Sunday lunch.
The 6.15pm - 7.25pm "closed" period was a compromise made between the broadcasters, the church and the broadcasting authority, to ensure if people wanted to attend a Sunday evening service, they would not miss anything on TV, and for the housebound they could have their religious spirit satisfied with the television output.
ITV did not enjoy these restrictions, as Sundays was a very good day for advertising, as Monday morning all the shops were back open again.
Well it was a different era then, and religion/going to church was more of a thing than it is now, in fact it was pretty much expected you went to church on a Sunday morning. But of course these days church attendance as a regular thing has fallen through the floor and I would not be surprised if most people these days only ever set foot in a church/chapel as part of a funeral, marriage or a baptism, or at Christmas (and maybe Easter).
Indeed up until 1969 I think it was it was the law to drag your backside to church on Christmas Day come hell or high water, as per a law from the 16th century. Whether it was actually enforced is another matter, and of course back in the days of Oliver Cromwell there was no Christmas at all.
I think there was quite a lot of controversy about the idea of an EastEnders omnibus airing on ‘the Lord’s day’ when it all started in Feb 1985, even though it was only in the daytime (I think the omnibus stayed at 2pm for years and years).
I've always felt if they ever brought back Crossroads again it would do very well as a 1970s period drama on a Sunday night. A kind of 1970s Heartbeat, set in the motel with some of the more popular characters revived.
Those magical Sunday teatimes in late 1988 watching The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
That's the sort of thing I miss, those afternoon fantasy family dramas. Stig of the Dump was one. Mackenzie Crook's Worzel Gummidge is a bit of a throwback to that sort of thing.
News Review and the Money Programme here, and their memorable theme tunes. And as others have said, the 10pm "adult comedy" on ITV later on.
News Review seems quite quaint by the pacey standards of contemporary TV journalism, though I wonder if such a programme would work now.
I wonder how many careers in finance or financial journalism began because of parents putting BBC2 on to swerve Songs of Praise or Highway and ending up with this cool theme (first used in the 1964 film The Carpetbaggers, I've just found out through searching for it).
Those magical Sunday teatimes in late 1988 watching The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
That's the sort of thing I miss, those afternoon fantasy family dramas. Stig of the Dump was one. Mackenzie Crook's Worzel Gummidge is a bit of a throwback to that sort of thing.
Those magical Sunday teatimes in late 1988 watching The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
That's the sort of thing I miss, those afternoon fantasy family dramas. Stig of the Dump was one. Mackenzie Crook's Worzel Gummidge is a bit of a throwback to that sort of thing.
Hasn't some of this become a bit more high-end and prime time in recent years? His Dark Materials feels like a successor to that kind of thing.
Basically kids shows that were too good and too expensive for the children's slot. The Borrowers and Just William are two I remember, and IMO it would be good to see more of that sort of thing outside Christmas.
At the other end of the night ITV had Spitting Image at 10pm, and I remember Hardware too about a decade later, and I think Tarrant on TV sometimes aired in that slot, but presumably there are a few forgotten efforts too.
