Windmill (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Windmill was a British
television series, usually shown on Sunday lunchtimes on BBC2
, which ran from 26 August 1985 to 3 April 1988, presented by Chris Serle
, its name taken from the BBC television archives being housed at Windmill Road in West London at the time. It was one of the first shows fully to exploit the potential of the BBC
's archive, showing during its run hundreds of television clips from the 1940s to the 1980s, always based around a specific theme. Among the many shows represented were The Morecambe and Wise Show
, Monty Python's Flying Circus
, The Sky at Night
, Whicker's World
, Nationwide, Doctor Who
, Steptoe and Son
, Blue Peter
, and the original 1950s Watch With Mother
series. A number of clips were also shown from the television newsreels of the late 1940s.
Weekly features included a regular "Comedy Classic", always fitting with each episode's theme, and "All Your Own Work", which featured films made in the past by members of the public (often those included in earlier BBC series such as Caught in Time and "Everybody's Doing It"). Each edition also featured a studio guest, who would pick their favourites from the archives and whose own appearances would usually also be shown; Richard Stilgoe
, for example, chose a clip from Jack Rosenthal
's play The Evacuees, fitting in with the episode's "Childhood" theme, and a clip from his own series And Now the Good News was shown.
From 4 December 1988 the series was replaced by Boxpops, another archive-based series but much faster-paced and pop-orientated with no studio presenter.
Other repeats (episodes not specified in Radio Times) were on 4 April 1986, 9 October 1988, 16 October 1988 and 23 October 1988.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television series, usually shown on Sunday lunchtimes on BBC2
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
, which ran from 26 August 1985 to 3 April 1988, presented by Chris Serle
Chris Serle
Christopher "Chris" Richard Serle is a former BBC TV presenter, reporter and actor. Serle was educated at Clifton College and Trinity College, Dublin, where he studied modern languages...
, its name taken from the BBC television archives being housed at Windmill Road in West London at the time. It was one of the first shows fully to exploit the potential of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's archive, showing during its run hundreds of television clips from the 1940s to the 1980s, always based around a specific theme. Among the many shows represented were The Morecambe and Wise Show
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
, Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC TV sketch comedy series. The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines...
, The Sky at Night
The Sky at Night
The Sky at Night is a monthly documentary television programme on astronomy produced by the BBC. The show has had the same permanent presenter, Sir Patrick Moore, from its first airing on 24 April 1957, making it the longest-running programme with the same presenter in television history.The...
, Whicker's World
Whicker's World
Whicker's World is an award-winning British television documentary series that ran from 1959 to 1988, presented by journalist and broadcaster Alan Whicker....
, Nationwide, Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, Steptoe and Son
Steptoe and Son
Steptoe and Son is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about two rag and bone men living in Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC from 1962 to 1965, followed by a second run from 1970 to 1974. Its theme tune, "Old...
, Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
, and the original 1950s Watch With Mother
Watch with Mother
Watch With Mother was a cycle of children's programmes broadcast from 1952 by BBC Television which was created by Freda Lingstrom.It was the first BBC television programme specifically aimed at pre-school children, like its radio equivalent Listen with Mother that also started in 1950...
series. A number of clips were also shown from the television newsreels of the late 1940s.
Weekly features included a regular "Comedy Classic", always fitting with each episode's theme, and "All Your Own Work", which featured films made in the past by members of the public (often those included in earlier BBC series such as Caught in Time and "Everybody's Doing It"). Each edition also featured a studio guest, who would pick their favourites from the archives and whose own appearances would usually also be shown; Richard Stilgoe
Richard Stilgoe
Richard Henry Simpson Stilgoe OBE is a British songwriter, lyricist and musician. He is noted for clever wordplay as much as for his music....
, for example, chose a clip from Jack Rosenthal
Jack Rosenthal
Jack Morris Rosenthal CBE was an English playwright, who wrote 129 early episodes of the ITV soap opera Coronation Street and over 150 screenplays, including original TV plays, feature films, and adaptations.-Biography:...
's play The Evacuees, fitting in with the episode's "Childhood" theme, and a clip from his own series And Now the Good News was shown.
From 4 December 1988 the series was replaced by Boxpops, another archive-based series but much faster-paced and pop-orientated with no studio presenter.
Episode guide
- Bank Holidays (pilot episode, 26 August 1985, guest Ruth MadocRuth MadocRuth Madoc is a British actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Gladys Pugh in the 1980s BBC television comedy Hi-de-Hi!, and as Daffyd Thomas's mother in the second series of Little Britain.-Early life:...
)
- House and Home (3 November 1985, repeat 28 March 1986, guest Jan FrancisJan FrancisJan Francis is an English actress, best known for playing Penny Warrender in the 1980s romantic comedy Just Good Friends.-Early life:Francis was born at the former Charing Cross Hospital near Trafalgar Square, London...
)
- Art (10 November 1985, repeat 29 March 1986)
- Animals (17 November 1985, repeat 30 March 1986, guest Johnny MorrisJohnny MorrisErnest John "Johnny" Morris OBE ) was a Welsh television presenter. He is best known for narrating the imported, Canadian-produced Tales of the Riverbank series of stories about Hammy the Hamster, Roderick the Rat, GP the Guinea Pig, and their assorted animal friends along a riverbank and...
)
- Night (24 November 1985, repeat 11 October 1987)
- Body (1 December 1985, repeat 1 April 1986, guest Bonnie LangfordBonnie LangfordBonita Melody Lysette "Bonnie" Langford is an English actress, dancer and entertainer. She came to prominence as a child star in the early 1970s then she subsequently became a companion of Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy's Doctor Who and has appeared on stage in various musicals such as Peter Pan:...
)
- Time (8 December 1985, repeat 2 April 1986)
- Love and Romance (15 December 1985, repeat 3 April 1986)
- Christmas (22 December 1985, repeat 21 December 1986, guests John Craven and chorister Jeremy Unwin)
- Food (29 December 1985, repeat 31 March 1986, guest Magnus PykeMagnus PykeDr. Magnus Alfred Pyke was a British scientist and media figure, who, although apparently quite eccentric and playing up to the mad scientist stereotype, succeeded in explaining science to a lay audience...
)
- Transport (5 January 1986, repeat 4 January 1987)
- Childhood (12 January 1986, repeat 18 October 1987, guest Richard StilgoeRichard StilgoeRichard Henry Simpson Stilgoe OBE is a British songwriter, lyricist and musician. He is noted for clever wordplay as much as for his music....
)
- Water (19 January 1986, repeat 28 December 1986)
- Abroad (26 January 1986, repeat 7 December 1986)
- The Planet Earth (16 November 1986, repeat 1 November 1987)
- War and Peace (23 November 1986)
- The Sea and Ships (30 November 1986, repeat 15 November 1987)
- Music (11 January 1987, repeat 25 October 1987)
- Sport and Achievement (18 January 1987, repeat 22 November 1987), guest Frank BoughFrank BoughFrank Bough is a retired British television presenter who is best known as the former host of BBC sports and current affairs shows including Grandstand, Nationwide and Breakfast Time, which he fronted alongside Selina Scott.-Early life:...
- Flight (25 January 1987, repeat 29 November 1987)
- Hands (6 December 1987)
- Families (13 December 1987)
- Journeys (20 December 1987, guest Michael PalinMichael PalinMichael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
)
- The Countryside (3 January 1988)
- Cars (10 January 1988, repeated 6 November 1988)
- Skill (17 January 1988)
- Money (24 January 1988, repeated 30 October 1988), guest Valerie Singleton
- The United States of America (scheduled for 31 January 1988, postponed to 3 April 1988, repeat 27 November 1988, guest Jonathan KingJonathan KingJonathan King is an English singer, songwriter, impresario and record producer. He is also the author of three novels, Bible Two and The Booker Prize Winner , and Beware the Monkey Man , and an autobiography, 65 My Life So Far .King first came to prominence as an...
)
Other repeats (episodes not specified in Radio Times) were on 4 April 1986, 9 October 1988, 16 October 1988 and 23 October 1988.