Some updates...

I don't really write on here much these days as most of my traffic and interactions come from Twitter and Facebook but in true old school style, I thought I'd write a blog post. 

2022 saw no regular podcast series in the Autumn as has been the case for the last few years. This was due to two reasons, firstly my mental health had taken a bit of a bad turn and I just didn't want to overload myself with projects and work. Secondly I actually found it very difficult to get anyone on board to take part. With lockdowns somewhat over, everyone is playing catchup and is busy I guess!

So what does 2023 bring, well the first week of January was certainly a busy one with a lot of anniversary's. Firstly we had CITV's 40th anniversary, fans of CITV will remember that in 2003 and 2013 that there were big celebrations on TV to mark the 20th and 30th. However, disappointingly (but not surprisingly) there was nothing this time around. So it was up to the nostalgia anoraks to do something, I was really busy with another project so just quickly chucked together a compilation of idents. However HalfbrickVHS did a week of clips from his VHS collection, so do check out that. 

Tots TV hit 30 years on January 4th and I had nothing really planned for it, I was just going to do a post on my social media feeds with some photos. I am still in touch with Robin Stevens (who played Tom) after our Rosie and Jim chat a while ago. We managed to organise a video call and this is what was created...

The big anniversary for me was the 30th of Zzzap! I had spent a month or so working on it nearly everyday and wanted to cram as much material as I could. The end product was this 25 minute documentary which I am incredibly chuffed has been well received by fans and production crew. Even if it does feature a cameo from me doing some terrible Zzzap! style acting!

The future of the podcast is still a bit uncertain. I have a few irons in fires currently about potential interviewees. I am finding that my wish list is getting shorter and everyones way more busy than 2 years ago. So it may be a case that interviews are more sporadic instead of a series. I'm going to see what I can get recorded in the next 2-3 months and go from there. 

Jack's Throwback Attack Podcast - A Chat With Steve Ryde

 

I recently announced via my social channels that I'll be taking a bit of a break and a full podcast series won't happen this autumn/winter like it normally does but I hope to start up again in 2023. However, I had recorded one interview in March of this year and I didn't want to save it for a whole year. It's too good not to let out! So here is a one off special interview with Steve Ryde. 

You can also listen to the chat on Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 

In the chat we talk about Steve's time with the Central Television Junior Workshop where he appeared in Your Mother Wouldn't Like It and Palace Hill between 1985 and 1991. 

Between 1993 and 1998, Steve voiced the out-vision continuity pres links for CITV live for 5 days a week, nearly every week. Sometimes he'd appear in the promos too, donning many daft outfits. He'd take a few weeks off to film Wizadora where he played Tatty Bogle the scarecrow, taking over the role from Joe Greco. 

Steve as Tatty Bogle with Wendy Van
Der Plank as Wizadora.

In May 1998, CITV underwent a big relaunch and returned to in-vision pres continuity. Steve was chosen to be the producer and was responsible for choosing Stephen Mulhern and Danielle Nicholls to be the new faces of CITV. 

In the early 2000's, Steve moved to CBBC where he devised Dick and Dom in da Bungalow and leant his vocal talents to commentating every single games of Bogies.

Steve's other CBBC credits include devising the likes of The Slammer, Chute, Hoopla, The Legend of Dick and Dom and the revival of Crackerjack. 

Jack's Throwback Attack Podcast - S4 E7 - A Chat With Dave Chapman

It's the final podcast of the fourth series and to finish it off I have a chat with the awesome Dave Chapman. 

Jack's Throwback Attack · S4 E7 - A Chat With Dave Chapman

You can also listen to the chat on Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 

Dave Chapman is an actor, puppeteer and voice artist who has an incredibly long CV. The main highlights we go over in this chat is Dave's beginnings in puppetry with the Jim Henson Company in the 1990's and then perhaps Dave's best known puppetry work which is Otis the Aardvark on CBBC which he did for five years. 

After that we discuss Dave's work on Dick and Dom In Da Bungalow where Dave did a whole range of roles from puppeteering 'The Neighbours Cat' and pretending to be various gameshow hosts. Dave continued his working relationship with the Da Bungalow team appearing on The Slammer and The Legend of Dick and Dom. 

We also discuss his work on the surreal Tiny and Mr. Duk's Huge Show and The Baked Potato Song on Shooting Stars. 

More recently Dave has worked on Star Wars and The Dark Crystal Age Of Resistance and currently works on CBBC's Saturday Mash Up as Stanley. 

A big thanks to everyone that has enjoyed yet another series of this podcast!

Jack's Throwback Attack Podcast - S4 E6 - A Chat With Chris Jarvis

 After a bit of a break I am back with a new podcast, this time I am chatting with Chris Jarvis.

 

Jack's Throwback Attack · S4 E6 - A Chat With Chris Jarvis

You can also listen to the chat on Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 

Chris has been a part of kids TV in the UK for 30 years. Starting in the early 90's as a continuity presenter on Children's BBC, presenting links from the broom cupboard. After a few years he appeared on the likes of The Friday Zone, Fully Booked and Playdays. 

During the early part of the 2000's Chris appeared on CITV as the second host of the adventure gameshow Jungle Run which he presented for two series. As well as voicing Amber and Scarlett plus Hot Rodney on the animated show Dream Street. 

Around the same time he also appeared as both Sad Man and Bad Man in the Channel 4 learning series Maths Mansion. 

Since it's inception in 2002, Chris has been a regular face on Cbeebies. Starting off a continuity presenter and then creating and presenting the hugely successful Show Me, Show Me and writing Old Jack's Boat which starred Bernard Cribbins. 

Chris can be found on Twitter and also runs Little Radio. 

Jack's Throwback Attack - S4 E5 - A Chat With The Cast of Rosie and Jim

Seeing as it's Christmas time I have a special podcast for you. My first ever interview with a group of people in fact, the cast of Rosie and Jim!

Jack's Throwback Attack · S4 E5 - A Chat With The Cast of Rosie and Jim

You can also listen to the chat on Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 

In this interview I chat with Rebecca Nagan and Robin Stevens who puppeteered Rosie and Jim and also Neil Brewer who presented the show between Series 5 and 8. 

I originally interviewed Rebecca in 2019 about her career in puppetry and after this chat asked if it would be possible to speak with Robin. We were put in touch with each other and an interview was agreed but for a while we couldn't find a mutual free time to do it as Robin now lives in America and also runs a cider business. Also Covid-19 happened soon after which delayed it further. 

Fast forward to 2021 and I decide to try and ask again, Robin had the great idea of having everyone take part. He was in touch with Neil as well, so a group chat was created and this very interview was organised. 

Originally I was intending for this one to have a visual element as well as the normal audio podcast as we all spoke with our webcams turned on and I did record the video and audio. Unfortunately afterwards I discovered the video side hadn't recorded properly and lagged really bad. Fortunately the audio recorded absolutely fine so this is presented as a normal podcast. 

In this interview we discuss how each person became involved with the show. Favourite memories and episodes and memories are also shared of the two presenters prior to Neil. John Cunliffe and Pat Hutchins who are both sadly no longer with us. 

Enjoy the interview and a Merry Christmas! 

Jack's Throwback Attack Podcast - S4 E4 - A Chat With Danielle Nicholls

This months podcast is one I was so proud to get as it's a chat with someone who was a big part of my childhood, it's a chat with CITV's Danielle Nicholls! 

  

Jack's Throwback Attack · S4 E4 - A Chat With Danielle Nicholls

You can also listen to the chat on Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts

Danielle's first showbiz break actually wasn't in kids TV but in music as she was a member of the short lived pop group Pure Gossip. Danielle didn't particularly enjoy her time there so after leaving the group, Danielle spotted an advert looking for new presenters for CITV and the rest is history!

Danielle alongside Stephen, 1998.

Danielle presented the in-vision continuity links on CITV alongside Stephen Mulhern (and later Andrea Green and Tom Darvill) between 1998 and 2001. Which back then came live from Birmingham every week. 

Presenter group shot from 2000. Danielle and
Stephen alongside Andrea Green and Tom Darvill.

During this time she was also one of the presenters on the second series of Mad For It and also made a guest appearance on Sooty Heights.

Sooty Heights, 2000.

Over on Channel 5 she co-hosted the karaoke show Night Fever alongside Madness frontman Suggs.

The Night Fever crew.

These days she can be found on Twitch with her sister Jodie, streaming and gaming regularly under the name Biignoobs. Additionally she has recently began stand up comedy. 

A big thank you to Danielle for taking time out of her day with her children during the school holidays to chat with me, some great anecdotes and memories are shared of those brilliant live days of CITV. Enjoy!

New video series - Kids TV shows you may have forgotten!

One thing I am fascintated by is looking back on or talking about TV shows which aired on the likes of CITV, CBBC, Milkshake etc etc. Which for whatever reason don't seem to be as well remembered as the likes of Art Attack, Chucklevision, Fun House and stuff like that. This may be for various reasons such as not running for very long, having little to no reruns or no home video releases. 

I have decided to start a video series on this topic. Here's part 1 and part 2 is definitely in production. I'm not sure how many I'll do, I'm thinking about 5 or 6. They'll be occasional, every month or two I'm looking at. 

Here's part 1, featuring the likes of Snug & Cozi, Against All Odds and Out of Sight. Enjoy!