ABC BARN DANCE
What was it about?: Oddly enough, barn dancing.
What do we think?: We're sure people used to enjoy this sort of thing.
When was it on?: 1949 USA

ABC COMEDY HOUR
What was it about?: Guest host introducing a series of sketches.
What do we think?: 1970s attempt to revive a format that was probably well past its sell-by date.
When was it on?: 1972

ABC COMEDY SPECIAL
What was it about?: A different sitcom each week.
What do we think?: A collection of pilots not deemed good enough for a full series. A case of want not waste not.
When was it on?: 1986

ABC IN CONCERT
What was it about?: A series of late night rock concerts.
What do we think?: Good if you like rock music.
When was it on?: 1991 - 1998 USA

ABC IN CONCERT COUNTRY
What was it about?: Companion programme to 'ABC in Concert'
What do we think?: If you like Country...
When was it on?: 1994

A.D. (ANNO DOMINI)
What was it about?: The early years of Christianity and the decline of the Caesars. Starred Anthony Andrews and James Mason.
What do we think?: Tries mightily to ignite - goes phfft - 'Daily Variety'
When was it on?: 1985 12 x 50 minute eps. USA

A.E.S. HUDSON STREET
What was it about?: Medical comedy
What do we think?: Lasted from March to April...figure it out.
When was it on?: 1978 USA

A FOR ANDROMEDA
What was it about?: Alien stuff.
What do we think?: See Television Heaven's main review index
When was it on?: 1961 BBC UK

A J WENTWORTH, BA
What was it about?: Sitcom about a schoolmaster.
What do we think?: See Television Heaven's main review index
When was it on?: 1982 UK

A.K.A. PABLO
What was it about?: Short lived sitcom.
What do we think?: Last one month before being cancelled
When was it on?: 1984 USA

A PLUS aka AFTERNOON PLUS
What was it about?: Mid afternoon magazine programme
What do we think?: B minus
When was it on?: In the 80's. UK

THE A TEAM
What was it about?: A group of ex soldiers who go round righting wrongs
What do we think?: See Television Heaven's main review index
When was it on?: 1983 - 1987 USA

A.U.S.A
What was it about?: Courtroom comedy
What do we think?: Lasted two months-should have been sentenced much earlier.
When was it on?: 2003 USA

A - Z
What was it about?: Sketches, songs and parodies.
What do we think?: Well ahead of its time. A sketch in which gardening expert Percy Thrower was sent up explaining how to get rid of garden gnomes produced a flood of letters complaining about wilful damage to property and offers of new homes to the dear little things.
When was it on?: 1956 - 57 BBC UK

AAAGH! IT'S THE MR HELL SHOW
What was it about?: Adult cartoon sketch show
What do we think?: Aaargh!
When was it on?: 2002 13 x 25m UK/Canada

AAAHH!!! REAL MONSTERS
What was it about?: US Cartoon series
What do we think?: The comic adventures of three monsters
When was it on?: 1994 - 1997 52 episodes USA

AARON'S WAY
What was it about?: Merlin Olsen as a strict Amish patriarch who gets a culture shock when he moves to California.
What do we think?: Started in March-cancelled in May. Didn't impress.
When was it on?: 1988 USA

THE ABBOTT AND COSTELLO SHOW
What was it about?: Two comedians -a fat one and a thin one
What do we think?: See Television Heaven's main review index
When was it on?: 1951 USA

ABBY
What was it about?: Short lived sitcom
What do we think?: Probably not short lived enough.
When was it on?: 2003 USA

ABIGAIL AND ROGER
What was it about?: Early sitcom for the BBC about an engaged couple.
What do we think?: Planned to run for thirteen weeks but pulled after nine. Enough said?
When was it on?: 1956 9 x 20m BBC UK

ABIGAIL'S PARTY
What was it about?: While teenage Abigail throws a party next door, the grown-ups gather for their own gathering at the home of pretentious hostess Beverley.
What do we think?: We love it! A classic piece of black comedy. Go buy it!
When was it on?: 1977 100 mins. BBC UK

ABOUT BRITAIN
What was it about?: Umbrella title for half-hour regional programme concentrating on local issues
What do we think?: Hmm-regional programmes?
When was it on?: 1975 - ?

ABOUT FACE
What was it about?: Individual comedy plays starring Maureen Lipman
What do we think?: Hit and miss
When was it on?: 12 x 30m 1989 - 1991 ITV UK

ABOUT HOMES AND GARDENS
What was it about?: See 'Admags'
When was it on?: 1956

ABOUT RELIGION
What was it about?: Er...about religion
What do we think?: It certainly won the approval of churches being the first religious programme in Britain.
When was it on?: 1956 ATV UK

ABOUT THE HOME
What was it about?: Long running afternoon magazine series for women that introduced Barry Bucknell
What do we think?: Bucknell was such a hit that he got his own series
When was it on?: 1957 -58 BBC

ABOUT TIME
What was it about?: Explored the way our lives are organised by the clock.
What do we think?: We think it's about time to move onto the next show.
When was it on?: 1985 6 x 50m for C4

ABSOLUTELY
What was it about?: Eccentric sketch show with a Scottish flavour.
What do we think?: Top notch comedy.
When was it on?: 28 shows 1989 - 93 C4

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS
What was it about?: Two drunken females.
What do we think?: See Television Heaven's main review index
When was it on?: 1989 - ? BBC UK

ACAPULCO
What was it about?: Veterans of the Korean war who live it up in a ritzy resort starring James Coburn and Telly Savalas.
What do we think?: It's a good thing we don't remember the stars for this series alone.
When was it on?: 1961 8 x 25m NBC USA

ACAPULCO H.E.A.T.
What was it about?: Updated, hi-tech version of 'Mission Impossible' focused on the Hemisphere Emergency Action Team.
What do we think?: More like Acapulco ice!
When was it on?: 1993 - 94. 1996 (this series was made for European distribution and shown in the USA two years later) USA

ACCENT IN AMERICA
What was it about?: 10 minute programme in which Alistair Cooke talked his way from Maine to Texas
What do we think?: We are not that old, thank you!
When was it on?: 1938

ACCIDENTAL FAMILY
What was it about?: A widowed comedian (Jerry Van Dyke-brother of Dick) turns farmer in order to bring up his son.
What do we think?: We'd rather not think about it at all.
When was it on?: 1967 16 x 25m NBC USA

ACCORDING TO DORA
What was it about?: Dora Bryan in her own sketch show.
What do we think?: Sketch show featuring a host of familiar 1960s comedy faces such as John Junkin, Clive Dunn, Patricia Hayes, Derek Guyler, Graham Stark, Wilfred Brambell and Joan Sims. Good fun.
When was it on?: 1968 - 69 15 shows BBC UK

ACCORDING TO JIM
What was it about?: Jim Belushi in a family sitcom
What do we think?: Standard fare.
When was it on?: 2001 - 03 USA

ACCUSED
What was it about?: Re-enactments of famous criminal cases presided over by law professor Edgar Allen Jones
What do we think?: Perry Mason it wasn't.
When was it on?: 1968 30m -we don't know how many episodes but it lasted one season on ABC USA

ACE CRAWFORD - PRIVATE EYE
What was it about?: Tim Conway as an inept detective.
What do we think?: Get Smart it wasn't.
When was it on?: 1983 13 x 25m USA

ACE OF WANDS
What was it about?: Billed as a 20th century Robin Hood with a bit of Merlin and Houdini thrown in.
What do we think?: See Television Heaven's main review index
When was it on?: 1970 - 72 UK

ACTION
What was it about?: Sitcom that was a wild parody of Hollywood.
What do we think?: Boasted some big name guest stars such as Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. But the lead character was thoroughly despicable and viewers turned off quickly. The Network followed suit and five episodes remained unaired until the following summer.
When was it on?: 1999 USA

AN ACTOR'S LIFE FOR ME
What was it about?: Sitcom about a struggling actor who is convinced he's about to hit the big time.
What do we think?: It didn't hit the big time - it didn't even come close.
When was it on?: 1981 6 x 30m BBC UK

AD LIBBERS
What was it about?: Improvisation show.
What do we think?: Short lived summer filler that was revived years later in the UK as 'Whose Line Is It Anyway'.
When was it on?: 1951 USA

THE ADAM AND JOE SHOW
What was it about?: Sketch comedy.
What do we think?: Sketchy at best.
When was it on?: 1996 - 2001 22 x 30m C4 UK

ADAM ADAMANT LIVES!
What was it about?: A Victorian Gentleman who gets frozen and then wakes up about 60 years later
What do we think?: See Television Heaven's main review index
When was it on?: 1966 - 67 BBC UK

ADAM SMITH
What was it about?: A Presbyterian minister seeking the meaning of life. Drama Starring Andrew Keir and Tom Conti
What do we think?: Oh heavens!
When was it on?: 1972 - ? 39 x 25m Granada UK

ADAM 12
What was it about?: The lives of urban police officers. It's been compared to 'Z Cars' in the UK. It was created by Jack Webb of 'Dragnet' fame.
What do we think?: Popular US TV series
When was it on?: 1968 -75 164 x 25m USA

THE ADAMS CHRONICLES
What was it about?: How succeeding generations of John Quincy Adams family influenced US history
What do we think?: Sadly overlooked series made by PBS. Deserves better recognition.
When was it on?: 1975 13 x 50m. USA

ADAM'S FAMILY TREE
What was it about?: Children's Sitcom
What do we think?: Off the wall series about a kid who has his family tree on CD Rom. By selecting a member and pressing a button on his keyboard the selected relative materialises to help him out of the latest situation he has got himself into. Featured a host of guest stars. Not bad for it's target audience.
When was it on?: 1997 - 1999 20 x 25m ITV UK

ADAM'S RIB
What was it about?: Married lawyers at odds with each other both at home and in court.
What do we think?: Based on the movie of the same name - but without the original stars, Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn, it never stood a chance.
When was it on?: 1973 13 x 25m ABC USA

THE ADDAMS FAMILY
What was it about?: Daily going's on at 000 North Cemetery Ridge. They're creepy and they're kooky...
What do we think?: See Television Heaven's main review index
When was it on?: 1964 - 66 64 x 30m ABC USA

ADDERLY
What was it about?: Short lived sitcom.
What do we think?: Retired spy gets a boring job and bores the audience into the bargain.
When was it on?: 1987 - 89 USA

ADMAGS
What was it about?: Are you sitting comfortably? In the early days of Commercial Television these were basically programmes used to promote commercial products. Because of the way each show was presented they almost appeared as 'public service information' films although all the while they were employing less than subtle techniques to sell certain products, which the manufacturers no doubt paid a pretty penny to advertise. The shows, which normally ran for around 15 minutes a piece, were eventually deemed misleading and unfair and were banned by an act of parliament in 1963.
What do we think?: Here endeth the history lesson.
When was it on?: 1955 - 63 ITV UK

ADRIAN MOLE: THE CAPPUCCINO YEARS
What was it about?: Sequel to 'The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole'.
What do we think?: Second rate sequel.
When was it on?: 2001 BBC UK