My Television Childhood
by EdinaJambo | created - 05 Dec 2020 | updated - 10 months ago | PublicAs a child growing up in the UK (born in 1955) I was enthralled at a young and impressionable age by the wave of fantasy/thriller/space adventure/comedy TV programmes that were in utter abundance during the late 1950s and 1960s, mainly on the UK's only commercial channel. There was also the BBC, but I don't recall seeing many of those exciting adventures there, although there must have been a few. My list is loosely divided into genres: 1950s puppetry and space fantasy (The Adventures of Twizzle); 1950s/1960s adventure drama (The Adventures of Robin Hood); fantasy spy/government agency adventures (The Avengers) and 1960s US comedy/spy/adventure/sci-fi shows (Mister Ed). A memory list of programmes that defined that era of my young childhood. Looking down the list TV just seemed much more exciting in these innocent days.
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1. The Adventures of Twizzle (1957– )
15 min | Family, Fantasy
The adventures of a male doll who is able to extend his legs and arms.
Stars: Nancy Nevinson, Denise Bryer
Votes: 34
2. Torchy, the Battery Boy (1959–1961)
15 min | Family, Fantasy
A mechanical boy with a magical flashlight on his head has adventures on earth and in Topsy Turvy Land, which is located on a distant star.
Stars: Kenneth Connor, Olwen Griffiths, Jill Freud, Patricia Somerset
Votes: 56
3. Fireball XL5 (1962–1963)
TV-PG | 30 min | Animation, Action, Drama
The interplanetary adventures of the crew of the World Space Patrol (W.S.P.) spacecraft Fireball XL5, patrolling Sector 25 of the galaxy in the year 2062.
Stars: David Graham, Sylvia Anderson, Paul Maxwell, John Bluthal
Votes: 706
4. Planet Patrol (1963–1968)
30 min | Family, Sci-Fi
Capt. Dart, Slim and Husky patrol the solar system in their Galasphere 347 as part of the peace-keeping force, the United Galactic Organization.
Stars: Ronnie Stevens, Dick Vosburgh, Murray Kash, Libby Morris
Votes: 112
aka Space Patrol
5. Gigantor (1964)
TV-PG | 25 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
When terrorist groups, criminals and aliens become too strong for Earth's overstretched armed forces, the virtually indestructible robot named Gigantor is built to combat them.
Stars: Billie Lou Watt, Ray Owens, Peter Fernandez, Gilbert Mack
Votes: 251
6. Thunderbirds (1965–1966)
TV-G | 50 min | Action, Adventure, Family
In the year 2065, the Tracy family run International Rescue - a top-secret organization whose ongoing mission is to rescue people trapped in extraordinarily dangerous situations using their advanced Thunderbirds machines.
Stars: Sylvia Anderson, Peter Dyneley, David Graham, Shane Rimmer
Votes: 5,114
7. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955–1960)
Approved | 30 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Robin of Loxley, otherwise known as Robin Hood, and his band of Merry Men protect England from the evil machinations of Prince John while King Richard the Lionheart is away fighting in the Crusades.
Stars: Richard Greene, Victor Woolf, Archie Duncan, Alexander Gauge
Votes: 879
8. Ivanhoe (1958–1959)
30 min | Adventure, History
The adventures of Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a noble knight and champion of justice during the rule of the evil Prince John.
Stars: Roger Moore, Robert Brown, Andrew Keir, Martin Wyldeck
Votes: 371
9. William Tell (1958–1959)
30 min | Adventure, Family, History
Depicts the legend of William Tell, who, as the stories say, shot an apple off of his son's head and lead the rebellion to free Switzerland.
Stars: Conrad Phillips, Willoughby Goddard, Jennifer Jayne, Richard Rogers
Votes: 212
10. The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1964)
85 min | Adventure
After shipwreck, Robinson Crusoe survives alone on island, building shelter, reminiscing about past. With wildlife as company, months pass. One day he discovers footprint, making him wonder if he's still alone.
Stars: Robert Hoffmann, Fabian Cevallos, Erich Bludau, Oskar von Schab
Votes: 342
11. The Avengers (1961–1969)
TV-14 | 50 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A quirky spy show of the adventures of eccentrically suave British Agent John Steed and his predominantly female partners.
Stars: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Honor Blackman, Linda Thorson
Votes: 8,894
12. The Saint (1962–1969)
TV-PG | 50 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Simon "The Saint" Templar, a wealthy adventurer and 20th-century Robin Hood, travels the world in his white Volvo P1800S, solving unsolvable problems and righting wrongs.
Stars: Roger Moore, Ivor Dean, Leslie Crawford, Justine Lord
Votes: 6,221
13. Ferien in Lipizza (1966–1967)
Family
Young teenage horse fan Julka spends her holidays at the Lipizza Stud Farm run by her Uncle Dimitrij.
Stars: Helga Anders, Helmuth Schneider, Franz Muxeneder, Georg Thomas
Votes: 113
14. Adam Adamant Lives! (1966–1967)
50 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
In 1902, Edwardian adventurer Adam Adamant is frozen alive in a block of ice by his archnemesis, the Face. In 1966, workmen discover him and he is revived, perfectly preserved but ... See full summary »
Stars: Gerald Harper, Juliet Harmer, Jack May, Peter Ducrow
Votes: 260
15. The Baron (1966–1967)
TV-PG | 49 min | Crime, Drama
Stories of an antique dealer who is really an undercover agent.
Stars: Steve Forrest, Sue Lloyd, Paul Ferris, Colin Gordon
Votes: 322
16. Man in a Suitcase (1967–1968)
60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
McGill (known as "Mac") is a former U.S. intelligence agent based in London. After being thrown out of the agency for something he did not do, he finds his infamous reputation has preceded ... See full summary »
Stars: Richard Bradford, Ricardo Montez, Warren Stanhope, Frank Forsyth
Votes: 461
17. The Champions (1968–1969)
60 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
After a plane carrying three UN Agents crashes in the Himalayas, they are rescued by an advanced civilisation secretly living in Tibet who grant them enhanced versions of the ordinary five senses, and intellectual and physical abilities.
Stars: Stuart Damon, Alexandra Bastedo, William Gaunt, Anthony Nicholls
Votes: 1,425
18. Department S (1969–1970)
60 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
An elite department within Interpol, Department S inherits those cases which the other member groups have failed to solve.
Stars: Peter Wyngarde, Joel Fabiani, Rosemary Nicols, Dennis Alaba Peters
Votes: 585
19. My Partner the Ghost (1969–1971)
Not Rated | 60 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
When Hopkirk gets killed, he reappears as a ghost - pretty handy to have around in this line of work.
Stars: Mike Pratt, Kenneth Cope, Annette Andre, Ivor Dean
Votes: 1,510
UK title Randall and Hopkirk (deceased)
20. Mister Ed (1961–1966)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
The misadventures of a wisecracking talking horse and his human owner.
Stars: Allan Lane, Alan Young, Connie Hines, Mister Ed
Votes: 4,667
21. The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–1971)
TV-G | 25 min | Comedy, Family
A nouveau-riche hillbilly family moves to Beverly Hills and shakes up the privileged society with their hayseed ways.
Stars: Buddy Ebsen, Donna Douglas, Irene Ryan, Max Baer Jr.
Votes: 11,035
22. The Addams Family (1964–1966)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family, Horror
The misadventures of a blissfully macabre but extremely loving family.
Stars: John Astin, Carolyn Jones, Jackie Coogan, Ted Cassidy
Votes: 21,818
23. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968)
TV-PG | 50 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
The two top Agents of the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement (U.N.C.L.E.) fight the enemies of peace, particularly the forces of T.H.R.U.S.H.
Stars: Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, Leo G. Carroll, John Herman Shaner
Votes: 6,269
24. Bewitched (1964–1972)
TV-G | 25 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
A witch married to an ordinary man cannot resist using her magic powers to solve the problems her family faces.
Stars: Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, Dick Sargent, Agnes Moorehead
Votes: 24,398
25. Green Acres (1965–1971)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family
A New York City attorney and his wife attempt to live as genteel farmers in the bizarre community of Hooterville.
Stars: Eddie Albert, Eva Gabor, Tom Lester, Pat Buttram
Votes: 7,640
26. Lost in Space (1965–1968)
TV-G | 60 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A space colony family struggles to survive when a spy/accidental stowaway throws their ship hopelessly off course.
Stars: Guy Williams, June Lockhart, Mark Goddard, Marta Kristen
Votes: 8,873
27. Batman (1966–1968)
TV-G | 25 min | Action, Crime, Fantasy
The Caped Crusader and his young ward battle evildoers in Gotham City.
Stars: Adam West, Burt Ward, Alan Napier, Neil Hamilton
Votes: 26,168
28. Star Trek (1966–1969)
TV-PG | 50 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.
Stars: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols
Votes: 92,994
29. The Time Tunnel (1966–1967)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Two scientists with a secret time travel project find themselves trapped in the time stream and appearing in notable periods of history.
Stars: James Darren, Robert Colbert, Whit Bissell, John Zaremba
Votes: 4,235
30. The Invaders (1967–1968)
TV-PG | 51 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
The Aliens are here, posing as human, and not friendly. David Vincent has seen them land and now must evade them and convince others of their presence while not being put in the booby hatch.
Stars: Roy Thinnes, Kent Smith, Max Kleven, William Windom
Votes: 3,435
31. Land of the Giants (1968–1970)
TV-G | 60 min | Sci-Fi
A spaceship from Earth crash-lands on an Earth-like planet on which everything, including the human-like inhabitants, is twelve times the size of its counterpart on Earth.
Stars: Gary Conway, Don Matheson, Stefan Arngrim, Don Marshall
Votes: 2,863
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