Previous episodes can be found immediately after broadcast via https://anchor.fm/visiononsound and the details of content and links to individual episodes are listed below.
VISION ON SOUND EPISODE TWENTY ONE - TX FEBRUARY 28 2021 - TV POLICE SERIES
Regular contributor WARREN CUMMINGS returns to VISION ON SOUND to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of POLICE DRAMAS on television, in a wide-ranging discussion that takes us from G F Newman's LAW AND ORDER through DIXON OF DOCK GREEN, BETWEEN THE LINES, LINE OF DUTY, DIAL 999, NO HIDING PLACE, Z CARS, "MURDER ISLAND" (ahem!), through INSPECTOR MORSE to, um, DUCK PATROL.
But we also touch on corruption, the Thames Valley documentary, MITCHELL AND WEBB and 'professional advisers", the thirty minute drama, DOCTOR WHO, and the strangely extreme and heightened worlds in shows like SPECIAL BRANCH, THE SWEENEY, and TARGET, and even get quite philosophical from time to time about the area of law and order generally.
Regular contributor ANDY PRIESTNER returns to VISION ON SOUND to talk about one of his favourite shows from his youth, the Universal Pictures FLASH GORDON serials that used to feature as morning entertainment for a generation of children during the school holidays.
VISION ON SOUND EPISODE TWENTY THREE - TX MARCH 14 2021 - AUSTRALIAN TV
Regular contributor PAUL CHANDLER returns to VISION ON SOUND to talk about one of the areas of television viewing he is most enthusiastic about, Australian TV, including PRISONER (CELL BLOCK H); SONS & DAUGHTERS, HOME & AWAY, and, of course NEIGHBOURS, as well as lots of other Australian TV shows like YOUNG DOCTORS that we used to enjoy.
In a long interview, we also discuss CALL MY AGENT!, comedy dramas, French movies and European horror films, remakes, characters you love to hate, EASTENDERS, CORONATION STREET and ELDORADO.
VISION ON SOUND EPISODE TWENTY FOUR - MARCH 21 2021 - CILLA & SPIRAL
VISION ON SOUND EPISODE TWENTY FIVE - TX MARCH 28 2021 - SCIENCE PROGRAMMES
ANDREW TROWBRIDGE from the ROUND THE ARCHIVES podcast returns to VISION ON SOUND to talk about SCIENCE PROGRAMMES ON TV in a wide-ranging nostalgic conversation which ranges from THE OPEN UNIVERSITY, via HITCH HIKER'S GUIDE, to programmes like COSMOS, TOMORROW'S WORLD, THE COMPUTER PROGRAMME, MAKING THE MOST OF THE MICRO, LIFE ON EARTH, CONNECTIONS, and THE GREAT EGG RACE.
We talk about the various eccentric presenters like MAGNUS PYKE, PATRICK MOORE, CARL SAGAN, ARTHUR C CLARKE and JAMES BURKE, whilst heading off on tangents that include MULTI-COLOURED SWAP SHOP, TOP OF THE POPS, the APOLLO COVERAGE, ZX81 computers, and playing Pong on a black & white television set.
VISION ON SOUND EPISODE TWENTY SIX - TX APRIL 4th 2021 - LIGHTHOUSES
In another of our loosely themed VISION ON SOUND episodes, I give a lot of (mildly) illuminated thought to the topic of LIGHTHOUSES in TV programmes. We travel with TARA KING from THE AVENGERS to find out that it's ALL DONE WITH MIRRORS, and tussle briefly with THE GIRL WHO WAS DEATH alongside THE PRISONER, and head off - with the help of regular guest ANDY PRIESTNER from the WORLD ENOUGH AND TIME podcast - to talk about THE LIFE AND LOVES OF A SHE-DEVIL.
After this, I am joined by a returning ANDREW TROWBRIDGE to talk about the lighthouse-based antics in episodes of both THE GOODIES and DAD'S ARMY, which, I hope you'll agree, is quite a lot of fun. We actually ran out of time for this topic (I kid you not!) and (because we never like to waste good content) one or two of the pieces we recorded are bound to turn up in a future episode.
VISION ON SOUND EPISODE TWENTY SEVEN - TX APRIL 11 2021 - CANADIAN TV
In this episode, I talk to my pal RICK LAWLOR who migrated with his family to Canada around six years ago, and who is now a full citizen.
It's a long conversation in which we talk about the many differences between experiencing television in the UK and those of Canada, including the vast number of channels, the strange bombardment of advertising, sitting on a continent in the second largest country in the world with the United States as a next door neighbour, and some of the more recent output from the CBC.
We then move on to a more nostalgic view of the television we used to watch, and how much of it is available to be easily viewed in a completely different broadcasting environment, and what sort of choices are made with hanging on to your DVD collection when you relocate to a brand new country.
Weirdly, perhaps, we don't even mention SCHITT'S CREEK, possibly because my recent binge-watch hadn't even started at that point.
SANDY'S BACK!
Regular listeners will no doubt have been missing my regular co-host SANDY McGREGOR who recently found he had far less free time for telly viewing, but promised to return. This week we have a long conversation about one of our mutual favourites, the 1990's American cop show HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET, in our usual haphazard manner, but I think it makes for an enjoyable show.
Sadly, the week after we recorded our chat, the sad death of series star YAPHET KOTTO was announced, but we like to think that we were kind in our observation on the part he played in the success of the series.
VISION ON SOUND EPISODE TWENTY NINE - TX APRIL 25 2021 - SPIES
Regular contributor WARREN CUMMINGS returns to VISION ON SOUND to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of SPY DRAMAS on television, in a wide-ranging discussion that takes us from ESPIONAGE and RATCATCHERS, via Gerald Flood's chin and Glyn Owen's gravel, through the movie HELL DRIVERS, to shows like DANGER MAN, THE PRISONER, MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE, THE AVENGERS, CALLAN and THE SANDBAGGERS.
We toy briefly with lost shows like THE SPIES, SPYCATCHER, and SPY TRAP, and dance around the delights of ITC series like JASON KING, DEPARTMENT S, and THE SAINT. We also consider some of the more troubling aspects of RETURN OF THE SAINT before moving on to THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN and THE CHAMPIONS. Then we briefly discuss spy comedies, and the strange light entertainment shenanigans of the game show MASTERSPY.
VISION ON SOUND EPISODE THIRTY - TX MAY 2 2021 - Incl HORROR OF FANG ROCK
Episode thirty of VISION ON SOUND is a little bit of a mish-mash of an episode as, amongst my own nonsense, I introduce TOBY THE DALEK in a new strand THINGS TOBY GUARDS in which I'll be looking at some of the archive TV memorabilia that I've accumulated over the years, which this week is a commentary on me flicking through the pages of the 1975 Christmas edition of the TV TIMES.
After this, I present various bits of conversations that have somehow failed to make it to air on the show so far, which include a short extract from chat I had about the TV 0f 1966 with PAUL CHANDLER, THE SHY YETI, on his show THE SHY LIFE PODCAST episode 415, and a conversation I had with both him and ANDREW TROWBRIDGE from the ROUND THE ARCHIVES podcast about the DOCTOR WHO story HORROR OF FANG ROCK that wouldn't fit into out LIGHTHOUSES themed episode a few weeks ago.
VISION ON SOUND EPISODE THIRTY ONE - TX MAY 9 2021 - REALITY TV
Episode thirty one of VISION ON SOUND finds PAUL CHANDLER, THE SHY YETI from THE SHY LIFE PODCAST returning to share his knowledge and wisdom of all manner of REALITY TELEVISION SHOWS, an area about which, I freely admit to knowing very little.
So, to make things easy for me, we discuss both BIG BROTHER and its CELEBRITY stablemate, before moving on via STRICTLY COME DANCING to BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT, and THE X FACTOR. Paul fondly recalls a favourite of his COME DINE WITH ME and we take a tentative dive into the perceived psychology of both the contestants and the viewers of such programmes, including their impact upon social media. We also ask what the definition of reality television really is, and whether it has a far longer history than either of us realise. Paul then reels me into the mysterious world of CATFISH, and I summon up a few memories of the documentaries, quiz shows, and Vox Pops which I think of as being reality tv by any other name.
VISION ON SOUND EPISODE THIRTY TWO - TX MAY 16 2021 - HISTORICAL DRAMAS
VISION ON SOUND EPISODE THIRTY THREE - TX MAY 23 2021 - CRACKERJACK (CRACKERJACK!)
First broadcast on FAB RADIO INTERNATIONAL at 19:00 on May 30th 2021
Episode thirty four of VISION ON SOUND finds the writer PAUL EBBS returning. Since we last spoke, way back in episode fourteen of the programme, PAUL has created the #SLEDGEHAMMER podcast in which he talks to various professional DOCTOR WHO writers about their individual writing processes, as well as deconstructing a favourite story from the point of view of just the writing. Good stuff, by the way, and well worth seeking out.
Not being one to let a good idea go uncopied, I got in touch with PAUL and wondered if he might like to try and do a bit of deconstruction on some other TV shows as well, which is basically how we ended up having an episode-long chat about the PILOT episode of the American political drama, THE WEST WING, which I think made for quite an entertaining hour of radio, which I hope you'll enjoy.
