That's Life (BBC1) - 1986

20th April 1986 - Consumer advice, investigations, misprints, mishaps and real-life humour drawn from your letters with Esther Rantzen & the team

[@johnbuggy9121]

Thanks for bringing back some awful memories of Sunday evenings- Back to school monday morning.

[@TheStevenWhiting]

So it wasn't just me then. However I liked thats life and it gave me a short moment of peace before knowing I'd have to go to bed and then it would be school the next day. I hated high school. "Bed time now" no it's not, the credits are still rolling.

[@jonmortermusic]

@@TheStevenWhiting same here. That’s Life was the rest bite from the usual Sunday rubbish before school in the morning

[@user-gi5nh6ng7g]

@@TheStevenWhiting yep same here. I used to imagine being an adult and to be able to watch all the end credits of That’s Life no longer thinking I’d have to go to school the following morning. I became a teacher. So that never really worked out.

[@TheStevenWhiting]

@@jonmortermusic I loved and still do Antiques Roadshow. And Family Fortunes on ITV (I think that was on a Sunday). We'd watch Police 5 then switch over for the omnibus of Eastenders.

[@fartybutt2666]

Dito me too

[@HackneyShark]

Always felt so grown up when I was allowed to stay up and watch it.

[@eclectica1]

Yep, I was in the same boat as I got older.

[@Etcher]

I have very warm memories of watching That's Life in my PJs with my brothers and mum and dad when I was about 9 or 10. Always loved it but the only issue was I had to unplug my ZX Spectrum from the TV so the family could watch it; I came to terms with that sacrifice though.

[@thefurrybastard1964]

This was *_Must Watch_* TV from the 70s to the 90s.

[@thehangmancometh1813]

And on tonight's show a couple of viewers spotted Jimmy Saville abusing patients in a hospital when they approached Esther she denied ever meeting them...!

[@markwrightrf]

I'd forgotten when That's Life went all LWT. Over-lit, over-processed and over-acted ;-) Thanks for the upload!

[@carolinehoward180]

The story about the Dad losing his three beautiful little children in a car accident was heartbreaking. 😭😭😭😭

[@lmjones7716]

I'm sure Adrian Mills was an early inspiration for Alan Partridge.

[@spidyman8853]

Ow brings back memories - love it

[@Rambo9700]

Brilliant memories of a show I loved. Would end a great weekend before school.

[@davidjeffreys9063]

The Queen intro was very prim and proper. Posh narration. Better than it is nowadays

[@rnw2739]

Every announcer now is either a Jock, Mick or northerner.

[@davidjeffreys9063]

@@rnw2739 Also a common o garden

[@WelshmanInNC]

And had Prince Andrew!

[@wisteela]

Great old stuff. The funny way round the Sunday trading laws was a blast from the past. I'd forgotten all about that. I wasn't yet 9 when this was broadcast.

[@julianslater7367]

That's Life was a great fun program, please can you supply more classic episodes in full and does anybody have the very first program back in 1973 would love to see it. Than you xx

[@angelacooper2661]

When the very first programme came out I would have been just three and Play School age!

[@amethyst1826]

I'd have been 8. Later, I loved watching it with my mum. And these are tickling me pink!

[@jasondavis8886]

channel called nostalgia on yt Got most of first series 👍

[@tonymcmahon_historybear]

15 years later, I worked with Gavin Campbell on The Money Channel. For me, That's Life was 1970s viewing and I'd no idea Mollie Sugden became a feature. Cyril Fletcher departed in 1981.

[@EC2019]

The idea that there was ever a time where people would strap themselves into their car seat belt, but leave their 3 children unbelted in the back, and there had to be a campaign to convince people to do it, is mind-boggling.

[@cliff2358]

It's easy to criticize looking back from where we are now, but the reality was the difficulty of converting people from a lifetime of freedom to do as they wanted to do. It was the same for using seat belts in the front of the car, so many people refused to abide by the new laws belting in, slogans were introduced to encourage people to fasten seat belts, "Clunk click, every trip" was one. That dreaded new law of drink drive limits, we still are not accepting that in total, and many people do not believe that no alcohol should be in the blood when driving, that law will come soon, and after that people will be saying, "there had to be a campaign to convince people to do it, is mind-boggling": Not to mention mobile phones, I hope that in a few years to come, people will be saying there had to be a campaign to convince people to do it, is mind-boggling, that after a total ban of having a mobile switched on in a vehicle"

[@robokill387]

There was resistance to seat belts in general for years.

[@qwertycoupe]

I wish was born a little earlier when we still had freedom to choose for ourselves

[@angelacooper2661]

I remember watching That's Life well. Here I would have been two months short of sixteen and about to take my O Levels. The theme tune is in C minor. I have a very good memory for tunes! By the way, I never knew that Gail Evans was on the Production Team of the programme. It happens to be my friend Windy's namesake!!

[@markdavidson9100]

Mollie Sugden was a star ⭐️

[@anthonypoole6417]

She certainly was.

[@angelacooper2661]

From Ladies Intimate Apparel to That's Life. Mrs Slocombe was pretty fleet of foot. What would Messrs Grainger, Humphries and Lucas or Miss Brahms thought?

[@johnsbox]

So funny (and sad) that at that time Westminster Council was offended by the Cobblers sign ;-)

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

That bit with the dogs reacting to the seltzer water in the intro, I recall seeing that on an American show devoted to bloopers and other odd stuff back in the 80's.

[@markjeffries3684]

I've suspected that "Real People," the series that started the first wave of reality shows on U.S. TV in the 80s, was basically "That's Life!" without the consumer pieces. (The network news departments would not allow the consumer pieces because that would infringe on their bailiwicks.) They even imitated the scripted byplay between the hosts (although their hosts were equals, unlike "That's Life!", where Esther was the unchallenged queen bee)--just that the "Real People" hosts didn't sit behind desks. The similarities are noticeable (and there is a "Real People" channel on KZbin if you want to see for yourself).

[@Fcutdlady]

The name of the flower shop reminded me of trucks I see coming through Dublin every so often bridging flowers from Holland. The company name is bloomen export

[@maxinemuldoon2065]

It was around 1985 me and my friends were in Birmingham town centre we were supposed to be at school but anyway we seen esta and went up to her she was talking to some old men showing their knobbly knees. On the Sunday evening I was watching that’s life with my mom and dad. When it came to the part meanwhile last Wednesday in Birmingham I thought oh no but luckily it was a windy day and our hair was flying all over the place so my mom and dad didn’t recognise me phew lol

[@andrewbarton2590]

Sebastian Scott from the credits went on to edit the Big Breakfast later, and also have a hand in the replacement programme RI:SE through his Princess Productions. Patsy Newey went on to edit Esther's talkshow not long after That's Life ended.

[@97channel]

This has got nothing to do with us.

[@anthonypoole6417]

I love that parody.

[@tonyinit8488]

Ester was a fine young lassy back in the day..... phfoar...

[@MarkPMus]

I must have been so traumatised by that Queen’s Birthday song that it has been totally erased from my memory.

[@Critical.J]

Is it just me who think's Alan Gainer from the Do It All shop looks like Nigel Planer from The Young Ones 80's comedy show ?

[@1960dave1960]

My(late) father used to fancy Esther back in the day…..

[@Taopuppy]

I always had such a crush on Adrian Mills.

[@anthonypoole6417]

Michael Groth for me. He was so sexy.

[@krishnan-resurrection714]

Great mate. ...

[@bernardcromarty485]

Grant Baynham had a massive heart attack yesterday (Saturday 30th July) from which he didn't recover. RIP, lad.

[@angelacooper2661]

@crazyclive What does Buddha, Guru Nanak or Vishnu think? Are they aware of his demise?

[@wrestlingfan87]

Broadcast the same day as the 1986 London Marathon

[@bletheringfool]

Never knew the Stig was from Newcastle

[@TayWoode]

10:13 now I see who Victoria Wood’s Kitty was inspired by

[@yandan7010]

Nice advert for Skol Bandits, there lol

[@richardupton3323]

esther rantzen, made money for childline but kept her mouth shut about jimmy saville eh.

[@julianslater7367]

Pure TV Gold

[@leroneblake9461]

Mollie is so funny

[@noka1979]

Our Tv was truly awful back then

[@Concreteowl]

The 60th anniversary of national grovelling was hilarious.

[@barttheanorak]

I was hoping Doc would do a little song.

[@darren2514fv]

London Marathon day and the day before the Queens 60th Birthday

[@PatrZDZ]

4:48 Wogan - praatshow, I belive that was broadcasted on Flemish TV once?

[@user-xr1mm8co8b]

Did they call the electrical company ?

[@NeilMiles]

Apparently it was nothing to do with them

[@tzarinavictoria3531]

Don’t think much of what’s on tv that was highlighted

[@cheapy2006]

Prince who????

[@geoffaustin9385]

Before Social Media How did we cope ?

[@angelacooper2661]

I coped very well, thank you. Back then, I was nearly sixteen and took my O Levels the following month. Now in my early fifties!

[@geoffaustin9385]

@@angelacooper2661 I was being sarcastic. I'm 59 myself. Social Media is destroying the fabric of society. I'm just so glad I haven't got long left in this world

[@gaggymott9159]

On that preamble about HM The Queen's 60th birthday, does anyone know what the accompanying music was, please?

[@sl2868]

It's Pomp and Circumstance no.4 Elgar... Which personally I prefer to no.1.... But each to his own! :)

[@gaggymott9159]

@@sl2868 Thank you, Sarah 👍👍👍

[@sl2868]

👍... Pleasure. Only looked at this clip to try and find the theme music by Tony Kinsey which is also pretty great.... Blimey, what a blast from the past.

[@SiouxieSioux]

It's absolutely crazy that you had to buy and install seat belts in cars yourself in the 80's . How sad that children's lives were not valued in the past, that common sense to protect fragile children wasn't even a thought

[@blehblah9309]

Who else would do it but the car owner? New cars in the 80s did require seatbelts to be equipped but people running older vehicles wouldn't be covered by the new regulations. Your point about valuing the life of children is way off - people cared about their children then but felt - rightly - that the risk from a road accident was negligible. "Common sense" wasn't all too common on what was a relatively new safety device, people fretted about things like being restrained in a burning vehicle after an accident and doubted the efficacy of the devices. People did have the common sense to know that after personally doing thousands of car journeys without dying, the risk was being overblown. Nowadays I use seatbelts and other equipment as required. But I am also mindful of what my driving instructor said would be far more effective than an airbag at reducing road accidents: a massive, horrifying spike on the steering wheel that would be guaranteed to penetrate your skull in a collision. It would focus the driver's mind towards avoiding an accident in the first place.

[@yute-hube779]

6:47 this guy lol

[@alastairhopkins245]

Looked inconvenient at 14:08

[@leestephenson7042]

Horrible times

[@paulroundandroundandround]

My god how I hated this show, not only did it mean I had school the next day but having to endure the banal humour of vegetables resembling genitalia and grannies showing their knickers driving the audience into hysterics. I blame this show for my totally misanthropical view of humanity.

[@grantwatt4559]

Paul Round I thought that too, when I had primary school the next day, you false dullard.

[@mildredsparks6684]

I felt similar about The Adventure Game. I’d kick around the juxtapose of an incongruent bygone elder at the helm of a set of perilous futuristic summonings with curious bewilderment. Punctured only by the sound of a plate of Alphabites and peas being slapped onto the pine table.

[@Ubique2927]

Yeh…. Jobsworth…..

[@johntate5050]

Jimmy Savile's mate.

[@NiallJoe71]

I think you had to be British to get this?

[@ashvrmediacast9095]

I'm British. We didn't get it either.

[@sandysandy8184]

@@ashvrmediacast9095 agreed 🎄🎄🎄😂

[@spartybrearly7221]

This was BBC light entertainment 🤦‍♂️

[@snufkin84]

And they say TV has got worse 😂

[@rachel.mcgowan]

It was a weird programme, sort of light entertainment mixed with consumer rights issues.. I think it was quite clever actually because of it was just serious stuff it wouldn't have got half the viewing figures, probably not a quarter. They did do some good back in the day with the issues they highlighted.

[@zanducktv2398]

The light-hearted stuff was so cheesy, and sometimes jarred against the more serious content. Esther’s boys playing the roles of people in dispute, all that we said, they said, he said stuff, ugh.

[@annother3350]

Yeh but they were stickin' it to da man

[@cliveevans9795]

How pathetic

[@davids8449]

Could stand the program awful

[@marksparkes1]

I’ve remembered just how crap this show was.

[@Etcher]

Aligns perfectly with your childhood so 😅

[@Ubique2927]

You’re not very happy are you!