Countdown/TV Action

Countdown was a British comic book published weekly by Ploystyle Productions - ultimately, under several different titles - between February 1971 and August 1973.

Initially it was a high-quality (but expensive) publication, featuring full colour art on the cover and many of the inside pages, and was printed on expensive, glossy paper. The pages in each issue were numbered in reverse order, with page 1 at the end, a gimmick which was derived from the comic's title in order to create a countdown to one each week. Countdown was also unusual in carrying both weekly serials and complete stories, rotating the latter among the various tv shows it featured. In addition, it carried a totally original strip, "Countdown", drawn by John M Burns and including spacecraft designs from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Under the title Countdown it ran for 58 weeks, beginning with the issue cover-dated 20th February 1971. It was relaunched as TV Action + Countdown from issue 59 in 1972, dropping many of the original strips from Countdown and substituting new ones based upon then-current television shows. By issue 100 its title became simply TV Action. The final issue was cover-dated 25th August 1973.

From issue 59 it also dropped the glossy magazine-quality printing which had distinguished it, and reverted to cheap newsprint-quality paper, abandoning also the expensive photogravure printing which had been a feature until then.

(The First Countdown Annual from 1972)

Countdown sought to benefit from the closure of TV21, and the consequent availability of the licence to publish strips based on the 1960s Gerry Anderson puppet shows, which had been popular for many years on television.

The comic strongly featured a strip based on the latest Anderson tv show, the live-action UFO, together with reprints of strips from TV21 based on Stingray, Thunderbirds and Fireball XL5, along with original material.

However, Polystyle had not taken into account the fact that TV21 had folded, something they looked upon merely as an opportunity to acquire the licence to use the Anderson shows, without noting that the popularity of the puppet-based strips in TV21 had drastically declined once those shows were no longer in production and were no longer being seen on television every week.

Moreover, the expense of the high quality paper and photogravure quality printing, needed for the colour pages and photo features, pushed the cover price up, such that it was almost twice as expensive as any other boys comic on the market, with a cover price of One Shilling (against 6d and 7d for competing IPC titles such as Valiant, Lion and Smash).

(The Second Countdown Annual from 1973)

After 58 weeks the publisher cut its costs by relaunching the comic in a much cheaper format, on cheap newsprint paper, and dropped all the Anderson puppet shows, replacing them with strips based on then-current tv programmes that were appearing on television every week (and hence were perceived as potentially more popular than the discontinued Anderson shows), including The Persuders, Hawaii 5-0 and Cannon.

With only a couple of continuing strips, such as Doctor Who, the result was virtually a new comic: TV Action.

In order to capitalise on the continuing popularity of the Doctor Who strip, featuring the likeness of Jon Pertwee (the actor who was then playing the part on television), that strip now became the regular cover feature. As an added inducement, for the first time the publisher obtained a licence to also use the ever popular Daleks in the strip: hence the first re-launch issue had a colour cover featuring Doctor Who and the Daleks. Doctor Who had an unshakeable popularity: it had emerged from, and would ultimately return to, the pages of TV Action's stablemate, TV Comic.

(1st issue of TV Action, 1 April 1972)

Whether the changes were entirely effective is open to question, as the new TV Action lasted just 74 issues: only slightly longer thanCountdown, which had run for 58 issues. Undoubtedly the reduction in production costs from dropping the expensive lithographic printing and magazine-quality paper played some part in TV Action lasting as long as it did. But it nonetheless ceased publication in August 1973.

Like TV21, which had also tried to ride the coat-tails of the popularity of television, Countdown and TV Action had shown that the approach was not sustainable in the teenage market. Nevertheless, Polystyle did achieve a long-running success with the concept in a slightly younger market, with its all-humour offering, TV Comic, which ran for more than thirty years. And, in later years, one of Countdown's strips would show that a weekly comic based on television could succeed in an older market, when Marvel UK launched Doctor Who Weekly in 1979 - the ultimate specialisation: focusing on a single tv show - making a success of it by including factual coverage of the actual show and its production, alongside comic strips based upon it.

Raising a glass to the 60s & 70s.

Changing fashions ruled beer drinking in the 50s, 60s and 70s. First bottled pale ale challenged draught mild as the Nation's favourite drink. Then a few years later, everyone was drinking draught keg bitter, with Watneys Red Barrel the best known brand.

Lager was the drink of the 70s. The hot summer of 1976 provided a reason to try the beverage, but tastes were changing. In 1971 there was a backlash against the relentless spread of keg bitter and lager when CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, formed. In the latter part of the seventies there was a resurgence of some traditional brews; real ale, though, still remained a minority taste.

Mild was the working man's drink for the first half of the twentieth century. The only choice was between mild and stout; bitter was a luxury. In 1900 best bitter was almost unknown and in 1929 it was still only a tiny fraction total beer sales.

At the start of the sixties, mild was the dominant beer. Around 40% of the output of Bass Charrington, Britain's largest brewer, was mild. By 1967 this had fallen to 30%. Mild was losing favour, though it was the cheapest beer. It did have strongholds in the Midlands (notably M & B Mild), but the majority chose best bitter.

Best bitter on draught and its bottled equivalent, best pale ale, were the favourite beers of the 60s. Pale ale was sold as a premium beer; it was a popular luxury.

Perhaps the most well known beer of the 60s and 70s, the much maligned Watneys Red Barrel, can trace its origins back to the 30s; in fact Watneys claimed 1931. Red Barrel was originally developed as an export beer that could be transported for long distances by sea.

Red Barrel, like all keg bitter, was filtered, to remove the yeast. It was then pasteurised and carbon dioxide was added. The "keg" was linked to a tank of carbon dioxide which effectively forced the beer up from the cellar. There was no need for the traditional long-handled beer pump. Keg was usually served chilled and was fizzy, with froth on the top.

Red Barrel was tentatively trialled at the East Sheen Lawn Tennis Club where Watneys' Master Brewer, Bert Hussey, was a member. He was convinced that once sampled it would be instantly popular. By the early sixties, Watneys were able to claim that it was the country's most popular keg bitter. It was also the first.

Of course that other well known name from the 60s was Watneys Party Seven. Its smaller brother Party Four had been available for some time when in 1968 Party Seven was introduced. As a promotion Watneys sold a Sparklets Beertap with a free voucher for a can of Party Seven for 59s 9d. Watneys Party Seven initially sold for 15s. You could have your own bar at home! Read about 70s party. Watneys Party Seven became a staple for parties in the seventies and was available until the early eighties. The beer mat (left) was to encourage customers to take home a Party Seven for later!

Watneys were by no means the only brewer in the sixties and Red Barrel was by no means the only beer. Most of the major breweries had their own keg bitters. Whitbread entered the keg market with Tankard in in 1957. By the early 70s the following keg bitters were on the market. Watneys Red, Whitbread Tankard, Ind Coope Double Diamond (Allied) Younger's Tartan (Scottish and Newcastle) Worthington 'E' (Bass Charrington) Courage Tavern

As well as keg bitter most of the major players offered a "best" as an alterative. These beers were often cheaper than the kegs. Once again these a few of the most well known: Whitbread Trophy, Courage Best, Watneys Special, Younger's Scotch Ale

Action Man - Part Four: Vintage Action Hero

Action Man British Infantryman (1980s)

2nd British Infantryman with tunic, trousers, webbing, helmet, wtaer bottle, bayonet, scabbard, boots and Carl Gustav anti-tank weapon and tripod.

Action Man German Paratrooper (1979)

From the "Internationals" very basic range of uniforms: German Paratrooper uniform consisted of smock, trousers, helmet and boots. Optional accessories shown are belt jumper and Schmeisser Sub Machine Gun.

Action Man RNLI Sea Rescue (1974)

R.N.L.I Sea Rescue: Oilskin jacket and trousers, trousers, woolen hat, life jacket, breeches buoy, black boots, Flare gun, Flashlight.

Action Man American Marine (Internationals)

The basic US Marine Corps uniform consisted of tunic, trousers, brown tall boots, and helmet. Accessories also shown (available separately) are Carbine, webbing, scarf and bayonet,.

Action Man Long Range Desert Group

Shirt, shorts, boots, puttees, socks, goggles, bandanna, arab headressplastic webbing, commando knife, water bottle, Thompson machine gun, grenades and entrenching tool.

Action Man Royal Hussar (1979)

Early figure shown wearing a 1979 Royal Hussars uniform including tunic, trousers, gold waist belt, sword, decorative cross belt and chain, pouch, cap, shoes and spurs.

Action Man Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (1970)

Scottish regimental uniform included tunic, kilt, sporran, hose, glengarry (cap), spats, bayonet and scabbard, black boots, SLR Rifle and belt.

Action Man Desert Fighter (1978)

Simple unform consisted of Australian bush hat, shorts and Thompson sub machine gun (no boots!)

Tom Stone (Action Man Team)

Tom Stone figure, member of the Action Man Team. With realistic hair, gripping hands, camouflage suit, beret, Black Boots and Heckler & Koch SMG

Booo, Hisss....Enders wins Soap Award!

Altogether now, haters of Enders....Boooo, Hissss! Sad to say, EastEnders has retained its crown as best of British at the soap world's Oscars. The BBC One series, which recently caused controversy with its baby-swap storyline, beat stiff competition to win the Best Soap award for the fourth year in a row at the British Soap Awards.

Despite missing out on the top prize, Coronation Street won nine awards, compared with EastEnders' total of four. The dramatic live show that saw a tram crash on to the Weatherfield cobbles, filmed to mark the ITV soap's 50th anniversary, won awards for Best Single Episode and Spectacular Scene of the Year. It also led to the plot that won Coronation Street this year's Best Storyline - End of the line for the Websters and the Dobbs.

Best Dramatic Performance was won by Jane Danson for her role as Leanne Barlow. Her screen stepson Simon, played by Alexander Bain, won the Best Young Performance award at the ceremony, which took place at Manchester's Granada Studios.

Bill Tarmey, who bowed out of the soap after playing Jack Duckworth for 31 years, won the Lifetime Achievement Award and Best Exit gong. Patti Clare, who plays eccentric Mary Taylor in Coronation Street, won the prize for Best Comedy Performance.

Michelle Keegan, Tina McIntyre in the soap, won the viewer-voted prize for Sexiest Female, for the third year running. It was also third time lucky for EastEnders' Scott Maslen, who was named Sexiest Male again.

EastEnders picked up Best On-screen Partnership for Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie's portrayal of Kat and Alfie Moon. Jessie was also named Best Actress.

Hollyoaks actor Emmett J Scanlan was voted both Best Newcomer and Villain of the Year for his role as Brendan Brady. Emmerdale actor Danny Miller (Aaron Livesy) was named Best Actor.

Joe 90

Joe 90 is a late-1960s British Science Fiction television series concerning the adventures and exploits of nine-year-old Joe McClaine, who starts a double life as a schoolboy turned spy when his scientist father invents a pioneering machine capable of duplicating and then transferring expert knowledge and experience to another human brain. Equipped with the skills of the foremost academic and military minds, Joe enlists in the World Intelligence Network (WIN), becoming its "Most Special Agent", pursuing the ideal of world peace and saving human life. Created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed at Century 21 Productions, one 30-episode series followed the earlier Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.

First screened in the UK between September 1968 and April 1969 on the ATV network,Joe 90 is the sixth and last of the Anderson productions to have been made exclusively using the form of Marionette Puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation". The final puppet series, The Secret Service, also used this process, but in combination with extensive live-action footage. As in the case of its predecessor, Captain Scarlet, the puppets of Joe 90 are of a more naturally proportioned design as opposed to the more caricatured appearance of the characters from Thunderbirds.

Although not as successful as Century 21's previous puppet efforts, since its inception, Joe 90 has been praised, besides other aspects, for the charectarisation of its smaller Supermarionation cast and the accomplishment of its model sets and special effects. Commentators read into Joe 90's spy-fi theme and the selection of a child as the main protagonist, either proposing a "kids play Bond" connection or an enshrinement of children and the powers of their imagination. Criticism ranges from the violence depicted in a number of episodes to the frequent absence of female characters, which is viewed either as the inevitable result of Joe 90's development as a "boy's own adventure" or bordering on sexism.

As had been the case for its precursors, Century 21 based merchandising campaigns on Joe 90, including toy cars and comic strips dedicated to the continuing missions of Joe McClaine. Syndicated on its arrival in the United States in 1969, re-broadcast in the UK during the 1990s and released on DVD in most regions in the 2000s, the concept of a live-action motion picture adaptation of Joe 90 has been considered more than once since the 1960s, but without further development. A comparable format exists in the similarly titled Ben 10. While Joe 90 gains the abilities of scientists and pilots while wearing his glasses, Ben 10 gains the powers of aliens while wearing a watch.

Joe 90 is set either in 2012-3 or at another point in the early 21st century, or 1998, according to the official Writer's Guide. Nine-year-old British schoolboy Joe McClaine is the adopted son of Professor Ian "Mac" McClaine, a renowned computer expert. On the outside, the McClaines are an ordinary father-and-son pair who live in an antiquated Elizabethan-style cottage overlooking Culver Bay, Dorset, tended by their housekeeper, Mrs Harris. However, residing in a secret underground laboratory is Mac's latest invention, the "BIG RAT"

(Brain Impulse Galvonoscope Record And Transfer), a machine capable of recording knowledge and experience from leading experts in various fields and transferring it to another human brain. The central aspect of the design is the "Rat Trap", a rotating, spherical cage in which a subject is seated during the transfer of the expert "brain pattern". Sam Loover, a secret agent for the World Intelligence Network, persuades Mac, his friend, to dedicate the BIG RAT to WIN's pursuit of world peace by permitting Joe to assume such knowledge and experience and become a WIN agent. After the requisite skill is transferred, and provided that Joe is wearing special spectacles containing hidden electrodes storing the expertise, he is able to execute such missions as operating fighter aircrraft blasting off into space and performing advanced nuerosurgery, all the while appearing to be an innocent schoolboy to the enemies of WIN. Since no one would usually suspect a child of espionage, Joe is WIN's "Most Special Agent". Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief of WIN's London Headquarters, Shane Weston, he is also provided with a special briefcase, which on superficial inspection appears to be a simple school case but in fact conceals an adapted handgun and WIN tranceiver. There is some inconsistency as to why Joe assumes the codename "90". Promotional information states that, in the pilot, Joe joins another 89 WIN agents based in London, becoming the 90th WIN agent. However, the BIG RAT project is referred to as WIN's "File 90" in the episode "Project 90", and here (according to dialogue from Professor McClaine) Joe's designation originates from this.

In a manner similar to other Gerry Anderson series, Joe 90 features gadgets, rescue operations, secret organisations, and criminal and terrorist threats to the safety of the world. One example of advanced technology demonstrated is the "Jet Air Car", a land, sea and air vehicle invented by Professor McClaine prior to the events of the series. The pun of the "WIN" acronym for the World Intelligence Network is similar to that of WASP, the abbreviated name of the World Aquanaut Security Patrol that appears in Stingray. The Cold W ar, significant in 1968 due to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia that August has ended in the futuristic universe of Joe 90. Although, in the pilot, Joe is depicted stealing a new Russian fighter plane to expose its revolutionary design to the West, the story is later revealed to be a speculative scenario imagined by Shane Weston to demonstrate the kinds of espionage in which Joe may be involved if Mac consents to his son starting a second life as a secret agent.

Nevertheless, the Joe 90 universe still sees the Earth's landmasses politically divided into Western and Eastern regions. A recurring antagonist for WIN is the "Eastern Alliance", which dominates Asia and appears in the episodes "Attack of the Tiger" and "Mission -X41". Meanwhile, "International Concerto", "Business Holiday", "Arctic Adventure" and "The Professional" include villains who speak with Slavic accents. "Attack of the Tiger" combines the Eastern Alliance threat with the hazards of nuclear technology. In this episode, Joe must prevent an Eastern nuclear device from being launched into Earth orbit. However, an episode showcasing the benefits of such technology is "Big Fish", in which Joe struggles to remove a crippled nuclear submarine from the ocean floor when it strays into the territorial waters of a hostile Latin American Police state. The series ends on a clip show episode, "The Birthday", in which a number of Joe's missions are recalled as flashbacks when the protagonist reaches the age of ten.

David's Silver Lady!

"Silver Lady" was a popular single by David Soul. Written by Tony Macaulay and Geoff Stephens and produced by Macaulay, Silver Lady was the second and final number one single in the UK for David Soul spending three weeks at the top in October 1977. The single fared less well in his homeland peaking at No 52 on the Billboard Hot 100. It can be found on his second album Playing To An Audience of One.

Tired of drifting, searching, shifting
From town to town
Every time I slip and slide
A little further down
I can't blame you if you won't take me back
After everything I put you through
But Honey you're my last hope
And who else can I turn to

Come on Silver Lady take my word
I won't run out on you again
Believe me
Oh I've seen the light
It's just one long fight, without you
Here I am a million miles from home
The Indiana wind and rain cut through me
I'm lost and alone
Chilled to the bone
Silver Lady

Double talkers, backstreet walkers
At every turn
Seedy motels and no star hotels
Still I had to learn
That the one shining thing in my life
Was the sweet love I had with you
And Honey, you're my last hope
And who else can I turn to

Come on Silver Lady take my word
I won't run out on you again
Believe me
Oh I've seen the light
It's just one long fight, without you
Here I am a million miles from home
The Indiana wind and rain cut through me
I'm lost and alone
Chilled to the bone
Silver Lady

Can't you find it in you to forgive me

Coz here I am a million miles from home
The Indiana wind and rain cut through me
I'm lost and alone
Chilled to the bone
Silver Lady

Come on Silver Lady take my word
I won't run out on you again
Believe me
Oh I've seen the light
It's just one long fight, without you

Preceded by "Way Down" by Elvis Presley

UK Number One single October 8 - October 29, 1977 (3 weeks)

Succeeded by "Yes Sir I Can Boogie" by Baccara

Arrrh, yes. The Ladybird books. These books bring back so many good and happy memories for me. Being at Primary School in the early 1970s these books were the staple diet when it came to helping young kids learn to read and write. My school library I remember was kitted out from one side to the other, beginning with 1a, 1b, 1c, etc.