Who’s in the round window?

Derek Griffiths

Throughout the 1970s and 1980’s, there was only one question that children under five wanted to know: “Who was in the round window?”. Writer, actor and performer Derek Griffiths began his career as a junior school teacher before the lure of the stage came calling. A laid back philosophy towards his career allowed Dereck to be open to anything and this offered him the freedom of versatility. He could act, sing, dance and play the fool which endeared him to some of the biggest TV producers of the day. The West End in the 1960’s was a thriving hotbed of talent and Derek was able to make the most of such creative energy. As a physical performer, he found it relatively easy to fulfil almost any role and thrived upon the challenge of making himself fit any criteria.

In 1972 Griffiths secured a cameo role in the cult comedy movie Rentadick starring some of the cream of British comedy including John Cleese, Spike Milligan and Richard Briers. This almost forgotten gem involves a detective attempting to protect a new experimental nerve gas device with disastrous consequences. Despite a stellar cast, Rentadick failed to live up to its edgy title and is mostly overlooked in the annals of British film. However, it was one of the most bizarre projects Derek ever worked on and for that he remains extremely grateful.

 

Opportunity can strike in the most unlikely places and this was a lesson that Derek learned when he was starring in Alice in Wonderland at The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford. He heard a rumour that members of BBC management were in the audience but merely put it down to theatrical hearsay. However, after the show, he was approached by the executives and offered a role on the flagship children’s programme Play School. As a performer, Derek has never found it difficult to entertain a young audience as a result of having a teaching background. To him, the key is the ability to be on their level and speak their language. The BBC liked what they saw and the rest is history.

 

Before the 1970’s, children’s television was always extremely twee and devoid of any reference to the period children were living in. Nursery rhymes which had been composed a century previously had little relevance to the modern world. With his background in music, Derek was determined to update the standard lullaby to reflect the society of the time. Like with any radical change, he originally faced resistance from BBC executives who weren’t used to such a modern approach to learning. However, such was his enthusiasm for the idea, they soon realised that this was exactly what the show needed. Alongside a presenting team of: Johnny Ball, Floella Benjamin and Brian Cant, Derek’s boundless enthusiasm and musical talent added a different dimension to the show. This formula proved popular and Derek was able to remain on Play School for the next decade, bringing his musical talents to new generations of audiences.

 

In addition to Play School, in 1975 Griffiths wrote and performed the theme tune for the popular children’s programme Bod. Created by Joanne and Michael Cole and starring the legendary Geoffrey Palmer as the narrator, Bod became a cult classic amongst children of the 1970’s. Over fifty years later, Derek is constantly struck by how many people continue to love the show and remains one of the shows that he is most proud to have been a part of. The recent retrospective BBC Four feature on the show reaffirmed to Derek the fondness in which the show is remembered and its impact upon television as a whole. For a cartoon series to still be celebrated over half a century after its inception is a great achievement and to have such a strong link to the show remains a great thrill for Derek. 

Being synonymous with two children’s juggernauts is something unique in terms of British television and despite going on to enjoy success in a whole host of shows from Coronation Street to the West End run of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, there’s a large section of the audience who shall forever remember him for the elaborate songs and sketches on Play School. Such a celebration of the history of children’s television wouldn’t be complete without a true veteran of the medium and there is no doubt that Derek Griffiths is immortalised in the round window!

 

Pat Sharp

Throughout the eighties and nineties, it was difficult to find a children’s entertainment show without being witness to a mulletted, vibrant ball of energy who seemed to thrive on mayhem. Beginning his career as a radio presenter, writer and broadcaster Pat Sharp joined BBC Radio 1 in 1982 as a floating presenter, covering for many of the high profile broadcasters when they would take a much needed holiday. This led to Pat inheriting the afternoon show which was a thrill for him, especially when he’d never been on the radio before. The network was still in the era of the legendary Radio 1 Roadshow and the middle aged tones of Simon Bates and Dave Lee-Travis dominated the airwaves. Radio 1 and Top Of The Pops usually went hand in hand with popular radio voices being asked to present one of the most popular shows on BBC1 and it wasn’t long before Pat was given his opportunity.

 

Television was never the arena which bothered Pat and instead had a soaring passion for radio. Yet in 1987 he was lured by ITV to front the new pop music show The Roxy which profiled the biggest music acts of the time. Just two years later, he secured arguably his career defining role as master of Pat Sharp’s Fun House which defined a generation with interactive games and organised mayhem. Based on an American format, Pat had found the TV vehicle which perfectly suited his boundless energy. For a decade Fun House broke with conventional game shows and thrived on mayhem. What it lacked in prizes, it certainly made up for in energy and entertainment with Pat as the energetic ringleader. Despite filming for just one week per series, Pat Sharp’s Fun House is still fondly remembered by a generation who grew up on Pogs, Take That and Virgin Cola!

 

In 1992 Pat secured yet another TV vehicle when he fronted the Sunday morning ITV series What’s Up Doc alongside a plethora of co-hosts in a feast of games, giveaways and cartoons. Originally created to rival BBC1’s Saturday morning juggernaut Going Live, the show gained a cult following and offered alternative viewing for children of the early nineties. Sadly, live entertainment children shows no longer exist in the same vein but Pat can see the influence of What’s Up Doc through the ages, most notably SMTV Live and Ministry Of Mayhem which were arguably the last two examples of the genre. Therefore he remains incredibly proud of the impact that the show had on future generations of TV producers.

Following closing the door to Fun House in 1999, Pat returned to his first love: radio, first on the national radio station Heart in 1997 before moving to Greatest Hits Radio in 2019 and currently presents a show on the digital station Heart 80’s where he plays music from the decade which made him a star. Yet his children’s TV tenure shall forever define his career and he thrives upon the ability to meet people whose childhoods were partly formed by Fun House. It was a great pleasure to welcome the iconic Pat Sharp to Beyond The Title and there’s no doubt that he will go down in history as an important figure in the development of children’s entertainment.

Maggie Philbin

Technology is now a firm staple of everyday life and the endless possibilities of AI now poses a significant threat to humanity. There’s a popular misconception that this issue is a brand new topic on political agenda but growing up in a technology dominated household, iconic writer and broadcaster Maggie Philbin has forever been fascinated by the cutting edge concepts on how we live our lives. This passion compelled her to apply for a role as TV presenter at the BBC with the hope of combining her two interests: entertainment and technology. Unlike her contemporaneous broadcaster colleagues, Maggie hadn’t come up through theatrical or journalistic routes before coming to TV and so shared a similar perspective with the audience. 

 

In 1978 Maggie became a household name when she joined the team on the heavyweight Saturday morning entertainment show Multicoloured Swap Shop. The show had begun in 1976 with an all male presenting team of Noel Edmonds, Keith Chegwin and John Craven. However, by 1978, it was decided that a female should join the team in order to offer young women the opportunity to be accurately represented. Maggie had never been on television before and now was presenting one of the biggest shows on television alongside three established figures. Yet arguably Maggie’s role became even more important than her counterparts in acting as a big sister to millions of viewers throughout Britain.

 

Swap Shop was revolutionary for its time in a world before electronic communications. The idea that the audience could physically interact with the show was totally new and the idea of swapping was unheard of. This was the very beginnings of interactive television which appealed to Maggie’s fascination with technology. Every swap was carefully monitored to ensure the transactions were successful and on the whole it worked. Whether it was in the studio, by phone or at the infamous “Swaparamas” which took place in various locations across Britain, most swaps were successful and all parties involved went home happy. It was never about the actual value of the items, more the significance to the recipient and this was perhaps the magic of Swap Shop.

 

Obviously such a juggernaut of a show required a suitable venue for it to shine and Television Centre was the only one that could fulfill the elements of the show. A consequence of this was that Swap Shop had the ability to take viewers behind the scenes of TV arguably for the first time. By doing this, Maggie and the team were ironically cultivating a new interest in not just Light Entertainment but the making of it. When Noel and the camera crew went out of the studio and into rehearsals of Hi-De-Hi or The Generation Game, he was unknowingly rewriting the rule book of TV broadcasting which influenced everyone from Chris Evans to Andi Peters. 

 

By 1981 Britain was changing. This required a new take on Saturday morning and legendary producer Rosemary Gill had the vision to reinvent the genre to Saturday Superstore which reunited Maggie, Keith and John with the DJ Mike Read. This was the 1980’s and the immersive power of pop had begun to dominate children’s hobbies and past times. Saturday Superstore moved Saturday morning entertainment into the 1980’s with a smorgasbord of celebrity guests, competitions and the biggest pop stars on the planet. Unfortunately Maggie only presided over the first series and was replaced by friend of Beyond The Title: Sarah Greene. Yet her Saturday morning tenure has surrendered her whole career and remains something she remains extremely proud of.

 

By the 1980’s Maggie was in high demand outside the realm of Saturday mornings and in 1983 secured the role that she was born to host. Her passion for technology made her the obvious choice to front the BBC flagship science programme Tomorrow’s World. The fascinating aspect of the show was the ability to trial new inventions which are now a staple of most homes. From home computers to the humble beginnings of AI, Maggie was able to chart the major advancements that the world was experiencing in a relatively short period of time. Although she stepped down from presenting duties in 1994, Maggie’s tenure on Tomorrow’s World forms a time capsule which encapsulates a time of creative innovation that showcased everything from voice activated appliances to the latest smartphone technology. For this, Maggie is extremely proud to have been a part of such an important, visionary programme.

 

This passion encouraged Maggie to explore the possibilities of technology for good and in 2008 she, along with engineer Chris Dodson, conceived the National innovation TeenTech and now delivers lectures and presentations throughout the country. The charity works with passionate young people who aspire for a career in technology and offers them a bridge into the industry. In doing this, Maggie has met some of the most creative and innovative young minds in the country who each remind her of her original vision. It’s incredible that almost half a century after her debut on Swap Shop, Maggie is still inspiring the new generation with ideas surrounding technology and the good it can do. 

 

In a career spanning five decades, Maggie Philbin has enjoyed a myriad of creative experiences from broadcasting live from TV Centre each Saturday morning to creating a nationwide educational experience for young people. Yet what has always remained is her unbridled joy and enthusiasm for all that she conveys and a passion for communication which is extremely infectious. A children’s television celebration would never be complete with a pioneer of the genre and Maggie Philbin is just that!