I Love the '70s (British TV series)
I Love the '70s is a television nostalgia series produced by the BBC that examines the pop culture of the 1970s. It was broadcast in ten hour-long episodes, one dedicated to each year, with the first episode, I Love 1970, premiering on BBC Two on 22 July 2000, and the last, I Love 1979, premiering on 23 September 2000. On the original broadcasts, each episode was followed by the host introducing a film from that particular year. Repeat editions have often been edited down in length by featuring less items, typically to half an hour runtime.
I Love the '70s | |
---|---|
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 10 |
Production | |
Producer | BBC |
Running time | 90 minutes |
Release | |
Original network | BBC |
Original release | 22 July – 23 September 2000 |
Related | |
I Love the '80s I Love the '90s |
The series proved successful and thus was followed by two similar series, I Love the '80s and I Love the '90s, both of which aired during 2001.
The "I Love..."-series spawned a U.S. version, aired by VH1. Part of the series was repeated in the spring of 2012 on BBC Two as part of a special season dedicated to the 1970s.
The episode 'I Love 1975" is the only episode that was interrupted due to a power failure on 30 June 2001, and as concluded as part of the years that BBC Two suffered problems (2000, 2001, and 2003).
Topics covered by year
1970
Host: Jimmy Savile. Opening titles: "Band of Gold" by Freda Payne. Introduction to show: "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum. Ending credits: The Liquidator" by The Harry J Allstars.
- Raleigh Chopper
- Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
- Clangers
- The Goodies
- M*A*S*H
- Dubreq Stylophone
- 1970 FIFA World Cup (the England football team entered the World Cup as defending champions but failed to retain the trophy)
- Kes
- Midiskirt/maxiskirt
- Triumph Stag and Bond Bug
- The transition of popular music into a new decade
- Break-up of the Beatles
- Diana Ross leaves The Supremes
- Simon and Garfunkel break-up
- The Jackson 5
- Hollywood Music Festival
PIF of 1970: Joe and Petunia
Flashback Commercials of 1970: Cresta – Singing Polar Bear (actually aired in 1972) and
Notes:
- Subsequent repeats of this episode did not feature Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, due to clearance rights only covering the original transmission of the episode.
- As a result of the 2012 revelations about Jimmy Savile's history of sexual abuse, this edition is very seldom repeated.
1971
Host: Britt Ekland. Opening titles and ending credits: "Move On Up" by Curtis Mayfield. Introduction to show: "Get Down and Get With It by Slade.
1972
Host: David Cassidy. Opening titles: "Family Affair" by Sly and the Family Stone. Introduction to show: "Children of the Revolution" by T. Rex. Ending credits: "All the Young Dudes" by Mott the Hoople.
- David Cassidy & Donny Osmond
- Sweets
- The New Seekers
- Love Thy Neighbour
- Action Man
- Roller Skates
- Magpie
- Mark Spitz
- The Harlem Globetrotters
- Cabaret
- The Joy of Sex
- Cosmopolitan
- Marc Bolan
PIF of 1972: Learn to Swim
1973
Host: Noddy Holder. Opening titles: Superstition by Stevie Wonder. Introduction to show: "Something Tells Me (Something's Gonna Happen Tonight)" by Cilla Black and "Rock and Roll" by Gary Glitter. Ending credits: "Merry Xmas Everybody" by Slade.
- Three-Day Week
- Glam rock
- Austin Allegro
- Big dresses and leisure suits
- Kojak
- Parka jackets
- The first divorce of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton
- Mastermind
- Bruce Lee
- Man About the House
- Mike Yarwood
- The England football team's failure to qualify for the 1974 World Cup (just eight years after winning the trophy)
- Uri Geller
Flashback Commercial of 1973: Vymura Wallpaper
Note: This edition acted as the original pilot for the series, originally serving as an in-house demonstration of how a typical episode would run, and as such features Noddy Holder in a 'typical 1973 home'. Although the idea of each edition reflecting a different household in each year was dropped in favour of a different relevant scenario for each year, the house setting was later revived for BBC Two's Back in Time for... series.
1974
Host: Roobarb & Custard. Opening titles: "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" by Bachman Turner Overdrive. Ending credits: "The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll" by Mott the Hoople.
1975
Host: Dennis Waterman. Opening titles: "Pick Up the Pieces" by Average White Band. Introduction to show: "Shang-A-Lang" by Bay City Rollers. Ending credits: "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel.
- Bay City Rollers
- Fragrances
- Censored Aftershave
- Hai Karate
- Denim For Men (originally founded in 1976)
- Charlie
- World of Sport
- Frozen desserts
- Bob Marley
- Barry Sheene
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show
- Happy Days
- Jim'll Fix It
- David Essex
- Jaws
- The Sweeney
1976
Host: Kermit the Frog. Opening titles: "Dancing Queen" by ABBA. Introduction to show: "You Should Be Dancing" by Bee Gees. Ending credits: "Young Hearts Run Free" by Candi Staton.
1977
Host: Carrie Fisher. Opening titles: "Star Wars Theme" by Meco. Ending credits: Peaches by The Stranglers.
- Space Dust
- Saturday Night Fever
- Skateboard
- Blue Jeans magazine
- Pot Noodle
- Take Hart
- Slime
- The Professionals
- Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee (which was marked by widespread public celebrations)
- The Sex Pistols
- Star Wars
1978
Host: Lynda Carter. Opening credits: "Blame It On the Boogie" by The Jacksons. Introduction to show: "No More Heroes" by The Stranglers. Ending credits: "Teenage Kicks" by The Undertones.
- Grease
- The Boomtown Rats
- The Incredible Hulk
- Soda Stream
- Blake's 7
- Kate Bush
- Top Trumps
- Simon
- Hot Gossip
- Space Invaders
- Dean Friedman
- Wonder Woman
Flashback Commercial of 1978: Glenryck Pilchards
1979
Host: Bo Derek. Opening credits: Pop Muzik by M. Introduction to show: "Heart of Glass" by Blondie. Ending credits: After the Love Has Gone by Earth, Wind and Fire.
- Rubik's Cube and other puzzle games
- The Dukes of Hazzard
- Designer jeans (Gloria Vanderbilt and Lee Cooper)
- Quadrophenia
- Holly Hobbie
- Picture and coloured vinyl discs
- Gary Numan
- Monkey
- Leif Garrett
- Top Deck
- Ska and Madness
- 10
Flashback Commercial of 1979: Barbie