Magpie was one of the big kids shows of the 70s. 7 million viewers on ITV twice a week, it was the more risque rival to Blue Peter on the BBC.  Over four decades since it left our screens,  Ashley&apos;s assembled three of the show&apos;s most popular presenters for a reunion. Mick Robertson, Douglas Rae and Susan Stranks (who was also famous for Paperplay alongside the puppets itsy and bitzy). Some great stories including Douglas&apos; adventures abroad, Mick&apos;s pop star image and Susan&apos;s dislike of anything related to circuses. Memories of the legendary Thames Television and how they saw themselves compared to their big BBC rival.Distinct Nostalgia is produced by MIM Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/distinctnostalgia)

Distinct Nostalgia

The Great Magpie Reunion with Mick Robertson, Douglas Rae and Susan Stranks

Philip Franks rose to widespread fame as Charley in the original Darling Buds of May in the early 90s. Now 30 years on, ITV are bringing back The Larkins with a whole new cast. Here Philip chats about the heady days of the first incarnation and working with the legendary David Jason who played Pa Larkin.  Phillip also talks about his big role in Heartbeat and the fun he had on Countdown - all Yorkshire Television Productions! Distinct Nostalgia is produced by MIM Photo: Charlie CarterSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/distinctnostalgia)

As The Larkins return, we meet Philip Franks who played Charley in the original Darling Buds of May

Tracy is one of Corrie’s most enduring characters.  Generations have watched her change from innocent little girl to troubled 20 something through to soap bad girl. She’s been played by four different actors. And the first was Christabel Finch who took on the role from being just a few days old. Here she gives an exclusive interview from her home in Perth, Australia to Ashley. Distinct Nostalgia is produced by MIM Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/distinctnostalgia)

Autumn Soap Treats: Meet Corrie’s first Tracy - exclusive chat with Christabel Finch who began playing Tracy Langton just days after being born

Casualty and Heartbeat star Jonathan Kerrigan sits down for a fun chat with Ashley Byrne. The conversation ventures into his early years, his time on two of Britain&apos;s biggest drama series, being described as a heartthrob, working in the States and his musical talents. Jonathan remains one of the UK&apos;s most talented drama actors but is it time for him to try his hand at a bit of comedy? And don&apos;t forget there&apos;s dozens of interviews on DN with stars of British TV drama and film on DistinctNostalgia.com including Jack Davenport, James Wilby, Carol Drinkwater, Stephen Tompkinson, Jason Hughes and many, many more. Scroll through the Distinct Nostalgia feed now. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/distinctnostalgia)

Casualty at 35 - another chance to hear Jonathan Kerrigan who played gay nurse Sam Colloby in the mid 90s

As our ‘Casualty at 35’ celebrations continue, one of the show’s original stars has taken time out to give us an extensive and exclusive interview about her years on the world’s longest running medical drama. Ashley has been speaking to Cath Shipton who played iconic character Duffy right from the start in 1986.  Distinct Nostalgia is an MIM Production Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/distinctnostalgia)

Casualty at 35 - an exclusive interview with Cath Shipton who played the iconic character Duffy from the very beginning

It’s the longest running medical drama in the world and here we meet the woman who spoke the very first words in Casualty.  Debbie Roza Mercier played the show’s first receptionist from 1986 to 1987 before giving up acting for a life in Canada. Here she gives a unique perspective on an iconic show to Ashley as part of our special  Casualty at 35 interviews. Distinct Nostalgia is produced by MIM Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/distinctnostalgia)

Casualty at 35 - we meet the actor who uttered the first words - Debbie Roza-Mercier who played Original receptionist Suzie Mercier

Trail music Music:"Werq" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/distinctnostalgia)

This Autumn - Only on DistinctNostalgia. Listen to just some of the Early highlights here..

As our series of &apos;Funny Women of Great British Sitcom&apos; continues,  Andy Hoyle chats to Judy Cornwell about her long career. Judy starred as Daisy in Keeping Up Appearances alongside Geoffrey Hughes as Onslow during the 1990s.  Also in this series - interviews with Sally Thomsett who played Jo in Man About The House and Anna Karen who played Olive in On The Buses.  Meanwhile you can also find other interviews with &apos;Funny Women&apos; in our archive - including Felicity Kendal, Wendy Craig, Lesley Joseph, Doreen Mantle and former Carry On stars Sherrie Hewson and Amanda Barrie. The Distinct Nostalgia Theme is composed by Rebecca Applin and Chris Warner.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/distinctnostalgia)Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/distinctnostalgia)

'Funny Women' of Great British Sitcom - JUDY CORNWELL from Keeping Up Appearances

Anna Karen played one of the most popular characters of 70s sitcom in Britain - the hilarious accident prone but sex mad &apos;Olive&apos; in On the Buses. The series began in 1969 and became a favourite throughout the next decade with more than 70 episodes plus 3 feature films - On The Buses, Mutiny On the Buses and Holiday On The Buses. Here Anna remembers how she created Olive and recalls working with a cast which included Reg Varney, Doris Hare, Bob Grant and Stephen Lewis.  She also talks about playing the caustic Aunt Sal, Peggy&apos;s sister in EastEnders.  Photo of Anna Karen - Courtesy of Caroline Webster.Also in this series - interviews with Sally Thomsett who played Jo in Man About The House and Judy Cornwell who played Daisy in Keeping Up Appearances. Meanwhile you can also find other interviews with &apos;Funny Women&apos; in our archive - including Felicity Kendal, Wendy Craig, Lesley Joseph and former Carry On stars Sherrie Hewson and Amanda Barrie. The Distinct Nostalgia Theme is composed by Rebecca Applin and Chris Warner.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/distinctnostalgia)

'Funny Women' of Great British Sitcom - ANNA KAREN from On The Buses

It&apos;s back to the 1970s  for the first in a special series of three programmes meeting some of the Queens of British Sitcom.  Here Ashley speaks to Sally Thomsett who played Jo in the runaway ITV comedy Man About The House which starred Richard O&apos;Sullivan, Paula Wilcox, Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy. The show would go on to spawn two other big hits - George and Mildred (starring Brian and Yootha) and Robin&apos;s Nest (starring Richard).  Sally speaks candidly about her time as one of the most famous faces in Britain and what the show did for her and her co-stars lives and careers.Also in this series - interviews with Anna Karen who played Olive in On The Buses and Judy Cornwell who played Daisy in Keeping Up Appearances. These interviews will be broadcast in future weeks.Meanwhile you can also find other interviews with &apos;Funny Women&apos; in our archive - including Felicity Kendal, Wendy Craig, Lesley Joseph and former Carry On stars Sherrie Hewson and Amanda Barrie. The Distinct Nostalgia Theme is composed by Rebecca Applin and Chris Warner.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/distinctnostalgia)

'FUNNY WOMEN' of Great British Sitcom - SALLY THOMSETT from Man About the House

It was multi-Oscar nominated and its creator walked away with best screenplay. The Crying Game also won Best British Film at the Baftas. And it was ground breaking, tackling as it did race, gender, sexuality and nationality all with a background of the troubles in Northern Ireland. Full of surprises, it was an enthralling and exciting film which broke many taboos. And it had a fabulous soundtrack too. Ashley Byrne has been talking to prolific Irish film maker Neil Jordan about how it all happened nearly 30 years ago. Distinct Nostalgia is a big champion of British film and you can hear other interviews on Distinct Nostalgia about Brief Encounter, Brassed Off, My Beautiful Laundrette, Oliver, The History Boys and Maurice. We&apos;ve also British actor Jack Davenport talking about the US movie The Talented Mr Ripley in which he starred with fellow Brit Jude Law. Search our archive for all these features.  And please support if you can on Patreon. These programmes cost to produce so every little helps.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/distinctnostalgia)

GREAT British Film - The Oscar winning Neil Jordan talks about his iconic 1992 Brit-flick The Crying Game

Series 3Think On!Florrie and Dotty are mixing again following the lifting of Covid restrictions. They&apos;re enjoying a cuppa in Dotty&apos;s kitchen but will they be hugging? Men are under scrutiny as usual and there&apos;s a surprise on the way. Florrie....Lindsay Eavis Dotty.......Janice Fryett Written by  Janice Fryett A Spinney Audio Production A Distinct Comedy PresentationAbout Florrie & Dotty are two ladies in their sixties who blend past and present with their unique sense of humour and way with words. They love a cuppa (and something stronger), a nice sweet fancy and will have a sideswipe at anything from the neighbours to social issues, sexuality and social media. They live in neat stone built terraced houses in a (northern) street near you.About Janice Fryett - actor/writer Janice spent many years as a teacher, mother, writer and singer and trained as an actor in her fifties at ICAT Manchester, graduating in July 2017, since when she has worked in most areas of the industry. Janice originated the role of Carol Atkins in the musical play The Jury at The Brindley Runcorn in 2018 and Upstairs at the Gatehouse, London in Feb 2020 (eight FOUR STAR reviews and nominated for an ‘Offy’). She has appeared in four TVcommercials, short films, radio plays, dance theatre narration and fringe theatre in Oldham Coliseum, Liverpool Everyman, Storyhouse Chester and pub theatre.About  Lindsay Eavis - actorLindsay has been performing since she was 4 years old. As a child she trained as a dancer and at 16 won a place at ArtsEdin London. Despite several breaks due to family commitments, her career has taken her all over the country and into Europe. She has worked professionally in serious drama, comedy, pantomime, TIE and television. Aside from her acting work she pursued a career as a Trainer in the NHS and was involved in the local amateur scene as actor, director, teacher and choreographer.For further info, contact Janice and Lindsay via info@madeinmanchester.tvSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/distinctnostalgia)Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/distinctnostalgia)

Bank Holiday Treats: Original Comedy - Sitcom Shorts: Florrie and Dotty Series 3 - Think On!

We’re usually celebrating the iconic shows of the past with the people who were there but very, very occasionally DistinctNostalgia will focus in on something contemporary we feel deserves some real attention and this is one of those rare occasions. TWO DOORS DOWN  is the BBC’s hidden comedy gem. Here DistinctNostalgia celebrates a ‘current’ quality tv show starring among others, Alex Norton and Elaine C Smith. The series is written by Simon Carlyle and Gregor Sharp and centres around neighbours living in a suburban street on the outskirts of Glasgow. It’s a hilarious sitcom and DistinctNostalgia highly recommends all four series and the 5th which is being filmed this year.  Here Ashley chats to Jonathan Watson who has played Colin since the start... If you&apos;d like to suggest an interview (or reunion) with a past star/stars of any soap, comedy, drama. children&apos;s series, quiz show or film, then please drop us a line via the contact us page on the Distinct Nostalgia website at www.distinctnostalgia.com NOTE: The Distinct Nostalgia theme is owned by MIM Productions and composed by Rebecca Applin and Chris Warner. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/distinctnostalgia)

Two Doors Down - We meet Jonathan Watson who plays Colin in the hilarious BBC2 sitcom

David Renwick is one of the real British comedy writing legends. He created the iconic Victor Meldrew. Over two parts Ashley talks to David about his early years and the plethora of comedies he&apos;s written. In this second programme David talks about his inspiration for Victor and how and why One Foot in the Grave endured for so long.  Find episode 1 by scrolling through the Distinct Nostalgia feed wherever you get your podcasts. Don&apos;t forget we&apos;ve also an interview with Doreen Mantle who played Mrs Warboys. Find it by searching the Distinct Nostalgia archive. If you&apos;d like to suggest an interview (or reunion) with a past star/stars of any soap, comedy, drama. children&apos;s series, quiz show or film, then please drop us a line via the contact us page on the Distinct Nostalgia website at www.distinctnostalgia.com NOTE: The Distinct Nostalgia theme is owned by MIM Productions and composed by Rebecca Applin and Chris Warner. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/distinctnostalgia)

COMEDY WRITING LEGENDS - The One Foot in the Grave Story...In Conversation with David Renwick Part 2

David Renwick is one of the real British comedy writing legends. He created the iconic Victor Meldrew. Over two parts Ashley talks to David about his early years and the plethora of comedies he&apos;s written. In this first programme David talks about penning sketches for The Two Ronnies and working with David Jason long before Open All Hours and Only Fools and Horses. In Part 2 the discussion turns to David&apos;s big sitcom and casting Richard Wilson and Annette Crosbie for One Foot in The Grave. Don&apos;t forget we&apos;ve also an interview with Doreen Mantle who played Mrs Warboys. Find it by searching the Distinct Nostalgia archive. If you&apos;d like to suggest an interview (or reunion) with a past star/stars of any soap, comedy, drama. children&apos;s series, quiz show or film, then please drop us a line via the contact us page on the Distinct Nostalgia website at www.distinctnostalgia.com NOTE: The Distinct Nostalgia theme is owned by MIM Productions and composed by Rebecca Applin and Chris Warner. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/distinctnostalgia)

COMEDY WRITING LEGENDS - From The Two Ronnies to One Foot in the Grave...In Conversation with David Renwick Part 1

Exclusive documentaries, shows & dramas celebrating & reuniting some of the biggest names in TV and film. A TV enthusiast’s paradise. Regular quality podcast coming soon...Listen now to some of what we have in store...

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Distinct Nostalgia

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