This is our Everest
Join Ian King and Edward Carter on a television odyssey, as we discover the weirdest, the worst, and the blandest television that we can find from the analogue era in an attempt to drive each other to the brink of a nervous breakdown.
Podcast 301: This is our Everest, Part Forty-Seven – Public Information Films
This week's Everest sees Edward and Ian revisit a time when television was never explicit but nevertheless still fucking terrifying: the world of British Public Information films of the 1970s and 1980s. Their relentless efficacy is demonstrated early as Ian recalls...
Podcast 298: This is our Everest, Part Forty-Four – Bertha, 1985
On this week's This is our Everest, your heroes have been watching an episode of the animated children's series Bertha from 1985. Ian has never encountered Bertha before so he's unaware of the incredible potential of this perhaps sentient machine that can make...
Podcast 297: This is our Everest, Part Forty-Three – Miss Anglia, 1980
On this week's This Is Our Everest your heroes have their swimming costumes ready to go for the beauty contest-come-cattle auction that was Miss Anglia 1980, the kind of awful, degrading bullshit that was more or less completely obsolete at least a decade before this...
Podcast 296: This is our Everest, Part Forty-Two – This England; Snooker
This week's emotional This Is Our Everest sees your heroes facing up to a 1978 episode of the Granada Television documentary series This England on the subject of Snooker, a game that both Edward and Ian found infinitely fascinating until watching this. Nevertheless,...
Podcast 295: This is our Everest, Part Forty-One – Splash!
This edition of the podcast is dedicated to Katie Coxall, a bold, daring, brilliant artist and friend of ours who lost her battle with cancer earlier this week. She will be much missed and fondly remembered in equal measure. On this week's This Is Our Everest, Edward...
Podcast 294: This is our Everest, Part Forty – The Russ Abbot Show, 1986
On this week's This Is Our Everest, Edward and Ian have been watching an episode of BBC1's The Russ Abbot Show from 1986. It allows your heroes to reflect both on Russ Abbot's lengthy some call it legacy as well as renewing our ongoing affair with the work of Les...
Podcast 293: This is our Everest, Part Thirty-Nine – Seaside Special, 1975
On this week's This Is Our Everest, your intrepid heroes are at the beach for the BBC's Seaside Special from August 1975. It affords them ample opportunity to explore their relationship with light entertainment, as all the while Tony Blackburn fights for his life...
Podcast 292: This is our Everest, Part Thirty-Eight – Crimewatch UK (1986)
This Is Our Everest returns from our Easter/house moving break with one of your heroes' favourite television programmes of all time, Crimewatch UK from May 1986, an edition that Edward picked for reasons it turns out are far more frivolous than the content of the...
Podcast 291: This is our Everest, Part Thirty-Seven – Lift Off with Ayshea, 1974
This week, Edward and Ian have been watching Lift Off With Ayshea, a Granada TV-produced ITV pop music programme from October 1974. These were eventful and turbulent times and shows like this one did a lot of the heavy lifting with regard to helping people forget...
Podcast 290: This is our Everest, Part Thirty-Six – Training Dogs The Woodhouse Way (1980)
On this week's This Is Our Everest, Edward and Ian watched the first episode of the BBC's monolithic dog obedience series Training Dogs The Woodhouse Way from 1980. It was a good opportunity for your heroes to top up on their own abilities to control their dogs (and...
Podcast 289: This is our Everest, Part Thirty-Five – Noel Edmonds’ Saturday Roadshow, 1988
On this week's This Is Our Everest, your heroes watched at episode of Noel Edmonds' Saturday Roadshow from December 1988. As the setting for these hi-jinx was purportedly The Kremlin, Edward and Ian are duly able to discuss the full scope of Perestroika albeit through...
Podcast 288: This is our Everest, Part Thirty-Four – Copy Cats (1985)
On This Is Our Everest this week, your intrepid heroes watched the 1985 ITV quickfire comedy sketch and impressions show Copy Cats, an innocuous enough sounding task which actually pushed both men to the limits of human endurance. It's a show designed by history to...
Podcast 287: This is our Everest, Part Thirty-Three – Shang-a-Lang (1975)
This week on This Is Our Everest, Edward and Ian watched the first episode of the Bay City Rollers' 1975 ITV series Shang-a-Lang and found themselves grimly fascinated by it all. As one of our panel put it, it was the schadenfruede of a jaded middle-aged man watching...
Podcast 286: This is our Everest, Part Thirty-Two – Cluedo (1991)
This week on This Is Our Everest, Edward and Ian watched the early 1990s celebrity panel whodunnit show Cluedo. Still reeling from the news that one of their most fervent regular listeners may have been done in with a snooker ball in a sock, your heroes discuss means,...
Podcast 285: This is our Everest, Part Thirty-One – Triangle (1981)
On this week's This Is Our Everest, your heroes watched Triangle, the BBC's North Sea ferry-based soap opera that was one of Auntie's most high profile disasters. It's a programme so glacially-paced, stupid and confusing that both Edward and Ian watched a second...
Podcast 284: This is our Everest, Part Thirty – All Creatures Great & Small (1978)
On this week's This Is Our Everest, Edward and Ian have been watching the BBC veterinary comedy-drama series All Creatures Great and Small. It's a programme with which Edward was already familiar but that Ian has never seen. Although he has seen Call The Midwife,...
Podcast 283: This is our Everest, Part Twenty-Nine – The World Disco Dancin’ Championship, 1979
On this week's This Is Our Everest, your heroes get their glad rags on for the 1979 EMI World Disco Dancin' Championships. There's much discussion to be had about whether or not disco sucks (it doesn't) and what the alternative might have been, which brings a sobering...
Podcast 282: This is our Everest, Part Twenty-Eight – Hammer House of Horror (1980)
This week's This Is Our Everest sees your heroes visit the 1980 ITV horror anthology series Hammer House of Horror. Ian has a number of issues with horror, probably caused by his baffling insistence on living relentlessly in the real world. Edward - a gibbering,...
Podcast 281: This is our Everest, Part Twenty-Seven – The Price is Right (1984)
This Is Our Everest returns today, albeit as a far more sensible weekly edition, with Edward and Ian getting their RDA of The Price Is Right. Your heroes - one in particular - are both connoisseurs of the American programme, so how are they going to respond to the...
Podcast 280: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Twenty-Four – Fanny Cooks For Christmas (1975)
The final door of the This Is Our Everest Advent calendar inevitably reveals the terrifying spectacle of Fanny Cradock Cooks For Christmas. Our heroes both watch this monstrosity every Christmas regardless and it doesn't disappoint. There are thoughts on hygienic food...
Podcast 279: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Twenty-Three – Please, Sir! (1971)
The penultimate day of the This Is Our Everest Advent calendar goes back 50 years to the black and white world of Please Sir! Ian is fascinated by any programme that depicts London in the early 1970s, even if it is just for the social documentary aspect, and as such...
Podcast 278: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Twenty-Two – Chas & Dave’s Christmas Knees-Up (1982)
Day 22 of the This Is Our Everest Advent calendar sees Edward and Ian join Chas and Dave for their 1982 Christmas Knees-up. It is a programme that acts as a salve on both of your heroes' battle-scarred psyches and also one which allows Ian to expand upon his...
Podcast 277: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Twenty-One: Yo Gabba Gabba
Day 21 of the This Is Our Everest Advent calendar sees Ian break all known rules for this already stupid and pointless exercise, picking a 2011 festive edition of Yo Gabba Gabba. Edward is keen to find out whether or not having two young children has now addled Ian's...
Podcast 276: This is our Christmas Everest, Party Twenty – Fat Albert, 1977
Day 20 of our Advent calendar sees Edward and Ian watching the 1977 Fat Albert Christmas Special. It's your heroes' first encounter with this particular US television monolith but the helter-skelter melding of the Nativity and A Christmas Carol soon takes a back seat...
Podcast 275: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Nineteen – Concentration (1968)
It's day 19 of the This Is Our Everest Advent calendar and Edward and Ian are watching the Concentration Christmas special from 24th December 1968. Eschewing the commonly-held notion that the secret to a long life is mild cheese and exciting television, Edward has...
Podcast 274: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Eighteen – The Lawrence Welk Show, 1972
Day 18 of the This Is Our Everest Advent calendar sees your heroes have their first encounter with the other-worldly Lawrence Welk, and The Lawrence Welk Christmas Show from 1972. Edward and Ian learn about what Republicans do to celebrate Christmas, most of them by...
Podcast 273: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Seventeen – Bruce Forsyth’s Generation Game, 1973
Day 17 of the This Is Our Everest Advent calendar inevitably sees Edward and Ian watching The Generation Game Christmas Special from 1973. Both of your heroes are thrilled to bits to see Frankie Howerd again and are effusive in their praise for both him and the show's...
Podcast 272: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Sixteen – Morning Worship, 1993
In an entirely church-based 16th day of our Advent calendar, your heroes have been watching an episode of ITV's Morning Worship from 1993. It brings back all kinds of repressed childhood memories for Edward which is bound to have done him no good at all. Meanwhile,...
Podcast 271: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Fifteen – Christmas Night With The Stars, 1972
In the 15th episode of our Advent calendar, it's a star-festooned Christmas extravaganza with the BBC's 1972 Christmas Night With The Stars. The normally risk-averse Ian gets another opportunity to engage with The Goodies for a reason you probably won't expect and...
Podcast 270: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Fourteen – The Les Dennis Laughter Show
Day 14 of this stupid Advent calendar sees your heroes watching The Les Dennis Laughter Show from 22nd December 1990. Ian is far from impressed with the programme, which delighted Edward who - uniquely among these festive selections - has chosen the episode. It's...
Podcast 269: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Thirteen – Micro Live, 1985
Day 13 of the This Is Our Everest Advent calendar looks at the world of home computing in December 1985 with the BBC Micro Live Christmas Special. With the eight-year age gap between Ian and Edward there's plenty of opportunities for some generational blindspots and...
Podcast 268: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Twelve – Runaround
Day 12 of our Advent calendar sees your heroes watching another programme from the ITV schedule on Christmas Day 1980: Runaround, the energetic children's quiz presented by Mike Reid. It's a programme that provides Edward and Ian some blessed relief from the poundings...
Podcast 267: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Eleven – 321
Day 11 of the This Is Our Everest Advent calendar sees Edward and Ian revisit Christmas Day 1980 and an episode of 3-2-1. It's a programme that aggravates Edward in the extreme, not least because Ian remains entirely convinced it is some kind of Runic statement from...
Podcast 266: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Ten: In Sickness & In Health
What would Christmas be if it didn't include at least one uncomfortable discussion about racism? Well, day 10 of our Advent calendar sees Edward and Ian watch the 1985 In Sickness and In Health Christmas special in order to facilitate this. It's a programme Ian finds...
Podcast 265: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Nine: The Torvill & Dean Christmas Special, 1984
Day 9 of the This Is Our Everest Advent calendar sees Edward and Ian visit a curious and extremely topical festive extravaganza from 1984, The Torvill and Dean Christmas Special. The programme wasn't the light entertainment variety hour either of your heroes were...
Podcast 264: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Eight: The Keith Harris Christmas Party, 1983
Edward and Ian have both been to their fair share of honking parties, but Day 8 of the This Is Our Everest Advent calendar took them to Keith Harris' Christmas Party in 1983 and now all bets are off. Our heroes ponder whether or not Keith was a white supremacist, the...
Podcast 263: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Seven – The Appleyards
Day 7 of the This Is Our Everest Advent calendar sees Edward and Ian seek to once and for all answer the question: were the olden days better? Their chosen method is analysing an episode of The Appleyards from Christmas 1956. Pantomimes come in for some significant...
Podcast 262: This is Our Everest, Part Six – The Big Break Christmas Special, 1992
Day 6 (yes, it is really only day 6) of the This Is Our Everest Advent calendar sees Edward and Ian watching the 1992 Big Break Christmas Special, regardless of where they'd rather be or what they'd rather be doing. Listen as your heroes deal with the conflict of...
Podcast 261: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Five – The Telly Addicts Christmas Special, 1989
Day five of the This Is Our Everest Advent calendar begins with an unsolicited and completely unrelated television recommendation, then our heroes get back to business and watch the 1989 Telly Addicts Christmas Special. Ian gazes on with horror and fascination at the...
Podcast 260: This is Our Christmas Everest, Part Four – Delia’s Classic Christmas
Day 4 of the This Is Our Everest Advent calendar takes in Delia's Classic Christmas. Edward and Ian disagree about food on an almost recreational basis but are both keen consumers of it, so expect a variety of hot takes and disagreements about parsnips, Quality...
Podcast 259: This is our Everest, Part Three – The He Man & She Ra Christmas Special
Behind door 3 of the This Is Our Everest Advent calendar, Edward and Ian found the He-Man and She-Ra Christmas Special and did it ever raise a number of important questions. Our heroes discuss the finer points of Skeletor's anatomy, the proper parental response to...
Podcast 258: This is our Christmas Everest, Part Two – Des O’Connor Tonight
Day 2 (door 2?) of the This Is Our Everest Advent calendar sees Edward and Ian watch the 1991 Des O'Connor Christmas Special and just like Des they're packing them in. Edward guarantees his bins will never be collected again, Ian summarily chalks off one of Mariah...
Podcast 257: This is our Christmas Everest, Part One – Saint & Greavsie
On the first of 24 daily Advent Calendar editions of This Is Our Everest, Edward and Ian ease themselves in slowly by watching an edition of Saint and Greavsie from the 22nd December 1990. With the exception of a ratty tinsel Christmas tree you'd be forgiven for...
Podcast 256: This is our Everest, Part Twenty-Six – Crown Court
On today's valedictory episode of This Is Our Everest, Edward and Ian give themselves a little treat and watch Crown Court, a programme they both love. They explore the origins of this stupid podcast, whether or not there should be degrees of treason and why they're...
Podcast 255: This is our Everest, Part Twenty-Five – Out of Town
Today's bucolic episode of This Is Our Everest sees Edward and Ian watch an episode of Out Of Town. There's some extremely questionable and troubling content about the annual Appleby Horse Fair and then a sheep orgy, all of which leaves at least one of our heroes...
Podcast 254: This is our Everest, Part Twenty-Four – That’s Life!
On today's This Is Our Everest, Edward and Ian find their most amusing misprints from local newspapers and watch an episode of That's Life from 1986. It's a programme that provokes a number of thoughts and feelings, particularly a quite unprecedented swell of good...
Podcast 253: This is our Everest, Part Twenty-Three – Channel Four Presents Basketball
In an ironic twist, today's episode of This Is Our Everest (not sponsored by Just Juice) is both the first to feature any basketball at all and also the episode least likely to appeal to basketball fans. However, Edward has a perfectly reasonable defence and Ian has...
Podcast 252: This is our Everest, Part Twenty-Two – Going for Gold
On today's This Is Our Everest, Edward and Ian revisit everyone's favourite trans-European quiz express, Going For Gold. It's increasingly a relic of a forgotten era in UK-EU relations and our heroes try and pick through the finer points of the Maastricht Treaty to...
Podcast 251: This is our Everest, Part Twenty-One – The Black & White Minstrel Show
On today's This Is Our Everest, Edward and Ian provide exactly the service the world needs: two more middle-aged white men talking about racism. Yes, it's The Black and White Minstrel show, a truly despicable relic of a past we'd all hoped was firmly behind us,...
Podcast 250: This is our Everest, Part Twenty – Tomorrow’s World
On today's This Is Our Everest, Edward and Ian watch an episode of the BBC's Tomorrow's World from 1984. Edward is in an especially silly mood for whatever reason but is nevertheless able to provide an update as to the progress of the robot plan to take over the...