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Wacky Races (1968-69)

American animated comedy TV series
Produced by Hannah-Barbera for CBS
Series: one (17 episodes / 34 segments, 1968-69)
Debut: October 7, 1969 (BBC 1), with The Space Kidettes

Main cast

Daws Butler as Rock Slag, Big Gruesome, Red Max, Sergeant Blast, Peter Perfect, Rufus Ruffcut, Various (voices)
Don Messick as Muttley, Professor Pat Pending, Gravel Slag, Little Gruesome, Ring-a-Ding, Sawtooth, Various (voices)
John Stephenson as Lazy Luke, Blubber Bear, Various (voices)
Janet Waldo as Penelope Pitstop, Various (voices)
Dave Willock as the race announcer (voices)
Paul Winchell as Dick Dastardly, Clyde, Private Meekly, Various (voices)

Writer(s): Larz Bourne, Dalton Sandifer, Tom Dagenais, Michael Maltese
Director(s): William Hanna, Joseph Barbera
Producer(s): William Hanna, Joseph Barbera

Followed by spin-offs Dastardly And Muttley In their Flying Machines (1969-70), The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop (1969-70)

Watchdog (1985-2019)

British consumer investigative journalism TV series
Created by N/A
Produced by BBC
Series: 41 (1,084 episodes)
Debut: July 14, 1985 (BBC 1)

Presenter(s) (1985-90)

Nick Ross & Lynn Faulds Wood (1985-86)
Lynn Faulds Wood & John Stapleton (1986-93)

Writer(s): N/A
Director(s): Various
Producer(s): Various

Watchdog first appeared as a pre-recorded weekly feature for Nationwide, presented by Hugh Scully (1980-84). Scully continued to front the bulletin for Sixty Minutes in 1984, after Nationwide finished in 1983.

The stand-alone show was originally broadcast on Sunday evenings but was moved to early mornings on weekdays the following year, with Nick Ross making way for Lynn Faulds Wood's husband, John Stapleton.

In 1988, the show was broadcast on Mondays at daytime and peak time slots, and it employed a more forceful approach in consumer investigations, including investigating big businesses and conducting more investigative journalism.

We Are The Champions (1973-95)

British children's game show TV series
Created by Alan Russell & Ron Pickering
Produced by BBC
Series: 15 (104 episodes, 1973-87); Disabled Specials (13 episodes, 1983-95)
Debut: June 13, 1973 (BBC 1)

Presenter(s)

Ron Pickering (1973-90)
Gary Lineker (1991-92), Linford Christie (1993-94), Judy Simpson (1995) (Disabled Specials, 1991-95)

Writer(s): N/A
Director(s): Various
Producer(s): Alan Russell (1973-74); Clive Doig (1975-78); Peter Charlton (1979-90)

Whodunnit? (1972-78)

British game show TV series
Created by Jeremy Lloyd, Lance Percival
Produced by Thames Television for ITV
Series: six (48 episodes)
Debut: August 15, 1972 (pilot); June 25, 1973 (series)

Presenter(s)

Jon Pertwee (1974-78, 2-6; panellist, S01E02)
Edward Woodward (1973, series 1; panellist, pilot)
Shaw Taylor (1972, pilot; panellist, S01E02)

Notable panellists

Patrick Mower (17 episodes)
Anouska Hempel (13 episodes)
Liza Goddard (nine episodes)
Anna Dawson (five episodes)

Writer(s): Jeremy Lloyd, Lance Percival, Edward J Mason, Tony Shryane
Director(s): Various
Producer(s): Robert Reed, Anthony Parker, Malcolm Morris
Theme tune by Tony Hatch

Why Don't You? (1973-95)

British children's TV series
Created by Patrick Dowling
Produced by BBC
Series: 42 (? episodes, 1973-95)
Debut: August 20, 1973 (BBC 1)

Notable presenter(s)

Ben Slade
Gideon Coe
Andy Crane
Daniel Evans
Alexandra Fletcher
Anthony McPartlin (1988)
Pauline Quirke

Writer(s): N/A
Director(s): Various
Producer(s): Various
Theme tunes:
- "I Say, I Say, I Say" (Paul Lewis) performed by The London Studio Group (1973-75)
- "Kings Road Raspberry Parade" (Roger Greenaway & Roger Cook) performed by George Martin & His Orchestra (1976-78)
- "Why Don't You?" (Faron Brooks) (1979-83; performed by a children's choir, 1984-90)