Classic (obscure?) TV shows you remember

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quickymart

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#323848 25-Jan-2026 11:49

In amongst all the negativity at the moment, I thought I'd make a thread about something positive. I'm a big nostalgia buff having grown up in the 80s.

Living in a tiny South Island town, TV was the best entertainment around, and my sister and cousin and I would race home every day to watch the kids shows after school (long live Olly Ohlson!)

One show I haven't heard much about for a long time is Terrahawks:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrahawks

This was a show from the same crowd that made Thunderbirds - which is much better known. However, I loved Terrahawks more; my favourite characters were Stew Dapples (the bloke in the recording studio) and his boss, who started almost every sentence with "What's happening, Stew?" in his slow, Jack Nicholson-type voice.

Does anyone remember this show, or just me? What are some obscure TV shows you remember seeing, and that could still have entertainment value today? 🙂

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#3455770 25-Jan-2026 13:35

There was some obscure NZ TV show featuring:

"The man they couldn't root, shoot or electrocute"

Older people where I worked long ago used to refer to that line frequently. They would be 80 years or older by now. It sounds like something John Clarke would come up with.

Behodar

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#3455771 25-Jan-2026 13:48

When I was young, so late 80s or early 90s, there was a TVNZ(?) kids' show with the strange name Lamington Central, with a sci-fi element (might have been a hand-held teleporter). Google has no knowledge of it.

qwertee

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#3455775 25-Jan-2026 14:01

Dallas

Twin Peaks

North and South

Charlies Angels

Black Adder

Faulty Towers

Only fools and horses .

Porridge

The two Ronnies

Sorry Ronnie Corbet

above come to mind , pardon if they are in a different era.

Dynamic

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#3455776 25-Jan-2026 14:08

I loved Steve Parr's version of What Now when I was pretty small. :)

I also remember very clearly and fondly the theme song to RTR. Ready to Roll | Series | Television | NZ On Screen

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Technofreak

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#3455778 25-Jan-2026 14:28

qwertee:

Dallas

Twin Peaks

North and South

Charlies Angels

Black Adder

Faulty Towers

Only fools and horses .

Porridge

The two Ronnies

Sorry Ronnie Corbet

above come to mind , pardon if they are in a different era.

Only the English ones were worth watching, with the possible exception of Charlies Angels

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alavaliant

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#3455780 25-Jan-2026 14:35

I rather liked;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boy_from_Andromeda

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Trax

I don't know any specifically about 'Lamington Central'; But I have this vague wonder if it was a sub show on 'what now'. The name makes me think of the sort of mini episodes they had on the show.

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kiwifidget

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#3455781 25-Jan-2026 14:39

Sapphire and Steel.

My younger brother remembers Terrahawks.

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alasta

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#3455782 25-Jan-2026 14:47

There was a really good series hosted by Philip Alpers in the 90s called Heroes. It was a dramatisation of true stories where New Zealanders had risked their lives to save others in situations such as house fires and car accidents.

I also liked Clash of the Codes, hosted by Simon Barnett.

gzt

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#3455784 25-Jan-2026 14:52

The original Under The Mountain TV series still holds up really well for pace and interest:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_the_Mountain_(miniseries)

kiwifidget

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#3455854 25-Jan-2026 16:43

Oh, The Tomorrow People.

Very catchy theme music, can still remember it now.

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k1w1k1d

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#3455858 25-Jan-2026 17:07

Probably showing my age with some of these.

Clutch Cargo, C'mon, Happen In, Town and Around, Bonanza, Get Smart, Dr Who, Dog Trials, Country Calendar, It's in the Bag (went to a filming in the old Rolleston Hall), Andy Griffith, Captain Starlet, .......

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#3455859 25-Jan-2026 17:31

Town and Around - 1965 to 1970 News and Current Affairs

C'mon (1967–1969) and Happen Inn (1970–1973) with Peter Sinclair. My parents begrudgingly watched these with my teenage self as there was only one TV channel back then.

And the most classic of all: Goodnight Kiwi

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#3455861 25-Jan-2026 17:34

Lucky Luke

Space Ted

Fraggile Rock

Scooby Doo

tweake

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#3455870 25-Jan-2026 18:25

quickymart:

In amongst all the negativity at the moment, I thought I'd make a thread about something positive. I'm a big nostalgia buff having grown up in the 80s.

Living in a tiny South Island town, TV was the best entertainment around, and my sister and cousin and I would race home every day to watch the kids shows after school (long live Olly Ohlson!)

One show I haven't heard much about for a long time is Terrahawks:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrahawks

This was a show from the same crowd that made Thunderbirds - which is much better known. However, I loved Terrahawks more; my favourite characters were Stew Dapples (the bloke in the recording studio) and his boss, who started almost every sentence with "What's happening, Stew?" in his slow, Jack Nicholson-type voice.

Does anyone remember this show, or just me? What are some obscure TV shows you remember seeing, and that could still have entertainment value today? 🙂

thats a favourite of mine. there is the garyanderson page on social media from the family which has kept some of that alive. i would love to get some posters and especially a model of the Zeroids and cubes. got to love Sergeant Major voice.

also stingray and captain scarlet and the misterons.

Behodar

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#3455872 25-Jan-2026 18:30

With some Britcoms mentioned above, a favourite of mine is You Rang, M'Lord?. It's not as popular as some of the others, and one theory is that it never really got a chance to develop a following because its unusual 50-minute episode length made it difficult to schedule repeat broadcasts.

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