Vintage media reviews
Series retrospectives, classic DVD reviews, audiobook deep-dives and more.
LATEST CLASSIC TV REVIEW: Tightrope (1972) Cold War thriller for younger viewers
LATEST RADIO PLAY REVIEW Arrest the Jellyfish? Why I love this version of Sherlock Holmes: The Lion’s Mane
FREE NEWSLETTER (3rd – 9th October edition) Retroscopic’s classic TV playlist, plus recs and reviews
A Guide to Granada’s The Man in Room 17
Biographies, episode break-downs, character analysis and newly-researched facts on the first series of Robin Chapman’s classic creation.
Click to buy or read an extract on Amazon
TELEVISION
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In-Depth Review of Tightrope (1972), the Cold War Classroom Thriller
Read more: In-Depth Review of Tightrope (1972), the Cold War Classroom ThrillerTightrope was a tense Cold War thriller for younger viewers, written by former Doctor Who scriptwriter Victor Pemberton and stars Coronation Street’s John Savident, Timeslip’s…
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Obscure Drama – Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill (Network DVD Review)
Read more: Obscure Drama – Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill (Network DVD Review)Contains mild spoilers I collect the DVDs released by Network, even things I wouldn’t necessarily have a desire to watch, or even knew existed. I…
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It’s a Gas! All Gas and Gaiters on DVD and Beyond (A Heavenly Review)
Read more: It’s a Gas! All Gas and Gaiters on DVD and Beyond (A Heavenly Review)5 Series / 33 Episodes / Original television broadcast 1967 – 1971 / BBC Television Spoiler-free review Between 1968 and 1971, “All Gas and Gaiters”…
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The Daleks’ Master Plan – The Surreal Dream Begins
Read more: The Daleks’ Master Plan – The Surreal Dream BeginsWhere does a lifelong fan of Doctor Who even begin to describe the thrill of anticipation before watching two old but new episodes of my…
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Review: 1960s Drama Special Branch
Read more: Review: 1960s Drama Special BranchSpecial Branch was highly popular during its tenure as Thames TV’s top police show from 1969-1970 and 1973-1974. I had limited knowledge about the series…
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Outside Edge , Central TV’s cricketing comedy
Read more: Outside Edge , Central TV’s cricketing comedyThe BAFTA-winning Outside Edge (made by Central for ITV) is a gentle comedy-drama about a sub-league cricket team captained by Roger Dervish (Robert Daws), assisted…
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The Bill & I Part 7: Is the quality slipping? I feel a sob coming on
Read more: The Bill & I Part 7: Is the quality slipping? I feel a sob coming onContinuing to watch the earliest years of the long-running British police drama, The Bill. Since the last entry in this viewing diary, I have watched…
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Network DVD review: The Tyrant King – A psychedelic journey across swinging 60’s London
Read more: Network DVD review: The Tyrant King – A psychedelic journey across swinging 60’s LondonIn 1968, Thames Television tested the feasibility of having another in-house production team, making programmes without the use of studios. The ‘second unit’ would be…
The Big Grown-Up Blake’s 7 Watch-Through
The incomplete and slightly naughty record of watching Blake’s 7 again for the first time since… Let’s just say ages. (Please be advised this is very old and rather rough. I will edit it properly one day!)
RADIO / AUDIO
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Agatha Christie full-cast audio review: At Bertram’s Hotel and A Caribbean Mystery
Read more: Agatha Christie full-cast audio review: At Bertram’s Hotel and A Caribbean MysteryThis time, I take a look at two examples of BBC Radio’s classic series starring June Whitfield as Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple. Miss Marple –…
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Porridge – The surprising facts behind this book based on the classic comedy
Read more: Porridge – The surprising facts behind this book based on the classic comedyA quick look at a book based on the prison-based comedy series, Porridge. This paperback book of the BBC’s Porridge was adapted by Jonathan Marshall…
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The Omega Factor book
Read more: The Omega Factor bookA quick look at The Omega Factor paperback published in 1979. The back cover text: There is a highly-secret government organisation called Department 7. Its…
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Radio Play Review: Sherlock Holmes and The Lion’s Mane
Read more: Radio Play Review: Sherlock Holmes and The Lion’s ManeContains mild spoilers BBC Radio Dramatisation by Bert Coules. Starring Clive Merrison and Michael Williams. 50 mins approx. The Lions Mane is one of the later…
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Review: My Favourite Doctor Who Audio Spin-offs
Read more: Review: My Favourite Doctor Who Audio Spin-offsContains mild spoilers Jago and Litefoot Starring Christopher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter. 13 x 4-part full-cast series released as ‘box sets’ from 2010 – 2017…
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Week 2: Build a Better TV Guide – Ditching the algorithms to curate my own lineup
Read more: Week 2: Build a Better TV Guide – Ditching the algorithms to curate my own lineupContains mild spoilers The schedule is a bit different this week, knocked off course by seemingly-endless work promoting my new self-published book, (Phil’s Marvellous…
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Untangling Red Dwarf on Audio, Bill Bailey and more
Read more: Untangling Red Dwarf on Audio, Bill Bailey and moreIt should perhaps come as no surprise that sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf is the latest TV series to get a soundtrack release. Available to download…
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Classic BBC Radio comedy: Dad’s Army and To The Manor Born
Read more: Classic BBC Radio comedy: Dad’s Army and To The Manor BornTwo full-cast radio adaptations of television comedy classics reviewed.
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How I Got Lost in Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers
Read more: How I Got Lost in Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. SayersI have a confession to make, and while it might be slightly embarrassing for me, it will almost certainly be amusing for you. As an…
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Better Than The Original? The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy narrated by Stephen Moore
Read more: Better Than The Original? The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy narrated by Stephen MooreThe six episodes that make up the first series of The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy stands proudly next to Desert Island Discs, The Archers and Shipping Forecast as one…
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The Slide by Victor Pemberton – A Slow-Build Sci-Fi Thriller
Read more: The Slide by Victor Pemberton – A Slow-Build Sci-Fi ThrillerFull review of the original BBC Radio horror serial of creeping, sentient mud.
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SpaceForce I – classic sci-fi review (with music by Jerry Goldsmith)
Read more: SpaceForce I – classic sci-fi review (with music by Jerry Goldsmith)If you should listen Space Force, written by Charles Chiltern for BBC Radio and broadcast in 1984 (a second series followed in 1985) you might…
The Essential Guide to the 1965 Series by Robin Chapman
Biographies, episode break-downs, character analysis and newly-researched facts on the first series of Robin Chapman’s classic creation.
Click to buy or read an extract on Amazon
NARRATED AUDIOBOOKS
CHILDREN’S: Odysseus – The Greatest Hero Of Them All
Richard Curtis and Tony Robinson’s irreverent take on Homer’s Iliad
CHILDREN’S: The Demon Headmaster
Gillian Cross’ children’s classic about the bat-like headmaster with the sea-green eyes.
SCI-FI COMEDY: The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide To The Galaxy Narrated By Stephen Moore
Stephen Moore, the voice of Marvin the Android reads Douglas Adams’ classic novel
Copyright Martin Gregory 2026
