You Must Be Joking!

In 1973 a one-off Magpie film looked at London's streets and markets through the eyes of children attending Islington's Anna Scher Children's Theatre. Showing how they interpreted daily life in t heir drama classes, Kids About Town caught the eye of producer Roger Price (The Tomorrow People), who suggested the Anna Scher kids be given their own series. You must be joking! replied the controller of children's programming; That's what we'll call it , suggested Roger...

A wry, energetic and irreverent comedy show of a kind never previously seen and certainly not one for the easily offended! You Must Be Joking duly launched an unknown bunch of kids onto the TV screen. Led by writer-performers Ray Burdis and John Blundell, and featuring future BAFTA winner Pauline Quirke, the talented teenagers were 'supervised' by comedian and long-suffering lone adult Jim Bowen. In between topical and satirical sketches, Elvis Payne took a cynical look at the week's news, and live music came from youthful popsters Flintlock, led by the multi-talented Michael Holoway. Many of the show's stars would go on to enjoy successful careers in television.