Andy & Martin get their cock-er-nee on as they explore the London-set family saga Fox, executive-produced by Verity Lambert. Written by Trevor Preston (The Sweeney) and directed by Jim Goddard (Out) and boasting a stellar cast - Peter Vaughan, Elizabeth Spriggs, Bernard Hill, Rosemary Martin, Ray Winstone and many more - Fox was expected to be a big success but just did not catch the imagination of the ITV audience back in 1980. 

Fox is a curious beast, with its ambition to be a sprawling epic despite only covering a period of 8 months and its incredibly off-putting musical content which really has to be heard to be believed. Its also a difficult watch in places principally due to its casual depiction of domestic violence and  terrible treatment of its female characters.  Achingly toxic masculinity aside, Fox also has a proto-Eastenders obsession with family and loyalty and yet is populated by characters who are much less engaging than those in Albert Square. 

If you’ve never watched Fox we still invite you to hop in this televisual music-filled black cab to the East End of 1980 in order to muse in a pre-Brexit daydream why fings aint wot they used to be...

2.6 Fox

Here we are for episode 587! In which Muffleyontour returns to the show to chat with Paul and to properly meet Nick for the first time; there are lots of chats on offer - from creative projects and the problems that are sometimes encountered - to theatre, film making and general geekery... Our next episode, #588 sees Uncle Warren coming to visit - to discuss old TV but also to have a few words with two of our regular team! Email us at shyyeti@yahoo.co.uk if you have any comments - you can even send me a sound-file and I'll include it. The music is by Shy Yeti, Muffleyontour,  and Luca. Sound effects by Paul C and Soundbible. All other content of this episode is Copyright Paul Chandler, 2022. Episode 587 was recorded on Saturday 5th November 2022.

THE SHY LIFE PODCAST - 587: SHY YETI PRESENTS... MUFFLEYONTOUR'S FIRST CHAT WITH NICK!

Here we are for episode 588! In which Uncle Warren comes to have a word with Yeti Uncle John and Cromitty about their somewhat toxic relationship and Paul also talks to him about some vintage TV; this time our years are 1969 and 1981! Our next episode, #589 sees us joining Paul to celebrate his birthday, only - guess what - things do not go to plan! Do join us! Email us at shyyeti@yahoo.co.uk if you have any comments - you can even send me a sound-file and I'll include it. The music is by Shy Yeti, Muffleyontour and Luca. Sound effects by Paul C and Soundbible. All other content of this episode is Copyright Paul Chandler, 2022. Episode 588 was recorded on the 22nd September 2022.

THE SHY LIFE PODCAST - 588: UNCLE WARREN HAS A WORD IN OUR SHELL-LIKES!

Here we are for episode 591! In which Mr T. isn't feeling well when Paul comes to visit and so Lisa offers to take Mr Yeti off on a spot of time travelling using the new app on her phone. Where EVER will they end up? We also have a few unused scenes and behind the curtain chats with a number of our recent guests! We also have a some yeti music which we don't think we've shared before; it's entitled AMBIENT DREAMS. Big thanks to Andrew T and Lisa P from Round The Archives for their help with this episode; not to mention additional applause to Martin Holmes from Vision On Sound, Uncle Warren from The Cinematic Sausage, Toppie Smellie from The Smellcast and Muffleyontour for their assistance via unused recordings! Additional thanks to Prince Albert, King James The 1st and Edward The Third! Our next show, #592 sees Ikk getting himself into more trouble whilst Paul is away... Do join us! Email us at shyyeti@yahoo.co.uk if you have any comments - you can send me a sound-file and I'll include it. The music is by Shy Yeti, Muffleyontour and Luca. Sound effects by Paul C and Soundbible. All content of this episode is Copyright Paul Chandler, 2022. Episode 591 was recorded on the 18th October 2022, with a brief cameo from Cuthbert recorded between the 22nd and 23rd of November 2022.

THE SHY LIFE PODCAST - 591: A QUICK JAUNT THROUGH TIME WITH LISA P!

Here we are for episode 599! Yeti Uncle John has been suffering with fructophobia and Paul is determined to help him get over this alarming condition! There is also more behind the scenes brainstorming between Paul and Toppie... some of these ideas might even end up as future plotlines! Our next show, #600 sees Paul hoping for a fun celebratory episode only to find that everyone needs help with some issue or other; he tries to assist but maybe misses out on the most important drama of all! Please email us at shyyeti@yahoo.co.uk if you have any comments - you can even send me a sound-file and I'll include it. The music is by Shy Yeti, Muffleyontour and Luca. Sound effects by Paul C and Soundbible. All other content of this episode is Copyright Paul Chandler, 2022. Episode 599 was recorded between the 4th and 12th October 2022, with a brief addition recorded on the 18th December 2022. The Paul and Toppie brainstorming comes from the 9th April 2022. This episode also contains a new composition called MATHS CLUB by Muffleyontour - it comes in around the 37 minute mark. Thanks Muffley! Thank you also to Jay The Hauntcub for his kind message this time!

THE SHY LIFE PODCAST - 599: YETI UNCLE JOHN'S TERRIBLE FEAR OF FRUIT!

It’s a far worse thing we do now than we have ever done on the podcast… yes, that’s right, we’re going to review The Ultimate Foe. Revisionist agendas and the recent release of the season on Blu-Ray has done little to persuade Andy & Alex of the value of this pantomime-esque runaround which receives their lowest score yet. 

Andy is incandescent with rage at the Inquisitor who he argues is the most insane person in the history of the series, while Alex’s fury is reserved for the script by good ol’ Pip n’ Jane. 

Treasure chests of plastic gold, legs waving in the air, megabyte modems, things that are declared to be real and not real at whim, lots of sitting down. All this and the catharsis of spurious morality makes Roland Rat: The Series (which immediately preceded it on BBC1 broadcast) look like high art. 

Enter the Fantasy Factory at your peril!

Next Time: (after a summer break) Spearhead from Space.

Episode 56: The Ultimate Foe

The year is 2003 and Earth's intrepid humans have managed to set-up several bases on the moon. There they face the implacable enemy that is the silence and darkness of space - a serious and apparently underestimated threat to the mental wellbeing of moonbase personnel...

Created by Doctor Who’s Barry Letts and Terrance DIcks this 6-part series from 1973 starred Donald Houston, Ralph Bates and Fiona Gaunt and had scripts from John Brason, John Lucarotti and Arden Winch. Moonbase 3 lacks Doctor Who's monsters and excitement and instead delights in technical details and psychological concerns. As such it is something of a hard SF curio which is widely regarded to be a misfire, even by Letts and Dicks themselves.

The big question is what will Andy & Martin make of it from the vantage point of 2023, some 20 years after its characters, with their very 70's attitudes, were meant to be surviving on the moon?

N.B. Having completed the first half of our second A to Z series, we are taking a mid-season break but will return in a few months with a drama beginning with the letter N...

2.13 Moonbase 3

Yes, I’m back for a third season of delving into the film vaults of yesteryear.
This July marks the 30th anniversary of ‘Jurassic Park’ being released in the UK.
I know, 30 years!
I’m joined by Lisa Parker* from the ‘Round the Archives’ podcast, who leads the way through this amusement park disaster movie. Casting an eye over the film, explaining her childhood interest in wacking great big dinosaurs, and checking out some other big names that were considered for this film.
So, grab your popcorn and put your running shoes on as the ‘Raptors’ are coming!
‘Welcome to Jurassic Park’
*Lisa Parker & Andrew Trowbridge can be found regularly hosting a multifaceted podcast on all aspects of archive and forgotten television; ‘ROUND THE ARCHIVES’. Check them out on all good podcast platforms and on twitter.

Jurassic Park a 30th anniversary film review

G & S everyone, and welcome to the next edition of the Cinematic Sausage Podcast.
This time I’m joined by broadcaster Martin Holmes*, and he escorts us in double quick time to the very beginning of the ‘Carry On’ film franchise.
Martin pieces together a film of Conscription, Copulation and Kindness, and explores the format of post WW2 combat films that this film helped to shape.
He surprisingly highlights how Full Metal Jacket owes a big debit to Carry On Sergeant.

*Vision on Sound radio show- FAB Radio International channel 1, Every Sunday 1900hrs GMT

Carry On Sergeant 1958 - a review

"It's Jim Hacker Simulator, effectively!"

This time Ben Baker, writer and podcaster, joins the 'RTA' Team to talk about his latest book 'Kiss Your Television', his 'ALFsplaining' podcast, his fear of 'Worzel Gummidge', why 'Gladiators' doesn't have warm-up by Felix Bowness and how he once had his very own Christmas edition of 'Bullseye'.

'Round The Archives In Conversation' Episode 23 stars Ben Baker, Lisa Parker and Andrew Trowbridge.

Ben Baker's links can be found at https://linktr.ee/BenBakerBooks

His books can be found on Lulu at https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/benbakerpresents

And the 'ALFsplaining' podcast is at https://linktr.ee/alfsplaining

The music was by Dan Tate and Paul Chandler.

The cover art was by Martin Holmes.

'Round The Archives' is produced by Andrew Trowbridge and Lisa Parker.

In Conversation Episode 23 - "It's Jim Hacker Simulator, effectively!"

Lisa, Andrew and their friends explore the best (and some of the worst!) of archive television with as much detail as they can manage and as many awful jokes as they dare!