Magpie - opening credits

[hoppinonabronzeleg]

Blue Peter was always sooo middle class. magpie didn't need no sunken garden, or celebrity gardeners, and Jenny was fit!!!!

[TheCoastguard01]

Always Magpie, never Blue Peter. We never watched BBC.

[Time71Team]

I remember this from when i was a kid. At school you always knew who the common or posh kids were. The posh kids me included were only allowed to watch Blue Peter by our parents, the common kids watched Magpie.

It was the same with Swap Shop and Tiswas.

[malthuswasright]

@Time71Team Some of us watched both...

[Time71Team]

@malthuswasright Maybe your family had days when they were posh and days when they liked a bit of rough, aka, common.

[Time71Team]

I think my parents also preferred me watching Blue Peter because i came in useful for making christmas decorations after copying them from Blue Peter.

Thumbs up or hands up all you people who learnt to make a christmas wreath from a coat hanger and tinsel or made christmas crackers from bog roll.

[LOCOMOTIONNUMBER1]

Blue Peter copied Magpie. When Tony Bastable wore a record breaking 30 inch ankle diameter orange flares on Magpie on 1 December 1972, the very next week, his record was history, when Peter Purvis defied his tailor at Dunn & Co. and wore the jaw dropping purple 33inch diameter 'le grande bell bottom specials' tastefully complemented with a multicoloured tank top. Those were days and alas we will never see such ground breaking television again.

[ancientraver19881989]

All these adults on here biggin up Magpie and slaggin off Blue Peter - Blue Peter was watched by everyone back in the 70s and knocked Magpie on its arse ratings wise. Yes Magpie might look a bit more happening now but thats because youre over 14 but these programmes were meant for little kids/young teenagers

[pod5150]

How theme tune ? search for "wotnochips". They have posted the tune! Or try How = Fred Dineage.

[trancehi]

I remember this programme when I was young. Anyone remember the programme called ''HOW'', on the same ITV station, I can't find that theme tune anywhere. (It has a sort of an American Indian beat)

[Time71Team]

@trancehi Oh yes i remember How.

[effall2see]

Magpie was for the people who couldn't afford sticky back plastic.

[luvselgar]

@effall2see

Very good!!

[tomhwoods]

Try Magpie song by tomhwoods video on youtube...

[1963eamonn]

Middle class little dweebs liked Blue Peter...you grew up on a council estate in West London, it was Magpie all the way. Still remember them filming at Sarah Siddons Youth Club in the early 70s. I was one of the council estate kids watching from the wall above.

[MrSuperkrap]

Blue Peter for straights, Magpie for the stoners and hippies

[The31415927]

Here's the upcoming Royal Wedding in 30 seconds....

That's why I won't be watching it...

Plus, I met the chick on the bus and she wasn't anyone till I did.

The Queen mum met my father, and you know what came of that HORSE SHIT... "where id I send them??"

[JDherts]

A rip off lol, twat!!!!!

[LOCOMOTIONNUMBER1]

Blue Peter was just a rip off of Magpie. Everything you saw on Magpie was copied on Blue Peter 2 weeks later. I mean when Tony Bastable told his 20 interesting facts about the mating rituals of the common plankton, John Noaks had to build a paper model with sticky back plastic private parts of the said plankton mating, two weeks later............a complete bloody rip off.

[TumbleTower]

@LOCOMOTIONNUMBER1 Which came first though? Blue Peter or Magpie?

[pufferfishish]

@LOCOMOTIONNUMBER1 Well I reckon that if that's true they could surely be forgiven seeing as how the entire premise of Magpie was based on Blue Peter, and as the name suggests, they were basically admitting that they stole the idea. That said, I never liked Blue Peter much either, they were always trying to educate even after school was finished for the day.

[malthuswasright]

@pufferfishish Oh yes, and education is soooo bad....

[pufferfishish]

@malthuswasright Piss off, troll

[scrabble58]

Also seem to recall Ronnie Wood playing a track from his first solo album on Magpie....now that I'd love to see!

[MaxScottHugo]

I watched both. Then I was always a rebel...

[derekjoneslighting]

Brilliant. I was a magpie watcher

[webboffin]

The Magpie logo looks like a giant turd

[Sugarmaker1000]

This brings back some memories ,School Holidays in the early 1970s

good times and great TV unlike the rubbish on today

[spooksixsix]

awesome! takes me back. who was that smiley faced horny bird that co-hosted the show? she made it worth watching!

[KVID1000]

@spooksixsix Susan Stranks ?

[spooksixsix]

@KVID1000 susan stranks eh? hmmmm, you may be right. thanks. il google the name.

[scrabble58]

@KVID1000 Susan was the original female presenter...Jenny Hanley replaced her when she left.

Graphics above are from the later versions of the show...

[KVID1000]

@scrabble58 Thanks Scrabble... I knew that.  : )

[chelseabornboy]

They used to film a lot of this in lensbury sports club at the end of my back garden in Teddington.

[cheekyleopard]

Cant remember this.

It looks crap tho, so i prob didnt miss out on much.

[Apophisguard]

Believe it or not Arnold Swarzenegger appeared on Magpie!

[dynagravitomagnetic]

Astounding. This snippet is very reminiscent of the work of Heinz Eidelman. He was the designer of the Beatles in the movie "The Yellow Submarine". The artistic values of this genre are sometimes apparent in U.K. productions from the mid-sixties. Very nice. I am fascinated and delighted by the sublime nuance! Thank You For Posting!

[inglegt]

Blue Peter was always very worthy and dull. The star item might be some girl who had made a life size replica of Princess Anne out of milk bottle tops. Turn over to Magpie and there's Marc Bolan fingering his feather boa as he chats away to Jenny Hanley in hot pants and cheesecloth (or something equally fabulous or mindblowing). What was not to like?

[nathanielbagshot]

The singer is Eddie Hardin. (The drummer's Pete York.)

[scubacopelite]

Haha Playgirlc, me too. Funny. I was a Magpie fan for Jenny Hanley!

[lyndseykramer]

Never tried to be hip. Just loved this. When - aged seven!!!

[bentsimon]

MAGPIE > BLUE PETER

[Djhsoul]

Loved magpie! Has anyone got the episode where uk funk band the f.b.i band appeared.love to se that!

[sideim]

looks like a giant turd at the end

[happpeee]

The memories come flooding back, its a shame we will never be that person again . I miss being that young lad with out a care in the world , except what was for tea . I used to love bread-pudding .

[hugobear1]

It's the Murgatroyd Band - very rare single oddly enough.

[gordongate]

aka spencer davis group

[hugobear1]

yes but I I'm pretty sure SD himself didn't play on it ... odd it wasn't a hit

[gordongate]

still had steve winwood on organ + vocals

though.

its true to say that he was the sound of sdg till he left.

The theme used to bug me as a kid until i heard the adverts using "i'm a man" recently, talk about durrrrr!

[hugobear1]

Definitely Stevie on vocals??? I never knew that and I'm a co-author of Galactic Ramble...there's always more to learn about the golden era (67-73) of rock...so much going on.

[gordongate]

usually groups would record under another name in order to get by severe contractual clauses when writing and performing other material off label that would get airplay.

thats why the sdg called themselves the murgatroyd band

[funkmasterjee]

Sounds trippy cos the show first went out in 1968 at the height of the psychadelic hippy thing

I seem to remember it from later in the 70's

[pwrk65]

i loved Magpie, it was far better than borin blue peter.

[playgirlc]

i still have this song go through my head every time i see a bloody magpie.

my life is tiring...

[sugarkaneandchloe]

Ha ha me too !

[FiendsInSlime]

 LMAO!

[crocodilebelfast]

@playgirlc Hahahaha, just fell about laughing at your comment.

[zincfreud]

@playgirlc I know what you mean. In fact, the Universe is controlled by magpies, it's true! forget Jesus forget Dawkins it's magpies, they are the masters of Destiny! I've been counting them ever since hearing this song! HA! HA!

[elephantbarbiegirl]

I used to watch Magpie in secret and always felt a little guilty-like I was up to no good!

[PeteProgMan96]

it sounds like the beatles

[poidol]

trippy hippy stuff

[PrinceDumbass]

crap

[hopki65]

you were either a magpie watcher or a blue peter watcher

[TheUtubesuxass]

played by the Spencer Davis group under the alias of The Murgatroyd Band, and written by their guitarist Ray Fenwick. The main lyric was cribbed from an old children's nursery rhyme:

[korkiethecat]

This tune rocks - magpie by the murgatroyd band - could have been a hit if they'd have put adult lyrics to it.

[clivetemple]

Mick Robertson is Brian Mays dad.

[kara1464]

I much preferred Magpie to BP... it seemed less glossy, somehow... BP always seemed like it was presented by young teachers. Magpie always related better to ME.

I can't understand why it finished - maybe BP appealed to a wider audience.

[supergav67]

From what I heard.Thames TV took a survey & found kids who grew up with Magpie ,still watched the show but TheiR children werent.

Incidentaly,Magpie got its name from the bird who steals,a direct hint that it WaS ITVs answer to BluePeter.YeT,the idea for the Blue Peter garden came AfteR their producers saw Magpie try to start one but quickly got bored with the idea!

Trivia time;Anyone remember the name of the Magpie type follow up that starred,among others.Michael Groth?

[kara1464]

There was a Michael Groth on That's Life? ... can't think what would have been Magpie-type

[UKSazzy67]

It is the very same one!

[kara1464]

Well, we live and learn x

[supergav67]

S,okay folks.Just found out it was called Splash (85-87).

[UKSazzy67]

It was actually Freetime, which starred Michael Groth and Nino Ferretto, he of the long hair and tight trousers.

[pufferfishish]

I think that programme was actually called 'Splash'; a similar programme but I remember the guy from Freetime- he looked a bit like the bloke from Starship.

[spelqueka]

God Mick Robertson's tight jeans, I've never forgotten them! My hearts racing as I type wowaa

[cptskellern]

l.s.d and many dudes aiiiiii! ....who put that there ...eh? lmao!

[jagdpanther1944]

trhis tune still freaks me out...god knows why I was scared of it

[CNicol40]

To this day whenever I see magpies I count them and sing this song in my head. I remember walking through a field once and seeing one, then 2 and eventually 7 showed up. This of course means 'a secret never to be told'.

[1ledo]

loved this as a kid, never really liked blue peter,that reminded me of school too much but this was more 'youth club stuff'..

[DRUMMERMAN77]

is it me or the animation very similar to the beatles yellow submarine?

[craigguy71]

always the poor childs blue peter

[relfyc]

geez!..i can smell me ma's stew just after 5 on a tuesday!!!

[crawleygat37]

The trouble with Magpie was that they tried to be hip. Hip for the day and modern for the time. Blue Peter was better and survived longer because it stayed classic. Classic formula with a consistent format. You know where you are with Blue Peter..!! Dull but consistent.

[Apophisguard]

@crawleygat37 but they did get Arnold Schwazenegger to appear on Magpie! True!!

[stgxf04]

I watched both Blue Peter and Magpie. As BP has just celebrated it's 50th Anniversary. that says it all really!

[ELONut]

Jeez! what a flashback Blue Peter sucked! this was always more hip!

[duxberry1958]

l think the single was called last tango or tango

[fleetinglance]

I do know that it was The Spencer Davis Group who sang it, of 'Keep On Running' fame :)

[groovyson]

HAHAHAHAHA EXCELLENT! Magpie or Blue Peter (Yuk) all the stiffs used to watch B P and the rest of us watched magpie cos it was so cool and me and my mates used to fancy Mick Robertsonn cos he looked a bit like Marc Bolan hahahahaha! Thanks for sharing, and the theme tune was soooooooo groovy!

[Boggert]

Still one of the funkiest themesongs going : )

[BaddaBigBoom]

LOL My Mum didn't like me watching Magpie because she thought it was a bit plebby. I preferred Blue Peter anyway. I loved the theme music however and remember it was by "The Murgatroid Band" who were actually The Spencer Davis Group performing under a pah-syoo-do-nim!

[inshreds66]

I always liked both and I didn't care.

[rubis945]

Tony Bastable!! The patron saint of Llandudno, according to Half Man Half Biscuit!!

[scorpiosview]

freaky shit

[david08900]

it takes my dad back

[mistofoles]

Mick Robertson even released a (spectacularly unsuccessful)single, forget what it was called noe,though.(Mind you, it's probably on here somewhere!)

[TUFCGULL2002]

Ahhh, memories of childhood. God bless YouTube!

[bigdave6777]

the thames tv ident was great on various programmes in the late 70's and 80's ulltimate tv

[nathonzo0000]

ive played cricket against mick robertson

[Cool2BCeltic]

Very 70s. I preferred Blue Peter but not many people know that Blue Peter borrowed the idea of a garden from Magpie.

[mintola1964]

brilliant!! Iwas a magpie fan and especially of Mick Robertson, his lovely curly hair!!!!

[Anorak20]

Absolute classic! I well remember getting home from school and having my dinner while watching Magpie. "7 for a secret never to be told!"

[ancientraver19881989]

@Anorak20 "dinner" in the evening - you must have been posh - even middle class people called it tea back then

[dramaticguy]

Jenny Hanley ahh............

[margiepantaloons]

1 for sorrow 2 for joy 3 a girl 4 a boy 5 is silver 6 is gold 7 is a secret never to be told 8 is a wish 9 is a kiss 10 is a bird you must not miss MAGPIE!

[SKCUK1]

takes me back

[niabenaur]

Flippin 'eck!

-home from school, TV on, jam sarnie an a glass of milk waitin' for proper tea after this prog (or sumthin like that....)

Oh yes I remember it well (cough).

[unicentre]

was'nt there a show called cbtv channel14 shown on itv after the demise of magpie? think 2 guys hosted it??????

[elvischevy]

FAM/ WHAT YEAR WAS THIS

[elvischevy]

great clip ,really takes you back to happy times

[michaeltstroud]

By the time "Magpie" began, Winwood (and brother Muff) had left SDG to start up Traffic (in fact they had already released a record). So, since Davis himself was the only other singer left in his band, Davis almost certainly sang on the theme--not Winwood.

[gonnashitmypants]

Nice one. Me and me' mates couldn't remember the words. Cheers fella' / darlin'.

[jeperstone]

Good memories!! It really was Blue Peter or Magpie!

[ladytilly]

Thanks Kev

Spencer Davis Group, that was Stevie Windwood, I remember their hit 'I'm a Man', not literally from the time I hadn't been born yet.. The voice sounded slightly low/deep for him, but they do have a similar sound I agree.

Lisa.

[keddw]

Great 'Bubble Gum' graphics.

[ladytilly]

Does anyone know who sang it, the voice sounds familiar?

[KevCityboy]

The Spencer Davis group (the lead singer I suppose lol!)

[BaddaBigBoom]

But didn't they go out under the name of "The Murgatroid Band" for this?

[KevCityboy]

I have no idea of that

[bluesbrother37]

They sure did my friend.

[KevCityboy]

I know all the words to this off by heart and I wasn't even born yet!

[12345oleary]

I remember watching the very last episode of Magpie in 1981 about June or July.The strawberry blond presenter,now she was fit.

[lightning1975]

I do too! I remember Tommy Boyd at the end saying it was the last ever one but could'nt get my head round that I would never see it again!