Regional Oddity: Think Tank (1981)

Think Tank starts much like an early 80’s sci-fi show, with a backdrop of twinkling stars accompanied by a pulsating bassline as the Think Tank title spins through space and into view. These titles dissolve into the studio and, whilst Tony Wilson in a suit is far from sci-fi, the set is. With its uncomfortable looking furniture, made entirely out of right angles, and its minimalist colour scheme of silver and black, it could easily be a discarded set from Doctor Who or Blake’s 7.

Sadly, this is where the sci-fi atmosphere ends, although there is plenty of Viewdata to push the technological boundaries, but more about that later. So, Think Tank, what is it and how does it plan to entertain us? Well, it’s an ITV teatime quiz show featuring sixth formers competing to be crowned champions. But it’s not Blockbusters. In fact, it pre-dates the iconic Bob Holness programme by a cool two years. Think Tank, which aired only in the Granada region, is much, much, MUCH obscurer. So, without further ado, let’s dive into Think Tank.

Kaleidoscope Streaming Event - 13th July

For the benefit of those who don't know about Kaleidoscope, they're a specialist archive set up to track down and save missing British television from, well, being missing forever. Launched in the late 1980s, they've uncovered all manner of fantastic content which was considered junked by the broadcasters. They regularly run events where long forgotten, obscure, or previously missing is showcased, but many people struggle to get to these. Luckily, in the last few years, they've began streaming the occasional event - one of these is coming up this Sunday.

Greg Bakun, who will be one of the hosts on the evening, discusses the upcoming event thusly:

Our dearly missed friend Rory Clark once had a brilliant idea for a Kaleidoscope presentation: a showcase of the strange, the weird, the wonderful, the rare, and the truly unique gems from our archive. He called it Pot Pourri! In Rory’s spirit, and to honor his lasting impact on Kaleidoscope, we invite you to join us for a special livestream event on Sunday evening, 13th July at 7pm. Let’s celebrate Rory the best way we know how—through the magic of unforgettable television.

I'll certainly be dropping into the event, and I implore you to as well as something interesting always pops up. Best of all, it's free! Just head over to https://streamyard.com/watch/BFh6ZrKk2SXg to register.

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