Starting Out (series for schools and colleges)

[D.C. Burtonshaw]

I remember seeing a few episodes of this series made by Central Televison, which was made every few years. I never saw any episodes from the first 3 series made in 1973, 1976 and 1980 but remember one, maybe two we saw in Social Studies lessons (for debating purposes) from the 1982 series. Three more series were made in 1986, 89 and 92. (Title is not to be confused with an Australian medical drama with the same title or the British comedy drama again with the same title from 1999 also unrelated). Over the years a number of well known stars made appearances at some point.

Each series was self contained with a totally new family/characters not following from the previous series so that they catered for the needs of a new generation of students and moved with the times (Social changes had of course taken place during all those years). It was designed for older teenagers, just before they left school to prepare them for wider world later, hence the title; Some of the eps seemed quite hard hitting and warning against the dangers of what not to get into, substance abuse, etc.

There's one 1982 episode uploaded to Youtube called "Them and Us", the series was about a Step family who had just moved to a new area; the dad is played by Kevin Lloyd (The Bill and Auf Pet).

The 1986 series episode "Escapes" is pretty depressing but a few acting faces are recognisable, with Nicholas Bond-Owen (George and Mildred) as the middle child in the troubled family - the workshy dad who's always down the pub, is played by Desmond McNamara, (who was around a lot on TV at that time with co-star parts - going by IMDB - Hazell, The Gentle Touch C.A.T.S Eyes, Dempsey and Makepeace, Big Deal and Bergerac). I recognise the mum being in sitcoms a bit later on - Lill Roughley.

There's 3 more of the later eps on there, but I haven't watched them yet although Kevin Lloyd appears again playing a different character in the 1989 ep I think.

[Arthur Pringle]

Odd how there are gaps of a couple of years or more between each series, not usual is it? Considering it ran into the 90's I can't recall watching it.  Looking at the imdb listing there were a lot of obscure names involved in it. 

Some more info on it- www.broadcastforschools.co.uk/site/Starting_Out

[Sparky]

Aug 19, 2021 21:43:53 GMT Arthur Pringle said:

Odd how there are gaps of a couple of years or more between each series, not usual is it? Considering it ran into the 90's I can't recall watching it.  Looking at the imdb listing there were a lot of obscure names involved in it. 

Some more info on it- www.broadcastforschools.co.uk/site/Starting_Out

I used to love Starting Out!

ATV and Central (possibly other companies too) had a policy of resting schools series for a term or two. I would think this was to try out other programmes (possibly made by other companies) that may cover the same ground.

Another series called Believe it or Not began in 1972 with regular runs, and then vanished in 1980 - only to reappear 2 years later - the same episodes and series and continued well into the 2000s.

Good Health, Stop Look Listen and Starting Out were the final programmes ever produced by the Central TV film unit.

During my fledgling days at Central - these were bread & butter programmes.

Starting Out  was still in production to some degree - with only 2 or 3 episodes.

Good Health & Stop Look Listen were constantly updated - with many episodes remade/recut.

At the last count there were 310 episodes of "Stop Look Listen" in all, and not far off a similar amount for Starting Science & Good Health

[Del Boy]

I don't remember it by title but I will have a look to see if it jogs the memory. Thanks Gerry.

[Sparky]

I forgot to mention...

Max Mason (Sweeney "Loving Arms") - used to present the schools series Starting Science, (another ATV/Central production) - and did a fine job if it too.

Just looked him up and didn't realize that Max is no longer with us, sadly he passed away in 2015.

Talking of schools series, by the early 2000s, most of the widely known programmes had been merged together.

Stop, Look Listen was merged with My World / Our World - as someone had decided that both programmes covered similar ground.

Amazing, considering My World had begun in 1968 (One of YTVs first programmes), and Stop Look Listen had begun in 1971 - an it took until 2000 for someone to think of this - some 300odd episodes later!!

I think Starting Out was merged with another series - possibly Good Health.