Rentaghost

Despite being too young to know the original run of Rentaghost, I'd still class it as one of the funniest shows of my youth. I'm afraid I have to disagree with some of the reviews here, and say I thought the series got better and better as it went on, it got barmier and barmier, the plots became insanely silly, but insanely funny. Such a shame only the first series was made commercially available, as it's a show I'm sure today's youngsters would love it.

Everything a kid could possibly want, the zany Meakers, the mischievous Mr Claypole, the clumsy Dobbin, and the poor Perkins.

Legendary writer Lynda la Plante appeared in one series, as Tamara Novek, she was ok, but the replacement of Nadia Popov played by Coronation Street legend Sue Nicholls was a joy to watch.

Such an amazingly talented set of performers, Stainforth got to show off his roller dancing talents, and the magical Ann Emery got to sing her heart out.

A much loved show, which proved it was great to grow up in the Seventies and early eighties.

Series Nine was hilarious, Suzi Starlight, Bernie St John and the cellar, magical!

10/10

At 33 years of age I remember the early series as well as the later, and the opening bars of that bloody programme filled me with dread as my best friend always had to rush in from playing outdoors to see the damn thing with me in toe. Not the most fun 30 minutes of my young life waiting to get back outside. Now - Ulysses, that was something much better. "Flying through all the galaxies..."

I recall S01E01. I even remember reflecting on it as I stood there in my school playground, thinking on how great it was.

Watched every episode after that. BBC kids' TV was great back then, wasn't much of it, and they knocked out quality, 3:30-6:00pm. And that was all you got.

I agree it got worse as the years rolled on. But, then again, I got older as well. So, who's to say?

One of the overiding memories of my childhood was watching Rentaghost in the afternoon. The early episodes are the best and were actually quite intelligent. Sadly, but inevitably, it eventually just became trashy rubbish with the most ridiculous plots played as pure slapstick .(Luckily, by then, I had grown out of kid's TV so my memories remain untainted).

I just caught an episode on satellite as my young son was watching it (yes - I do feel old!!)and it made me realise how innocent it was to be a child in the 70's. Kid's TV now is so cynical and all about merchandising and product placement. Today's generation will never have the same warm nostalgia about 'Pokemon' or 'Batman of the Future' that my peers have about 'Rentaghost' and it's contemporaries.

'Rentaghost' was a children's comedy series by Bob Block, who also wrote the equally bizarre 'Pardon My Genie' and 'Robert's Robots'. It concerned an employment agency, run and staffed by three ghosts - trendy Fred Mumford, Victorian Hubert Davenport and jester Timothy Claypole. All used to 'teleport' by pinching their noses! Their landlord, and frequent victim, was Mr.Meaker. Each week, the Rentaghost gang would try their hand at something new - a taxi service, furniture removals, or entertaining hospital patients - usually with disastrous results. Mr.Claypole was always misinterpreting instructions - once, when asked to help Fred's parents move house - he did exactly that. Another story had Mr.Meaker turn into a budgie, and in yet another, his wife became a cocker spaniel. Whenever the doorbell rang, she barked! Fred's parents didn't know their son was dead - he was killed whilst working abroad - hence on home visits, he had to throw Mother's dinners away ( ghosts don't eat ). All very silly, but done with great panache. And it had one of the greatest theme tunes ever!