5 JOURNEYS BACK TO THE 1970s WITH A SLATE OF SHOWS CELEBRATING THE DECADE 

This April, we jump into a time machine back to the 1970s, as 5 revisits the decade that changed Britain forever - from the things we ate, to the ways we worked, played and even how we paid for it all. Across multiple weekends this spring, we’re going to be packing our bags for a series of fun-filled, nostalgia-packed weekenders taking in quizzes, entertainment, documentaries, history, adventure and experiment.  

It’s TV like they used to make!  

In addition to the 1970’s Diet with Josie Gibson (announced HERE), further shows include, Sally Lindsay’s 70’s Quiz Night  (1 x 90’); 70’s Big Night In (1 x 90’); 1970s School Disco (1 x 90’); 1971 When Britain Went Decimal (1 x 60’) plus many more, to watch and stream on 5 across April.

Sally Lindsay’s 70’s Quiz Night is a fun-filled nostalgia-fest celebrating the best, biggest and funniest bits of the 1970s.  Host Sally will be joined by team captains John Thompson and Shaparak Khorsandi, along with their teams of celebrity guests. With questions to answer, games to play, and classic clips to enjoy, the two teams will go head-to-head to find out who remembers the most about the 1970s. They'll compete across a series of fun rounds, based on topics from sitcoms to scary children's programmes, food to pop music, gameshows to the biggest headlines of the decade.  

Sally Lindsay said: “Being born in 1973 all my early childhood was memories of orange teacups, massive flares and 3 bar electric fires, and what memories they are! Absolutely thrilled to lead a quiz that take a fun, nostalgic trip right back to that special time with friends of mine battling it out to be the ultimate 70’s champion! Come and join us and see what you remember!”

Production Company: Saffron Cherry Productions.  Commissioning Editor 5, Greg Barnett.  Executive Producer, Gareth Collett and Caroline Roberts-Cherry; Producer, Kate Staples; Director, Julian Smith.

The 70s Big Night In invites three modern families to enjoy a good, old-fashioned night in front of the telly, as they sit down to a night of prime-time TV from the Golden Age of Saturday night schedules; family entertainment as it was 50 years ago, when shows such as Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em dominated the airwaves, drawing 25 million viewers at its peak. We’ll offer a fascinating lens on 70s family life and society - celebrating a time when Saturday night TV brought families together and captivated the nation.

Production Company: Orchard Studios.  Commissioning Editor 5, Kate Ansell.  Executive Producer, Clare Mottershead; Producer, Sam Gunasekera; Showrunner/director, Tom Whitter

The 1970s School Disco was a rite of passage for every kid in the ‘70s.  In this film, a host of 70s movers and shakers, experts, historians and pupils of the decade recall the anticipation, joy and embarrassment of the social event of the school year. From the tunes to the outfits; the drinks to the dance moves, we unpack the key elements that made it so special, with a nationwide poll revealing the nation’s 5 top favourite 70s disco tunes!

Production company: Coming Up Roses.  Commissioning Editor, 5, Denise Seneviratne.  Executive Producers: Harriet Scott, Oliver Wright.

In 1971: When Britain Went Decimal 5 digs into the weird and wonderful story of the decimalisation of British currency in 1971 - the biggest change in UK monetary history - when the ancient system of pounds, shillings and pence was replaced with decimal currency.   Years in the making, this gargantuan operation involved minting billions of coins, converting millions of machines, and teaching the entire nation how to cope with this colossal conversion.  It sparked the largest public information campaign the country had ever seen, complete with gritty TV dramas, saucy, scantily clad ‘Decimal Dollies’ and a bizarre yet catchy song by Max Bygraves…

Production company: Coming Up Roses.  Commissioning Editor, 5, Greg Barnett.  Executive Producers: Oliver Wright.

Shows available to watch and stream on 5 throughout April.

Notes to Editors
Other shows to play out over the month include:

The Queen and the Traitor : A Great British Scandal 1 x 90’
Production company: Mentorn.  Commissioned by Commissioning Editor Unscripted, 5, Lucy Willis.  Executive Producer: Tayte Simpson.  Senior Producer/Director: Kim Lomax.   
In November 1979 the Queen was embroiled in the scandal of the decade, when her longstanding courtier and trusted insider, Anthony Blunt, was exposed as a Russian spy.  This bombshell revelation shook the British royal family and the establishment to its core.

The Cancellation of Benny Hill 1 x 90’ Production company
Content Kings. Executive Producer,  Jonathan Levi; Series Producer Malcolm Donkin.  Commissioned by: Dan Louw, Commissioning Editor, 5
Once upon a time Benny Hill was the biggest thing on British TV – with more people tuning into his show in 1969 than the moon landings. He went on to sing number one hits, break America and become an unlikely hero to Michael Jackson, and even the gangster rap community. Despite his worldwide popularity, his shows are rarely on TV nowadays – having been criticised for containing racist, sexist, risqué and vulgar content which would be deemed unacceptable by today's standards. In this no-holds-barred, exclusive documentary, we delve into the past of one of Britain’s most unlikely family entertainers – a man whose mere theme tune is enough to bring back memories for anyone of a certain age. We tell the story of his irresistible rise, his controversial reign as Britain’s king of comedy, and his eventual downfall, when his incredibly expensive show was finally cancelled by ITV in the late 80s. We’ll be looking back through the archives and revealing unseen footage that can’t (under normal circumstances) get played on TV today… And we’ll be showing this material to a generation gap of viewers – from fans who loved Benny at the time, to Generation Z, who simply can’t believe what they’re watching. We’ll also be exploring the prevailing social attitudes that gave rise to some of his most popular material, and ask whether it’s time to bring Benny out of the comedy cold, or whether he should stay ‘cancelled’?

Paul Daniels - You'll Like This  1 x 90’
Production Company: Transistor Films. Executive Producer, Danny Tipping.  Commissioned by Commissioning Editor Guy Davies for 5
He was the ‘Godfather of Magic’, Mr Saturday night, with almost 20 million viewers by the late 80s. But behind the showbiz success story, there’s an origin story - promiscuity, fallouts and firing, all set in the school of hard knocks in 70’s light entertainment Britain. So who was the real Paul Daniels?  Now, for the first time, this feature-length biography tells the extraordinary story of Paul’s life and legacy told through the eyes of his wife and magician’s assistant; Debbie McGee , his first wife and his children and a stellar cast of contemporaries, celebrities, the magic elite and friends and family.
Guy Davies, Commissioning Editor, Unscripted, 5 said: “Paul Daniels became the most famous magician in the world, but it was a tough journey through the 70s showbiz world. With access to his family and his magical legacy this is the full unfiltered story of the man who is now seen as a trailblazer in a world where younger magicians would become global superstars. But before that Paul Daniels was the only, and best, show in town.”