[TV] 1971 BBC Sunday Teatime Drama Series "The Last of the Mohicans"

[marlowe]

I recently discovered the complete 1971 BBC Sunday teatime drama series, "The Last of the Mohicans" on Youtube.

*https://youtu.be/6KkAB0-B7bw

(This is the complete series with each oddly broken down youtube episode/segment running automatically into the next one).

For eight weeks in 1971 it was essential Sunday teatime viewing and one of the last highlights of the weekend before the depressing prospect of the next day's return to school.

Rewatching it now in binge mode it has struck me how low the production values were, but that hasn't dimmed my enjoyment at all but has probably only added to its appeal.

I was curious as to when exactly in 1971 it was broadcast so I checked the TV schedules for that year and to my surprise discovered that the final episode, (episode 8) was broadcast at 5.20pm on Sunday 7th March, which coincidentally is exactly 50 years to the day, this Sunday coming....

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1971-03-07

I have now decided to save episode 8 until Sunday and relive 45 minutes of my childhood exactly 50 years later at exactly the same time, day and date and commence my viewing of it at 5.20pm, the exact time it was originally broadcast.
(Blame Lockdown).

To get really into the 1971 sunday teatime atmosphere my wife has even offered to serve me the dreaded "Sunday tea" of that era, my least favourite meal of the week which was served every sunday teatime and which I hated with a passion, comprising of dry, undressed lettuce, hard boiled egg, potato salad, beetroot and salad cream (not mayonnaise).

Was anyone else a fan of this fantastic series, the show which I believe gave the name to the "mohican" hairstyle favoured by some punk rockers just a few years later? As a pedant I should point out that it was actually Magua (Philip Madoc) and the Hurons who sported the so called "Mohican" cut, and not the two Mohican characters in the series, Chingachgook and Uncas, whos hairstyles were more heavy metal (think Gene Simmons/ Kiss)....


Magua of the Hurons


The Mohicans, Uncas and Chingachgook

I must confess that as a young boy I had a bit of a "man crush" on Hawkeye but I'm sure I wasn't the only one. I am now trying hard to rekindle those feelings in time for Sunday's viewing to get fully in the zone....


Hawkeye

 

[essbee1]

I used to love that programme - so thanks - I will have a look.

 

[CheeseRolls]

I think I might have to give this a watch again. I sat through a series of the Tomorrow People on Youtube some point last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, in spite of the production values.

I would have been 5 when this was on TV and it was clearly a favourite. We were living in Dover at the time and I went into town shopping with my mum. I would make her get off the bus early so I could walk past the Fire station and see the fire engines and a special treat would be a visit to Wimpy, where I coveted the frankfurter rings.

Anyway on this occasion, I don't recall why there was a visit to the toy shop, where I picked out a Tomahawk (no guesses for where the inspiration came from). After what seemed an age of traipsing around town buying presents for various birthdays, my mum announced one last shop a visit to Marks and Spencers (I still hate the shop to this day). M&S Dover was a one way in one way out store and they had a bunch of seats behind the checkouts, close to the exit. My mum decided to leave me in charge of all her shopping on a chair, whilst she completed the shopping.

Well I sat there for as long as my 5 year old self could sit still (a good 2-3 minutes probably), before I had to get up and you know start practising my Tomahawk , swinging technique. Anyway my mum returned eventually only to find some scrote had swiped all the shopping and a clueless 5 year old busy shadow fighting. I felt at the time that I was let off quite lightly for this act of negligence.

Post lockdown, this is one I will be looking out for to see if it comes back https://www.northlaine.pub/tribeaxethrowing

 

[marlowe]

I used to love that programme - so thanks - I will have a look.

The youtube episodes are oddly broken up with the first youtube episode breaking off mid tv episode but dont worry the next youtube episode automatically follows it and commences at the exact point the previous one finishes. The whole series carries on like this and is complete.

Trivia: the actress who played Cora (Patricia Maynard) became the second wife of Dennis Waterman. It was her he cheated on with Amanda Redman and then Rula Lenska.

 

[pearl]

I recently discovered the complete 1971 BBC Sunday teatime drama series, "The Last of the Mohicans" on Youtube.

*https://youtu.be/6KkAB0-B7bw

(This is the complete series with each oddly broken down youtube episode/segment running automatically into the next one).

For eight weeks in 1971 it was essential Sunday teatime viewing and one of the last highlights of the weekend before the depressing prospect of the next day's return to school.

Rewatching it now in binge mode it has struck me how low the production values were, but that hasn't dimmed my enjoyment at all but has probably only added to its appeal.

I was curious as to when exactly in 1971 it was broadcast so I checked the TV schedules for that year and to my surprise discovered that the final episode, (episode 8) was broadcast at 5.20pm on Sunday 7th March, which coincidentally is exactly 50 years to the day, this Sunday coming....

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1971-03-07

I have now decided to save episode 8 until Sunday and relive 45 minutes of my childhood exactly 50 years later at exactly the same time, day and date and commence my viewing of it at 5.20pm, the exact time it was originally broadcast.
(Blame Lockdown).

To get really into the 1971 sunday teatime atmosphere my wife has even offered to serve me the dreaded "Sunday tea" of that era, my least favourite meal of the week which was served every sunday teatime and which I hated with a passion, comprising of dry, undressed lettuce, hard boiled egg, potato salad, beetroot and salad cream (not mayonnaise).

Was anyone else a fan of this fantastic series, the show which I believe gave the name to the "mohican" hairstyle favoured by some punk rockers just a few years later? As a pedant I should point out that it was actually Magua (Philip Madoc) and the Hurons who sported the so called "Mohican" cut, and not the two Mohican characters in the series, Chingachgook and Uncas, whos hairstyles were more heavy metal (think Gene Simmons/ Kiss)....

View attachment 134464
Magua of the Hurons

View attachment 134465
The Mohicans, Uncas and Chingachgook

I must confess that as a young boy I had a bit of a "man crush" on Hawkeye but I'm sure I wasn't the only one. I am now trying hard to rekindle those feelings in time for Sunday's viewing to get fully in the zone....

View attachment 134466
Hawkeye

I loved that series. I even ploughed through the (epic) book ... which was very different. Think I had a crush on Magua (no surprise to me). Oddly I don't remember the two sisters, ( Alice and Cora?) at all

Now I think about it, I also fancied Magua in the film with DD Lewis ....

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Apologies to you buffs

https://youtu.be/JULiIjFUatU

 

[marlowe]

I loved that series. I even ploughed through the (epic) book ... which was very different. Think I had a crush on Magua (no surprise to me). Oddly I don't remember the two sisters, ( Alice and Cora?) at all

Now I think about it, I also fancied Magua in the film with DD Lewis ....

The series at the time was one of the more faithful adaptations of the book. The evacuation of Fort William Henry and subsequent "massacre" was also based on historical events...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Fort_William_Henry

Magua in the series was played by Philip Madoc who was married to Hi-De-Hi's Ruth Madoc. He was also the German officer in the celebrated Dad's Army "Don't tell him Pike" scene...

https://youtu.be/_YMVPXmaKds

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I recently discovered the complete 1971 BBC Sunday teatime drama series, "The Last of the Mohicans" on Youtube.

*https://youtu.be/6KkAB0-B7bw

(This is the complete series with each oddly broken down youtube episode/segment running automatically into the next one).

For eight weeks in 1971 it was essential Sunday teatime viewing and one of the last highlights of the weekend before the depressing prospect of the next day's return to school.

Rewatching it now in binge mode it has struck me how low the production values were, but that hasn't dimmed my enjoyment at all but has probably only added to its appeal.

I was curious as to when exactly in 1971 it was broadcast so I checked the TV schedules for that year and to my surprise discovered that the final episode, (episode 8) was broadcast at 5.20pm on Sunday 7th March, which coincidentally is exactly 50 years to the day, this Sunday coming....

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1971-03-07

I have now decided to save episode 8 until Sunday and relive 45 minutes of my childhood exactly 50 years later at exactly the same time, day and date and commence my viewing of it at 5.20pm, the exact time it was originally broadcast.
(Blame Lockdown).

To get really into the 1971 sunday teatime atmosphere my wife has even offered to serve me the dreaded "Sunday tea" of that era, my least favourite meal of the week which was served every sunday teatime and which I hated with a passion, comprising of dry, undressed lettuce, hard boiled egg, potato salad, beetroot and salad cream (not mayonnaise).

Was anyone else a fan of this fantastic series, the show which I believe gave the name to the "mohican" hairstyle favoured by some punk rockers just a few years later? As a pedant I should point out that it was actually Magua (Philip Madoc) and the Hurons who sported the so called "Mohican" cut, and not the two Mohican characters in the series, Chingachgook and Uncas, whos hairstyles were more heavy metal (think Gene Simmons/ Kiss)....

View attachment 134464
Magua of the Hurons

View attachment 134465
The Mohicans, Uncas and Chingachgook

I must confess that as a young boy I had a bit of a "man crush" on Hawkeye but I'm sure I wasn't the only one. I am now trying hard to rekindle those feelings in time for Sunday's viewing to get fully in the zone....

View attachment 134466
Hawkeye

I too loved that series as a kid. Tho we had a slightly different version north of the border. The lead character was called Hawkeye The Noo

In fact that's largely why I choose my username [MENTION=14113]Tomahawk, Preston Park [/MENTION]

 

[Wardy's twin]

The book is in fact one of a series of 3 and are really hard reading... The film with DDL in it is epic.....

 

[Weststander]

I just about remember that, along with Anne of Green Gables, David Copperfield, The Brothers and The Onedin Line.

As a young kid, I probably kept a low profile, so that I could get to stay up!

 

[METALMICKY]

Loved this and really takes me back to my childhood. Thought Philip Madoc was pretty scary and that age the dodgy production was not an issue.

This is one of those shows that just reminds me of the beautiful serenity of a Sunday in the 70's. Am i the only old fart who actually misses that? A real family day and only shops open were newsagents up to about 12 and glorious full roast dinner to look forward to. And of course The Big Match with Brian Moore

 

[Lenny Rider]

I recently discovered the complete 1971 BBC Sunday teatime drama series, "The Last of the Mohicans" on Youtube.

*https://youtu.be/6KkAB0-B7bw

(This is the complete series with each oddly broken down youtube episode/segment running automatically into the next one).

For eight weeks in 1971 it was essential Sunday teatime viewing and one of the last highlights of the weekend before the depressing prospect of the next day's return to school.

Rewatching it now in binge mode it has struck me how low the production values were, but that hasn't dimmed my enjoyment at all but has probably only added to its appeal.

I was curious as to when exactly in 1971 it was broadcast so I checked the TV schedules for that year and to my surprise discovered that the final episode, (episode 8) was broadcast at 5.20pm on Sunday 7th March, which coincidentally is exactly 50 years to the day, this Sunday coming....

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1971-03-07

I have now decided to save episode 8 until Sunday and relive 45 minutes of my childhood exactly 50 years later at exactly the same time, day and date and commence my viewing of it at 5.20pm, the exact time it was originally broadcast.
(Blame Lockdown).

To get really into the 1971 sunday teatime atmosphere my wife has even offered to serve me the dreaded "Sunday tea" of that era, my least favourite meal of the week which was served every sunday teatime and which I hated with a passion, comprising of dry, undressed lettuce, hard boiled egg, potato salad, beetroot and salad cream (not mayonnaise).

Was anyone else a fan of this fantastic series, the show which I believe gave the name to the "mohican" hairstyle favoured by some punk rockers just a few years later? As a pedant I should point out that it was actually Magua (Philip Madoc) and the Hurons who sported the so called "Mohican" cut, and not the two Mohican characters in the series, Chingachgook and Uncas, whos hairstyles were more heavy metal (think Gene Simmons/ Kiss)....

View attachment 134464
Magua of the Hurons

View attachment 134465
The Mohicans, Uncas and Chingachgook

I must confess that as a young boy I had a bit of a "man crush" on Hawkeye but I'm sure I wasn't the only one. I am now trying hard to rekindle those feelings in time for Sunday's viewing to get fully in the zone....

View attachment 134466
Hawkeye

Marlowe, thank you old boy for reminding of us all of a bygone era, the Sunday tea time serial was real family time and I remember this one very well, another one that immediately sprung to mind was Tom Brown's Schooldays, the Beeb excelled in this genre and its a shame its not in their remit now to produce newer versions of classic stories rather than tedious reality shows.

Fun facts, the Indian in the first picture was the U boat Captain in Dads Army, and the Indian on the right in the second pic was Marti Caine's widower.

 

[marlowe]

Marlowe, thank you old boy for reminding of us all of a bygone era, the Sunday tea time serial was real family time and I remember this one very well, another one that immediately sprung to mind was Tom Brown's Schooldays, the Beeb excelled in this genre and its a shame its not in their remit now to produce newer versions of classic stories rather than tedious reality shows.

Fun facts, the Indian in the first picture was the U boat Captain in Dads Army, and the Indian on the right in the second pic was Marti Caine's widower.

I provided the clip to your first fun fact in post #7.
Slight correction to your second fun fact, it is Kenneth Ives, the actor who played Hawkeye who is the widower of Marti Caine.

 

[dennis]

I sort of remember it but don’t if you know what I mean

I remember it being a thing but not the content so I shall probably give it a watch too!

 

[marlowe]

I too loved that series as a kid. Tho we had a slightly different version north of the border. The lead character was called Hawkeye The Noo

In fact that's largely why I choose my username [MENTION=14113]Tomahawk, Preston Park [/MENTION]

The series has more of a connection to Scotland than perhaps you may realise.

All the location scenes were shot in Campsie Fells, Stirling, which doubled as mid 18th century Lake George, New York.

https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?locations=Campsie+Fells,+Stirling,+Scotland,+UK

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

The series has more of a connection to Scotland than perhaps you may realise.

All the location scenes were shot in Campsie Fells, Stirling, which doubled as mid 18th century Lake George, New York.

https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?locations=Campsie+Fells,+Stirling,+Scotland,+UK

WHAT?!

In which case I belatedly call out the programme makers for cultural appropriation. Should clearly 'of' been called 'Last Of The McGechans'

 

[Lenny Rider]

I provided the clip to your first fun fact in post #7.
Slight correction to your second fun fact, it is Kenneth Ives, the actor who played Hawkeye who is the widower of Marti Caine.

I stand corrected old boy

By process of elimination re the 50th anniversary, the following day Monday 8th March 1971 was the date of the Fight of the Century between Ali and Frazier at Madison Square Garden.

 

[pearl]

The series at the time was one of the more faithful adaptations of the book. The evacuation of Fort William Henry and subsequent "massacre" was also based on historical events...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Fort_William_Henry

Magua in the series was played by Philip Madoc who was married to Hi-De-Hi's Ruth Madoc. He was also the German officer in the celebrated Dad's Army "Don't tell him Pike" scene...

https://youtu.be/_YMVPXmaKds

Apologies, yes. I meant the film... (although the music and scenery was stirring in the film).

I read another book by same author (Fenimore Cooper??) and seem to remember Hawkeye in that too.

By the way Sunday tea in our house was toasted bread and dripping or the healthy option of not eating it

 

[pearl]

The series has more of a connection to Scotland than perhaps you may realise.

All the location scenes were shot in Campsie Fells, Stirling, which doubled as mid 18th century Lake George, New York.

https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?locations=Campsie+Fells,+Stirling,+Scotland,+UK

the hair style originated in Scotland ..... FACT

https://youtu.be/YUYCgcZm5fM

WHAT?!

In which case I belatedly call out the programme makers for cultural appropriation. Should clearly 'of' been called 'Last Of The McGechans'

 

[marlowe]

I remember "bath night" was also always on a Sunday and would have followed soon after I had finished watching this programme.

During this time I got into a rather bizarre bath time ritual, no doubt*affected by the image of the scantily clad Magua still buzzing around in my head.

After stripping off for my bath I then proceeded to fashion a loin cloth out of a pair of socks, one sock for the front and the other for the back. The socks were secured in place by way of a belt under which the end of each sock was tucked and from which they hung to cover the relevant parts of my dignity, back and front.

This is the look I was aspiring to....



Wearing my Magua style loin cloth I then climbed into the bath, which in my mind represented the St Lawrence river as featured in the series. Once in the "river" I re-enacted some hand to hand combat with an imaginary foe.

My physical exertions beneath the water inevitably meant that my loin cloth was not as effective at concealing those parts of my anatomy that it was designed to.

I must confess that even as an 8 year old I felt a twinge of excitement as I imagined the fully clad Cora watching on and getting a glimpse of my (not yet fully developed) genitalia.