Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    Banner
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • Shows by Decade
        • 1950s Television
        • 1960s Television
        • 1970s Television
        • 1980s Television
        • 1990s Television
      • Shows by Genre
        • Comedy
        • Drama
        • Kids TV
        • Variety
        • News & Sport
        • Advertisements
      • Shows by Country
        • UK TV
        • USA TV
        • Australia & NZ TV
        • Canada TV
        • Europe TV
        • Japan TV
      • Shows A to K
        • Shows A
        • Shows B
        • Shows C
        • Shows D
        • Shows E
        • Shows F
        • Shows G
        • Shows H
        • Shows I
        • Shows J
        • Shows K
      • Shows L to Z
        • Shows L
        • Shows M
        • Shows N
        • Shows O
        • Shows P
        • Shows Q
        • Shows R
        • Shows S
        • Shows T
        • Shows U
        • Shows V
        • Shows W
        • Shows X
        • Shows Y
        • Shows Z
      • Shows 0 to 9
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • 1950s Music
        • 1960s Music
        • 1970s Music
        • 1980s Music
        • 1990s Music
      • Music A to K
        • Music A
        • Music B
        • Music C
        • Music D
        • Music E
        • Music F
        • Music G
        • Music H
        • Music I
        • Music J
        • Music K
      • Music L to Z
        • Music L
        • Music M
        • Music N
        • Music O
        • Music P
        • Music Q
        • Music R
        • Music S
        • Music T
        • Music U
        • Music V
        • Music W
        • Music X
        • Music Y
        • Music Z
      • Music 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • 1950s Movies
          • Movies 1950
          • Movies 1951
          • Movies 1952
          • Movies 1953
          • Movies 1954
          • Movies 1955
          • Movies 1956
          • Movies 1957
          • Movies 1958
          • Movies 1959
        • 1960s Movies
          • Movies 1960
          • Movies 1961
          • Movies 1962
          • Movies 1963
          • Movies 1964
          • Movies 1965
          • Movies 1966
          • Movies 1967
          • Movies 1968
          • Movies 1969
        • 1970s Movies
          • Movies 1970
          • Movies 1971
          • Movies 1972
          • Movies 1973
          • Movies 1974
          • Movies 1975
          • Movies 1976
          • Movies 1977
          • Movies 1978
          • Movies 1979
        • 1980s Movies
          • Movies 1980
          • Movies 1981
          • Movies 1982
          • Movies 1983
          • Movies 1984
          • Movies 1985
          • Movies 1986
          • Movies 1987
          • Movies 1988
          • Movies 1989
        • 1990s Movies
          • Movies 1990
          • Movies 1991
          • Movies 1992
          • Movies 1993
          • Movies 1994
          • Movies 1995
          • Movies 1996
          • Movies 1997
          • Movies 1998
          • Movies 1999
      • Movies A to K
        • Movies A
        • Movies B
        • Movies C
        • Movies D
        • Movies E
        • Movies F
        • Movies G
        • Movies H
        • Movies I
        • Movies J
        • Movies K
      • Movies L to Z
        • Movies L
        • Movies M
        • Movies N
        • Movies O
        • Movies P
        • Movies Q
        • Movies R
        • Movies S
        • Movies T
        • Movies U
        • Movies V
        • Movies W
        • Movies X
        • Movies Y
        • Movies Z
      • Movies 0 to 9
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Radio
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Shows by Decade»1970s Television
    1970s Television 1980s Television Kids TV Shows T 2 Mins Read

    Take Hart

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 7 7 – 1 9 8 3 (UK)
    102 x 30 minute episodes

    Maidstone-born Tony Hart enrolled in art college after being demobbed in 1947.  After graduating he began painting murals on the walls of restaurants until he met a BBC TV producer at a party and demonstrated his cartoon skills.

    Within weeks he was working as the resident artist on the children’s television series Saturday Special. He was then promoted through a number of BBC and ITV series until he finally made his mark on Vision On.

    When Vision On folded in 1976, Take Hart kept Tony going with his own children’s art show.

    Hart flounced around a vast BBC studio decorated to look like a New York loft apartment, filled with piles of messy paint pots, dead tree branches, vases of rushes and crates of tissue paper littering the floor.

    Each episode concentrated on a different texture or concept, with shows entitled “Stripes”, “Sand”, “Curves” and “Links and Chains”. Children viewers were inspired to cut, stick, paint and glue any bit of card or scrap they could get their hands on.

    With viewing figures regularly topping five million, the show enjoyed a successful run throughout the late 70s. In 1978 it was awarded a BAFTA for best children’s TV series.

    A character called Morph also gave a helping hand, keeping the youngsters entertained.

    Morph (pictured below) was an orange man (not as in Northern Ireland!) made out of plasticine who lived in a pencil box on Tony’s desk.

    The character was created by Nick Park, who also did the animals for the Creature Comforts commercials and of course Wallace and Gromit, and proved so popular he was given increased screen time, and eventually even his own spin-off series, The Amazing Adventures of Morph in 1980.

    Another peripheral character was tea-lady Elvira Muckett (Amanda Swift) who wheeled her trolley into Tony’s loft and was astounded to find a TV programme being made there. As well as pouring out the tea, Elvira tried to get in on the act, giving Tony what she thought was helpful advice and having a go herself.

    Hart returned again in 1984 with Hartbeat (1984 – 1993), in which a young London copper moves to Yorkshire village and . . . no, that’s Heartbeat – sorry.

    This was followed by Tony Hart’s Artbox Bunch (1995 – 1996) and Smart Hart (1999 – 2000).

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Kingston: Confidential
      Kingston: Confidential
      1 9 7 6 - 1 9 7 7 (USA) 13 x 60 minute episodes Multi-millionaire R.B. Kingston (Raymond Burr) ran…
    • Hart To Hart
      Hart To Hart
      1 9 7 9 - 1 9 8 4 (USA) 1 x 90 minute episode 110 x 60 minute episodes "This…
    • Vision On
      Vision On
      1 9 6 4 - 1 9 7 6 (UK) 260 x 25 minute episodes "Unfortunately, we can't return any paintings,…
    • Paris
      Paris
      1 9 7 9 - 1 9 8 0 (USA) 13 x 60 minute episodes Crime drama series from CBS featuring…
    • 9 To 5
      9 To 5
      1 9 8 2 - 1 9 8 3 (USA) 1 9 8 6 - 1 9 8 8 (USA) 85 x…
    • Nobody's Perfect (Hart of The Yard)
      Nobody's Perfect (Hart of The Yard)
      1 9 8 0 (USA) 8 x 30 minute episodes This short-lived crime-fighting comedy from ABC starred Ron Moody as English…
    • Feather and Father Gang, The
      Feather and Father Gang, The
      1 9 7 7 (USA) 1 x 90 minute episode 13 x 60 minute episodes This crime drama series from Columbia…
    • Tucker's Witch
      Tucker's Witch
      1 9 8 2 - 1 9 8 3 (USA) 13 x 60 minute episodes Husband and wife team Amanda (Catherine…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleTransformers
    Next Article Clangers, The

    Comments are closed.

    NC Radio Player
    Search the site
    Nostalgia Central has been a labour of love since 1998. The site carries no advertising, and I rely on donations to help with running costs and to keep the site running for your entertainment and education.

    If you find the site informative or enjoyable, please consider a donation – no matter how small.
    Thank you so much. Enjoy your trip in the time machine!
    You may also like

    • Vision On
      Vision On
      1 9 6 4 - 1 9 7 6 (UK) 260 x 25 minute episodes "Unfortunately, we can't return any paintings,…
    • Art Attack
      Art Attack
      1 9 9 0 - 2 0 0 7 (UK) Neil Buchanan presented the UK children's television art programme Art Attack. Neil…
    • Playbox
      Playbox
      1 9 5 5 - 1 9 6 4 (UK) 120 x 45 minute episodes Playbox used to alternate weekly with…
    • Nobody's Perfect (Hart of The Yard)
      Nobody's Perfect (Hart of The Yard)
      1 9 8 0 (USA) 8 x 30 minute episodes This short-lived crime-fighting comedy from ABC starred Ron Moody as English…


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central. Run by volunteers. Funded by donations.
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.