Through the Square Window - podcast cover

Through the Square Window

Samira Ahmedwww.squarewindow.co.uk
A podcast guiding you through the UK television we watched in decades gone by, presented by cultural journalist Samira Ahmed and TV journalist Graham Kibble-White.
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Episodes

EPISODE 10: May 1987

This month Samira Ahmed and Graham Kibble-White are looking at programmes from May 1987... 05:56: A season three episode - 'Blonde on Blonde' - of US romance Moonlighting. 20:42: Paul Daniels' BBC1 chrono-obsessed quizzer, Every Second Counts . 37:26: John Godber's idiosyncratic BBC2 nightclub comedy-drama, The Ritz . 49:04: Network 7 , Jane Street-Porter and Jane Hewland's Channel 4, youth-orientated current affairs show, which believed "news is entertainment, entertainment is news". And huge t...

May 13, 20261 hr 14 minSeason 1Ep. 10

EPISODE 9: Graeme Garden

In January 2026, Samira Ahmed and Graham Kibble-White visited the home of comedian, actor, author, artist, television presenter, writer, master of panel shows, medical doctor and - of course - Goodie , Graeme Garden to look back at his life in television. Our conversation covers the full gamut of his TV career, from Twice a Fortnight through to Star Turn , Bananaman , Bodymatters , The Adventure Game and If I Ruled the World , and via oddities such as the panel show about concepts The Very Idea ...

Apr 08, 20261 hr 25 minSeason 1Ep. 9

EPISODE 8: Barry Cryer

Samira Ahmed and Graham Kibble-White present a special extra episode for March 2026. Our previous instalment looked at shows from March 1979, including Thames TV's The Kenny Everett Video Show . Writer, comedian and actor Barry Cryer, who passed away in 2022, was a key contributor to that series and in 2019, Samira visited Barry at his home to record an interview with him about the programme, intended to run in a future edition of TV Years magazine. That future edition never transpired, and so w...

Mar 25, 202641 min

EPISODE 7: March 1979

This month Samira Ahmed and Graham Kibble-White are looking at programmes from March 1979. And they are... 05:39: The BBC's sci-fi saga Blake's 7 , and an episode from its second series, 'Countdown'. 24:09: An edition of the documentary series, Man Alive , following a mum, dad and three children through a series of family therapy sessions. 40:23: Star Signs - the Michael Aspel hosted BBC2 panel show, based around astrology, graphology and other means of divining the future. With special guests J...

Mar 11, 20261 hr 12 minSeason 1Ep. 7

EPISODE 6: February 1969

This month Samira Ahmed and Graham Kibble-White are looking at programmes from February 1969. And they are... 06:00: The pre-Python children's comedy, Do Not Adjust Your Set. 18:39: Civilisation - the groundbreaking BBC2 documentary, hosted and written by Kenneth Clark. 35:56: Saturday Night Theatre , and the play MacNeil , written by Alun Owen and starring Sean Connery. 48:20: Spy thriller Department S, specifically the episode 'One of Our Aircraft is Empty'. If you would like to contact the po...

Feb 11, 20261 hr 5 minSeason 1Ep. 6

EPISODE 5: January 2000

HELLLLOOO!!! And a Happy New Year. This month, Samira Ahmed and Graham Kibble-White are looking at programmes that greeted the New Millennium in January 2000. And they are... 05:07 - Blue Peter 's first edition of the year, in which they unearth the time capsule buried on the show back in 1971. 15:33 - The Coronation Street hour-long New Year's Day special, revealing how the residents of Weatherfield rang in 2000. 29:28 - The very first episode of Dom Joly's Trigger Happy TV . 41:35 - The BBC's ...

Jan 14, 20261 hrSeason 1Ep. 5

EPISODE 4: Christmas special 2025 with Mark Gatiss

And so this is Christmas... In their first-ever feature-length festive spectacular, Samira Ahmed and Graham Kibble-White are joined by special guest Mark Gatiss, as all three nominate their favourite and least-favourite Christmas specials. They are... 6:58 - Samira's least-favourite: The Star Wars Holiday Special 13:31 - Samira's favourite: The Goodies : 'Earthanasia' 26: 38 - Graham's least-favourite: Russell Harty Goes... Upstairs, Downstairs 35:36 - Graham's favourite: Minder on the Orient Ex...

Dec 17, 20251 hr 18 minSeason 1Ep. 4

EPISODE 3: November 1984

Eyes down for episode three of Through the Square Window! In this instalment, Samira Ahmed and Graham Kibble-White investigate a selection of UK TV programmes that were airing 41 years ago, in November 1984: A blistering edition of BBC1 game show Bob's Full House ; Ray Davies' Channel 4 TV film Return to Waterloo ; we compare and contrast two female-led police dramas, both screening on Saturday nights, Juliet Bravo and The Gentle Touch ; and we're joined by TV director, producer and former Blue ...

Nov 12, 202558 minSeason 1Ep. 3

EPISODE 2: October 1990

Welcome, stranger, to episode two of Through the Square Window! In this instalment, Samira Ahmed and Graham Kibble-White investigate a selection of UK TV shows that were airing 35 years ago, in October 1990: The TV pilot of cult topical comedy The Mary Whitehouse Experience ; an episode on BBC One's teatime consumer affairs programme Watchdog ; Anglia Television's sword and sorcery game show for children, Knightmare ; and the first ever episode of Twin Peaks . If you would like to contact the po...

Oct 15, 202550 minSeason 1Ep. 2

EPISODE 1: September 1975

In their first-ever episode, Samira Ahmed and Graham Kibble-White investigate a selection of UK TV shows that were also launching this month, albeit 50 years ago: The BBC1 hospital drama, Angels ; Thames Television's spooky anthology series for children, Shadows (plus a look at BBC2's similarly occult-themed Leap in the Dark ); BBC2 comedies Fawlty Towers and The Growing Pains Of PC Penrose ; Samira's favourite, Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's Space:1999 ; and Graham's favourite, Yorkshire Televisio...

Sep 17, 202552 minSeason 1Ep. 1

Through the Square Window - teaser

The opening two minutes of episode one of Through the Square Window, a brand-new podcast hosted by Samira Ahmed and Graham Kibble-White, guiding you through the UK TV shows we watched in decades gone by. Episode one launches later in September.

Sep 07, 20252 min
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