Record Breakers

RECORD BREAKERS
Made by: BBC
Shown on: BBC
Years shown: 1972-2001

Theme tune: “If you’re the wildest, the mildest, the cleverest child/The strongest, the longest, you’ve never been wrong/The latest, the greatest, then you can say/That you’re a record breaker!”

Roy Castle was Record Breakers, and after his death in September 1993 from lung cancer, it was never the same. A born-entertainer, Castle was upbeat, enthusiastic and clearly passionate about the excellent programme he presented for over 20 years. Record Breakers set out to show children the extremes of human achievement; it travelled around the world to interview people who can only be described as obsessives or lunatics (often Ashrita Furman, who did all kinds of pointless things, like pogo-sticking up the CN Tower, and running backwards while juggling), and also presented over 300 record attempts in the studio itself, usually something like plate-spinning, bubble-blowing or brick-lifting. Roy was assisted by Ross and Norris McWhirter, the twin founders of The Guinness Book of Records, who were utter fact-fiends and could recall to memory anything from the book when needed. Ross McWhirter was tragically killed by the Provisional IRA in the early '80s, but Norris continued alone, appearing for ‘Norris on the Spot’, where he would answer (clearly pre-rehearsed) questions from children in the audience. Roy Castle was certainly no stranger to records himself: at various times, he was part of the largest tap-dancing troupe at BBC Television Centre, became the biggest one-man band, performed the fastest tap dance (an amazing 24 beats per second), wing-walked across the English Channel, appeared atop a 39-man motorbike pyramid, and took part in a 400ft death slide from the top of Blackpool Tower. That deserves some respect.

In the late eighties, Castle was joined by ex-Bucks Fizz singer, Cheryl Baker, and also received reports from America by Ron Reagan Jr (who, after Castle’s death, became a permanent presenter.) Other presenters of the later era include Mark Curry, and former British athletes Kriss Akabusi and Linford Christie - but when it became Linford’s Record Breakers, it was time to switch off.

SQUARE EYES RATING: 8/10

(Thanks to www.tv.cream.org for the borrowed pic)