Ian Collis

What did we do before the age of television? For children of the Baby Boomer age, life changed almost overnight with the introduction of TV. Retro Television is a celebration of the formative years of the ‘new medium’. In the 25-year period from the start of the 1950, through to the mid-1970s, television evolved from the radio era to the modern shows we enjoy today. We look at the popular shows that came and went, some all too briefly; the various stars and the difference genres of shows that invaded our homes... mostly in glorious black and white. This book showcases all the most watched shows and the shows that transformed Australia and influenced our productions locally.

Today, high-profile derby games trigger a febrile atmosphere and the odd brawl. But Derby Shrovetide Football was truly wild. One mob pitted its wits and muscle against the other. Players broke down walls, dived into freezing rivers and crawled through sewers. Thousands of fans filled the streets and civilised behaviour was suspended. But why did this game achieve national notoriety and then disappear in 1846? The Derby Game charts the century-long struggle to kill a tradition and the fanatical resistance of players and supporters. It is a fascinating tale of mobs and magistrates, bobbies and brickbats, dragoons and defiance. The book then explores the rise of the local derby, as football fever grips the UK. It covers the early clashes of local rivals in the Victorian football hotspots, tracing the roots of some time-honoured rivalries and separating the friendly derbies from the hostile. Discover how the derby became part of a global language as Britain exported football to the world.