Now then, now then

So what happened on Jim'll Fix It? Well, simply put, adults and children alike would write in to Jimmy Savile, outlining their wish.

Some wanted to meet their favourite sporting celebs, others wanted to see faraway countries, and a startling number had a strange desire to visit factories.

In each episode the letter would be shown on screen and read aloud by the sender, whose ensuing adventure would then be shown for us all to see. Simple really – and it established Jimmy as a kind of Father Christmas figure. But all year long, and in a tracksuit. With medallions.

Going nationwide

For those who weren't around at the time, it's difficult to convey just what a TV institution Jim'll Fix It was in it's heyday. At it's peak, almost 20 million people tuned in every week, and over 3,400 letters were received every day.

Nobody could have guessed what a monster hit the series would be in 1974 – the year Jimmy first invited the nation's kids to send in their letters during an episode of the current affairs show Nationwide.

For almost 20 years Jim fixed it like mad, handing out his iconic "Jim Fixed It For Me" badges to the lucky stars of his show. Jimmy's chair even became a bit more high-tech as time went on, producing the badges from secret panels and occasionally delivering cups of tea.

Hey Mr DJ

So who was Jimmy Savile before he became "the fixer"?

Well, in his time Jimmy's been a coal miner, a dance hall manager, hospital porter at Broadmoor, and a wrestler. He was also the world's first DJ (as far as anyone knows), creating the vocation in 1943 when he hosted a dance by rigging up a gramophone to speakers and playing a succession of records for over 200 party-goers.

In the 1960s he made history again by becoming the very first presenter of Top of the Pops – that was when it was broadcast from a converted church in Manchester. Even more remarkable, he twice featured on This Is Your Life – because the production team on the latter edition were somehow unaware of his previous appearance, and by the time the execs noticed it was too late...

Ba ba ba, ba Pa Pa

One of the many iconic aspects of Jim'll Fix It was the theme music. It might come as a surprise to know that this defiantly poppy ditty was actually sung by one of the first British hip hop groups, the Wee Papa Girl Rappers.

Formed by sisters Sandra and Timmie Lawrence, they had their biggest success with the single Wee Rule (believe us, you do know it – and once in your head the tune will never go away). The Rappers faded away in the early 90s, and, while the Jim'll Fix It theme will probably never take its place alongside the greater works of Public Enemy and NWA, it's still great.