Poll: Is children's TV better now than over the last 30 years?

Millions of youngsters tuned in to watch the fresh-faced presenters struggle to keep to the script as they danced from one laugh to the next.

And while Chris Tarrant, Sally James and Bob Carolgees may have lost the floppy hair and tight-fitted trousers, their mischievous spirit remains intact.

Forty years on from the show's first airing, all three turned out at a reunion event organised by fans in Birmingham to mark its birthday.

They were joined by the lawless Phantom Flan Flinger, real name Ben Mills, as well as other cast members at Apres bar. And just like the old days, the custard pies were back, with Tarrant and Carolgees both getting a pasting amidst barrels of laughter.

But would they get away with it on television today? Tarrant, proudly wearing a Tiswas T-shirt, said: "There is no way we could get away with what we did then.

"Health and safety and all that – everything would have to be analysed before you did it.

"Children crying and things like that. When people said one child cried in a show, I'd respond by saying it was once in more than 400 shows.

"And don't you always get a child crying at kids' parties too?"

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Tarrant, whose TV career was launched thanks to Tiswas – standing for 'Today Is Saturday Watch And Smile' – said he was proud to have worked on it, and would do it all again if given the chance. The 68-year-old said: "There were so many memorable moments.

"I think the time we surprised Lenny Henry with the real Trevor McDonald was a real laugh but there was so much, it was a wonderful mad, show.

"We weren't trying to change the world. We were just young people having a laugh, and it seemed to catch on."

Among the crew of presenters, which also included comedian Lenny Henry, was Sally James, now aged 64.

The mother of three, who was on the show from 1977 to 1982, said; "It's lovely to see all the fans and the way people remember the show so fondly."

She added: "It was crazy, the things we did, you wouldn't get away with doing them now. When we did the Tiswas reunited show in 2007 we noticed a huge change there – there were all sorts of directives about only having four inches of water in a bucket, which is supposed to be heated to a certain temperature. It just wouldn't work now."

James said she enjoyed the trends they set, such as the dying fly, but many of them would get the programme into trouble.

She said: "There was an old record called the typewriter song and basically we lay down on the floor and kicked our arms and legs in the air – and people started doing it in stupid places like the motorway.

"Then the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents had it in their top list for dangerous pursuits. Things like that were always happening to us."

Her most memorable moment was film action hero Jackie Chan appearing on the show. Other big name guests included Spike Milligan, Led Zeppelin starRobert Plant and Bob Geldof.

Also at the event last weekend was 79-year-old taxi driver Ben Mills, the man behind the Phantom Flan Flinger.

He said: "It wasn't a job, it was just one big laugh. I had a fantastic time on the show, I don't think there was ever a serious moment. We loved it all."

The show included children and parents being locked in a cage and drenched with water, and Lenny Henry reading the news as Trevor McDoughnut – a send-up of newsreader Trevor McDonald.

Another of the show's favourites was a character best known for his huge ears and whiskers.

Matthew Lewis, from Penkridge, was just five years old when he rose to stardom after winning a talent contest for child acts to appear on the show. He came to be known as the Tiswas Bunny as he would appear singing 'Bright Eyes' – all performed while he wore a rabbit costume holding a large felt carrot.

He attended the reunion – and has also helped compile a history of the show for a website.

Matthew, who was then known as Matthew Butler, still has his bunny outfit and stuffed carrot, which his mother Pauline made for him.

In recent years he has continued to make occasional television appearances, including the Tiswas special in 2007, and The Frank Skinner chat show in 2008.

Tiswas started life back in 1974 with a much more sedate feel, with Chris Tarrant and John Asher presenting the show from behind a desk.

But as more contributions came in from viewers the show rapidly took off and became more and more anarchic. At its height Sally James was drafted in as the show's first female presenter and stars including Jasper Carrot, and Jim Davison all had stints on the show.

The show was in direct competition for viewers with the Noel Edmonds fronted Multi-Coloured Swap Shop on the BBC.

It is thought that BBC executives conceived Swap Shop, which was also presented by Keith Chegwin, John Craven and Maggie Philbin, in direct response to the rising popularity of Tiswas. The show was only initially broadcast in the Midlands before it was taken up by other ITV regions.

In around 1981 Tarrant decided to leave Tiswas to start O.T.T. or Over The Top which was to be a late-night, more adult version, of the anarchic children's show.

It was broadcast at 11pm on Saturday nights for just one series in 1982 and starred Tarrant, John Gorman, Lenny Henry and Bob Carolgees.

It came off the back of a live nightclub tour by many of the Tiswas stars called The Four Bucketeers. Yet the show failed to achieve the same success of sister show. After Tarrant left, Tiswas continued for one final series between 1981 and 82 with Sally James at the helm.

Reunion organiser Marc Neun said the event was a huge success.

He said: "It was a show that broke the mould and entertained millions of not just children, but young adults. It was brilliant."

Deanne Blazey was among the fans at the event. While living in Birmingham as a teenager she often joined in the audience.

She was also filmed with a group of youngsters in the city centre taking buckets of water from a fountain, before throwing it over their heads.

She said: "I remember it was so cold we had to break the ice in the fountain.

"Then after we did it a first time, the crews said they didn't get me in the shot, so I had to do it again. It was totally barmy, but everyone loved it."