Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Keith Rawlinson is a schoolmaster in Burnley - but he has always longed to be a professional wrestler. Now The Big Time gives him the chance.
It will take three months of strict training and body building to prepare, during which Keith will be advised by some of the biggest names in wrestling including promoter Max Crabtree, wrestling referee Joe D'Orazio, and "The Voice of Wrestling" World of Sport commentator, Kent Walton.
Keith's training will be overseen by wrestling star Peter "Tally Ho" Kaye, and on his journey he will cross paths with top British wrestlers like "Cyanide" Sid Cooper, Big Daddy and the current World Lightweight Champion, Johnny Saint.
His big moment is a match against professional John Naylor, in an all-star bill at the most glamorous wrestling venue in the country - London's Royal Albert Hall.
Reporter: Paul Heiney
Clip taken from The Big Time, originally broadcast on BBC One, 11 June, 1980.
You have now entered the BBC Archive, a time machine that will transport you back to the golden age of TV to educate, entertain and enlighten you with classic clips from the BBC vaults.
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Keith Rawlinson is a schoolmaster in Burnley - but he has always longed to be a professional wrestler. Now The Big Time gives him the chance.
It will take three months of strict training and body building to prepare, during which Keith will be advised by some of the biggest names in wrestling including promoter Max Crabtree, wrestling referee Joe D'Orazio, and "The Voice of Wrestling" World of Sport commentator, Kent Walton.
Keith's training will be overseen by wrestling star Peter "Tally Ho" Kaye, and on his journey he will cross paths with top British wrestlers like "Cyanide" Sid Cooper, Big Daddy and the current World Lightweight Champion, Johnny Saint.
His big moment is a match against professional John Naylor, in an all-star bill at the most glamorous wrestling venue in the country - London's Royal Albert Hall.
Reporter: Paul Heiney
Clip taken from The Big Time, originally broadcast on BBC One, 11 June, 1980.
You have now entered the BBC Archive, a time machine that will transport you back to the golden age of TV to educate, entertain and enlighten you with classic clips from the BBC vaults.
Make sure you subscribe so that you never miss a single stop on our amazing journey through the BBC Archive - youtube.com/c/BBCArchive?sub_confirmation=1
You can also dive into plenty more BBC Archive on our website - bbc.co.uk/archive
