Back then, the way to watch shows was to randomly catch an episode whenever they were aired, because most of them didn't focus on a 36 episode incomprehensible knot of twists and surprises. They were self contained with a quiet background story arc that you could pick back at any time.
Interesting, thanks for digging that up. Looks like it didn't pan out. At least in France, they arrived just as the local market was building itself, and it seems they didn't manage to get a foot in the door. Maybe they got more lucky in other markets.
His bike wine carrier was probably already full so he had no choice.