Post by westender on May 17, 2012 20:34:31 GMT -1
On BBC4, now. Splendid, poignant archive footage of all our yesterdays, and tales from the excellent folks that were there and who helped put it all together. Tales of the props, of the people, of the drink, of the near catastrophes; tales of the legendary BBC Canteen and the BBC Club.
Michael Bentine blowing up TV Centre and blasting it off into space;
John Pertwee a tightfisted swine; Leela telling us that Tom Baker was first in his pocket with "trebles all round".
Roy Castle and the girls round the fountain, breaking the world record for a group tapdance. Unrehearsed, no prep for the OB.
Noel Edmonds walking out, live, unscripted, unprepared, from behind the Swap Shop desk to go walkabout through TV Centre... wandering into rehearsals for It Ain't Half Hot Mum
Pished interviews and interviewees; live rows between Johnny Speight and Marty Feldman....
David Attenborough...
Johnny and Zoe Ball blethering together...
the gay old props buyer....
Pans People - Babs and Robert Powell blethering the tale of how they got together - and 32 years of marriage & 2 kids later, they're still together, "thanks, Television Centre!"...
Archive outtakes, of very famous folk, that none of us have EVER seen before!! (John Cleese in Python-garb suit, wandering onto the Dr Who set and givin Tom Baker grief!)...
The vandalism of the Blue Peter garden... "one of the cruellest things the vandals did was to pour fuel oil into our fish pond" said Janet
Here's damn good reason for the suicide of all ex-Film & Television Studies students, and all lovers of the BBC, and all lovers of what constituted 'Britain' and what constituted British culture in the 60s and 70s.
This is our past; and the future looks absolutely grim. No splendid sorts are in charge. There are no splendid sorts to possibly be in charge. Everything that made the BBC splendid and great and a formidable force to be reckoned with in the world at large, is gone - and it's all in this programme.
It's absolutely heartbreaking. We had the best of times. There's never been better television that what was produced by the stalwart, valient, vastly intelligent - and funny - Brits in the studios in that building, with all its faults, frustrations, shortcomings and many hapless technical inadequacies.
Soon, incomprehensibly, to be sold off. Absolutely heartbreaking. It was such a part of all our lives. As we're getting to the end of the programme, as I'm watching it right now, there are many, many very famous and iconic folk whose eyes are full of tears.
Modern life is absolutely rubbish. I recommend watching this prog to everyone. This is stuff we need to know, and we need to remember.
Richard Marson produced and directed this excellent wee programme. His prog, no doubt, will scarcely be noticed; for me, it's as big a cultural event as the death of Victoria, or Churchill, or Elvis.
Greet greet greet. How are the mighty fallen.
Michael Bentine blowing up TV Centre and blasting it off into space;
John Pertwee a tightfisted swine; Leela telling us that Tom Baker was first in his pocket with "trebles all round".
Roy Castle and the girls round the fountain, breaking the world record for a group tapdance. Unrehearsed, no prep for the OB.
Noel Edmonds walking out, live, unscripted, unprepared, from behind the Swap Shop desk to go walkabout through TV Centre... wandering into rehearsals for It Ain't Half Hot Mum
Pished interviews and interviewees; live rows between Johnny Speight and Marty Feldman....
David Attenborough...
Johnny and Zoe Ball blethering together...
the gay old props buyer....
Pans People - Babs and Robert Powell blethering the tale of how they got together - and 32 years of marriage & 2 kids later, they're still together, "thanks, Television Centre!"...
Archive outtakes, of very famous folk, that none of us have EVER seen before!! (John Cleese in Python-garb suit, wandering onto the Dr Who set and givin Tom Baker grief!)...
The vandalism of the Blue Peter garden... "one of the cruellest things the vandals did was to pour fuel oil into our fish pond" said Janet
Here's damn good reason for the suicide of all ex-Film & Television Studies students, and all lovers of the BBC, and all lovers of what constituted 'Britain' and what constituted British culture in the 60s and 70s.
This is our past; and the future looks absolutely grim. No splendid sorts are in charge. There are no splendid sorts to possibly be in charge. Everything that made the BBC splendid and great and a formidable force to be reckoned with in the world at large, is gone - and it's all in this programme.
It's absolutely heartbreaking. We had the best of times. There's never been better television that what was produced by the stalwart, valient, vastly intelligent - and funny - Brits in the studios in that building, with all its faults, frustrations, shortcomings and many hapless technical inadequacies.
Soon, incomprehensibly, to be sold off. Absolutely heartbreaking. It was such a part of all our lives. As we're getting to the end of the programme, as I'm watching it right now, there are many, many very famous and iconic folk whose eyes are full of tears.
Modern life is absolutely rubbish. I recommend watching this prog to everyone. This is stuff we need to know, and we need to remember.
Richard Marson produced and directed this excellent wee programme. His prog, no doubt, will scarcely be noticed; for me, it's as big a cultural event as the death of Victoria, or Churchill, or Elvis.
Greet greet greet. How are the mighty fallen.
