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Post by John Green on Aug 25, 2014 16:10:56 GMT
John,I'm hesitant to start another thread on the subject,but I was wondering about those out-of-copyright animated films used in TOGWT.Supplied by Bob Monkhouse,I believe.Were any of them used elsewhere? Looks like you've answered the question!
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Post by johnstewart on Aug 25, 2014 16:45:44 GMT
Well I recognised the footage as soon as I saw the repeated use on OGWT in the 1980s as having the segment I recalled. I also recall Everett gave an account of the films at the start of the clip, voicing over. He said the film featured was the work of a new student film maker and were 'gorgeous'. Recall he used similar technology referring to the colourised 'BETTY BOOP' cartoons run by the BBC c 1975 on his radio show. Recall Kenny was friends with Philip Jenkinson as he had him as a radio guest when the BBC dropped him from FILM NIGHT.Jenkinson is known to be the face behind the FILMFINDERS collection that supplied OGWT with many of its films. The sequence I describe may be a later segment of the 'Dancer' sequence set to PINK FLOYD 'ONE OF THESE DAYS'' (as used in OGWT).
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Post by Richard Marple on Aug 26, 2014 12:42:56 GMT
Pop Quiz used lots of film clips, & Going Live did in it's later years, ie lots of clips of people speaking in the phone to introduce the Live Line segment.
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Post by williammcgregor on Aug 26, 2014 14:45:56 GMT
Just back from the library; unfortunately no new info on 'EV' all I found was this extract from the NME
NME dated 13/2/71
LW-TV PLANS 'TOP OF THE POPS' RIVAL-STEWART AND EVERETT SACKED
LWT were planning a weekly teenage show to rival Top of the Pops only it was to be 'Live' it was to be shown on a Saturday at Tea-Time.
it was to be shown in place of Ed Stewarts "Stewpot" series and was brought about by Rupert Murdoch the largest shareholder at LWT
"Stewpot" was to finish it's run on the 20th Feb 1971 but a new series was not to be introduced for several weeks.
A spokesman for LWT told the NME that 'EV' would not be brought back.
As a result of these decisions Barry Took LWT's head of Light Entertainment who introduced Stewart and Everett has resigned.
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Post by John Green on Aug 26, 2014 14:59:21 GMT
Thanks for trying,William!
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Post by Richard Marple on Aug 26, 2014 17:12:02 GMT
I didn't realise Rupert Murdoch was involved in TV that far back.
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Post by Tony Walshaw on Aug 29, 2014 8:22:07 GMT
:|Yes, wonder if Murdoch was a prime mover in getting Simon Dee to LWT. And then a prime mover in keeping him OFF the air after a few months? In the early 2000s, Dee's 'lifelong principles' caused him to refuse work from the History Channel due to Murdoch's part-ownership, as mentioned in Richard Wiseman's book (2006). I wonder if Dee's fall from favour at LWT influenced them to sign up Kenny? The recent biography 'Hello Darlings!' (James Hogg & Robert Sellers, 2013) briefly mentions the three 1970-71 LWT series. In effect they ran as a single, continuous run, with perhaps only a week or two break between each. 'The Kenny Everett Explosion' had the proviso "Let Kenny do whatever he wants, providing it doesn't cost too much". Apparently this format was failing, and had to be rescued by a new director (Bruce Gowers) a few episodes in. 'Making Whoopee' in effect show-cased the songs of the group Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band (an offshoot of the Bonzos) playing at the Half Moon, Putney. I assume Kenny did compere/link material. The Hogg & Sellers book describes this as a "bizarre little programme". After the ambiguities of the first two series, Kenny began to form a keen working relationship with Gowers (who most recently has been a director of 'American Idol' ). 'Ev' thus featured sketches and star guests, and is described as a precursor to his Thames shows of a decade or so later. Note that Kenny began working on the LWT shows in June 1970, just prior to the Simon Dee shows ending their run. Kenny's first broadcast was on 10th July, a week before his dismissal from the BBC. On one of his later Radio 1 shows, he whispered that he was making a new TV series "for the other side". Johnny Beerling's book 'Radio 1: The Inside Scene' details Kenny's sacking but only refers to his outspokenness on radio. I know that he had a general irreverence which "didn't suit the suits", but I am minded to think that his LWT work also had some influence upon his BBC dismissal. There are several biographies about Kenny. Not sure what the others say about his early TV work. I have got 'In The Best Possible Taste' by David Lister, but not to hand. Will have to dig it out.
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Post by Richard Marple on Aug 29, 2014 12:36:40 GMT
IIRC Simon Dee managed to fall out with David Frost at LWT over their shows having very similar formats.
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Post by johnstewart on Aug 29, 2014 14:17:08 GMT
One question to also to ponder might be how much of EV was on film. It may be that the recently found compilation was made at a date by which most of the VT material had been wiped and all that remained was the film material. That might explain why most was on film. But from the time the only VT material I can recall involved a male by a circular plinth like stage who may have been Everett; if it was that show; introducing Pickettywitch. The first definite studio link shots on VT I recall were the described one of Labi Siffre. That would date between the week before Xmas 21 Dec 1970 maybe, and Jan 1st 1971. After that the same format with bubble chairs and Crisp seemed to carry on for 'The Kenny Everett Explosion'. Maybe EV was largely on film like 'Dave Cash radio show'?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2014 12:01:41 GMT
Possibly also though it was easier to assemble film material for a compilation? It would be interesting to know how long the VT material was retained. We don't know why this compilation was made either - was it actually transmitted?
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Post by Tim Disney on Aug 30, 2014 14:10:34 GMT
This thread has kept me intrigued.
As Tony mentioned, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the LWT work was the real reason for BBC management to take any opportunity to get rid of Kenny. It's definitely an interesting theory, but was Stewpot still at the Beeb in 71?
It is possible that Ev was mainly shot on film. The studio sequences were recorded at LWT's small facility in Wycombe Road, which might indicate that the studio bits were infrequent.
As regards Rupert Murdoch at LWT, from memory, his reign was short lived, as the IBA quickly reduced his managerial influence when he became a major shareholder in the company. There was a huge turnover of management at the same time with redundancies and directors "choosing" to leave. Whilst not defending Murdoch's current track record, it's fair to say that he probably sewed the seeds that helped to put LWT back on track.
The NME reference to a new LWT pop show could have been what ultimately became '2 G's and the Pop People' in 1972. It first appeared, almost as a pilot, in November 1971 as 'Top Twenty Special.' Certainly the name of the 1971 special implies that was the type of target audience they were after and both shows aired in the Saturday teatime slot.
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Post by Tim Disney on Aug 30, 2014 14:21:55 GMT
The NME reference to a new LWT pop show could have been what ultimately became '2 G's and the Pop People' in 1972. It first appeared, almost as a pilot, in November 1971 as 'Top Twenty Special.' Certainly the name of the 1971 special implies that was the type of target audience they were after and both shows aired in the Saturday teatime slot. Just an after thought. It surely wasn't 'Whittaker's World of Music' was it!? Although Roger did try to wear some groovy shirts and neckerchiefs
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Post by johnstewart on Aug 30, 2014 15:38:19 GMT
The only studio link I recall from the EV period was similar to 'Whittakers world of music' actually. I can recall studio footage for 'Whoopee time'; but seem to recall I was disappointed with it after the previous two series. Bob Kerrs Whoopee band appeared to be in a white studio similar to the foyer of Thames TV as seen in 'TODAY'. Recall the band in right corner with other people on floor before them. There were close ups of the drum logo which may have served as part of the shows titles. The band seemed to be on every other item and were a 'Mr Bloe' type affair. Like the Bonzos minus the imagination more straight style washboard type stuff. New Vaudeville band springs to mind. I thought it was a more mediocre, square affair.
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Post by Tony Walshaw on Aug 31, 2014 9:47:54 GMT
I wouldn't be at all surprised if the LWT work was the real reason for BBC management to take any opportunity to get rid of Kenny. It's definitely an interesting theory, but was Stewpot still at the Beeb in 71?. A few things had happened involving Kenny at Radio 1. Johnnie Beerling (in his book 'Radio 1: The Inside Scene') said that Kenny had been disciplined for comments he made to a music paper about the needle time restrictions and how they affected what he could play. None of the books I have access to mentions which paper this was - it is not clear if it actually did happen. The book 'In The Best Possible Taste' by David Lister (1996) said that he had been obliged to sign a pledge not to give any more interviews to the press. This was due to adverse comments about 'BBC stuffiness' in general, and needle time in particular. He had made a libellous on-air comment about a well-known person's wife being pregnant by another man. For this he received a warning from his producer (and up till then fervent supporter) Angela Bond, and said he wouldn't work with her any more. The BBC allowed this demand and he kept his show. Apparently he was still giving the impression that he would 'go public on the restrictive practices and deals with the Musicians Union'. This was at a time when important negotiations were on-going to allow the BBC more needle-time. So when the LWT series came along, it probably looked like he could do what he wanted to, and a further two-fingered salute to the BBC. It is true that such as Tony Blackburn & Ed Stewart had done series with ITV stations, but they were not controversial characters like Kenny. Incidentally the Lister book mentions that he did the LWT series, but has no other detail about them.
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Post by Tim Disney on Aug 31, 2014 17:29:56 GMT
Thanks for that Tony. To be honest; as much as I love Kenny as a broadcaster; he sounds like he was a complete nightmare for management at the time. Do not slander is one of the first rules anyone on air should understand. They do say that the best talent usually makes a lot of demands of management. Those that bring in the numbers tend to be more inclined to take risks and as such end up becoming high-maintenance.
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