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Post by stevej on Jul 17, 2015 17:24:14 GMT
Some years ago I had an A4-sized BBC colour publicity photo relating to this show. It depicted two be-hatted and slightly shabby characters in a kitchen setting and had a vaguely Steptoe-esque air to it. Sadly I can't lay my hands on the picture now but have remained intrigued by the series ever since. Lostshows reveals all six editions shown in the summer of 1972 were wiped, but does give us the (additional?) cast for each, taking in names as remarkably disparate as Derek Griffiths, Nicholas Smith, Rita Webb, singer Ray Ellington, Madeline Smith, Arthur Mullard and Tim Brooke-Taylor! Does this perhaps suggest there was a new setting or scenario each week? What an earth can it all have been about? Does anyone have any Radio Times info? Lostshows link here: www.lostshows.com/default.aspx?programme=94b39547-7bc0-4b78-bb85-80ac18aa495cSteve |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2015 15:01:58 GMT
Hello Steve Courtesy of BBC Genome Project, the following on BBC 1 begin with the heading Them by Johnny Speight ...Cyril Cusack and James Booth. Thursday 27/7/72 22.15 - 22.45 pm as cast above + Robert Murphy. Cartoons by Franklin. Director: Harold Snoad, Producer: Dennis Main Wilson (The only real real Irishman...page 12)(This article appears as a link below on the jamesbooth website). Thursday 3/8/72 22.20-22.50 pm cast above+Frank Lester and Reg Cranfield. Thursday 10/8/72 22.30-23.00 pm cast above. Thursday 17/8/72 22.35-23.05 pm cast above. Thursday 24/8/72 22.40-23.10 pm cast above + Eunice Black and Carolyn Moody www.jamesbooth.org/bio.htmscroll down to Second Chance third paragraph last sentence reads ' The five-part comedy series Them (click on this link for article from Radio Times above) (1972) starred Booth and Cyril Cusack as two tramps "Cockney" and "Coat Sleeves". Regrettably, neither Vessel nor Them has been preserved in any format. Hope this helps.. footnote: Just discovered that lostshows.com says that Vessel Of Wrath 16/5/70 exists in the archives, so it gives hope that something of Them may turn up! |
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Post by stevej on Jul 19, 2015 19:00:45 GMT
Great stuff! Thanks for your footwork Simon, that really does shed some more light on proceedings. It was on in rather a late slot wasn't it? The two lead characters being tramps does make sense of that publicity still I had. James Booth I remember from the wonderfully florid late 60s film 'The Bliss Of Mrs Blossom', also notable for a scene-stealing Bob Monkhouse performance.
'Them' has a damn good pedigree I must say- Johnny Speight, Dennis Main-Wilson and Harold Snoad no less. Wow. Of course Speight had already explored the comedic potential of 'gentlemen of the road' a few years prior with Arthur Haynes and Dermot Kelly as his Irish sidekick. Interesting that 'Them' re-visited the English/Irish partnership, presumably allowing the characters to be more fully explored over a half hour than they could be in single sketches. Even more frustrating that the series was wiped!
As an additional thought, it's certainly worth considering what archive material could just still be in the hands of writers and performers or their estates. I wouldn't be surprised if Johnny Speight had a home VTR early on, operated no doubt with nicotine-stained fingers!
Wishful thinking no doubt!!
Steve
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