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Post by paul carney on Jul 11, 2016 22:03:17 GMT
Double Deckers was very Americanised.It starred a very young Peter Firth aka Sir Harry Pearce in Spooks.
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Post by Martin Dunne on Jul 12, 2016 0:31:32 GMT
The Historical Television Website has given me this nugget on Little Big Time clips. (For all I know David/HTW is registered here.)
> All I can recall is that some/all of the final episode was recorded by someone pointing a film camera at a TV screen.
Anyone know any more on this?
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Post by Patrick Coles on Jul 12, 2016 11:37:59 GMT
The Dreamers bass guitarist/vocalist Pete Birrell appeared with Freddie in 'Oliver in The Overworld' - I recall them all doing 'Gimmie Dat Ding' in it
a single 'Susan's Tuba' on Phillips records was credited to 'Freddie and The Dreamers' and was a hit in Europe I think
there is a later private pressed Freddie and The Dreamers album from the late 70's or early 80's (I think) with Pete still on bass guitar - tho' he later dropped out leaving no original Dreamers backing Freddie thereafter
Dreamers original drummer Bernie Dwyer was also a cartoonist and sadly later passed away as both Freddie and Pete have since
Derek Quinn was in a band with future Hollies Graham Nash and Allan Clarke early on - The Fourtones
guitarist/keyboardist/backing singer Roy Crewdson later ran a bar in Tenerife
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Post by Martin Dunne on Jul 12, 2016 13:04:21 GMT
Dreamers original drummer Bernie Dwyer was also a cartoonist and sadly later passed away as both Freddie and Pete have since Do you have a source on Pete Birrell's death?
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Kev Hunter
Member
The only difference between a rut and a groove is the depth
Posts: 611
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Post by Kev Hunter on Jul 12, 2016 15:24:45 GMT
There are two b/w photographs taken from the series in Geoff Tibballs' book 'The Golden Age Of Children's TV' - one of Freddie and a boxing kangaroo (captioned "Pinto the kangaroo is happy to hit a man with glasses if it's Freddie Garrity on Little Big Time"), and the other of Freddie standing around a microphone with members of the Dreamers dressed up as ghosts (captioned "Freddie and his spooky Dreamers enter into the spirit of Little Big Time"). Incidentally the book, while being fairly light on programme details generally, has some great b/w photos from series such as Tich And Quackers, Orlando, Freewheelers etc. and is cheap to pick up from Amazon: www.amazon.co.uk/Golden-Age-Childrens-Television/dp/1852864079/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1468336492&sr=8-5&keywords=geoff+tibballs+tv
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Post by Patrick Coles on Jul 13, 2016 9:22:10 GMT
I think Pete of The Dreamers is still alive - I'm very glad to say !
a paper reported his death but I think it was another Peter Birrell who was an actor who had passed away.
Pete Birrell of Freddie's band later became a taxi driver.
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Post by John Green on Jul 13, 2016 12:17:40 GMT
I think Pete of The Dreamers is still alive - I'm very glad to say ! a paper reported his death but I think it was another Peter Birrell who was an actor who had passed away. Pete Birrell of Freddie's band later became a taxi driver. They both get listed as actors on IMDB,but the Sharpe's and Doctor Who one died in 2004: www.imdb.com/name/nm2032406/?ref_=fn_al_nm_2
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Post by johnstewart on Jul 14, 2016 9:35:44 GMT
The Dreamers bass guitarist/vocalist Pete Birrell appeared with Freddie in 'Oliver in The Overworld' - I recall them all doing 'Gimmie Dat Ding' in it a single 'Susan's Tuba' on Phillips records was credited to 'Freddie and The Dreamers' and was a hit in Europe I think there is a later private pressed Freddie and The Dreamers album from the late 70's or early 80's (I think) with Pete still on bass guitar - tho' he later dropped out leaving no original Dreamers backing Freddie thereafter Dreamers original drummer Bernie Dwyer was also a cartoonist and sadly later passed away as both Freddie and Pete have since Derek Quinn was in a band with future Hollies Graham Nash and Allan Clarke early on - The Fourtones guitarist/keyboardist/backing singer Roy Crewdson later ran a bar in Tenerife A version of 'Susan's tuba'appears on one of the surviving Paul Ciani produced shows at the BBC. I think it's 'Hope and Keens crazy house'. I looked that up and most of the series appears to have survived. It's possible Paul was responsible for having that held; as most of 'Ed and Zed'; and the master tape of the last 'Zokko' also survive.
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Post by johnstewart on Jul 14, 2016 9:50:09 GMT
My God. This was in the back of my memory but I recall it as being quite interesting. Oliver in the Overworld. I recall it as being a bit like Wizard of Oz? Were there parts when he was wondering amongst chimneys? All a long, long time ago. I think Midlands ITV showed it on a Tuesday at 17.00? or 17.30? Was it followed by Junior Showtime or the other way round? I don't recall Freddie jumping about like he did when he sang with the Dreamers. I saw the Dreamers about a year or two after Freddie died and they were a great band. I think they are still performing. I can remember about 1970 I used to wait for a programme I liked; probably The Bugs bunny show or Roadrunner. Often when i turned on it was too early and 'Junior showtime' came on. We didn't get TV guides on regular basis so you just had to guess. I can recall that I hated junior showtime at the time and used to clamp my hands over my ears, and shout over the title music till it ended. You wouldn't know which programme was coming on as the TV was warming up. Think this was Monday or Tuesday. So I'd guess Junior showtime when 'Little Big time' started; think spring 1971; would be on before it. I quite like the memory of junior showtime now as I started to be a Jack Wild fan round the time so liked his bits. I had mixed feelings about 'Little Big Time'. It was a bit loud and boisterous for me. I found Freddie and the dreamers very charming and magical on 'Five o clock club'which he part presented for a while. Also liked the records. But I didn't much like the attempts to update Freddie with the flaired look etc which had to be done. As you can see 'Oliver in the overworld' was psychadelic and surreal but most of the songs seemed to be in an MFP variety style incongruous with the piece. I think I've read Freddie did some of his nice ones 'House in old Amsterdam' is a favourite. You have to take into account I was about ten at the time that cynical age which changed later on. I really enjoyed seeing it now, certainly from when I was little kid, five o clock club and Freddie are two of my most loved TV memories.
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Post by Pete Morris on Jul 14, 2016 12:13:49 GMT
The video on that website doesn't work for me (in any browser). Try this link instead, and wait several minutes for the whole thing to load. app.box.com/s/l08737nhobyqf1mshx3j
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Post by Dale Rumbold on Jul 14, 2016 16:11:52 GMT
I can recall that I hated junior showtime at the time and used to clamp my hands over my ears, and shout over the title music till it ended. I don't know anyone under the age of 70 that enjoyed Junior Showtime : it always seemed to be on when my grandmother was round and she loved it so we had to watch it ... it made me cringe back then in my early teens, and I feel unwell just thinking about it now. Glyn Poole and Bonnie Langford ... shudder!
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Post by johnstewart on Jul 15, 2016 9:06:04 GMT
It seemed to be devised by retirement age people for kids. Kind of felt maybe the Mums who watched 'Stars on sunday' would find it more appealing. Music hall was alien for that young generation; though I made a link between it and the Bugs bunny show stage intro with the straw hats.
Main memory of it is Bobby Bennett in a waistcoat looking like he had lipstick on. He would sometimes perform duets with Jack Wild. I got into Jack Wild at that time as I grew to love the new American import 'H.R. Pufnstuf'. Jack at that time was also starting to make pop records and more adult films like the slightly anarchic film 'S.W.A.L.K.' (aka Melody). It was controversial at the time as the kids were not portrayed as chocolate box innocents, and was also geared towards young teenagers with its pop music. Sorry to go o/t !
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Post by Peter Stirling on Jul 15, 2016 13:49:01 GMT
Junior Showtime seemed at the time to be set in concrete in the schedules, nothing would shift the darn thing from it's slot LOL I think it was Jess' Yates baby and when he got fired it went with him.
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Post by Ian Wegg on Jul 16, 2016 10:50:11 GMT
There are two b/w photographs taken from the series in Geoff Tibballs' book 'The Golden Age Of Children's TV' - one of Freddie and a boxing kangaroo (captioned "Pinto the kangaroo is happy to hit a man with glasses if it's Freddie Garrity on Little Big Time"), and the other of Freddie standing around a microphone with members of the Dreamers dressed up as ghosts (captioned "Freddie and his spooky Dreamers enter into the spirit of Little Big Time"). Incidentally the book, while being fairly light on programme details generally, has some great b/w photos from series such as Tich And Quackers, Orlando, Freewheelers etc. and is cheap to pick up from Amazon: www.amazon.co.uk/Golden-Age-Childrens-Television/dp/1852864079/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1468336492&sr=8-5&keywords=geoff+tibballs+tvThanks for the pointer (not least because I'd forgotten I had that book!). There is also a colour photograph of Freddie sparing with the kangaroo in The Dream Factory book (which itself occasionally turns up on eBay). It's been pointed out to me offline that a very good quality series 5 (1974) episode of Little Big Time exists in the Bob Monkhouse collection. It's a Philips N1500 off-air recording with Thames continuity, the full programme followed by an extensive trailer for the next episode and an advert for the Little Big Time LP. It was cleaned up further by Kaleidoscope and shown at one of their events. The clips shown on Southern Gold in 1993 were from an official colour recording of the final episode from a private source (possibly production crew). lostshows.com/default.aspx?programme=2cdae97e-413b-4b86-b11a-c4c0d4d4e4f9~iw
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Post by christian bews on Jul 17, 2016 0:48:42 GMT
Jess Yates was best known as the organist & presenter on 'stars on sunday' but at the same time he was head of children's programmes at yorkshire television & was also responsible for 'the flaxton boys' & 'boy dominic'. Junior Showtime seemed at the time to be set in concrete in the schedules, nothing would shift the darn thing from it's slot LOL I think it was Jess' Yates baby and when he got fired it went with him.
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