Kev Hunter
Member
The only difference between a rut and a groove is the depth
Posts: 603
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Post by Kev Hunter on Sept 16, 2016 20:56:54 GMT
Seeing the mention of a fourth surviving episode of BBC's The Newcomers in another thread, started me thinking about the series which I watched as a 10 to 12 year old. My parents (my mum in particular) always watched it, as well as Coronation Street and Crossroads, but I much preferred The Newcomers as it seemed more real to me, and it was more 'local' to us than the Manchester streets or the Midlands motel.
My memories of it are sketchy in the main, but I do recall an episode - probably late '67 or early '68 - where Jimmy Harker (David Janson) was at a hip party and either took acid (or was spiked) and imagined that the snake design on someone's tie was real and about to strike out at him so he leaped out of an upstairs window and seriously injured himself. I seem to remember that his character spent subsequent episodes wheelchair bound (and I'm not getting him confused with Sandy Richardson, who I know was in a wheelchair). In another storyline, I remember Lance Cooper (Raymond Hunt) having some kind of mishap and consequently contracting tetanus, which led to him being hospitalised for a time.
I also remember Jenny Agutter's debut in the series, playing Kirsty Kerr, daughter of a businessman.
Anyone else remember much about the series?
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Post by John Green on Sept 16, 2016 21:15:00 GMT
It sounds more interesting than it seemed at the time! Judy Geeson,Wendy Richard... IMDB have Jenny Agutter listed for only one episode,12/1/1968? IMDB still only mention two surviving episodes: www.imdb.com/title/tt0159897/
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Kev Hunter
Member
The only difference between a rut and a groove is the depth
Posts: 603
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Post by Kev Hunter on Sept 16, 2016 23:12:09 GMT
Those two storylines were probably the more interesting ones, John - which may explain why I remember them! I'm fairly sure that Jenny Agutter's appearance wasn't a one-off though. Another set of characters I recall were the Pargeters, an older guy with his two sons - one of whom was called Rufus. The actor who played the other son went on to be cast as Lynda Bellingham's husband in the Oxo ads.
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Post by John Green on Sept 16, 2016 23:18:02 GMT
Wikipedia says "A change of the managing director of Eden Bros to Andrew Kerr heralded the arrival of his daughter Kirsty, played by Jenny Agutter, but only during her school holidays."
No novelisation?
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Kev Hunter
Member
The only difference between a rut and a groove is the depth
Posts: 603
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Post by Kev Hunter on Sept 16, 2016 23:23:51 GMT
I'm not 100% sure that we can take anything Wikipedia says as gospel, John. For a start, they have a still of the supposed opening title in their Newcomers entry, but it's not from the BBC soap - it's from a US documentary film of the same name. Check it out:
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Post by John Green on Sept 16, 2016 23:30:26 GMT
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Post by Peter Stirling on Sept 16, 2016 23:40:51 GMT
I'm not 100% sure that we can take anything Wikipedia says as gospel, John. For a start, they have a still of the supposed opening title in their Newcomers entry, but it's not from the BBC soap - it's from a US documentary film of the same name. Check it out: The UK Newcomers had it's theme taken out of John Barry's session cupboard recorded circa 1962.
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Post by John Green on Sept 16, 2016 23:55:01 GMT
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Post by tombeveridge on Sept 17, 2016 0:05:51 GMT
This was compulsory viewing at our house. Kev and I seem to be of a similar vintage but I really can't recall any details about storylines. I do recall the actors (some f them) quite well although Wendy Richard is a blank spot for me! This is quite amazing, given that she played a major character, and I was a teenage boy. I was perhaps more fixated on Helen Cotterill. I particularly enjoyed episodes with "Arnold Tripp" (Gerald Cross) the journalist and the times the Pargeters showed up. In retrospect, quite a cast of talent was assembled--Jeremy Bulloch, Judy Geeson, Robert Brown (as Bert Harker) and so on. What a damn shame only four episodes survive (and it little likelihood they'll ever be seen). The same fate as "United" (another great BBC soap opera, packed with talent).
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Post by John Green on Sept 17, 2016 0:09:51 GMT
There's talk on the Britmovie site of an episode on DVD.Anyone know what that was about?
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Kev Hunter
Member
The only difference between a rut and a groove is the depth
Posts: 603
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Post by Kev Hunter on Sept 17, 2016 9:06:23 GMT
This was compulsory viewing at our house. Kev and I seem to be of a similar vintage but I really can't recall any details about storylines. I do recall the actors (some f them) quite well although Wendy Richard is a blank spot for me! This is quite amazing, given that she played a major character, and I was a teenage boy. I was perhaps more fixated on Helen Cotterill. I particularly enjoyed episodes with "Arnold Tripp" (Gerald Cross) the journalist and the times the Pargeters showed up. In retrospect, quite a cast of talent was assembled--Jeremy Bulloch, Judy Geeson, Robert Brown (as Bert Harker) and so on. What a damn shame only four episodes survive (and it little likelihood they'll ever be seen). The same fate as "United" (another great BBC soap opera, packed with talent). I do remember Wendy Richard being in it, Tom, but I think my attention was drawn more towards Sally Jane Spencer as one of the Kerr family daughters!
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Post by Patrick Coles on Sept 17, 2016 14:27:49 GMT
there was a brief witches storyline that featured Arnold Tripp investigating after a skeleton was dug up by a local workman digging a ditch on open ground and people were spooked for a few episodes..Tripp discovered the 'hand of glory' left in his study...
Maggie Fitzgibbon's screen husband was named Ellis I think, they later killed him off with a heart attack
in another storyline Jimmy Harker (I think it was) was victim of a hit and run driver, tho' he survived - the actor probably took a break from the show ! - his Dad discovered the driver but there was insufficient evidence for the Police to charge him so Jimmy's dad set out to 'needle' him by following him everywhere....
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Post by John Green on Sept 17, 2016 16:47:09 GMT
Lostshows says: Out of an original total of 430 episodes, 423 episodes are missing, a further 2 are incomplete and one exists on a format inferior to the original.
Anyone know anything about the incomplete ones?
Some of the cast also appeared in a quizz show called Give Me Your Word,which is,dammit,entirely missing.Lostshows again:
Missing or incomplete episodes for programme GIVE ME YOUR WORD.
16.04.69 Dad's Army v The Roy Hudd Show (missing) 23.04.69 Z Cars v The First Lady (missing) 30.04.69 Softly, Softly v I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again (missing) 14.05.69 The Archers v The Dales (missing) 21.05.69 Blue Peter v Crackerjack (missing) 28.05.69 Not In Front Of The Children v The Gnomes Of Dulwich (missing) 04.06.69 Braden's Week v The Troubleshooters (missing) 18.06.69 The Newcomers v Dr. Finlay's Casebook (missing) 23.07.69 The Navy Lark v A Life Of Bliss (missing) 30.07.69 The Very Merry Widow and How v Misleading Cases (missing) 06.08.69 Top Of The Pops D.J.s v Radio 1 D.J.s (missing) 27.08.69 Television Top Of The Form v Twenty Questions (missing) 03.09.69 Sports Commentators v Newsreaders (missing)
All 13 episodes are missing.
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Post by Richard Marple on Sept 17, 2016 18:33:45 GMT
Compact is another BBC soap from this time with hardly anything left in the archives.
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Post by Ian Wegg on Sept 17, 2016 18:43:04 GMT
My main memory is of the character played by Campbell Singer running for election to the local council. He wasn't popular amongst some of the residents and they agreed amongst themselves to vote for a different candidate, but in a plot line often recycled in sitcoms including The Vicar of Dibley, one of them indicated her dislike by putting a cross against his name and predictably he won by a single vote.
I also remember Gladys Henson as Grandma had puffy ringed eyes which reminded me of the Aquiphibians, Troy Tempest's nemesis in Stingray!
I see that in IMDB Gladys is credited with 6 episodes and Campbell Singer with just 4. They were surely in more than that, presumably that is all that they have been confirmed in.
~iw
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