Missing Believed Wiped 04/12/2016

[Mark Vanderlinde-Abernathy]

All the tweets seem to show this being a really fun event today. Seems like a lot of people enjoyed Z-Cards "Family Feud" a lot. Was wondering if any of our members wanted to relate their MBW experience here. I'm interested to hear what all your opinions were.

[Dave Wood]

I thought it was a great show, with some really interesting and varied material. "Wacko!" was fun and suitably Christmassy and I was pleased to hear that that was just one of three examples recently found. "Till Death Us Do Part -Intolerance" was quite challenging in places, even more so than usual. I think it's even more shocking when the attitudes are expressed in the real world of the doctor's surgery, waiting room and other public places, rather than just in the privacy of the Garnet's living room or down the pub. The TV museum presentation was fascinating and I look forward to browsing and exploring their online collection in due course. I enjoyed the Jack Hargreaves segment, as I always find his work extremely watchable, so it was lovely to hear his stepson say that there is a collection of about 300 x 16mm films and sound tracks in his garage. Let's hope that that goldmine can be saved, preserved and restored before it turns to vinegar. The "...Garters" (?) segment was bonkers - that poor bloody snake! "The Avengers - Tunnel of Fear" was a cracking episode, certainly my favourite of the season 1 material so far recovered, with a tongue in cheek humour and energy that was to become more prevalent in later episodes. "Z Cars" was great too! I've been watching a lot of those early episodes recently and this one, exploring both the policing and domestic issues, was one of the best I've seen for a long while. I found Avengers and Z Cars interesting from the technical standpoint too, as they both had some great directorial flourishes and clever lighting and film inserts that really transcended the limitations of live TV studio productions. At the very start of the day Dick Fiddy did talk about difficulties with compiling this year's show, something along the lines of "due to to things happening right now". I wonder what he meant by that? He did talk about the retirement of Steve Bryant and the disappointment of realising that the World Of Wooster episode (due to be screened but pulled) because it turned out to be a dupe of an edition already held. Whatever those difficulties are/were I think it was one of the best MBW days they've had for years and I hope that there will be future events to a similar standard. Thanks to all involved.

[brianfretwell]

I had already seen the Avengers and 'Til Death Us Do Part episodes in Birmingham, but the Wacko! and Z-Cars made it unmissible.

Strangely the programme notes were titled "Missing Believed Wiped 2017". Was the date moved or have we been living in the future?

[Simon B Kelly]

Good to see that the recently discovered "Intolerence" is already on sale, along with the other surviving Series 1 episodes, on BBC Store:

store.bbc.com/till-death-us-do-part