Post by John Green on Dec 7, 2016 22:49:15 GMT
DISCOVERY 101: Sez Les - Yorkshire TV series three/four studio out-takes rx: 1972-73
Produced by John Duncan and directed by David Mallet.
With Les Dawson, Roy Barraclough
Hidden in this modest and normal PR for a new Les Dawson documentary lies exciting news…….
"LES DAWSON FOREVER
Over two, hour-long shows, Les Dawson Forever calls upon family, friends and extraordinary, previously unseen and revealing footage to tell the story of one of British TV’s greatest comedians.
As the king of the one liner, ace piano player, and a friend to mothers-in-law everywhere, the show charts Les Dawson’s incredible journey from the back streets of Manchester to millions of our living rooms.
In the first show Les’ youngest daughter Charlotte Dawson, who was only 18 months old when her dad passed away in 1993, meets up with Opportunity Knocks director Royston Mayoh to hear how an audition for the talent contest would change her father’s life forever.
Charlotte listens to a recently discovered tape recording of her father taken from The Blackpool Show in 1967 and believed to be the oldest surviving audio of his act.
The programme also features Les’ comedy partner Roy Barraclough reminiscing about how the pair’s famous characters Cissie and Ada came to life after a producer overheard them mucking about on the studio floor between takes in recording. Although Les was keen to try out the characters on television, Roy was not so sure, saying “I don’t think the public are ready to watch two fat men in frocks”!
Comedian and writer Barry Cryer returns to Yorkshire Television, the home of filming for Sez Les - Les Dawson’s first TV series - where he reunites with Don Clayton and John Heaton who worked alongside Les on the studio floor. The memories from over 40 years ago come flooding back as the former team look through personal memorabilia that Les kept from his time fronting the show. The show also pays homage to a familiar and well-loved part of Les’ routine - off key piano playing.
In the second one hour show, former Sez Les’ director David Mallet watches footage from tapes, recorded at Yorkshire Television’s studios in Leeds, that have lain untouched for nearly 50 years. The tapes feature clips that have never been seen before on television and give a rare insight into Les Dawson the man, as well as the performer, showing the comedian relaxing in between takes on the Sez Les studio floor.
Elsewhere in the documentary members of the dance troupe the Roly Polys reunite on stage to reminisce about working alongside Les and watch back performances from their shows together.
The show also tells the story of how Les Dawson reinvented himself in the eyes of the public by becoming the new presenter of Blankety Blank, taking on the baton from Terry Wogan. Although at the time it was a surprising choice by the BBC, Johnny Vegas calls it ‘a landmark television moment’.
The documentary also features Tracy Dawson reuniting with karaoke superfan Penny Morgan who in 1993 was given the opportunity to perform the duet of a lifetime on Cilla Black’s Surprise Surprise. Their performance of Sonny and Cher’s I Got You Babe was Les’ last TV appearance, shown after his death, and left Cilla and the studio audience in tears of laughter. Les’ wife Tracy says that from her husband’s entire hilarious comedy career, it’s this clip of Les and Penny’s performance together that is her favourite.
Les Dawson Forever features interviews with Tracy Dawson, daughter Charlotte, co-star Roy Barraclough and friends and fans including Ken Dodd, Johnny Vegas, Johnny Ball and writer Andy Hamilton."
Kaleidoscope were contacted by ITV in February 2016 and we were delighted to allow them access to the earliest surviving audio of Les Dawson on The Blackpool Show tx: 13.8.1967. Charlotte Dawson was amazed to hear her father in his earliest days.
However, during a routine production meeting three months later, the Shiver team revealed that David Mallet had given them some Shibaden reels containing missing footage of Sez Les.
Kaleidoscope agreed to keep the precise details secret until ITV gave us the greenlight to proceed.
The Shibaden poor quality bw reels contain approximately 20 minutes of out-takes from Sez Les episodes that exist in their original colour VT. There are also some complete editions but they exist already.
It’s great to see Les and Ray Barraclough rehearsing and joking around. These studio recordings are great finds.
Shibaden, monochrome, transferred to a broadcast file format.
You can see some of the footage by watching Les Dawson Forever and hear some of our audio of Les’ act from 1967.
Thanks to David Brunt for passing on this information.
Produced by John Duncan and directed by David Mallet.
With Les Dawson, Roy Barraclough
Hidden in this modest and normal PR for a new Les Dawson documentary lies exciting news…….
"LES DAWSON FOREVER
Over two, hour-long shows, Les Dawson Forever calls upon family, friends and extraordinary, previously unseen and revealing footage to tell the story of one of British TV’s greatest comedians.
As the king of the one liner, ace piano player, and a friend to mothers-in-law everywhere, the show charts Les Dawson’s incredible journey from the back streets of Manchester to millions of our living rooms.
In the first show Les’ youngest daughter Charlotte Dawson, who was only 18 months old when her dad passed away in 1993, meets up with Opportunity Knocks director Royston Mayoh to hear how an audition for the talent contest would change her father’s life forever.
Charlotte listens to a recently discovered tape recording of her father taken from The Blackpool Show in 1967 and believed to be the oldest surviving audio of his act.
The programme also features Les’ comedy partner Roy Barraclough reminiscing about how the pair’s famous characters Cissie and Ada came to life after a producer overheard them mucking about on the studio floor between takes in recording. Although Les was keen to try out the characters on television, Roy was not so sure, saying “I don’t think the public are ready to watch two fat men in frocks”!
Comedian and writer Barry Cryer returns to Yorkshire Television, the home of filming for Sez Les - Les Dawson’s first TV series - where he reunites with Don Clayton and John Heaton who worked alongside Les on the studio floor. The memories from over 40 years ago come flooding back as the former team look through personal memorabilia that Les kept from his time fronting the show. The show also pays homage to a familiar and well-loved part of Les’ routine - off key piano playing.
In the second one hour show, former Sez Les’ director David Mallet watches footage from tapes, recorded at Yorkshire Television’s studios in Leeds, that have lain untouched for nearly 50 years. The tapes feature clips that have never been seen before on television and give a rare insight into Les Dawson the man, as well as the performer, showing the comedian relaxing in between takes on the Sez Les studio floor.
Elsewhere in the documentary members of the dance troupe the Roly Polys reunite on stage to reminisce about working alongside Les and watch back performances from their shows together.
The show also tells the story of how Les Dawson reinvented himself in the eyes of the public by becoming the new presenter of Blankety Blank, taking on the baton from Terry Wogan. Although at the time it was a surprising choice by the BBC, Johnny Vegas calls it ‘a landmark television moment’.
The documentary also features Tracy Dawson reuniting with karaoke superfan Penny Morgan who in 1993 was given the opportunity to perform the duet of a lifetime on Cilla Black’s Surprise Surprise. Their performance of Sonny and Cher’s I Got You Babe was Les’ last TV appearance, shown after his death, and left Cilla and the studio audience in tears of laughter. Les’ wife Tracy says that from her husband’s entire hilarious comedy career, it’s this clip of Les and Penny’s performance together that is her favourite.
Les Dawson Forever features interviews with Tracy Dawson, daughter Charlotte, co-star Roy Barraclough and friends and fans including Ken Dodd, Johnny Vegas, Johnny Ball and writer Andy Hamilton."
Kaleidoscope were contacted by ITV in February 2016 and we were delighted to allow them access to the earliest surviving audio of Les Dawson on The Blackpool Show tx: 13.8.1967. Charlotte Dawson was amazed to hear her father in his earliest days.
However, during a routine production meeting three months later, the Shiver team revealed that David Mallet had given them some Shibaden reels containing missing footage of Sez Les.
Kaleidoscope agreed to keep the precise details secret until ITV gave us the greenlight to proceed.
The Shibaden poor quality bw reels contain approximately 20 minutes of out-takes from Sez Les episodes that exist in their original colour VT. There are also some complete editions but they exist already.
It’s great to see Les and Ray Barraclough rehearsing and joking around. These studio recordings are great finds.
Shibaden, monochrome, transferred to a broadcast file format.
You can see some of the footage by watching Les Dawson Forever and hear some of our audio of Les’ act from 1967.
Thanks to David Brunt for passing on this information.
