OLD 'SCHOOLS' TV - update

[johnstewart]

lpmoderator said:

johnstewart said:

The earliest BBC schools broadcast item I could find was 'the schools clock' from 1957. Presumably this was a standard broadcast item reel for general use in schools broadcasts.

What's the web link to this, John? I couldn't find it myself by an Infax search.

Still haven't found my files on it. However if you do a specific search on SCHOOLS CLOCK it won't come up. I think you have to get the infax link through another programme.

I'm sure I typed in 'BBC SCHOOLS' and this was the only item that came up under that specific heading.

[johnstewart]

stephendoran said:

Hi John,Thanks Dont suppose you recall the Edinburgh Tattoo and the girl cooking a meal being crepe suzette for her boyfriend [Peter?]episodes from i think Nov 1968.

johnstewart said:

Hi Steve - For the BBCs holding of 'Television club' see my list above; this is held items not a list of transmissions.

I don't recall that one; but it sound likely to be one of the two survivng 1967 entries 'the Dinner date' as stated.

I think I may recall the same characters in another edition of the show. This would be around march 1968 though.

I had measles and was off school. My Mother was saying I would have to eat greens which I hated to get better. She mashed up brussel sprouts in Mashed potato saying I wouldn't taste them - but I did.

It would have been a holiday - possibly Easter as my Brother was home from secondary and laughed at a sequence.

This was the only bit I recalled. A boy and girl who sound similar to those described were looking after and American boy on a school exchange. He asked if they knew of any drug stores nearby meaning a milkshake bar. The duo didn't understand the Americanism and sent him to a chemists with him coming out looking puzzled.

Think the boy from U.S. had glasses like Spencer Banks; and this bit was film shot in a street.

[johnstewart]

benclarke said:

stephendoran said:

Hi John,Thanks Dont suppose you recall the Edinburgh Tattoo and the girl cooking a meal being crepe suzette for her boyfriend [Peter?]episodes from i think Nov 1968.

Hi Stephen,

I think you are remembering the Barnard family from Television Club, there was old Sam Barnard, Mary Barnard and her son Peter. Peter's girlfriend was called Ann Mortimer.



The meal cooking one might have been episode 7, The Dinner Date, which is listed on Infax: catalogue.bbc.co.uk/catalogue/infax/programme/ESB7160N
but that actually ends with Ann cooking eggs and bacon for the Barnards, according to the teacher's notes.
I don't know which episode the Ebinburgh Tattoo might be.

Television Club was never shown in the autumn term, it was only ever on in the spring and summer terms. The Barnards had one series, first shown in spring - summer 1967 and repeated in spring - summer 1970.

In 1968 they showed a repeat of the second series featuring the Brent family, first shown in 1965, and in 1969 they repeated the third series of the Brent family, from 1966.

But if you remember the name Peter and a girl with a boyfriend then it must be the Barnards, because all the families before that were just mum, dad, son and daughter.

I am working on a new website about schools programmes, including especially Television Club, and any memories or information are really useful! Sorry if this is off topic.

Ben.

Sounds interesting Ben - I'll have to contribute. One discrepancy I think is that many get MUSIC TIME; which seemed to start in 1970 mixed up with another earlier BBC music series which also featured lighting up music notes and 'Peter and the Wolf'.

I also seem to recall WORDY (words and pictures) in several other 60s schools programmes.

[benclarke]

johnstewart said:

This was the only bit I recalled. A boy and girl who sound similar to those described were looking after and American boy on a school exchange. He asked if they knew of any drug stores nearby meaning a milkshake bar. The duo didn't understand the Americanism and sent him to a chemists with him coming out looking puzzled.

Think the boy from U.S. had glasses like Spencer Banks; and this bit was film shot in a street.

Hi John,

There was an episode of Television Club called "An American in Marley". It was the very last episode to feature the Brent family, after 3 years of their adventures, and was shown at the end of the summer term. It was shown on 20/6/1966 with a repeat 24/6/1966, and again on 16/6/1969 with a repeat 20/6/1969. Maybe it was shown as an Out of School programme too if you remember it from Easter, but I have not noticed it.

I'm not sure of the plot because I haven't got any of the story books from that term, so your description is really useful and it sounds like the one you remember. It featured Stewart Guidotti as Glenn and Lorain Bertorelli as Eileen, per the Radio Times.

The Brent family were Mr and Mrs Brent and their twin 15-year-old children Colin and Shirley, and they lived in the made-up new town of Marley, which was in fact Hemel Hempstead. They were a "town" family whereas the Barnards were more of a "country" family!


Anyway that is excellent about the BBC database being changed for Words and Pictures, I am very glad to help!
There is another one that I don't think is right, but this one might be harder to check? It's the Television Club episode "Sixty Years Ago", a Brent family episode from spring 1966:
catalogue.bbc.co.uk/catalogue/infax/programme/ESB7158A

The date on the public catalogue is 18th March 1966. Well according to both the teacher's notes and the Radio Times "Sixty Years Ago" was originally shown on 14th February 1966 (at 11:05am, repeated 18th Feb at 10am and also, due to half term, on 21st Feb at 11:05 and 25th Feb at 10am). According to the same 2 sources, the episode shown on 18th March 1966 was in fact "Fishing with Geoffrey", a later episode. 18th March was a Friday so this was a repeat of the episode first shown on Monday 14th March.

I know it's possible that broadcasts might have changed after the notes and the RT were printed, but a change like that would have caused so much confusion for all the teachers and pupils reading along in their booklets that I'm sure it would have been well publicised - and probably complained about in the reviews in the educational press - if it had happened.

[Stephen Doran]

Hi Ben,Can you scan the Television Club Books you do have on here?i see you have put one up already.

[johnstewart]

benclarke said:

johnstewart said:

This was the only bit I recalled. A boy and girl who sound similar to those described were looking after and American boy on a school exchange. He asked if they knew of any drug stores nearby meaning a milkshake bar. The duo didn't understand the Americanism and sent him to a chemists with him coming out looking puzzled.

Think the boy from U.S. had glasses like Spencer Banks; and this bit was film shot in a street.

Hi John,

There was an episode of Television Club called "An American in Marley". It was the very last episode to feature the Brent family, after 3 years of their adventures, and was shown at the end of the summer term. It was shown on 20/6/1966 with a repeat 24/6/1966, and again on 16/6/1969 with a repeat 20/6/1969. Maybe it was shown as an Out of School programme too if you remember it from Easter, but I have not noticed it.

I'm not sure of the plot because I haven't got any of the story books from that term, so your description is really useful and it sounds like the one you remember. It featured Stewart Guidotti as Glenn and Lorain Bertorelli as Eileen, per the Radio Times.

The Brent family were Mr and Mrs Brent and their twin 15-year-old children Colin and Shirley, and they lived in the made-up new town of Marley, which was in fact Hemel Hempstead. They were a "town" family whereas the Barnards were more of a "country" family!


Anyway that is excellent about the BBC database being changed for Words and Pictures, I am very glad to help!
There is another one that I don't think is right, but this one might be harder to check? It's the Television Club episode "Sixty Years Ago", a Brent family episode from spring 1966:
catalogue.bbc.co.uk/catalogue/infax/programme/ESB7158A

The date on the public catalogue is 18th March 1966. Well according to both the teacher's notes and the Radio Times "Sixty Years Ago" was originally shown on 14th February 1966 (at 11:05am, repeated 18th Feb at 10am and also, due to half term, on 21st Feb at 11:05 and 25th Feb at 10am). According to the same 2 sources, the episode shown on 18th March 1966 was in fact "Fishing with Geoffrey", a later episode. 18th March was a Friday so this was a repeat of the episode first shown on Monday 14th March.

I know it's possible that broadcasts might have changed after the notes and the RT were printed, but a change like that would have caused so much confusion for all the teachers and pupils reading along in their booklets that I'm sure it would have been well publicised - and probably complained about in the reviews in the educational press - if it had happened.

Well; 1966 - Summer, I had chicken pox; so maybe this was just a vivid memory from then?

[johnstewart]

stephendoran said:

Hi John,Thanks Dont suppose you recall the Edinburgh Tattoo and the girl cooking a meal being crepe suzette for her boyfriend [Peter?]episodes from i think Nov 1968.

johnstewart said:

Hi Steve - For the BBCs holding of 'Television club' see my list above; this is held items not a list of transmissions.

Hi Steve - sorry for not replying sooner.

I didn't recall the cooking sequence. The only running for a last bus theme as you go on to describe in later posts I recall in schools was THE LAST BUS (SCENE) '68.

With the latter; when our school hired a copy in 1976; it was a T/R of electronic and film scenes.

To me on the repeats; the quality of the film sequences looks high rather as though actual film had been edited into the T/R rather than a telecine off screen.

I seem to recall this entry being run around the same time as TERRY again in the 1971 - 73 terms. Unless I'm mixing it with another department store set V/T drama; TERRY was still being run from VT. But I'm sure LAST BUS was even then a T/R.

Just wonder if it was originally transmitted from a T/R? Though it's an important episode it might explain why it survives a quite bare period for holdings of that show.

[johnstewart]

johnstewart said:

lpmoderator said:

What's the web link to this, John? I couldn't find it myself by an Infax search.

Still haven't found my files on it. However if you do a specific search on SCHOOLS CLOCK it won't come up. I think you have to get the infax link through another programme.

I'm sure I typed in 'BBC SCHOOLS' and this was the only item that came up under that specific heading.

Hi LP - Have found my freehand notes for this by chance.

It says 'BBC SCHOOLS CLOCK - 24.9.57'. Under 'first day of schools TV'.

[Stephen Doran]

Thanks John.

johnstewart said:

stephendoran said:

Hi John,Thanks Dont suppose you recall the Edinburgh Tattoo and the girl cooking a meal being crepe suzette for her boyfriend [Peter?]episodes from i think Nov 1968.

Hi Steve - sorry for not replying sooner.

I didn't recall the cooking sequence. The only running for a last bus theme as you go on to describe in later posts I recall in schools was THE LAST BUS (SCENE) '68.

With the latter; when our school hired a copy in 1976; it was a T/R of electronic and film scenes.

To me on the repeats; the quality of the film sequences looks high rather as though actual film had been edited into the T/R rather than a telecine off screen.

I seem to recall this entry being run around the same time as TERRY again in the 1971 - 73 terms. Unless I'm mixing it with another department store set V/T drama; TERRY was still being run from VT. But I'm sure LAST BUS was even then a T/R.

Just wonder if it was originally transmitted from a T/R? Though it's an important episode it might explain why it survives a quite bare period for holdings of that show.

[Stephen Doran]

Think in 1972 or 73 i saw a Scene play about two kids who pinched a record in a shop and it played out with The Sun Has Got His Hat On by Nemo.Back even further this was ITA probaly 1964?She Stoops To Conquer early afternoon I watched .

[johnstewart]

RE: the television club 1966 episodes - theres 3 held so I'll have to check which.

RE: SCENE - there's a high possibilty that SCENE exists complete from 1972 onwards. 'Ben Bagot' is 73; a drama entry and exists on tape and Andrew Martin has said words to this effect. If that play is a SCENE that is.

[johnstewart]

benclarke said:

johnstewart said:

This was the only bit I recalled. A boy and girl who sound similar to those described were looking after and American boy on a school exchange. He asked if they knew of any drug stores nearby meaning a milkshake bar. The duo didn't understand the Americanism and sent him to a chemists with him coming out looking puzzled.

Think the boy from U.S. had glasses like Spencer Banks; and this bit was film shot in a street.

Hi John,

There was an episode of Television Club called "An American in Marley". It was the very last episode to feature the Brent family, after 3 years of their adventures, and was shown at the end of the summer term. It was shown on 20/6/1966 with a repeat 24/6/1966, and again on 16/6/1969 with a repeat 20/6/1969. Maybe it was shown as an Out of School programme too if you remember it from Easter, but I have not noticed it.

I'm not sure of the plot because I haven't got any of the story books from that term, so your description is really useful and it sounds like the one you remember. It featured Stewart Guidotti as Glenn and Lorain Bertorelli as Eileen, per the Radio Times.

The Brent family were Mr and Mrs Brent and their twin 15-year-old children Colin and Shirley, and they lived in the made-up new town of Marley, which was in fact Hemel Hempstead. They were a "town" family whereas the Barnards were more of a "country" family!


Anyway that is excellent about the BBC database being changed for Words and Pictures, I am very glad to help!
There is another one that I don't think is right, but this one might be harder to check? It's the Television Club episode "Sixty Years Ago", a Brent family episode from spring 1966:
catalogue.bbc.co.uk/catalogue/infax/programme/ESB7158A

The date on the public catalogue is 18th March 1966. Well according to both the teacher's notes and the Radio Times "Sixty Years Ago" was originally shown on 14th February 1966 (at 11:05am, repeated 18th Feb at 10am and also, due to half term, on 21st Feb at 11:05 and 25th Feb at 10am). According to the same 2 sources, the episode shown on 18th March 1966 was in fact "Fishing with Geoffrey", a later episode. 18th March was a Friday so this was a repeat of the episode first shown on Monday 14th March.

I know it's possible that broadcasts might have changed after the notes and the RT were printed, but a change like that would have caused so much confusion for all the teachers and pupils reading along in their booklets that I'm sure it would have been well publicised - and probably complained about in the reviews in the educational press - if it had happened.

Just checked against this on INFAX.

The existing 1966 episodes are:

MR BRENTS DREAM

60 YEARS AGO

CRYING.

Remaining late 60s episodes existing are the entries from 1967:

THE DINNER DATE

THINK TWICE.

[hartley967]

John would you know if these survive?

Heritage . Ancient Greek drama from Thames (sort of I Claudius for kids)

Rules Rules Rules . groovy stuff from ATV

[Stephen Doran]

Dont spose there will be a Set Of Television Club DVDS in the pipeline?

[lpmoderator]

I'd settle for a sampler DVD of single episodes from a range of Schools programmes of the '60s and '70s. It's been too long since I saw any old ones as they hardly ever get repeated! All the more reason for a DVD of this kind.