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Post by John Green on Feb 3, 2012 21:26:29 GMT
Impossible to answer really,but how do people feel about the amount of vintage television that's been released on DVD?
I know that we couldn't have imagined 20 years ago how many rare series would be issued,but how full are people's wish lists? Not to mention the common phrase in regard to Network's releases,"I'd never ever heard of this one before,but it sounds interesting".
Mind you,I sometimes read that one shouldn't forget that while every decade has its peaks,its Hancocks,Steptoes,Blackadders,it also has its troughs.But everyone forgets those.
I'd be interested in hearing your opinions.
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Post by iankmclachlan on Feb 3, 2012 22:36:10 GMT
Lots of my favourite series from ITV have been released i.e. Public Eye, Callan, Hadleigh/Gazette, Gurney Slade, Pathfinders in Space/MArs/Venus, Secret/City Beneath the Sea, all the ITV series, Sgt. Cork, King of the Castle, Owl Service, Tightrope, Zodiac, The Guardians,
There are a few I would still like to see i.e. Virgin of the Secret Service, surviving Adventures of Don Quick, Mr. Rose series, No Hiding Place, Badger's Bend, The David Nixon Magic Show, the rest of Who Dun It, Love Story, Armchair Theatre etc.
I would also like to see many BBC series - the surviving Dixon of Dock Green, Cluff, Quiller, monochrome Dickens serials, surviving family teatime serials, Doomwatch, Supernatural, the Michael J Bird thrillers, the Man who was hunting himself, Bel Ami, Cyrus the Seahorse, Little Laura, Rubovia, Watch with Mother, Harry Worth series, Hugh and I, Meet the Wife, Not in Front of the Children, Mislead Cases etc.
Most of the archive series I would like to see are from the 50s and 60s. There are a number of American shows from these years I would like to see too - The Defenders, My World and welcome to It, He and She etc.
However I am delighted with the series which have been released.
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Post by Louise Penn on Feb 3, 2012 22:59:35 GMT
Lots of things I wanted to see are out, and more are promised. I can't complain. Even five years ago I doubt we could predict this volume of material would be released!
It's brilliant to have the chance to see all this stuff again (or even for the first time).
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Post by Dean Williams on Feb 5, 2012 10:39:48 GMT
We've been spoiled by Network for ITV shows but the BBC could be a bit more forthcoming in 50s/60s/70s shows outside of the big ones they've released; Harry Worth, BBC Benny Hill Shows, Sykes and A..., Hugh & I, Dixon of Dock Green and Z Cars are top of my wants!
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Post by John Green on Feb 5, 2012 11:22:25 GMT
Dean,
I agree about the BBC. Look at the title of Sykes autobiography: If I Don't Nobody Else Will.
Mind you,the Sykes set that was released a few years ago had extended episodes,unseen footage.Very unusual.
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Post by Dean Williams on Feb 5, 2012 11:36:02 GMT
Sykes is rather underrated, I'm a big fan of his shows and would love to see more of the 60s editions. The Network set was brilliant, I'm in the middle of watching it again at the moment between other stuff. Shame there wasn't more from Network before they went ITV-centric.
Forgot b/w Till Death Us Do Part too...
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Post by Colin Anderton on Feb 5, 2012 11:46:08 GMT
In general, I've been very pleased with what has been released so far. Hancock, Steptoe & Son, Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett, the only real one!), The Likely Lads, Only Fools And Horses, The Good Life - and not forgetting the brilliant Arthur Haynes!
Two series of his so far - hope there's many more to come!
Colin.
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Post by John Green on Feb 5, 2012 11:57:56 GMT
I seemed to be the only person who remembered Arthur Haynes a few years ago.Always felt that he had a Hampshire accent like mine,but no connection.Wonderful that all the shows exist,and have been released.Who'd a thought it?
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Post by Colin Anderton on Feb 5, 2012 13:54:27 GMT
Actually, the shows apparently exist only from 1960 onwards - some earlier ones are unfortunately gone for good.
Having said that, his best work is still to be released. If I remember correctly, his later shows contained far fewer "guest" spots, and were even funnier.
I'm specially looking forward to the edition in the snowy winter of 1963, when only about six people managed to make it to the studio!
Instead of trying to disguise the fact, Arthur at one point got a cameraman to turn his lens toward the audience, and show them on TV, to thank them for turning up!
A brilliant comedian!!!
Colin.
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Post by John Green on Feb 5, 2012 14:01:08 GMT
Yes,I saw the audience bit in the documentary.
But....isn't Arthur Haynes unmistakably amateur? It's as though he's just walked in off the street.
Tell me it's the craft which conceals itself,someone.I so wanted to like this stuff when it was re-released.
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Post by Richard Marple on Feb 5, 2012 18:06:32 GMT
My Dad was an Arthur Haynes fan back in the day, & was really shocked when he died.
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Post by Dean Williams on Feb 5, 2012 18:35:54 GMT
The first 6 series of the Arthur Haynes Show are completey lost and they were telerecording from Episode 4 of Series 7. There are still the odd ones missing after this too but largely complete from Series 7.
I like the corpsing and fluffing lines and carrying on that goes on in these shows. They do look like they had a budget of 4/6 per episode with everything recorded in studio against painted backdrops but it's all good fun.
What spoils it is the amount of time given over the the musical guests. The first sketch in each show lasts about 2 minutes before Eileen Cochrane comes n to sing two songs lasting over 6 minutes in total and then another musical guest singing two songs after the break, usually Ken Morris & Joan Save or later Teddy Johnson & Pearl Carr. Seems there's more twee middle-of-the-road music acts than comedy sketches in each show.
But the comedy is good enough.
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Post by John Green on Feb 5, 2012 18:47:51 GMT
Tut. Wasn't it always "Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson"?Billing is everything.After all,you wouldn't say Lotte and Hans Hass...(Prime-time,I think,sub aquarists from 1960s TV.)
Boy,Pearl and Teddy seemed to be on all the time.
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Post by Dean Williams on Feb 5, 2012 18:54:35 GMT
It is but I have a needless habit of mentioning the bloke first in such cases! Ken Morris and his wife Joan Savage. Teddy Johnson and his wife Pearl Carr. Pearl Carr and her husband Teddy Johnson just sounds backward! Man and wife not wife and man!  |
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Post by Colin Anderton on Feb 6, 2012 10:09:24 GMT
jgreen says "But....isn't Arthur Haynes unmistakably amateur? It's as though he's just walked in off the street."
Isn't it strange how two people can see something so differently?
Sorry, my friend, but I absolutely disagree!
I think, when you compare his performance to many on TV in the early Sixties, he comes across as someone who was in control of the TV medium, and enjoyed playing around with it.
How one could say he appeared amateurish is totally beyond me.
Like Hancock, of course, the primitive sets have, when viewed today, taken the edge off the whole thing; but if you're old enough (like me) to have watched TV in that era, you can see these programmes in their true context.
I remain of the opinion that Arthur Haynes was one of the very greatest - up there with Hancock!
No offence taken, though - just surprised at your comment.
As for the later remark about putting Pearl Carr's name first, perhaps that was considered "being a gentleman"? (Something we seem to have lost now, of course.)
Colin.
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