20th Century Focus (BBC)

[John Stewart Miller]

One of my best early memories of schools TV hails from around 1965 - 66, unsurprisingly mainly pre school. This period is the earliest I can remember bar the BBC pie clock link which I think was 1964 (where the different patterned pieces disappeared gradually).

One is of the titles for a history series '20th century focus'. As far as I can recall the same titles with different music were shown later for a series '20th century history' on BBC schools late 1970s.

Two of the programmes one on 'Stalin', one on 'Lenin' used the same insert footage used in '20th century Focus' versions of the same individual title, around 1972.

I also recall a programme in which the english 'answers' to Elvis were demonstrated. Pathe news footage of Elvis' small town tour (with stage set up on back of a lorry) was shown. It went on to profile Cliff Richard (on a similar travelling tour) and Billy Fury. All this was on film stock. Again 1965 - 66.

I think this was probably another entry to '20th century focus' on comtemporary social history.

I wonder if anyone can help identify these shows and give an idea whether they may survive, or the status of the series? It was made on film stock.

[Phill]

The BBC have a documentary film featuring the 60s mod/soul band 'The Action' in concert and out and about.

I seem to remember when it was ahem.... bootlegged it was said to be from '20th Century Focus'.

Not sure how this fits in with your memories though!

[Laurence Piper]

I've heard about this film featuring The Action too (it was mentioned at an early MBW). Presumably it's the whole edition that survives (hopefully). 1965 I think it was. Wonder if more from the same series exist?

More broadly speaking, i'd really like to know what survives of some of the '60s BBC schools programmes, particularly things like 20th Century Focus, Scene, Look & Read and Going To Work. Does anyone out there know?

[David H]

I would also like to know the archive status of Watch (late 60s/early 70s), and remember seeing a programme with a fire engine in the studio (which may have been from this series).

Incidentally the "vanishing pie chart segments" animation is not in the BBC archives and no recording of this is known to exist (unless someone knows otherwise, though there are modern Flash animation recreations available). The vanishing segments animation was replaced with a single handed clock in 1967 (that was preceded by a static pie chart caption) and this in turn lasted until 1973/4 when the diamond animation was introduced.

[Laurence Piper]

Yes, I was also under the impression that the original version of the pie chart was missing. The recreation that was in the Radiophonic doc was, I think, inaccurate as I seem to recall that the clockface was revealed in five second chumks rather than one second. I recall waiting for the bits to disappear and trying to anticipate when that would be!

[John Stewart Miller]

Laurence said:

Yes, I was also under the impression that the original version of the pie chart was missing. The recreation that was in the Radiophonic doc was, I think, inaccurate as I seem to recall that the clockface was revealed in five second chumks rather than one second. I recall waiting for the bits to disappear and trying to anticipate when that would be!

I would suppose the recreation was run speeded up then, as I thought the second hand would rotate and the segments disappeared as it hit the line of each successive piece ?

From the stills, there was a white, then striped, then light grey, gradation format it seems.

I couldn't say it was definielty one or the other, but recall the delay in the pieces disappearing was long enough to bore a child and cause them to get distacted. As a result I often turned back and blinked and missed it, disappointed!

[John Stewart Miller]

Phill said:

The BBC have a documentary film featuring the 60s mod/soul band 'The Action' in concert and out and about.

I seem to remember when it was ahem.... bootlegged it was said to be from '20th Century Focus'.

Not sure how this fits in with your memories though!

Would that be 1966 and in the NFAs collection ? I knew about this, though the edition I recall was a general look at pop music and society, 1965 - 66. It's the same series I think. I'm sure they were all shot on film stock with no VT element.