Crown Court

[Gary M]

One of lifes guilty pleasures when off school for whatever reason -
( sometimes I used to bunk off ) was watching Crown Court -
do any of these episodes exist ?

[Stephen Doran]

wasnt this autumn 1972 part of the daytime on ITV london others at that time were general hospital,castle haven,bellbird?i used to like jokers wild with barry cryer&looks familar with dennis norden.

[h hartley]

Its a Granada programme so there is more than a good chance that it all exists. Granada, Yorkshire and Anglia have about the best kept archives in the UK.


Which was more important, doing school work? or seeing ' the verdict ' on Friday's CC?
;D

[Laurence Piper]

Yes, the Kal guide lists them all as existing. Granada Plus screened a run of them (including the earliest stories from 1972/3) back in the late '90s.

Crown Court came in with the relaxing of broadcasting hours around October 1972. They had First Report starting then and different dramas and entertainment shows on different days of the week (General Hospital was one). Catle Haven was a few years earlier though and in an afternoon slot, rather than lunchtime. I used to watch that one too!

[Stephen Doran]

castle haven was possibly 1968?69?as i recall america -the nice being played in 1 episode on a tape recorder which was a minor hit 1968.

[Laurence Piper]

Yes, it was 1969, weekday afternoons. Hardly anything exists from it though (one of Yorkshire's few lapses, along with the early Sez Les), although I seem to think that part of an episode or some footage turned up somewhere or other a while back on VT. Can anyone recall exactly what?

[Uncle Arthur]

Interested to hear that "Bellbird" got a UK screening- did any other early Australian soaps show up aorund this time?

[Stephen Doran]

Laurence said:

Yes, it was 1969, weekday afternoons. Hardly anything exists from it though (one of Yorkshire's few lapses, along with the early Sez Les), although I seem to think that part of an episode or some footage turned up somewhere or other a while back on VT. Can anyone recall exactly what?

sally james was in it wasnt she?

[Laurence Piper]

She was, yes.

[John Green]

An old thread, and on the wrong board, since all episodes survive, and were realeaed on DVD by Network...but at least it's on-topic!

Talking Pictures ran Crown Court for a while recently, a fact I forgot to post here-but gave it up. I didn't quite catch the reason, but think it was simply lack
of interest. This was a shame, not least because there was never a complete-series box-set issued, and one of the series was deleted fairly quickly, causing it to go up to megapounds.

Perhaps if I'd actually mentioned that TPTV were showing it...?

Anyone know if they got round to the early-deleted episodes?

[Peter Stirling]

Feb 7, 2024 17:14:06 GMT John Green said:

An old thread, and on the wrong board, since all episodes survive, and were realeaed on DVD by Network...but at least it;s on-topic!

Talking Pictures ran Crown Court for a while recently, a fact I forgot to post here-but gave it up. I didn't quite catch the reason, but think it was simply lack
of interest. This was a shame, not least because there was never a complete-series box-set issued, and one of the series was deleted fairly quickly, causing it to go up to megapounds.

Perhaps if I'd actually mentioned that TPTV were showing it...?

Anyone know if they got round to the early-deleted episodes?

I did not realise TPTV had given up showing it

They did show the first series with the original theme tune (not the familiar one of later) and IIRC said it would be back in the New Year 24
which it was, then it just disappeared.

I suppose it is a gamble to show stuff people keep on going on about ...then look at the viewing figures when it is shown.

I think the same happened to The Onedin Line?

Looks like TPTV just keep to safe ones now.

[John Green]

It got a mention on a What's on TPTV. No subtitles, so I generally had to go by the tone and expression.

[Paul Rumbol]

Noel mentioned in a recent Footage Detectives that 'Crown Court' would be discontinued because the afternoon viewing figures were too low to justify the cost of licencing them. An evening slot would have given it a ratings boost in my opinion. Noel also mentioned they were very expensive to licence.

So sad as this was a top-notch series superbly scripted by writers who were obviously fully conversant with all aspects of the law, and I remember marvelling at such eloquence even as a schoolboy. Also noteworthy for featuring numerous young actors who went on to become household names.
Redolent of happier days for me bunking off school watching this followed by the wonderful Mavis Nicholson in 'Good Afternoon'. Always Turned off an awful piece of trash that followed which featured a lot of jibbering housewives. 'Houseparty'I believe it was called.

[John Green]

Thanks for clarifying that, Paul.

[Peter Stirling]

Feb 7, 2024 23:59:47 GMT Paul Rumbol said:

Noel mentioned in a recent Footage Detectives that 'Crown Court' would be discontinued because the afternoon viewing figures were too low to justify the cost of licencing them. An evening slot would have given it a ratings boost in my opinion. Noel also mentioned they were very expensive to licence.

So sad as this was a top-notch series superbly scripted by writers who were obviously fully conversant with all aspects of the law, and I remember marvelling at such eloquence even as a schoolboy. Also noteworthy for featuring numerous young actors who went on to become household names.
Redolent of happier days for me bunking off school watching this followed by the wonderful Mavis Nicholson in 'Good Afternoon'. Always Turned off an awful piece of trash that followed which featured a lot of jibbering housewives. 'Houseparty'I believe it was called.

Yes, I think they could have been a bit more creative with the showing - people like to binge-watch these days- so perhaps showing a whole court case across one evening would have drawn in viewers new and old?

As you imply it was top-quality stuff that punched well above the weight of an afternoon budget.