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Post by williammcgregor on Jun 18, 2020 13:21:13 GMT
Does anyone know why this has never been released ? ...
City '68 Granada Television 1967-8
City '68 is a 60 minute television, forward thinking anthology series of dramas about the emerging problems of a city. It was created by H V Kershaw. All twenty-one episodes exist in the ITV Archive.
Among its cast were Wanda Ventham, Bernard Hepton, Yootha Joyce, June Ritchie, Harry H Corbett, Bernard Lee, Charlotte Mitchell, Richard Hurndall, Geoffrey Palmer, John Stratton, Martin Shaw, Elizabeth Weaver, Sian Phillips, Keith Barron, James Beck, Valerie Bell, Diana Coupland, William Lucas, Mitzi Rogers, Rosalie Crutchley, Julie Goodyear and many, many more!
Directors include Cyril Coke, Mike Newell and Michael Apted.
This was possibly a series that looked at what it meant to be 'living in the city' then, as now, with plots
and storylines, that remain as relevant today as they did then, to city-dwellers.
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Post by Ronnie McDevitt on Jun 18, 2020 16:04:21 GMT
It's certainly an impressive cast list.
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Post by Peter Stirling on Jun 19, 2020 9:38:58 GMT
I seem to recall it did address issues that are quite common today that perhaps were not that apparent at the time to many. For example there was one about car sharing, obviously, it had to have a drama to it because it was TV and you have got to keep people watching.But I don't think that the prospect of car sharing due the fact that the roads were grinding to a halt with so much traffic was being considered much in 1968 but I may have recalled wrong.
I think the second series was called "The System" as presumably, it moved towards 1969, "City 68" would have looked dated
especially if it was repeated.
May be though "Mcdonalds TV" ie. you ate it enjoyed it and forgot all about it next day and for that reason probably when Granada was digitizing its archive it was keen to get all its well-remembered serials preserved first and stuff like was put aside.
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Post by garygraham on Jun 19, 2020 23:18:42 GMT
I seem to recall it did address issues that are quite common today that perhaps were not that apparent at the time to many. For example there was one about car sharing, obviously, it had to have a drama to it because it was TV and you have got to keep people watching.But I don't think that the prospect of car sharing due the fact that the roads were grinding to a halt with so much traffic was being considered much in 1968 but I may have recalled wrong. I think the second series was called "The System" as presumably, it moved towards 1969, "City 68" would have looked dated especially if it was repeated. May be though "Mcdonalds TV" ie. you ate it enjoyed it and forgot all about it next day and for that reason probably when Granada was digitizing its archive it was keen to get all its well-remembered serials preserved first and stuff like was put aside. I dread to think what might happen in archives in the next few years. Transfer to metal formulation tapes nearly 30 years ago doesn't look such a great move now. It's easy to be wise after the event however I knew of potential issues with them in 1992. Then there is the cost of migrating from tape to digital and I don't believe the money will be found in some cases. |
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Post by Marie Griffiths on Jun 21, 2020 17:59:01 GMT
" Transfer to metal formulation tapes nearly 30 years ago doesn't look such a great move now."
Can you explain this to an non expert or point me in the right direction?
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Post by garygraham on Jun 21, 2020 19:24:37 GMT
" Transfer to metal formulation tapes nearly 30 years ago doesn't look such a great move now." Can you explain this to an non expert or point me in the right direction? In the 1990s some TV companies transferred their archives onto small format metal formulation tapes such as Betacam and Panasonic D3. Some of the tapes have ended up with dropouts and in the case of D3, which the BBC adopted, Panasonic ceased making equipment leaving the BBC with insufficient video heads to transfer all of its D3 tapes. I believe that due to the cost of migrating constantly, in years to come many companies will just let parts of their archive die through obsolescence. |
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Post by Richard Marple on Jun 21, 2020 20:49:21 GMT
How many original tapes can the BFI accommodate? I remember that the have taken many if not all the Dr Who 2" & 1" tapes.
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Post by Peter Stirling on Jun 22, 2020 10:11:36 GMT
How many original tapes can the BFI accommodate? I remember that the have taken many if not all the Dr Who 2" & 1" tapes. Apparently a couple of years ago they acquired all the remains of the ATV videotape archive (except news/current affairs). These have been shoved from pillar to post over the years as various acquisitions and takeovers came and went. Many of these have not seen the light of day for 40 years or more so have to be carefully inspected and repaired where necessary. The main worry is that they will not damage or wear out the limited number of VT machines they have as new spares are almost nonexistent...If a vt head has a life of 1000 hrs they have to use those hours wisely. So the point is we ain't gonna see much of the BFI's VT archive anytime soon, unless a copyright holder can see potential and request the BFI for X tapes so that he can privately restore and transfer them. |
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Post by Jeff Leach on Jun 22, 2020 10:49:36 GMT
Seems ironic that the telecine copies will probably turn out to be the most robust format of all, with the simplest method of showing content.
Digital storage, whilst being a compact and good quality medium still presents many issues with its longevity.
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Post by Richard Marple on Jun 22, 2020 21:20:26 GMT
I remember Tomorrow's World once showed an archive format using monochrome film.
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Post by garygraham on Jun 22, 2020 22:38:04 GMT
Seems ironic that the telecine copies will probably turn out to be the most robust format of all, with the simplest method of showing content. Digital storage, whilst being a compact and good quality medium still presents many issues with its longevity. Yes the time span before content needs to be migrated once again seems to be ten years with LTO data tape which Hollywood and the BBC have been using. That being the length of time machines continue to be backwards compatible with earlier tapes. A huge cost in terms of tapes and labour. Perhaps in the future we'll have a device which can read a reel of tape without actually playing it in the traditional sense. As was done with that reel of film of Morecambe and Wise. |
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Post by Peter Stirling on Jun 23, 2020 23:24:21 GMT
Seems ironic that the telecine copies will probably turn out to be the most robust format of all, with the simplest method of showing content. Digital storage, whilst being a compact and good quality medium still presents many issues with its longevity. Yes the time span before content needs to be migrated once again seems to be ten years with LTO data tape which Hollywood and the BBC have been using. That being the length of time machines continue to be backwards compatible with earlier tapes. A huge cost in terms of tapes and labour. Perhaps in the future we'll have a device which can read a reel of tape without actually playing it in the traditional sense. As was done with that reel of film of Morecambe and Wise. Hollywood still makes 35mm copies of its important digital films as motion picture film is the only format that can be checked just by opening the tin (of its condition/ cuts made etc)and also there is a good chance that someone will be able to run it in say 50 years time. ITV has also made 35mm masters of once 16mm programmes like Inspector Morse. |
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Post by brianfretwell on Jun 28, 2020 7:26:36 GMT
The Tomorrow's World one was 16mm film recording side by side the Luma and chroma signals to B&W film, a bit like BSB's MAC system. I believe on the old Restoration Team forum Steve Roberts said he set it up for that show. strange that they later managed to get colour back from normal B&W film telerecordings.
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Post by Richard Marple on Jun 28, 2020 9:29:35 GMT
The Tomorrow's World one was 16mm film recording side by side the Luma and chroma signals to B&W film, a bit like BSB's MAC system. I believe on the old Restoration Team forum Steve Roberts said he set it up for that show. strange that they later managed to get colour back from normal B&W film telerecordings. That's interesting to know, were they literally side by side on the same frame? |
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Post by williammcgregor on Jun 28, 2020 12:21:35 GMT
City '68 Stories of urban life, set in a fictional Lancashire city. Harry Kershaw was the producer. 1.9 Love Thy Neighbour? (Friday February 2nd 1968, 9-10pm) Script: Anthony Skene. Director: Cyril Coke. A homage to the curse of road congestion, and the crusade to ease it. Not profound, but fun. One frustrated owner of a fleet of lorries, Bernard Gilpin, calmly parks his juggernaut in the centre of town, right in the middle of the crossroads! He winds up in court, but the case provides publicity for the local paper's campaign for car sharing. In Cherrywood Avenue, there are four who travel daily to work, each in their own cars. There's Martin (Jerome Willis), a solicitor with a shiny Rover, there's Harry (Reginald Marsh) the blunt Northern type, and Walter Whittaker (Bernard Hepton). All happily married. The fourth is Miss Alison Palmer (Wanda Ventham). The first jumps the lights and is nearly arrested, the second gets road rage, the third a parking ticket, while the last can only flash her eyes at the car park attendant to persuade him to squeeze her in. Thus they return home tired and frustrated. Harry is back late at 8pm, just as his wife Hilda (Yootha Joyce) finishes watching Coronation Street, she mulls over the car sharing idea with the other wives, and though the three men are reluctant, Miss Palmer is more than happy to share with three men. Day One, Martin drives and is stopped by the police again. Otherwise all goes well and the four share a drink before the home journey. Next day it's Alison's turn in her sports car. She carries three fawning males, "sweet girl." Though she has a slight prang, the gallant males can't take too much trouble to help her. It's all very set piece, but the actors do it very well. The wives certainly notice the change in their husbands, who have smartened themselves up. "I reckon she fancies me." So, "who's going to have first go?" After drawing lots, Martin wins and he enjoys an evening flirting and champagne before reaching home late to his amorous wife, "terribly tired," is his excuse. "My time tonight," claims Harry. But the wives decide they must "put a stop to it," but when they break into Miss Palmer's house, they learn her terrible secret. They decide to do no more, except celebrate with champagne. Of course we viewers try and guess what this mystery is. The three men are sharing a celebration of Alison's birthday. They all arrive home rather the worse for wear. Yet all three receive the warmest of welcomes. The morning after, the three find out the hard way this secret. "I really am awfully sorry about all this," Miss Palmer smiles. Attachment Deleted |
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