Do we have Rose tinted glasses ?

[williammcgregor]

Oh dear ! oh dear ! I have been watching a programme called (What We Were Watching Summer TV Classics) which was on BBC4 last night.

It concerned some of the programmes on the BBC during the Summer period in years gone by, and it got me thinking, (Hold on whilst I put my tin hat on) that maybe it would be better if some of the following footage was never seen again !

I know that's controversial on a forum like this but have a look yourself and see what I mean

The clips that surely should disappear forever are ...

Hi Di Hi (dear oh dear)

Russell Harty at the Seaside 1982

Seaside Special 1977

Miss UK 1973

Seaside Special 1978 ( features a cringeworthy act by The Penny whistle Man Des Lane playing Van McCoy's Hustle on wait for it a Penny Whistle then later a Sandcastle Competition !) This was on at prime time on a Saturday night ! then a duo called The Californians murdering Got to get you into my Life

Seaside Special 1975 featuring Tony Blackburn singing Tie A Yellow Ribbon inside a Lions cage ! and then maybe the worst of the lot and that's saying something a so called comedy sketch featuring a duo called Dailey and Wayne

Seaside Special in France 1977 with ahem Grace Jones

......................

To finish on a cheery note the footage of ABBA on Seaside Special was brilliant so that segment should live on !



Have a look folks and let me know what you think ?

[Richard Marple]

From quite early on summer schedules have been a weak spot on television, mostly because a fair amount of the audience is on holiday or spending summer evenings outside, so there's less incentive to show the best material.

I'm not sure if Seaside Special was featured when Jeremy Paxman was on Room 101, when one of his items was 1970s television IIRC.

[mattg]

Well if nothing else the shows/programmes of yesteryear provide us with a valuable insight into the socio-cultural tastes and values of the respective eras in which they were broadcast.

As for the question, well naturally a keen appetite for nostalgia can distort one’s perspective of the past. Not quite sure that the next logical step to ruthlessly expurgate those things that, heaven forbid, merely reflect the times they were made in though!

[John Green]

Unless we believe that mankind is marching to Enlightenment, which is a nice thought, I think we have to accept that values are inherited to a large extent from our culture, and that changes over time are as often as not due to agit-prop by pressure groups. (At the moment, there are those on Mumsnet who are keen on consigning shows where men dress up as parodies of women to the same bin as those featuring White people in Blackface. Whether they're successful depends upon how much influence they have as lobbiests/Tweeters).

If you look at the irritating clips that Netwoek have at the start of their British Film DVDs, you'll notice that every one seems absurd and overacted out of context. Remember walking into the cinema when the film's already playing, and how huge and boomy the sound is because you aren't attuned to it? Take anything out of its situation, and add a few witty comments a la The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human, and feel free to ridicule.

I'd only point out that some of the most disgusting exploitations and degradings of human beings I've seen have been on reality TV shows of the past couple of decades.

[petercheck]

The mighty Showaddywaddy appeared on 'Seaside Special' at least 4 times, so (as with Abba) the show wasn't completely worthless...

[williammcgregor]

Jul 30, 2020 21:24:12 GMT mattg said:

Well if nothing else the shows/programmes of yesteryear provide us with a valuable insight into the socio-cultural tastes and values of the respective eras in which they were broadcast.

As for the question, well naturally a keen appetite for nostalgia can distort one’s perspective of the past. Not quite sure that the next logical step to ruthlessly expurgate those things that, heaven forbid, merely reflect the times they were made in though!

Hi Matt, In my opinion I agree when you say "if nothing else ... " and also that "nostalgia can distort one's perspective of the past."

I would also agree with "Not quite sure that the next logical step ..."

So maybe the best thing to do (in hindsight) is to just find a way to preserve footage for all tastes as we all have different values as to what qualifies as entertainment.

[williammcgregor]

Jul 30, 2020 22:42:58 GMT John Green said:

Unless we believe that mankind is marching to Enlightenment, which is a nice thought, I think we have to accept that values are inherited to a large extent from our culture, and that changes over time are as often as not due to agit-prop by pressure groups. (At the moment, there are those on Mumsnet who are keen on consigning shows where men dress up as parodies of women to the same bin as those featuring White people in Blackface. Whether they're successful depends upon how much influence they have as lobbiests/Tweeters).

If you look at the irritating clips that Netwoek have at the start of their British Film DVDs, you'll notice that every one seems absurd and overacted out of context. Remember walking into the cinema when the film's already playing, and how huge and boomy the sound is because you aren't attuned to it? Take anything out of its situation, and add a few witty comments a la The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human, and feel free to ridicule.

I'd only point out that some of the most disgusting exploitations and degradings of human beings I've seen have been on reality TV shows of the past couple of decades.

Hi John,

Thanks for your post, thank goodness I was'nt in charge of keeping the Seaside Special footage (Ha ! Ha!) no, in all seriousness, you have a point which I agree with and I now realise that it's best to keep the footage as we all have different tastes.

[John Green]

Am I right in thinking that if the tables were turned, and 1960's TV creators were to do a show about television and film in 2020, they could make a case that 'working class types' are now detered from entering the acting profession?

This comes up from 2016:

"A major academic study released to the Observer this weekend reveals the extent to which actors from relatively wealthy backgrounds are dominating the theatre and film industry.

Following the findings of the Sutton Trust last week, which reported that a privately educated elite enjoyed a hugely disproportionate presence in British professions, the research describes the acting industry as “heavily skewed towards the privileged”. The authors scrutinised a large database of British actors to reveal there are now relatively few working-class actors compared to the population as a whole, and that they earn less than their middle-class equivalents because of a “class ceiling”.

Academics from the London School of Economics and Goldsmiths University of London analysed 402 written survey responses from actors and conducted around 50 interviews. Their results paint a disturbing picture of imbalance, and even prejudice, in show business."

Charming. We never seem to get many 'Broadcasting was so Much More Porous in the 60s' documentaries.

I love some of the counter-intuitive aspects of these questions:

"No one is all-bad (or all-good). In fact, Al Jolson was, ironically given the perception today, an early crusader for the rights of African-Americans in show business. For instance, he was instrumental in helping to promote black playwright Garland Anderson’s work, which resulted in the first Broadway production with an all-black cast. He also attempted to have an all-black dance team featured in a Broadway show at a time when black people were banned from Broadway productions.

As black dancer Jeni LeGon said, “In those times, it was a ‘black-and-white world.’ You didn’t associate too much socially with any of the stars. You saw them at the studio, you know, nice—but they didn’t invite. The only ones that ever invited us home for a visit was Al Jolson and (wife) Ruby Keeler.” www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/10/al-jolson-hero-villian/

Generally, I'm against plastering over the murals.