A Massive Opportunity Missed?

[simoncurtis]

May 18, 2022 4:00:34 GMT garygraham said:

May 12, 2022 8:43:42 GMT Peter Stirling said:

The thing about news is that it obviously dates very quickly and nobody seems interested in the trivial items of the past.. would say a recorded interview of the Sidcup council defending their public toilets closure program in 1986 warrant being kept?

The great news docs of the past like 'Man Alive' and 'World in Action' have hundreds of programmes in the archive but most of them have had their time which has now been and gone, they generate very little interest today.

Perhaps it depends on where you live? In areas that are almost never represented on more mainstream TV, local news may be of more value? 

Also British Pathe might disagree! 

There's enormous interest in all aspects of local history. Besides showing whatever a story is about, location reports show street scenes, people, clothing, vehicles. These are things that historians and researchers are interested in. 

[simoncurtis]

Absolutely, Gary. This stuff is far more interesting and important than the loss of a studio based costume drama.

Watching what's left of TOTP before 1976, I find the audience dancing clips more entertaining than the music performers on stage. It breaks my heart thinking about those 500 wiped editions... And all those Six-Five Special's.

[Richard Marple]

I do like the in context elements, like some off-air recordings with the continuity & adverts intact.

Same with street scenes with then common cars you wouldn't see these days outside of car shows.

[garygraham]

A major reason why I like restored 60s and 70s filmed series on Blu-ray: seeing the locations. The amount of detail is staggering even on 16mm.