TOTP Xmas 73

[Simon Mclean]

Does the original studio tape for the 25/12/73 TOTP still exist?

The original broadcast version of this was lost, I believe, but it was recreated using the unedited studio tape for a repeat in the early 90s.

Anyway, I was watching this re-edit, and I noticed that the performance by the Simon Park Orchestra had actually been cut in half (being a big Simon Park fan, I was gutted, obviously!)

I know there aren't many people who'd be that fussed about seeing the whole Simon Park performance, but I hope they didn't wipe the unedited tape once they cobbled together the new one - can anyone confirm whether they did or not?

[Laurence Piper]

I doubt they've wiped it as the NFTVA have a copy of the raw production material.

Didn't know that the '90s repeat was a re-edit though - thought it was the original show (which also resides at the NFTVA). There seemed to be some kind of print-through on the tape so perhaps a re-edit would lose some of this?

[Simon Mclean]

I seem to recall someone saying it was a re-edit - the VT clock at the start of the tape is a modern digital one, rather than the analogue one it would normally have, which seems to be another clue.

Glad to hear the NFTVA have it somewhere - shame they didn't get their hands on that 1980s raw stuff that was apparently wiped a couple of years ago.