Marty

[Peter Welker]

Hi - am new to these forums, but have a good deal of love for a lot of old telly...!


I've just seen the episode of Marty, screened on BBC4 as part of its '60s night. Was this a 'proper', complete episode, or one put together from what's left?

Also, I found it interesting how almost every sketch that made it from this to the 'It's Marty' BBC video (going back a few years now!) had been edited in some way. Still, it's seriously great to see these dusty old shows again. Having read up on the missing archive scene for a good number of years now, and having read of piecemeal discoveries and how they plug desperate gaps etc, it's always saddening to think of the state of the television archives. Funny how the ire never diminishes. Anyway, just like to thank all those that put the effort in to recover 'At Last Not the 1948 Show's, the 'Doctor Who's, the 'Out of the Unknown's and the 'Dad's Army's. I'm only in my mid-20s, and bloody went and missed 'em...!

Peter

[dubs]

Donno which episode they showed but here's a quick rundown to help you figure it out:

Series 1

29/04/68

Ticket Agency
Bishop*
The Candidate
Police 6 7/8
Vet’s Waiting Room*
A Hard Day’s Night*

06/05/69 - whole episode on CVT

Irritation
No-One’s Perfect
Little Old Couple – Travel Agency
A Day In The Life Of A Stuntman
Parlimentary Report
Something Here In My Heart (silent film)
Lady Chatterley
Eat Your Prunes
Tabletop Battleground
Whiffenpoof Song (and credits over)

13/05/69

Weather Report
Royalty At Soccer Match (World Cup 1966)*
Traffic
Salome
Headmaster Visits
The Yechh
Feet (song)

20/05/68

Dr. Jeckyl
Little Old Couple 2 – Marriage Counsellor
Weighing Machine
The Wedding
Egyptian Statues
Bullfighter Policeman*
Ballet*
My Father’s Shirt (song)

27/05/68 - whole episode on CVT

Mona Lisa Titles
Eye-O-Fry
The Gnome
The Sentry
House Flies
Tramp In Playground
Who Are The Black And White Minstrals?
Father And Son
Opera Without Music
Val Doonican’s Chair - Credits

03/06/68

Is It True What They Say About Dixie?
Hospital Visitor
Driving Instructor
Backchat
Woodworm
Country Tavern
Florist Jungle*

plus: 2 unidentified from Series 1:

God
Funny He Never Married

Series 2:

09/12/68 - whole episode on CVT

May I Paint You In The Nude? / Moulin Marty titles
Lightning Coach Tour
BBC Apology
Film Noir Tag
Soccer Commentator
The Loneliness Of The Long-Distance Golfer
Newspaper Expose
The Battle Of Britain’s Taxis

16/12/68 - whole episode on CVT

Dixon Of Dock Green / Wanted – Marty titles
Little Old Couple 3 – Post Office
Long Distance Golfer clip
Fritz von Angst
Newsreader With Wrong Slide
Serbian Restaurant
The Stuntman On Holiday
My Kingdom For A Horse
Long Distance Golfer clip
The Seance

23/12/68 - whole episode on CVT

Z-Cars
Insurance Policy
Kiss Me Hardy
Super Midwife
The Shooting Of Flicka
Holiday Movies
Population Explosion
Henry V
Late Night Call From Mother
Is It Wrong To Love An Elephant?
The Curse Of The Mandervilles
Flying Rabbi

30/12/68 - whole episode on TR16

Orchestrated Coughing
Television Censorship
Obituary To David Frost
Pas De Deux*
Telephone Callers*
Danny Gruntfuttock*
Christmas Is A Joyous Time Of Year

06/01/69 - whole episode on CVT

Mr. Christian
House Welcomer
Clothists
Football Reunion
Headmaster’s Office
French Song For Sauce Lovers
Auction
Newsreader
A Life In The Clergy
Obtuse Doctors

13/01/69 - whole episode on CVT

Call Marty Feldman
Wine Treaders
The Fly
Shortsighted Driver
Science Lecture
Cost Of Living
Punch And Judy

SPECIAL: MONTREUX ENTRY

17/03/69 - whole episode on CVT

Marty At Montreux
Lightning Coach Tour
Vet’s Surgery
A Day In The Life Of A Stuntman
No-one’s Perfect
World Cup 1966
Can I Paint You In The Nude
Loneliness Of The Long Distance Golfer
A Hard Day’s Night
End Credits (Marty as penny)

Notes:

* = does/also exists on a sub-broadcast U-Matic compilation tape from producer Dennis Main Wilson, all other individual sketches not annotated are wiped.

HTH

[lfbarfe]

It was series 2, episode 1, with "BBC Apology" and "Film Noir Tag" both cut.

L

[Peter Welker]

Thanks Dubs! Real useful list.

L, wasn't the BBC apology the bit where the presenter apologises for something or other, but then goes on to laugh uproariously, because 'we have your licence fee now'? And the film noir bit was there too - they play tag. Did you mean cut as in trimmed, or cut as in excised completely.....?

Anyway, thanks for both your helps!

[dubs]

"cough"

It's not my list I cribbed it from a website somewhere, somehow, and forgot to take details of the originator.

All my own work - definately not.

[lfbarfe]

Guest-Peter said:

Thanks Dubs! Real useful list.

L, wasn't the BBC apology the bit where the presenter apologises for something or other, but then goes on to laugh uproariously, because 'we have your licence fee now'?

So, knickers to you. Yes, you're quite right. Sorry. The same goes for the other one that I said was missing. Knickers to me. Not sure what came over me.

L

[Andrew Doherty]

In June 1992 I had the pleasure of handing in missing Marty Comedy Show sketches (all in colour) from 1968 and 1973, which had been kept by Dennis Main Wilson.

These were then checked by Steve Bryant and Adam Lee (then BBC Television Archivist) for those sketches which were not in the BBC Archive.

Many sketches that the BBC thought they possessed were in fact missing and this selection filled in those gaps.

All tapes were on Philips 2000 format.

Yours sincerely,

A. Doherty

[Richard Fitzgerald]

Guest-Andrew said:

In June 1992 I had the pleasure of handing in missing Marty Comedy Show sketches (all in colour) from 1968 and 1973, which had been kept by Dennis Main Wilson.

These were then checked by Steve Bryant and Adam Lee (then BBC Television Archivist) for those sketches which were not in the BBC Archive.

Many sketches that the BBC thought they possessed were in fact missing and this selection filled in those gaps.

All tapes were on Philips 2000 format.

Yours sincerely,

A. Doherty

As a matter of interest Andrew, had Dennis made these copies contemporaneously or was it later in his career when he wanted to protect the material

[Andrew Doherty]

As far as I am aware these comedy sketches were transferred from production tapes (Ampex 2") at the request of Dennis Main Wilson.

I have found, over the years of searching for missing programmes, that this was not uncommon with senior members of a television production team. My most recent find from March 1967 (a colour version of The Heart Of Show Business made by ATV) was saved by the lighting cameraman who wanted a copy on betamax format before the original broadcast tape was wiped, circa 1981, just before Central Television took over the Midlands franchise.

[lfbarfe]

Guest-Richard said:

As a matter of interest Andrew, had Dennis made these copies contemporaneously or was it later in his career when he wanted to protect the material

I would guess the latter, as Philips V2000 format wasn't available until 79-ish at the earliest. Unless of course, the poster means the Philips N1500/1700 formats, in which case the former is possible.

[Andrew Doherty]

Yes, this is what surprised me at the time.

I had hired a Philips N1700 tape recorder in September 1978 which could record up to two and a half hours of programmes. Of course it could be that Dennis Main Wilson had originally purchased a Philips N1500 tape recorder (which I had seen demonstrated for the first time in September 1975). This video recording machine could record for only one hour and it may have been that he had decided to upgrade and place these sketches on to this newer format. Certainly it is what I thought when I was given these Philips 2000 tapes for the archive.

Whatever the case, was the BFI and BBC Archivists were very happy with the quality of the Philips tapes and with the contents which were for the most part not present on the then existing programme tapes.

Both Steve Bryant and Adam Lee were "astonished" to discover that some of what they considered to be very well known sketches had been wiped and were very thankful that they were on these tapes.

Yours sincerely,

[lfbarfe]

Andrew said:

Yes, this is what surprised me at the time.

I had hired a Philips N1700 tape recorder in September 1978 which could record up to two and a half hours of programmes. Of course it could be that Dennis Main Wilson had originally purchased a Philips N1500 tape recorder (which I had seen demonstrated for the first time in September 1975). This video recording machine could record for only one hour and it may have been that he had decided to upgrade and place these sketches on to this newer format. Certainly it is what I thought when I was given these Philips 2000 tapes for the archive.

When did DMW leave the BBC?

[Andrew Doherty]

This I am not certain about, but it would possibly have been in the late 1980s.

[lfbarfe]

Andrew said:

This I am not certain about, but it would possibly have been in the late 1980s.

It looks like his last BBC production was 'L for Lester' in 1982. Maybe he got the V2000 copies done just before he retired? It fits with the heyday of the format, such as it was.

[Richard Fitzgerald]

LF said:

I would guess the latter, as Philips V2000 format wasn't available until 79-ish at the earliest. Unless of course, the poster means the Philips N1500/1700 formats, in which case the former is possible.

Wasn't the recent recovery of an episode from Complete and Utter History of Britain from N1500? I recall there were sketches in it that had been cut from the first broadcast therefore the assumption was that the producer had run off a copy from the original master.

Would the N1500 have been available to do this in late 68?