Thirty Minute Theatre

[Louise Penn]

I'm aware that the bulk of this BBC series of plays is missing

I have a question though. Many of the series seem to have been broadcast live, even into the 1960s (as I discovered when trying to find information on the episode Monica, transmitted 4 November 1965, and noted as missing on LostShows).

So were these episodes ever recorded or are they simply missing because they went out live and there was nothing to keep?

Is there an easy way to find out which episodes of this series went out live?

[Deleted]

The easiest way would be to visit BBC Written Archives, where the paperwork exists for the programmes to say if they were pre-recorded / live etc. It's not "easy" (or cheap) to get in there initially if you're not part of the BBC or a bona fide researcher. It is possible though. It's your best bet though to find out what you want.

[Louise Penn]

Thanks Laurence. I'm assuming though if something went out live it wasn't preserved so to describe it as 'missing believed wiped' is inaccurate ('missing as never recorded', perhaps?).

I must admit this hadn't occurred to me as I assume all lost programmes since around the mid-50s had at some time been recorded and then junked.

[Deleted]

No, many programmes went out live well after the '50s. Some still do but many less nowadays. As far as drama and comedy are concerned though, it was still happening to a degree in the '60s and early '70s.

You're right, "missing believed wiped" is not a suitable term to give such programmes (although they are usually bundled together with things that were pre-recorded). Also, there is another category of other shows which were recorded as they went out live but still later junked!

I'm not sure about Thirty Minute Theatre holdings specifically (as I haven't checked) but it's always possible, of course, that a lot of the missing ones are missing because they were live and no one bothered to record them as they went out. Just guessing and generalising here but it may at least in part explain the pathetic survival rate of the series.

[Ray Langstone (was saintsray)]

Missing PRIOR to likely wiping!

[Peter Stirling]

I would take a guess that something like 30 minute theatre in the mid sixties would be pre recorded. By that time live shows were becoming an event rather than the norm.
Also the thirty minute timings made these shows excellent for plugging gaps in the schedule where sports events had over/under run etc etc.. ITV used this to great efect with its 'Half Hour Story' series

In the ITV playhouse series Rediffusion's 'View from a Bridge' went out live in 1966 but this was a long play (90 minutes I think)
with easy sets and the fact it was a scoop theatrical play by the legendary Arthur Miller mad e it a good candidate for live TV. Also Arthur may have put a clause in there that it must be kept theatrical and not be repeated?
However the rest of the ITV plays at that time were recordings I believe?Thames tried again in late 68 with six 'live' plays called Premier .

[Deleted]

I believe that TTT: The News Benders went out live (1968) so it's possible others did as well.

[Louise Penn]

Thanks. In the Peter Cushing biography I found it did say 'Monica' was rehearsed and then went out live in 1965 so I'm assuming, if that's correct, that I should just say 'missing' when referring to it rather than 'missing believed wiped'.

(I'm compiling a list of Gary Bond's TV work for my website with a note on each programme saying whether they've survived or not which is why I am particularly interested in this one).