thirty minute theatre

[Ewan Montague]

I know there were recent finds of this early bw/colour bbc series, but how does the series stand now in terms of existing episodes?

thanks in advance.

[Greg H]

Had a look over on the lost shows database and its another show that seems to hve taken quite a savaging!!
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Series 1
14.11.61 The Organ Blower (missing)
07.03.62 Dare To Be A Daniel (missing)
14.03.62 The Little Gold Mine (missing)
17.12.62 Double Image (missing)

Series 2
19.09.63 The Desperate Man On Platform 10 (missing)
26.09.63 The Bearer Of Bad News (missing)
03.10.63 The Matchstick Man (missing)
10.10.63 The Tower (missing)
24.10.63 The Dig (missing)
31.10.63 Red Sky In The Morning (missing)
07.11.63 The Dice (missing)
14.11.63 Death Of A Gladiator (missing)
28.11.63 Truth Is A Stranger (missing)


Out of an original total of 21 episodes, 13 episodes are missing.

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and

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Missing or incomplete episodes for programme THIRTY MINUTE THEATRE.

Series 1
07.10.65 Parson's Pleasure (missing)
21.10.65 Portrait Of A Madonna (missing)
28.10.65 Pay As You Go (missing)
04.11.65 Monica (missing)
11.11.65 Love In Triplicate (missing)
18.11.65 Application Form (missing)
02.12.65 Mrs. Dixby And The Colonel's Coat (missing)
09.12.65 Mr. Ponge (missing)
16.12.65 That's Not My Name (missing)
23.12.65 Family Christmas (missing)
30.12.65 The Passenger (missing)
10.01.66 The Enchanted Night (missing)
17.01.66 Four-Way Incident (missing)
24.01.66 Brothers (missing)
31.01.66 Janni... Oh Janni (missing)
14.02.66 Case Suspended (missing)
21.02.66 Ships Of The Line (missing)
28.02.66 Keep On Running (missing)
07.03.66 Not For Just An Hour (missing)
14.03.66 'Twas On A Sunday (missing)
28.03.66 Magnolia Summer (missing)
04.04.66 A Girl's Best Friend (missing)
18.04.66 A Letter From The Country (missing)
25.04.66 The Caramel Crisis (missing)
02.05.66 Don't Go Down The Bingo Mother - Father's Come To Tea (missing)
16.05.66 The Hard Word (missing)
06.06.66 Friday Night's The Best Night (missing)
20.06.66 The Queen Street Girls (missing)
Series 2
03.10.66 The Other Fella (missing)
10.10.66 The Devil And All His Mischief (missing)
17.10.66 The Spoken Word (missing)
24.10.66 The Sounds Of War (missing)
31.10.66 The Excavation (missing)
07.11.66 Play To Win (missing)
14.11.66 Confession (missing)
21.11.66 Wife In A Blonde Wig (missing)
28.11.66 O-Goshi (missing)
05.12.66 First Catch Your Hare... (missing)
12.12.66 Brainscrew (missing)
19.12.66 The Towers Of Manhattan (missing)
04.01.67 Taste (missing)
11.01.67 R.S.V.P. (missing)
18.01.67 The Suede Jacket (missing)
26.01.67 Oldenberg (missing)
01.02.67 Later A Man Was Questioned (missing)
08.02.67 Teeth (missing)
15.02.67 Turn Off If You Know The Ending (missing)
22.02.67 An Absolute Treasure (missing)
01.03.67 Go Tell It On Table Mountain (missing)
08.03.67 Taffy Came To My House (missing)
15.03.67 Who Were You With Last Night? (missing)
22.03.67 Two And Two Are Twenty-Two (missing)
29.03.67 Wanted (missing)
12.04.67 The Gun (missing)
19.04.67 Failpass (missing)
26.04.67 Boa Constrictor (missing)
03.05.67 The Isle Is Full Of Noises (missing)
10.05.67 Silver Wedding (missing)
17.05.67 The Sufferings Of Peter Obnizov (missing)
24.05.67 Haven't You People Got Homes? (missing)
31.05.67 That Woman (missing)
07.06.67 The Other Side (missing)
14.06.67 The Wake (missing)
21.06.67 Child Marlene (missing)
28.06.67 Another Moon Called Earth (missing)
Series 3
02.10.67 Leave Me Alone (missing)
09.10.67 The Timekeepers (missing)
16.10.67 You Meet All Sorts (missing)
23.10.67 The Tape Recorder (missing)
30.10.67 The Top Bunk (missing)
06.11.67 Have It On The House (missing)
27.11.67 Notice! Meeting In Progress (missing)
06.12.67 A Time Of Wolves And Tigers (missing)
13.12.67 The Keys On The Street (missing)
20.12.67 Come Death (missing)
27.12.67 The Metal Martyr (missing)
03.01.68 A Private Place (missing)
17.01.68 Diary Of An Encounter (missing)
24.01.68 Lovely In Black (missing)
31.01.68 Happiness Is £ Shaped (missing)
07.02.68 Child's Play (missing)
14.02.68 Snakes And Reptiles (missing)
21.02.68 The Unquiet Man (missing)
13.03.68 A Personal Affair (missing)
20.03.68 No Trams To Ethiopia (missing)
27.03.68 Father's Day (missing)
03.04.68 Pleasant Dreams, Fernando (missing)
10.04.68 The Sinner (missing)
24.04.68 It's On You, John (missing)
01.05.68 Standing By For Santa Claus
One or more sequences exist, but the complete programme is lost.
08.05.68 Empty Bottles (missing)
15.05.68 Thank God For U.D.I.! (missing)
22.05.68 Still Death (missing)
29.05.68 Walk In The Dark (missing)
05.06.68 The Boy's Room (missing)
19.06.68 Number 30 Approximately (missing)
26.06.68 A Question Of Honour (missing)
Series 4
09.09.68 Baby (missing)
16.09.68 A Matter Of Principle (missing)
30.09.68 The Chequers Manoeuvre
A 16mm black-and-white film print exists, but the programme was originally made using 2" colour videotape.
Something To Hide
07.10.68 1: The First Floor (missing)
14.10.68 2: The Studio (missing)
21.10.68 3: The Caretaker's Flat (missing)
04.11.68 Of Public Concern (missing)
11.11.68 Cause Of Death (missing)
18.11.68 The Last Victim (missing)
25.11.68 Loving Israel (missing)
02.12.68 The Bishop And The Actress (missing)
09.12.68 Before Breakfast (missing)
16.12.68 Cross Examine (missing)
23.12.68 Swallowing The Anchor (missing)
06.01.69 Where Have They Gone, All The Little Children? (missing)
13.01.69 Absolute Aggers And Torters (missing)
These Men Are Dangerous
20.01.69 1: Mussolini (missing)
27.01.69 2: Hitler (missing)
03.02.69 3: Stalin (missing)
13.02.69 Stake Money (missing)
27.02.69 The Boat To Addis Ababa (missing)
06.03.69 A Hot Day (missing)
13.03.69 Roses, Roses, All The Way (missing)
The Victims
20.03.69 1: A Degree Of Stress (missing)
27.03.69 2: Frontier (missing)
03.04.69 3: Progressive Blues (missing)
10.04.69 Invasion (missing)
24.04.69 A Nice Cool Pad In The Sky (missing)
01.05.69 Anything You Say (missing)
08.05.69 Conversation At Night (missing)
15.05.69 Roly Poly (missing)
22.05.69 ... And Was Invited To Form A Government (missing)
29.05.69 A Borderline Case (missing)
Series 5
14.09.69 Remote Control (missing)
28.09.69 Gangster (missing)
05.10.69 Trial (missing)
12.10.69 A Formula For Treason (missing)
19.10.69 Someone's Knocking At Me Door (missing)
26.10.69 Trespassers (missing)
Aggers And Torters
09.11.69 1: Back To Nature (missing)
16.11.69 2: Psy-Fi (missing)
23.11.69 3: Hickory Dickory (missing)
07.12.69 Lecture To An Academy (missing)
14.12.69 The Switch (missing)
28.12.69 The Discharge Of Trooper Lusby (missing)
10.01.70 Laffin' Gas (missing)
17.01.70 The Chief Whip Sends His Compliments (missing)
24.01.70 Reparation (missing)
31.01.70 The Scarecrows (missing)
07.02.70 Laying It Off For Spangle (missing)
14.02.70 Home Is Where You Hang Your Hat (missing)
21.02.70 What A Pity You Can't Stay Longer (missing)
28.02.70 Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind (missing)
14.03.70 Meanwhile, Back At The Office... (missing)
28.03.70 All My Own Army (missing)
04.04.70 Whispers (missing)
Revolution
11.04.70 1: Cromwell (missing)
18.04.70 2: Lenin (missing)
25.04.70 3: Fidel Castro (missing)
16.05.70 The Tidewatchers (missing)
23.05.70 Twenty-Six Efforts At Pornography (missing)
Lily
06.06.70 Episode 1 (missing)
13.06.70 Episode 2 (missing)
20.06.70 Ben (missing)
27.06.70 An Uncertain Sound (missing)
04.07.70 Hope (missing)
25.07.70 Good Times (missing)
01.08.70 Tropical Wednesdays (missing)
Series 6
18.09.70 The Raid (missing)
02.10.70 The Year Of The Crow (missing)
09.10.70 Did Your Nanny Come From Bergen? (missing)
16.10.70 Tribunal (missing)
30.10.70 Helen (missing)
27.11.70 The Editor Regrets (missing)
Waugh On Crime
18.01.71 Faith (missing)
25.01.71 Terrible Jim Fitch (missing)
01.02.71 The Bequest (missing)
08.02.71 Me Mackenna (missing)
15.02.71 The Proposal (missing)
Waugh On Crime
22.02.71 Asquith In Orbit (missing)
01.03.71 Happy Days Are Here Again (missing)
08.03.71 The Railwayman's New Clothes (missing)
15.03.71 No Charge For The Extra Service (missing)
22.03.71 A Distinct Chill (missing)
29.03.71 The Waiting-Room (missing)
05.04.71 Listen To The Drums (missing)
24.05.71 Death's Head (missing)
31.05.71 Jilly (missing)
07.06.71 Something For The Children (missing)
14.06.71 The Room They Left (missing)
Seven Days In The Life Of Andrew Pelham
05.07.71 1:Crisis (missing)
12.07.71 2:Suspect (missing)
19.07.71 3:Inquiry (missing)
26.07.71 4:Retreat (missing)
02.08.71 5:Deadlock (missing)
09.08.71 6:Breakthrough
A 16mm black-and-white film print exists, but the programme was originally made using 2" colour videotape.
16.08.71 7:Decision (missing)
27.09.71 Soldier Ants (missing)
04.10.71 Gun Play (missing)
11.10.71 Combing Down His Yellow Hair (missing)
18.10.71 The Moonlighters (missing)
01.11.71 Psychological Warfare (missing)
08.11.71 A Settled Sort Of Life (missing)
15.11.71 The Gardeners Of My Youth (missing)
22.11.71 Blues In The Morning (missing)
29.11.71 Jenkins (missing)
13.12.71 Farewell Performance (missing)
20.12.71 Footprints (missing)
27.12.71 A Wen (missing)
03.01.72 Not Counting The Savages (missing)
10.01.72 Uncle Rollo (missing)
17.01.72 They Don't All Open Men's Boutiques (missing)
24.01.72 The Penthouse Apartment (missing)
31.01.72 An Affair Of Honour (missing)
13.03.72 That Time Of Life (missing)
27.03.72 Bypass (missing)
03.04.72 And For My Next Trick (missing)
10.04.72 The Sit In (missing)
05.06.72 Swiss Cottage (missing)
14.08.72 Hands (missing)
21.08.72 Lushly (missing)
28.08.72 Too Far (missing)
11.09.72 The Argument (missing)
18.09.72 The Seventh Juror (missing)
02.10.72 The Judge's Wife (missing)
19.10.72 Tonight We Meet Arthur Pendelbury (missing)
26.10.72 Ronnie's So Long At The Fair (missing)
02.11.72 Ten Torrey Canyons (missing)
09.11.72 I Wouldn't Tell On You, Miss (missing)
22.11.72 Dialogue (missing)
06.12.72 The Chauffeur And The Lady (missing)
13.12.72 You've Been A Long Time, Alfred (missing)
03.01.73 The Japanese Student (missing)
10.01.73 The Punchy And The Fairy (missing)
17.01.73 Playthings (missing)
24.01.73 Is Nellie Dead? (missing)
31.01.73 A Chance Encounter (missing)
12.04.73 Swamp Music (missing)
19.04.73 Croust (missing)
26.04.73 The Baby's Name Being Kitchener (missing)
03.05.73 Kamikaze In The Coffee Bath (missing)
10.05.73 About A Bout (missing)
17.05.73 Shakespeare Country (missing)
19.07.73 Places Where They Sing (missing)
09.08.73 The Joke (missing)

Out of an original total of 286 episodes, 239 episodes are missing, a further episode is incomplete and 2 others exist on formats inferior to the original.



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Ouch.

[Alan Turrell]

Christ i didn't realise how many episodes were made of this show as you say it's taken a right savaging .

[Greg H]

Yes indeed! I am not a gambling man but I would lay a substantial bet on there being some classic material in amongst that lot.
Having a quick scan of IMDB it would appear (much as I suspected) that it had some really classic talent acting in there.....
www.imdb.com/title/tt0212699/fullcredits#cast

[Peter Stirling]

Just a footnote for reference

The 1961-65 version was made by ITV companies.

The 1965-on was obviously BBC

However to save further confusion ITV later called their 30 minute stories 'Half -Hour Story'

[Greg H]

Ah, thanks for clarifying that Peter. I did notice the repetition of series one and two on the lost shows database and wasn't quite sure about what it meant.

So by percentage there is a much better survival rate of the ITV series.

[Peter Stirling]

Aug 25, 2012 5:56:09 GMT Greg H said:

Ah, thanks for clarifying that Peter. I did notice the repetition of series one and two on the lost shows database and wasn't quite sure about what it meant.

So by percentage there is a much better survival rate of the ITV series.

Yes the mid sixties 'half-hour story' is not too bad (obviously glass half full,better than nothing) in the survival rate, about 18 or 19 out of approx 39 episodes I think?

Of the earlier 61-65 series I would presume that those made by Anglia or Granada would probably survive? but you might have a hard job finding those made by say Southern or Welsh company TWW?

[oj-wake]

The BBC’s Thirty-Minute Theatre was a fascinating and much under-appreciated anthology. It’s sad that so few exist. It was originally an attempt to return live drama to a TV schedule in which pre-recording had become the norm. The live element was largely phased out by series three (possibly even earlier) but odd instalments were done that way up until 1968. The last live one was The Flag in September 1968.

The News-Benders, which will be known to many here from the BBC4 repeat, was I think the third to last live instalment, in January 1968.

It’d be fascinating to know whether the poor survival rate, particularly among the strand’s earlier series, is because the live transmissions were never recorded at all rather than being junked later. Would that have been likely? Does anyone know if these programmes were ever offered for distribution?

[Ewan Montague]

I didn't think it would be that bad. presumably many would not have been recorded if they were all live. Let's hope audios turn up

[Deleted]

A few early ones survive as t/rs so presumably they were all copied to film for sales (?). I must have seen some of these myself in the late '60s / early '70s and I remember that TMT featured a lot of absorbing half hour dramas, sometimes quite offbeat and experimental. It's been decimated in the archives, which is a great shame as it's just the kind of thing I like to watch.

[Andrew Doherty]

Don't forget the most famous 'Thirty-Minute Theatre' recovery of recent times has to be 'The Flipside' and "a television masterpiece" in the opinion of Dick Fiddy.

Yours,

[Deleted]

Yes, I quite agree. It was a tour de force for Bob Monkhouse and well illustrates how a low-key drama strand like this could offer something unusual - possibly as much as the higher profile / more acclaimed series such as Wednesday Play could. I just wince at the thought of how many other great productions in Thirty Minute Theatre we are no longer able to see thanks to a lack of foresight or archive policy!