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Post by williammcgregor on Dec 24, 2015 10:11:54 GMT
1965 series UPDATE...
concerning the episode...
11/07/65 "The Luck o' the ...?"
This critique by Bob Millar is from the Glasgow Evening Times dated 12th July 1965...
All Scotland according to the TAM ratings is supposed to be in love with "Francie and Josie" but after last night's introduction to their new series surely I'm not the only exception to that rule? The only smile I could muster in a corny and predictable half hour (a stilted and poorly edited compression of 12 hours in Francie's lucky day was a crack about the modern wrappings with which supermarkets display bacon. No matter how you look at it, remarked Rikki Fulton, it's still a pig in a poke. Quite good but they had to spoil the effect by spelling it out for Josie and by setting this comparative pearl in the midst of some woeful malapropisms(Ah'm a septic (sic) ah don't believe it") and Glasgow-ism's such as "drap deid" which are supposed to make an audience dissolve in mirth. Oh no lads, this just isn't good enough.
I have updated this information onto the 1965 series details on page 1 of this thread.
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Post by jimdoyle on Jan 18, 2016 18:27:38 GMT
I attended a recording of ‘The Adventures Of Francie And Josie’ in 1965 at the old Theatre Royal in Glasgow. Unfortunately on the evening in question, Jack Milroy was ill and Glen Michael took over as Francie’s cousin. (His English accent was not explained away.) The plot had them getting involved with spies and a villain called Dr Yes who creates robots – one of whom was played by Rikki’s then wife Ethel Scott. The other reason I remember it is one of my English teachers appeared in the final scene in a non speaking role as a psychiatric nurse who helps haul the villain away. (Sorry – I should have put a spoiler ahead notice in there.) I thought the show itself was hilarious and I can still remember some of the jokes (e.g. These plans belong to a woman – here’s her name – Miss ile).
I can’t remember the episode title. The ones shown in 1965 (all shown at 8:00 on STV on a Tuesday evening) that I can trace were
Tuesday 02 February “The Good Deed”
Tuesday 09 February “The Decoy”
Tuesday 16 February “The Birds”
Tuesday 23 February “The Stowaways”
Tuesday 02 March “The Volunteers”
Tuesday 09 March – no title advertised
Tuesday 16 March “The Toff”
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Post by jimdoyle on Jan 18, 2016 18:30:38 GMT
Sorry - I posted it twice by mistake. (First day on the board!)
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Post by John Green on Jan 18, 2016 18:57:04 GMT
Sorry - I posted it twice by mistake. (First day on the board!) And you've figured out how to delete a post? That usually takes a few years! |
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Post by williammcgregor on Jan 18, 2016 20:28:09 GMT
I attended a recording of ‘The Adventures Of Francie And Josie’ in 1965 at the old Theatre Royal in Glasgow. Unfortunately on the evening in question, Jack Milroy was ill and Glen Michael took over as Francie’s cousin. (His English accent was not explained away.) The plot had them getting involved with spies and a villain called Dr Yes who creates robots – one of whom was played by Rikki’s then wife Ethel Scott. The other reason I remember it is one of my English teachers appeared in the final scene in a non speaking role as a psychiatric nurse who helps haul the villain away. (Sorry – I should have put a spoiler ahead notice in there.) I thought the show itself was hilarious and I can still remember some of the jokes (e.g. These plans belong to a woman – here’s her name – Miss ile). I can’t remember the episode title. The ones shown in 1965 (all shown at 8:00 on STV on a Tuesday evening) that I can trace were Tuesday 02 February “The Good Deed” Tuesday 09 February “The Decoy” Tuesday 16 February “The Birds” Tuesday 23 February “The Stowaways” Tuesday 02 March “The Volunteers” Tuesday 09 March – no title advertised Tuesday 16 March “The Toff” Hello Jim and welcome to the forum! Thank you for posting on this thread. I keep working away at this thread from time to time, it's hard to come up with any new information about Francie and Josie after all these years; so your reminiscences about actually being at a recording of Francie are invaluable. Glad you enjoyed the show but it's a pity that Jack Milroy was ill at the time of the recording. Thanks also for the information about the villain being named (Dr Yes) and that your English teacher had a bit part! I also like the joke about the woman named (Miss-ile) corny but funny. A villain named (Dr Yes) was featured in an episode of Francie and Josie entitled "The Odd Job" and I have the broadcast date as the 31/12/63. Please see the synopsis and a picture from the episode on page 2 of this thread. The caption underneath the picture also confirms the fact that Glen Michael was filling in for Jack Milroy due to illness. Going back to the (Dr Yes) character the role was played by Clem Ashby the cousin of Glen Michael!On your list the title of the 09th March 1965 episode was "The Legacy" again see my 1965 list on page 1 of this thread. On page 1 of this thread you will notice that there is an episode from the 1965 series on the 01/08/65 entitled "Licence to Kill" which with that title you would imagine it would have a spy theme plot to it? but I cannot confirm anything as I do not have a synopsis for that episode yet. Jim, please feel free to get back in touch if you come across any of the episode titles I don't have yet or the synopsis for any of them as well. Photos are also welcome. Cheers William |
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Post by jimdoyle on Jan 18, 2016 21:30:58 GMT
Hi William and thanks for your welcome and I really do wish you well with the F & J research.
I looked at the page as you suggested and that still I could swear comes from that episode, but I definitely know I went in 1965 to see it. In 1963 I would not have been allowed into an STV recording with my friend as there was a minimum age limit of 12 and they employed a stern woman with a great big handbag to bounce people out (we called her Handbag Annie - she was there for years), and the person I went with was someone I only met in August 1964 at school (Hello George Rennie from Maryhill if you're out there). I remember because the first conversation we ever had was about the PJ Proby record 'Hold Me' (June 1964) and we became fast friends when we went back to school in August 1964 and started meeting for social things a couple of months later (by which time we had gone off PJ because he was doing 'West Side Story' covers which we thought were 'square'). I know it was that friend because the day after the recording we saw that teacher in the corridor and I didn't have the brass neck to go and speak to him but my mate George did and asked him about his appearance and he was quite shocked. He was obviously hoping to keep it quiet and do a runner before it was shown on TV. Sorry for all the boring additional info, but that's how I remember it was 1965 or possibly late 1964. So it could be that still has been mis-credited. The other thing is that the whole James Bond thing only really took off after 'From Russia With Love and people only started spoofing it on TV in 1964. The plot involved the two going to an island to work for Dr Yes and then finding the robots were going to be used to do everyone's work which alarmed them because as Francie said 'That means they would cut our buroo money'. They then sabotaged the robots circuits so that they spoke in broad Glasgow accents and were disobedient. When Dr Yes orders one of the female robots to kill Francie, she says 'Away ye go ya silly lookin' big scunner'. Corny? Yes - but I think we liked the fact that that was our Glasgow on the TV screen and our accents.
I also saw 'The One O'clock Gang', 'Did You See Una', and some specials at STV, and over at the BBC I saw Stanley Baxter do a couple of shows. one of my English teachers moonlighted as a script writer at STV. And I also managed to get some performer autographs at the STV entrance. Happy days - well not really. I prefer being old and crotchety.
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Post by williammcgregor on Jan 18, 2016 22:31:41 GMT
Hi Jim, As it's definitely 1965, then in all probability it was probably the recording of the episode entitled "Licence to Kill" that you went to see? Now, unfortunately, this is one of the episodes that I do not have a synopsis for (yet) so I cannot confirm my theory. But with a title like that one would assume it has a spy orientated script? It maybe that the scriptwriters have re-used the (Dr Yes) spy idea for an 1965 episode? or it could be a repeat? Thanks for the extra additional info, keep it coming! You have got a very good memory to remember dialogue going back 50yrs! Could you do me a favour? as you have seen "The One O'Clock Gang" and "Did You See Una" could you post your recollections on this old thread entitled STV 65 Missing shows. missingepisodes.proboards.com/thread/10560/65-stv-missing-shows?page=1Thanks William |
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Post by John Green on Jan 18, 2016 23:19:42 GMT
and then finding the robots were going to be used to do everyone's work which alarmed them because as Francie said 'That means they would cut our buroo money'. They then sabotaged the robots circuits so that they spoke in broad Glasgow accents and were disobedient. When Dr Yes orders one of the female robots to kill Francie, she says 'Away ye go ya silly lookin' big scunner'.
I'm sure there's a Doctor Who plot there...
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Post by jimdoyle on Jan 19, 2016 23:31:03 GMT
I just remembered one other point about the F & J recording I saw and that was that the set for 'One Night Stand' was visible to the audience who were housed in the balcony, but it could not be seen at camera level. Reason I remember is we were surprised as to how small it was, but then everyone who ever attends a TV recording says that! 'One Night Stand' was the TV debut of Lulu and the Luvvers. |
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Post by Stephen Byers on Jan 20, 2016 8:11:20 GMT
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Post by Stephen Byers on Jan 20, 2016 8:41:58 GMT
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Post by jimdoyle on Jan 20, 2016 23:48:07 GMT
Correction / update to an earlier post
I rechecked the Evening Times for 30 December 1963 which previews the ‘Francie And Josie’ episode to be shown on 31 December. I don’t know how to attach it, but there are a couple of points made in it that confirms it was the one I saw. After having read the preview, I recalled something else and that is the episode I watched went out as a one off at New Year and not part of the series, so despite what I said earlier about my wonderful memory, I think I must be wrong and that I must have seen the recording of that episode in around November 1963 (when I would have been able to satisfy STV’s under 12 rule – I was 12½ - as I was quite tall at the time anyway). I still know I went to see it with my friend George, but given we were in class together from August that year, maybe we were friends earlier than I thought. So accept my apologies, but at least it’s better to be accurate.
It reminded me also that I was also present at a recording of ‘The One O’Clock Gang’ – and it was a recording – in December 1963. The taping started at 5:30 on (I think) Friday 20 December for a show that was to be broadcast on 02 January 1964. (I always thought it was a year later but on checking schedules, it couldn’t have been as 02 January 1965 was a Saturday and there was no ‘One O’Clock Gang’ – only sport.) I remember at the time being amazed that the gang could put on a show at one, and then rehearse and perform a new one just a few hours later, but I don’t think the standards were too high. Larry even read out viewer letters and sang his little parody ‘Its In The News’ – but referencing I think news events of the previous year.,
What I above posted about seeing the set of ‘One Night Stand’ must have been for another show. I saw quite a lot of them back then. There was a rumour used to go round that if you were walking past the STV entrance in Hope Street just before the recording of ‘The One O’Clock Gang’, you could be grabbed off the street and forced to go inside to watch it.
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Post by williammcgregor on Jan 21, 2016 9:13:37 GMT
Thanks for the update Jim. Here's the page you are talking about from the Evening Times dated the 30/12/63  If you look at page 2 of this thread you'll see that I have edited the 1963 Francie and Josie series. It now explains that the 31/12/63 episode "The Odd Job" was originally meant to be part of that years series but due to Jack Milroy's illness it was revised for Rikki. Thanks also for your memories of "The One O'Clock Gang" I only slightly remember watching the show, but I cannot remember any dialogue. |
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Post by mikejones on Jan 27, 2016 20:46:55 GMT
Are were sure Francie and Josie had 32 episodes? Glen Micheal has just said there did 26 and of course he appeared in all of them, but could his mind be playing a trick on him? Ie he doesn't count the first series since there were remakes form the stage?
Also Glen explained when he filled in for Jack he was an English cousin.
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Post by Alan Turrell on Jan 28, 2016 9:30:39 GMT
I thought i would google Glen Michael just out of curiosity blimey i was surprised to see he done cartoon cavalcade i remember this being shown on southern itv great to see he's still around.
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