Simon Dunn's Blog, page 6

What’s The Opposite Of A Twix?

Would a spy rather eat a Twix on a stakeout, or suck a stick of Rock?

Do not share, and do not enjoy.

Riddle Of Car In Sea

Let’s begin by watching a nice little trailer for First Of The Summer Wine, in which Peter Sallis plays Norman Clegg’s father, and Maggie Ollerenshaw plays his mother.

Of course, there’s one shot that really fascinates me. This one:

That’s the Daily Mirror from Monday 31st July 1939.

Here’s the full back page in all its glory.

[image error]Daily Mirror – Monday 31 July 1939

Except it’s not quite the same. Either the prop department has tinkered with the Wedding story headline, and moved some images around, or they have a different edition than the one in the archive.

Anyway, here’s the front page.

[image error]

The series is set between May and December of 1939, so this paper is a well chosen prop.

Why Doctor Who VHS Tapes Weren’t Released Until 1983

At the risk of descending into uncritical nostalgia, there was a trailer that ran at the start of every single CiC Star Trek VHS tape that was so good, I would always watch it.

Good innit?

This is mostly an irrelevant aside, but a fun one, I hope you agree.

Let’s have a look at what BBC Video were flogging at the start of their comedy tapes.

But again, I’ve led us down a bit of an irrelevant side alley.

At the start of the 1980s, BBC Video had a rather halting kind of release schedule. And here’s why. The negotiations over the rights, royalties, and residuals were proving to be more complicated than expected. And no-one really had a clue what the new market was going to be like.

[image error] The Stage – Thursday 22 October 1981
(Click to see a bigger version)

These negotiations were still on-going, well over a year later.

[image error] The Stage – Thursday 16 December 1982

And it wouldn’t be until March of 1983 before a full deal was reached.

[image error] The Stage – Thursday 03 March 1983

So then plans were hatched for a wide release of titles.

[image error] The Stage – Thursday 10 May 1984

And this marketting material was then distributed.

Tygo Road

I once thought of myself as a voracious viewer of sitcoms, but the more I explore the world of old newspapers and guides, the more I realise there are huge gaps in my … knowledge isn’t the right word … but, you know … that thing.

So it’s less of a surprise than it once was to come across a sitcom that aired on BBC Two in the coveted 9pm slot in 1990, one which I have no memory of ever seeing.

Tygo Road even appeared as a pilot in 1989’s Comic Asides strand, the same series of one offs that introduced KYTV, Mornin’ Sarge, The High Life and I, Lovett. All of which I remember watching, and hoping there would be more to follow.

[image error]The Stage – Thursday 04 May 1989

(Here’s the full documentary The 39,000 Steps.)

Come the 19th May, and the pilot episode was enjoying a syndicated write-up across a dozen or so local papers.

[image error]Wembley Leader – Friday 19 May 1989

That’s an impressive cast line-up.

Here’s much the same article in the Liverpool Echo, complete with a photo of an unrecognisable Bill Bailey.

[image error]Liverpool Echo – Friday 19 May 1989

A week later, Rod Bushell reviewed the first two offerings from Comic Asides, seemingly oblivious to the rich history of Playhouse style pilot series.

[image error]Saffron Walden Weekly News – Thursday 25 May 1989

This really does sound like a show I would have enjoyed. And the pilot was strong enough to be given a full series (that’s five series from six pilots, wow).

Five new episodes aired from 5th May 1990 onwards.

[image error]Liverpool Echo – Tuesday 12 June 1990

I can’t find a single clip of Tygo Road to share with you, not even buried in some continuity of the time.

Did you see it?

Alexei Sayle’s Stuff Is Listing

Some comedy programmes, back in the day, were allowed to get away with writing stupid listings for The Radio Times. Here, in all their glory, are the ones for Alexei Sayle’s Stuff …

For the very first episode Fun With Magnets:

Dear Radio Times,

Hooray for Alexei Sayle! The funniest TV show since The Good Life! What a tonic his new series Stuff is. I haven’t laughed so much since Margo fell flat on her face in the compost heap. One tiny request though, could you get rid of that fat b*****d in the tight suit and put in more scenes with Felicity Kendal wrinkling her nose up?

Many, many thanks,
(Mrs) D. W. Piper
Bude, Cornwall

ALEXEI SAYLE replies: Who gives a damn what you think?

The Radio Times, Issue 3384

There was also a feature article about the show elsewhere in the magazine.

For the second episode From Avogadro To Ava Gardner:

Dear Radio Times,

Why oh why do TV producers insist on subjecting us to the inane cackle of audience laughter, completely drowning programmes with an endless cacophony of mindless braying at the slightest provocation?
Fortunately this is not the case on Alexei Sayle’s Stuff where, joy of joys, the studio audience always remains in stunning silence throughout! More of this please!

(Mrs) Sandra Robespierre ,
Chislehurst

ALEXEI SAYLE replies: Who gives a damn what you think!

The Radio Times, Issue 3385

Episode three had the title Cartesian Dualism for the Fuller Figure:

Dear Radio Times,

Spare a thought for us senior citizens. Give us something we can really enjoy. Unmitigated filth.

(Mrs) Jeffrey Barker
Sutton Coldfield , W Midlands.

ALEXEI SAYLE replies: Who gives a damn what you think?

The Radio Times, Issue 3386

The Dobsey Twins Isolate Radium was the name of the fourth episode:

Dear Radio Times,
Congratulations on producing a real winner with Alexei Sayle’s Stuff. My two daughters and I find the constant references to ‘fat b*****d’ somewhat baffling as the gentleman is in fact rather slender and well proportioned. Is this merely a joke?

(Mrs) L. Minnow
Horncastle, Lincolnshire

ALEXEI SAYLE replies: Who gives a damn what you think?

The Radio Times, Issue 3387

In the fifth instalment, Alexei asked Leibnitz: Man Or Biscuit?

Dear Radio Times,
What a delight Alexei Sayle’s Stuff was this week! My family and I were enraptured by the two young puffins and their hilarious attempts to build a nest using old newspapers. Please, please repeat this soon as it was such a tonic for the eyes in these days of fat b*****ds and shaved heads whining on about Mrs Thatcher.
(Mrs) Josie Pencil
Stratford-under-Lyne

Alexei Sayle replies: Who gives a damn what you think!

The Radio Times, Issue 3388

And for the closing show of the first series, he taught us How To Point At Chickens.

Dear Radio Times,

I switched on my TV set at 9.00pm on Thursday expecting to see another edition of Alexei Sayle’s Stuff as advertised. What a disappointment! Due to the whim of those mandarins in programme planning, the series was not cancelled to make way for last-minute coverage of the Embassy Pro-Am Snooker final from the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.
Spare a thought for the poor sporting viewer, please!

(Mrs) Daisy Hatch
Doncaster

ALEXEI SAYLE replies: Who gives a damn what you think!

The Radio Times, Issue 3389

Series two began with Tinkering With Teeth.

Dear Radio Times,

Quite honestly some of us are fed up to the back boiler with the outrageous political bias in Alexei Sayle ‘s Stuff. I refer to this week’s ‘sketch’ making fun of the McCarthy witch-hunts of the 50s. I myself am a witch and I assure you there is nothing funny in being burnt at the stake for acts of diabolic necromancy. Since this is the case, I have also adapted it into a new series for Emma Thompson. Would the BBC be interested?

(Mrs) Norma Drizzle
Chingford

ALEXEI SAYLE replies: Who gives a damn what you think!

The Radio Times, Issue 3436

Then Westward H2O.

Dear Radio Times,

Being right-wing crypto fascists with fixed ideas and loud screeching voices, my husband Pip and I sat down to watch this week’s Alexei Sayle’s Stuff on BBC1 with Great Trepidation (our 14-year-old labrador). Imagine our delight when we realised that Mr Sayle had lost several stones and spent the entire show sitting behind a news desk reading hilarious government ‘plans’ for education and health services – keeping us in stitches for the entire half-hour. More of this please!

Mrs Wilhemina Rees-Mogg,
Dungeness, Kent

ALEXEI SAYLE replies: Who gives a damn what you think!

The Radio Times, Issue 3437

Followed by My Pal Mozart.

Dear Radio Times,

I am a senior citizen struggling to make ends meet on a small fixed grin, and am unable to get out of the house these days due to the front door being bricked up by Friends of the Earth. As such I watch a great deal of television and take particular exception to Alexei Sayle’s Stuff. If Mr Sayle finds life here so disagreeable, may I suggest he moves to England, where totalitarian government, lack of human rights and a disastrous economy would really give him something to moan about.

Mrs Martina Kalashnikov,
Smolensk

Alexei Sayle replies: Who gives a damn what you think?

The Radio Times, Issue 3438

Next was Six Body Builders of the Italian Renaissance.

Dear Radio Times,

When, oh when, will the BBC stop concocting these appalling fake Radio Times letters from obviously bogus people called ‘Mrs Noreen Gripper-Rod’ and the like to publicise Alexei Sayle’s Stuff. Even I am completely dummy and do not exist in any rational sense – so stop printing this at once!

Dame Judi Dench,
The Bafta Awards, Attenborough-on-Hankies, Surrey

Alexei Sayle replies: Who gives a damn what you think?

The Radio Times, Issue 3439

Followed by Whistling Calculus for Tax Purposes.

Dear Radio Times,

As a mother of 20 years’ standing and more recently lying down, can I make a heartfelt plea to those upstairs. Could you tone down the irritating laughter during Alexei Sayle’s Stuff. It drowns out the studio audience so heaven knows what you’re doing in that flat.

Joan Lloyd, Nine Elms

Alexei Sayle replies: Who gives a damn what you think!

The Radio Times, Issue 3440

And finishing the series with Margaret Drabble – the Hard Way.

Dear Radio Times,

Could we hear Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson sing anything from Alexei Sayle ‘s Stuff

Max Bygraves, Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzen Ellen, Bogen by the Sea

Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson reply: Who gives a damn what you think!

The Radio Times, Issue 3441

A month after the second series finished, BBC Two aired a single episode of the show on the 18th December 1990. As far as I can make out, it’s a repeat of the very first show, but the listing is now different …

Dear Radio Times,

Hip hip hoorah! International recognition for the corpulent illegitimate! How I cheered when this year’s comedy Emmy was awarded to Alexei Sayle !

Alexei Sayle,
End of Bloomsbury Dole Queue, Wigan

Alexei Sayle replies: Who gives a damn what I think?

The Radio Times, Issue 3445

Unfortunately, this letters conceit wasn’t continued through into the third series, which has much more staid and traditional listings.

The Pitter Patter Of Tiny Feet

There’s a sketch in A Bit Of Fry & Laurie that bears a little more of a closer look. It’s the one where Hugh tries to engage a class in a discussion about Romeo And Juliet.

It begins with this shot:

We’ll come back to this in a moment. But then Hugh enters.

The staging is really interesting, and he proceeds to deliver his lesson to the actual studio audience.

This staging choice is a throwback to the live revues, and also a budget thing probably (more later), but it makes for a really interesting dynamic. The audience are clearly enjoying the sketch, but they can’t laugh too much, otherwise the effect is ruined. I expect some of the laughter is being edited around too.

But what’s that in the bottom corner of the board?

Let’s try and get a closer look:

It’s something about Picasso, but I can’t make out the rest. What can you see?

Anyway, back to this shot.

Why are their baby footprints all over the board?

At first, I wondered if this sketch was shot at the same time as this one.

That’s Hugh’s new-born baby …

But thanks to this excellent article on Dirty Feed, we know that the teacher sketch was filmed for the pilot, but not used.

While that doesn’t explain the footprints, it probably explains the lower budget staging of Teacher. It’s a very good sketch thwarted by the contraints put upon it. I can see why they still wanted to use it, and only found a place for it in a longer run of episodes.

Alas, we have no answer for this. Any theories?

A Very Small Bit Of Fry & Laurie

Anyone who’s watched A Bit Of Fry & Laurie will recognise this, from one of their brilliant runs of vox pops.

This one in particular is from episode three of the first series.

As is this one.

But hello, there’s Stephen, dressed in character at the back there.

This was probably planned, as a little in-joke, but a moment later it’s revealed he’s carrying coffees.

So I’m going to choose to believe that he accidentally walked in to shot, before or after they shot his side, and took a moment to be in character.

Rik Pics

Here’s a great cover story spread to coincide with the release of the Dangerous Brothers VHS, Drop Dead Fred, and Bottom. Click to enlarge (oo er).

[image error] The People – Sunday 15 September 1991

Here, Rik shares a page with Rowan. You can read more about his American tour of Shakespeare in Proctology: A Bottom Examination.

[image error] South Wales Echo – Saturday 21 November 1992

This is a nice little preview of the Who Shot Alan B’Stard? special.

[image error]Wembley Leader – Friday 12 January 1990

Either you don’t see the bottom of that publicity shot very often, or I’ve only just noticed it – but Alan’s getting rather phallic there isn’t it?

[image error] Western Daily Press – Saturday 12 September 1987

In this one we learn a little bit about Rik’s thinking with the Bottom pilot, and also a little mention that Drop Dead Fred might be getting a sequel.

[image error] Daily Record – Friday 26 July 1991

I love this one, which marks the end of the fourth series of The New Statesman – mostly because of the misidentification of Rik Mayall Presents. They seem to have somehow learned the title of Micky Love, and misheard it at the same time.

[image error] Liverpool Echo – Thursday 24 December 1992

And finally, a lovely piece in the Mirror, with a great quote about how terrifying Rik found the gallows scene.

[image error] Daily Mirror – Saturday 13 January 1990

PROCTOLOGY: A Bottom Examination is my in-depth guide to all things Bottom.

Available now on Kindle and in paperback.

Learn more …

The Fake Connection

On Saturday 16th May, 1998, this column appeared in the Mirror.

[image error]Daily Mirror – Saturday 16 May 1998

It’s an interesting, albeit angry, appraisal of the young franchise Carlton, and has some nice little nuggests from the original bid. The story of how Thames lost its licence is a fascinating one, and well worth the time to read about if you can.

It was nearly six months later before Carlton were fined for the fakery.

[image error]Daily Mirror – Saturday 19 December 1998

Days Like These

Days Like These was an ITV remake of That 70’s Show, which was created by Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner, Mark Brazill Caryn Mandabach, and Linda Wallem, and adapted for British screens by Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain.

It was another in a longish line of remakes following on from the success of The Upper Hand, including Married For Life and Loved By You.

(CW: The titles for the orginal show contain a convicted felon.)

ITV wanted to take advantage of News At Ten being moved.

[image error]The Stage – Thursday 28 January 1999

The day before the first episode aired, Maggie Brown praised the project’s ambition, but gave it a lukewarm review.

[image error]The Stage – Thursday 11 February 1999

On the day of broadcast, it was Pick Of The Day in the Mirror.

[image error]Daily Mirror – Friday 12 February 1999

And we can see that far from being in that half ten slot, it was now going to go out at half eight instead. Just four days later, the same paper ran this:

[image error]Daily Mirror – Monday 15 February 1999

The gossip column in The Stage was all a twitter that week too.

[image error]The Stage – Thursday 18 February 1999

And again a few weeks later.

[image error]The Stage – Thursday 11 March 1999

Charlie was still angry about the show in mid-March, when it was moved to counter under-performing ratings.

[image error] Daily Mirror – Tuesday 16 March 1999

And again, a week later … though here he throws in some nuanced analysis, before pivoting to Seinfeld and falling for the ‘show about nothing’ canard.

[image error]Daily Mirror – Tuesday 23 March 1999

At the turn of April, The Stage took a rather more in-depth look at what had gone wrong, concluding that a combination of the title change, the slot change, and some production decisions had worked against what was a rather good show. Being up against the behemoth of Birds Of A Feather did it no favours whatsoever.

[image error] The Stage – Thursday 01 April 1999

Mark Lewisohn summed it all up here …

An adaptation of the hit US series That ’70s Show executive-produced for Granada by its American originators, Days Like These was launched by ITV with excessive hype and an equal amount of hope – and then completely failed to deliver. The jokes were lame, as was the belief that British viewers would react to the nuttier side of the 1970s (perms, wide lapels, Zapata moustaches). Although Seventies references ran through the show – Eric’s father, Ron, was a car worker on a three-day week, for example – the stories used the basic and timeless themes of romance, angst, the generation gap and growing pains – but in silly old clothes. The US original was hardly a classic either, but there the blend somehow worked. The reaction of ITV Network Centre to its dud was shoddy – after three episodes on a Friday evening the series was switched to Sunday evening, Friday evening and then disappeared for three months before turning up late on Wednesdays. Considering the great belief the executives had in Days Like These after seeing the episodes, albeit before transmission, they abdicated responsibility with alarming speed.

There was one realistic touch. With certain honourable exceptions, the 1970s was a period of dire sitcoms in Britain. Days Like These captured that spirit with flying (and garish) colours.

The BBC Guide To Comedy