Retro TV

[stevezodiac]

That would never have happened in Bless This House. Maybe Gerry Anderson was considered an icon even then and could do "Whatever the hell he wanted".

[philcom55]

...Which maybe explains 'The Cham-Cham'!

- Phil Rushton

[Lew Stringer]

That would never have happened in Bless This House. Maybe Gerry Anderson was considered an icon even then and could do "Whatever the hell he wanted".

I would guess it was down to if the budget could stretch to music rights of those songs. UFO and The Prisoner obviously could, as they both featured Beatles songs. It might also be that some producers didn't bother, assuming stock music would do for a small disco scene or whatever.

What amused me was that nightclubs in The Saint etc only seemed to have about half a dozen punters due to the budget, and for clarity of storytelling normal conversation was manageable over the music without shouting or mis-hearing anything. Not that anyone would want to go to a club that Simon Templar was a member of, as so many punters seemed to end up keeling over with a knife sticking out their back. But at least the victims always had pretty 20-something nieces that Templar could "take to dinner" after he'd solved the murders.

[stevezodiac]

I was watching a Saint last year and in this episode Templar is in a hotel room fighting a baddie. As the baddie careers across the room from a punch you can clearly see a studio technician ducking as he runs under the camera shot (or so he thinks) away from the action. My eyebrows were raised higher than Moore's.

[Digifiend]

Filmed too close to broadcast for a reshoot?

[Lew Stringer]

Filmed too close to broadcast for a reshoot?

They probably just let it go, like the numerous times in 1960s shows when the boom gets in shot, or when they forget to put the night filter on the camera. Or the time a Zarbi walked into the camera. Cheap & cheerful TV. As viewers, we didn't care. It was all part of the fun.

[stevezodiac]

I like watching out for when a stuntman does the fight scenes - keeping his head down or face away from the camera so you can't see its not the hero/actor. It happened in a Saint episode I saw last week. Roger Moore was sitting on a vaulting horse when he was pushed off. At the point he was pushed off you only saw a back view of him but then we saw Roger Moore getting up from the gym floor. When will ITV4 start showing those other Monty Berman Dennis Spooner shows like Man in a Suitcase and Randall & Hopkirk. Incidentally in order for Lew Grade to save money R & H and Department S were filmed at the same time using same sets/crew and supporting cast.

[Lew Stringer]

Incidentally in order for Lew Grade to save money R & H and Department S were filmed at the same time using same sets/crew and supporting cast.

The Saint used the same sets a lot too. Numerous episodes feature a wine cellar (usually where Templar and/or the professor's niece is locked up) and the same studio street is redressed a lot too, for Italy, France, or wherever. Also there's a large hallway set with double doors that's used lots of times.

Weirdest episode is the one where The Saint fights a giant ant. ("House on Dragon's Rock") Made a change from jewel thieves and kidnappers I suppose.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Along with THE AVENGERS, the SAINT and THUNDERBIRDS still look great as they were shot on 35mm film, the same as big-screen fare, which was really far-sighted in those 625 TV-line days, which never done justice to the lush film stock used....... but before long , corner-cutting economies came into play, with the likes of JASON KING, the SWEENEY, and the PROFESSIONALS all shot on lower-gauge 16mm. Nobody seemed to notice or care at the time, but in todays' digital hi-def visual teleworld, the advantages of properly filmed 35 mm filmed TV episodes are a real plus.

The BBC always seemed to film non-TV studio material on cheaper-gauge 16mm film, the cream of ITV held the trump cards on this score.

[stevezodiac]

Are you should that Giant Ant wasn't the Zarbi - still in disgrace after bumping into the camera?

That same creature played a card dealer in an episode of the Champions - the first appearance of Ant and Deck on our screens arf arf!

[DavidKW]

On pop music being danced to on TV shows: 2 observations:

In an episode on UFO called "Ordeal" Colonel Foster is dancing at a party to an instrimental track called "Trampoline" by the Spencer Davis Group which was the B-side to "Gimme Some Lovin'" and this track was alos a popular Northern Soul record.

Interestingly I was also recently watching an episode of "Minder" on ITV4, where Terry minds a boxer and they enter a nightclub where the instrumental track playing in the background was the same track used as the original first theme for "Tiswas" in 1975 (the earliest suviving edition; there's a clip on that intro on You Tube; titles use graphics from "The Golden Shot" too). Recycling.

This was when it was only available to those in the ATV Midlands region; I used to watch it when we had a B & W set that picked it up; then my family switched to a colour, switched ariels and got Southern TV instead & all their dross esp on Sat Mornings! Gutted I was but my parents liked some of the dross such as "Out Of Town". (we lived in Oxfordshire, where all the other kids had ATV!). Regional Tv had its drawbacks.

[DavidKW]

I agree I wish ITV4 would show these old ITC shows again, and just for good measure also include Gideon's Way & Danger Man - their being in black and white just enhances the quality and I don't think anyone would be bothered. After all if BBC 2 can show B&W files early Sat & Sun mornings...

I read & heard about R&H and Department S being filmed at the same time (a possibility also helped by The Avengers cancellation & The Saint being made next door ending); the atmpshere on the sets was contrasting:

A director working on R&H would have to keep being called on the Dept S set to quell the bad atmosphere & rows caused by Peter Wyngarde's ego; Joel Fabiani would often wander onto the R&H set for a better atmosphere.

On the R&H set, it was said it often stank of drink and Mike Pratt & Kenneth Cope would often lark about, play pranks and laugh with the crew. Pratt & Cope were great mates off screen as well & met up for lunch every week after until Pratt's untimely death in 1976. They's also improvise & write bits in.

[DavidKW]

I would use the Network site but only when I'm sorted for a credit card.

Am worried though that I'd rack up debts as I'd be like a kid in a sweet shop and buy too much, hence why I'm more disciplined without internet buying at mo. Then there's finding time to view them all & view my comics along with other things to do.

[Peter Gray]

Been enjoying with Carol my wife the Saint black and white...had to buy it twice due to season 1 and 2 box set and no season 3 or 4 But buying it all..I have to turn the sound up really high on some of the episodes...been really enjoying it..

Thought I'd try with Carol The Persuaders she didn't like it...Bit I found it funny..

Hope ITV 4 do show more black and white telly classics..sometimes better than the colour version..

[Digifiend]

An article about classic cartoons that Digital Spy's writer Morgan Jeffery believes could be made into movies. Don't take it seriously. Top of the list is Bananaman!
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/tubeta ... creen.html