TV Times 70's Advent Calendar

[Cartman]

George and Mildred wasn't bad, a Sweeney face in it, Norman Eshley from Taste of Fear, as their neighbour

[Sparky]

Dec 3, 2021 20:00:01 GMT Nightfly said:

Dec 3, 2021 19:07:27 GMT Arthur Pringle said:

Dec 3 1975-

Thanks again, Arthur. I have just spotted the episode of Crown Court is written by Jim Allen who specialised in social comment plays about the underprivileged such as The Spongers and Days of Hope. The subject matter of this episode seems to be on a similar theme and stars Peter Kerrigan and Tom Georgeson who would go on to work together in Boys From The Blackstuff.

I don't remember this particular episode of Crown Court, so it must have been a week when I wasn't bunking off school with a dose of flu. Nothing like a bit of General Hospital in the afternoon with your Lemsip too...

Did Crown Court carry it's story/case over two episodes?

John Alkin (aka Daniels in the Sweeney) used to pop up a lot as a Barrister.

I never realized until recently, that the jury were actual members of the public.

[Nightfly]

Dec 3, 2021 21:17:29 GMT Sparky said:

Dec 3, 2021 20:00:01 GMT Nightfly said:

.

Did Crown Court carry it's story/case over two episodes?

John Alkin (aka Daniels in the Sweeney) used to pop up a lot as a Barrister.

I never realized until recently, that the jury were actual members of the public.

I believe there were three episodes for each story with Peter Wheeler (credited as "Court Reporter) voicing a re-cap at the start of episodes 2 and 3.

The jury were members of the public apart from the Foreman/woman who had to be an Equity member as they had lines to speak, albeit only "yes", "no", "guilty" or "not guilty". They always got a credit.

There was a satellite channel about 15 years ago called something like "Legal TV" which would show old episodes in between their own programmes. It was one of those "must tape some of these" but never got around to it things.

[Sparky]

Dec 3, 2021 21:54:21 GMT Nightfly said:

Dec 3, 2021 21:17:29 GMT Sparky said:

Did Crown Court carry it's story/case over two episodes?

John Alkin (aka Daniels in the Sweeney) used to pop up a lot as a Barrister.

I never realized until recently, that the jury were actual members of the public.

I believe there were three episodes for each story with Peter Wheeler (credited as "Court Reporter) voicing a re-cap at the start of episodes 2 and 3.

The jury were members of the public apart from the Foreman/woman who had to be an Equity member as they had lines to speak, albeit only "yes", "no", "guilty" or "not guilty". They always got a credit.

There was a satellite channel about 15 years ago called something like "Legal TV" which would show old episodes in between their own programmes. It was one of those "must tape some of these" but never got around to it things.

I remember them repeated on Legal TV. I also considered recording a few, and then by the time I got round to it - Network began releasing them on DVD anyway so didn't bother.

Granada kept the courtroom set for many years after the series ended, I think at some point it was part of the Granada Studios Tour.

Crown Court, Country Matters, Emmerdale Farm, General Hospital, Good Afternoon, Afternoon Plus and numerous Gardening programmes made by HTV were introduced to fill the afternoon schedules during the autumn of 1972 - after the IBA lifted restrictions on broadcasting hours.

[Nightfly]

Dec 3, 2021 22:24:28 GMT Sparky said:

Dec 3, 2021 21:54:21 GMT Nightfly said:

Crown Court, Country Matters, Emmerdale Farm, General Hospital, Good Afternoon, Afternoon Plus and numerous Gardening programmes made by HTV were introduced to fill the afternoon schedules during the autumn of 1972 - after the IBA lifted restrictions on broadcasting hours.

I notice Couples amongst the listing which, together with Rooms was another soap which seemed to be rolled out after the 1972 expansion of afternoon TV, though I don't remember much about them. I understand General Hospital moved to evenings with one hour episodes and we all know what happened to Emmerdale Farm, though I preferred the 70s afternoon versions to the present day, even if back then it was all posh actors with fake Dales accents with lines like "Farming's all I know" and storylines about silage.

[Arthur Pringle]

I notice that 'Couples' was written by Tony Parker. Parker was an 'oral historian' from Stockport who was chiefly known for conducting interviews with various 'outsider' people- criminals, lighthouse keepers, soldiers, single mothers, murderers, miners, sex offenders & others.

These conversations ( he didn't so much interview people as sit & listen to them, carefully gaining their confidence then tape recording them as they spoke ) were published in various books in the 60s, 70s & 80s. I've read a few of them including 'Criminal Conversations' which contains accounts of the lives of various people in prison & 'Life After Life', a series of interviews with people who have served time for murder. These first hand accounts by ordinary people are quite unlike the usual biographies written by celebrity crims, there's nothing glamourous about them at all & they make for grim reading.

Looking at imdb he wrote stories for several tv shows- Juliet Bravo, Softly Softly Task Force, Within These Walls, Crown Court & The Gentle Touch. Also two Play For Today's, one directed by Alan Clarke & the other by James Ferman who later became the director of the British Board Of Film Censors ( he was once interviewed by Ali G who asked him about 'A Chocolate Orange' ).

[Sparky]

Dec 3, 2021 22:41:02 GMT Nightfly said:

Dec 3, 2021 22:24:28 GMT Sparky said:

Crown Court, Country Matters, Emmerdale Farm, General Hospital, Good Afternoon, Afternoon Plus and numerous Gardening programmes made by HTV were introduced to fill the afternoon schedules during the autumn of 1972 - after the IBA lifted restrictions on broadcasting hours.

I notice Couples amongst the listing which, together with Rooms was another soap which seemed to be rolled out after the 1972 expansion of afternoon TV, though I don't remember much about them. I understand General Hospital moved to evenings with one hour episodes and we all know what happened to Emmerdale Farm, though I preferred the 70s afternoon versions to the present day, even if back then it was all posh actors with fake Dales accents with lines like "Farming's all I know" and storylines about silage.

The last episode of Emmerdale Farm I ever saw was a repeat of a 1981 episode on Cable TV's "Drama" channel - and that was years back!

Not seen Emmerdale since (luckily) - though I did end up locked up in their vehicle compound at YTV as the electronic gate thing had packed up. I had to wait for a security guard to come and open the gates - the walk across the road, some 200 yards, took him an hour and a half.

Not sure on the setup now, but they shot all the exterior stuff at some village YTV had built at Esholt, most of the interiors were built inside an old trouser factory next door to the YTV studios in Leeds - and they ran regular shuttle buses between "the village" and interiors.

There was talk of them moving the interiors back into the YTV studios after Countdown moved out in 2010/11.

They were still in the trouser factory in 2013.

[Arthur Pringle]

Dec 4 1979, plus a small article on the film 'Madhouse' shown that night & an ad for a TV Times special magazine-

I notice that Michael Parkinson & his wife Mary are both on tv that day, her in 'Afternoon Plus' & him making an appearance in 'Madhouse'. Also another star of 'Madhouse', Linda Hayden, takes part in 'Star Games' earlier in the evening.

[Cartman]

Best bit on that days TV for me would have been ELO on the music programme

[Sparky]

Tough decision for those who could receive ATV and Yorkshire Television.

At 5.25 on ATV, you had Mr & Mrs, and on YTV you had Bob Monkhouse in Bonkers, with the 'Bonkettes' (make your own jokes).

Arthur - any chance of continuing this after Christmas - kind of a 'on this day in history' or something?

Really enjoying seeing these!