Yet another random post...
...this time about things the BBC have in their archive and I wish would share with me. Well, everyone, obviously, but especially me. (Partly made because last time I did this, I discovered that against all the odds what I wanted was on YouTube.... This is not the same, however, as Things the BBC Once Had in Their Archive and have Since Wiped/Burninated/Carelessly Lost, because you know about that already. Power of the Daleks! The Naked Sun!)
* On the commentary for Revenge of the Cybermen, everyone was discussing Ian Marter at one point, and David Collings (yes, 2 out of 3 of these things will contain Mr Collings, I'm sorry, but there it is) said that he had worked with him again when they played the Brothers Grimm together for the BBC. (Me: !!!!?) After some Googling, I found this was a 1979 Omnibus episode, a documentary on the lives of the brothers Grimm, but they had dramatised sections, in which the two were played by Ian Marter and David Collings.
Can't see the BBC releasing old Omnibus episodes, somehow. Except maybe in the future if they put up EVERYTHING for download on the internet, or something. Still, it's a nice thought of the two together to have in my head.
* I am watching my way through the BBC Shakespeare as best I can (go away; I want to; I don't care who thinks they are dull or whatever) and I ended up looking at the (v interesting, actually) entry about the series on Wikipedia and noticed a throwaway fact that the first one they made was a version of Much Ado About Nothing in 1977 but for whatever reason (it seems to be suspected, because of use of regional accents by some characters) they decided the US financial backers wouldn't go for it & so didn't include that version in the series & filmed it again in 1984 with a different cast. And who, you may ask, was in this production that isn't part of the collection (and therefore not available on DVD)? Apparently, it was Michael York and Penelope Keith. I thought this might be an internet hoax, but it seems to be true. I can't even imagine them in the same room, but I WANT TO SEE IT. Penelope Keith and Michael York?
Even if it was awful and that was the real reason they kept it in the UK and out of the collection. When that entry says "available to hire on videocassette from the BBC" I suspect they don't mean for random passing individuals, especially those with a dodgy video player. I'm so curious, though. Penelope Keith and Michael York!!
* 1980 detective series Breakaway. (I started looking at this on David Collings's IMBD, because I always had a thing about there being a children's TV show I used to watch by that name, but this definitely isn't it, especially since there probably wasn't and I just amalgamated the chocolate bar and Playaway.) Anyway, it stars Martin Jarvis, who I also like a lot and this is the description of it on IMBD:
Detective inspector Sam Harvey, better known to the general public as the author of the latest best-seller for ages 3 and up, 'Breakfast at the Zoo,' would like nothing better than to retire so he can devote himself full-time to penning the riveting sequels 'Lunch at the Zoo' and 'Dinner at the Zoo.' However, he has to solve a couple of complicated murder cases first. Plot twists and red herrings abound in this intricate thriller series, and corpses turn up with distressing regularity before the culprits are finally collared.
And, apparently, it doesn't seem to have actually been a comedy, or a children's show. (I did some careful Googling). My mind, it is boggled. Plus, David Collings is playing Dr Tucker. You have no idea how much mileage I can get out of people who are or should be the Doctor being called "Doctor" for any reason. (The ITV Poirot ep Sad Cypress I enjoyed very much because Paul McGann was playing the doctor. Poirot/DW crossover with no effort! Mind, I think most DW fans do this. Er. We do, don't we??)
It was written by Francis Durbridge, who apparently did Paul Temple, so maybe that will lead the BBC to release it one day. After all, they've got to get to the end of the really obvious archive things someday. And with that concept, plus Martin Jarvis, detective, and David Collings (in S2), it wouldn't have to be all that marvellous for me to like it, anyway. (Srsly, those two = my two favourite voices ever. I might not be able to cope.)
ETA: Looking at this, I think the thing that strikes me most about that write-up is that it sounds worryingly like something I would write... If I wrote TV scripts back in the 1980s. Only mine would be a comedy.
Er. Was that post random enough? But, seriously, BBC: Penelope Keith and Michael York as Beatrice and Benedick. Soon. Please.
(I know, I know, but I just can't get quite well enough to watch normal TV when it's actually on, or cope with the iplayer. I suppose I should see about one of those Freeview recorder things and stop ogling the BBC archive, really, but... it is fun speculating about bygone stuff. And current TV has a shocking lack of David Collings, anyway.)
* On the commentary for Revenge of the Cybermen, everyone was discussing Ian Marter at one point, and David Collings (yes, 2 out of 3 of these things will contain Mr Collings, I'm sorry, but there it is) said that he had worked with him again when they played the Brothers Grimm together for the BBC. (Me: !!!!?) After some Googling, I found this was a 1979 Omnibus episode, a documentary on the lives of the brothers Grimm, but they had dramatised sections, in which the two were played by Ian Marter and David Collings.
Can't see the BBC releasing old Omnibus episodes, somehow. Except maybe in the future if they put up EVERYTHING for download on the internet, or something. Still, it's a nice thought of the two together to have in my head.
* I am watching my way through the BBC Shakespeare as best I can (go away; I want to; I don't care who thinks they are dull or whatever) and I ended up looking at the (v interesting, actually) entry about the series on Wikipedia and noticed a throwaway fact that the first one they made was a version of Much Ado About Nothing in 1977 but for whatever reason (it seems to be suspected, because of use of regional accents by some characters) they decided the US financial backers wouldn't go for it & so didn't include that version in the series & filmed it again in 1984 with a different cast. And who, you may ask, was in this production that isn't part of the collection (and therefore not available on DVD)? Apparently, it was Michael York and Penelope Keith. I thought this might be an internet hoax, but it seems to be true. I can't even imagine them in the same room, but I WANT TO SEE IT. Penelope Keith and Michael York?
Even if it was awful and that was the real reason they kept it in the UK and out of the collection. When that entry says "available to hire on videocassette from the BBC" I suspect they don't mean for random passing individuals, especially those with a dodgy video player. I'm so curious, though. Penelope Keith and Michael York!!
* 1980 detective series Breakaway. (I started looking at this on David Collings's IMBD, because I always had a thing about there being a children's TV show I used to watch by that name, but this definitely isn't it, especially since there probably wasn't and I just amalgamated the chocolate bar and Playaway.) Anyway, it stars Martin Jarvis, who I also like a lot and this is the description of it on IMBD:
Detective inspector Sam Harvey, better known to the general public as the author of the latest best-seller for ages 3 and up, 'Breakfast at the Zoo,' would like nothing better than to retire so he can devote himself full-time to penning the riveting sequels 'Lunch at the Zoo' and 'Dinner at the Zoo.' However, he has to solve a couple of complicated murder cases first. Plot twists and red herrings abound in this intricate thriller series, and corpses turn up with distressing regularity before the culprits are finally collared.
And, apparently, it doesn't seem to have actually been a comedy, or a children's show. (I did some careful Googling). My mind, it is boggled. Plus, David Collings is playing Dr Tucker. You have no idea how much mileage I can get out of people who are or should be the Doctor being called "Doctor" for any reason. (The ITV Poirot ep Sad Cypress I enjoyed very much because Paul McGann was playing the doctor. Poirot/DW crossover with no effort! Mind, I think most DW fans do this. Er. We do, don't we??)
It was written by Francis Durbridge, who apparently did Paul Temple, so maybe that will lead the BBC to release it one day. After all, they've got to get to the end of the really obvious archive things someday. And with that concept, plus Martin Jarvis, detective, and David Collings (in S2), it wouldn't have to be all that marvellous for me to like it, anyway. (Srsly, those two = my two favourite voices ever. I might not be able to cope.)
ETA: Looking at this, I think the thing that strikes me most about that write-up is that it sounds worryingly like something I would write... If I wrote TV scripts back in the 1980s. Only mine would be a comedy.
Er. Was that post random enough? But, seriously, BBC: Penelope Keith and Michael York as Beatrice and Benedick. Soon. Please.
(I know, I know, but I just can't get quite well enough to watch normal TV when it's actually on, or cope with the iplayer. I suppose I should see about one of those Freeview recorder things and stop ogling the BBC archive, really, but... it is fun speculating about bygone stuff. And current TV has a shocking lack of David Collings, anyway.)