Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The Larkins - update

The Series 2 episodes of this pioneering UK sitcom have been added to the disc that previously contained Series 1 and the 1958 Christmas special. One of the stars of the program was Peggy Mount who went onto other sitcoms such as George and the Dragon and You're Only Young Twice.

Monday, April 12, 2010

The Two Ronnies in Australia - Series 2

Ronnie's Barker & Corbett made 2 trips Down Under, the first time in 1979.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

The Good Sex Guide

The Good Sex Guide was a Carlton TV hybrid comedy sketch/spoof/um....self-help? program.
A number of well known people appear in the sketches (such as Martin Clunes, Neil Morrissey, Tessa Peake-Jones, Clive Mantle). IMDB has this to say:
Margi Clarke presents this humourous guide to sexuality. Using both the findings of a nation-wide survey on sexuality and the focused presentation of various elements of sexuality, she discusses how to learn more about, and then improve on one's sex life to make it safer and more satisfying. In addition, various comedy sketches are used to help illustrate other points in an entertaining fashion.
Shipped in a plain wrapper!

Espionage


Espionage was an ATV production of 24 stand-alone dramas about (can anyone guess??) espionage (!). The mid-60's was certainly a golden age for that genre. Danger Man, I Spy, The Avengers, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Champions, Mission: Impossible, the Bond films, and even sitcoms spoofing them such as Get Smart. In addition to the expected cast of British actors, a number of Amercian actors appear as well, most of them from the New York City based studios which, at that time, were in their final days. Not only was this broadcast in the UK by ATV, it also appeared in the US on NBC, Wednesday nights at 9 during the 1963-1964 season. During that same time block CBS was showing the Beverly Hillbillies and the Dick Van Dyke Show, the #1 and #3 rated programs in the US that season, so it appears NBC's main interest in Espionage was just an inexpensive way of waving a white flag at CBS. I could find no information on ATV broadcasts so the NBC episode sequence and original broadcast dates are used here.

Life On Mars


Life On Mars, the BBC science fiction / police procedural / drama (and probably a few other genres as well). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars_%28TV_series%29

Ashes To Ashes


Ashes To Ashes, the sequel to Life On Mars.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

The Livers Birds - update

Four more episodes from Series 10 (the "Whatever Happened To" series) of The Liver Birds have been added to disc 3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Liver_Birds

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

A Touch Of Frost - Finis


A Touch Of Frost - Disc 9...ITV finally got around to broadcasting the final act of this popular cop show which made its debut in December 1992. David Jason felt that at his age it was a bit unrealistic for him to be portraying an active detective (most of whom are retired when they're at least 15 years his junior.) Thus concludes what is certainly one of the best programs of that genre. They shot 3 different endings for If Dogs Run Free and on the night of the broadcast David Jason made the decision on which one would be used. His choice was the "happy" ending. Included on this disc are both alternate endings that were not broadcast on ITV.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Touch_of_Frost_%28TV_series%29

Monday, April 5, 2010

Yes Minister update


Added a few tidbits to one of the all-time classics. Paul Eddington: A Life Well Lived was added to Yes Minister Disc 2. A short 1987 Christmas Day skit and an interview of Paul Eddington by his The Good Life co-star Felicity Kendall that was broadcast a few days after the start of the program has been added to Yes, Prime Minister.

YUS, My Dear - Series 2

YUS, My Dear - Series 2.
http://www.answers.com/topic/yus-my-dear-tv-series-1976-tv-series
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Mullard

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Up Pompeii! update etc.


I tracked down the 2 Further Up Pompeii! specials but there wasn't enough free space to add them to the disc with the TV program, so I added them to the Whoops Baghdad disc along with the last 2 (of 12) episodes of the Frankie Howerd Show from 1966. Whoops Baghdad was originally titled Up Baghdad! but was changed so it didn't appear to be supportive of the Iraqi government. The 2 programs are related and people seem to be interested in both. Neither of these programs had anything to do with the early 1980's Whoops Apocalypse.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Atletico Partick

Atletico Partick was a 90's sitcom from the writer of Rab C. Nesbitt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atletico_Partick

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Barbara update

I just started watching this one myself and wasn't aware that episode 2 was such bad quality
so I tracked down a better version. If anyone got this from me and we have future dealings, remind me and I'll fit the improved version onto a disc for you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_%28TV_series%29

Monday, March 29, 2010

The 10%ers

The 10%ers, a rare 1990's sitcom about talent agents, starring Clive Francis.
http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/ten/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_10%25ers

Clampett Castle


I was making a copy of the 1960's US sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies for one of our Australian friends and noticed that in 1967 they did a few episodes in England where Jed Clampett had inherited his cousin's castle (or something). I vaguely remember these eps and out of curiosity gave them a look. Not only did I see Ernest Clark (Dr. Geoffrey Loftus in all the "Doctor" sitcoms) and Sheila Fearn (Likely Lads, George & Mildred) but noticed "Clampett Castle" looked familiar as well. Sure enough, it was Penshurst Place in Kent. In the top photo Jed is looking up at someone on the top. If you can enlarge the bottom photo (which I took) there's a man standing out in the rear courtyard (where the short arrow is pointing) and that is about where Jed was standing looking up to the top (long arrow). So, there's no point to any of this but I just didn't expect to see Ernest Clark, Sheila Fearn and Penshurst Place in a 43 year old episode of the Beverly Hillbillies. Or as Jed would say, "Weeellllll doggies!"