Ten recent ITV Archive drama recoveries

[Billy Smart]

Kaleidoscope don't only discover programmes themselves. Through TVBrain, they also provide a record of what's been recovered in other archives (although they don't publicise other people's discoveries).

A blog post from me, listing ten interesting lost ITV dramas that have recently turned up again in the archives - https://forgottentelevisiondrama.wordpr ... ecoveries/

[Mark]

It's certainly great news, there have been various series, of course, which were thought incomplete, but can be seen in all their glory, such as "Sergeant Cork".

Fingers crossed for more.

[Wakey]

Fascinating. Thanks Billy. I for one would welcome further such articles in future if you become aware of more recoveries.

[Spiny Norman]

Oh, I had never heard of Choice of Kings before. I suppose you have no more details?

I wonder if the lack of publicity isn't simply that it never occured to anyone that updates to a catalog might be newsworthy. Possibly it's just someone updating an inventory somewhere, probably at the BFI: http://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/we ... /150054442

I've seen some changes there too by pure chance. But sadly they do not always have the manpower to look into more detailed questions.

[Billy Smart]

I've just updated the article - We now know that only four, not five, Love Storys remain missing. TVBrain are now listing S... For Sugar A... For Apple M... For Missing (4 July 1968) as surviving.

Play Of The Week: Square Dance and another Anglia play, Television Playhouse: Fiddlers All (21 December 1962) appear to have always been catalogued at the East Anglian Film Archive, but not by ITV.

One appealing thing that I didn't put on that list (because it's incomplete) is the first reel of a 1965 Granada Play Of The Week adaptation of Samuel Butler's The Way Of All Flesh, adapted by Giles Cooper.

If I'd known about Sarah a couple of months earlier, then I think it might have gone into next month's BFI 'Drama She Wrote' season!

[Billy Smart]

Oh, this is a good one that I should have included. David Rudkin's 1967 ATV Playhouse, Children Playing is now known to survive in its entirety (albeit as a negative). The clip that was shown at Rudkin's eightieth birthday interview at the BFI last year made it look really exciting, I thought.

[Billy Smart]

An episode of Associated-Rediffusion's Murder Bag has been unearthed at the BFI and added to their catalogue - The Superintendent Finds the Angles (6 May 1959).

[Simon Coward]

An episode of Associated-Rediffusion's Murder Bag has been unearthed at the BFI and added to their catalogue - The Superintendent Finds the Angles (6 May 1959).

That's good news, though that episode's supposed to be a Crime Sheet, not a Murder Bag.

[Billy Smart]

A missing episode of Probation Officer has been unearthed at the BFI - Series 2 Episode 1 (12 September 1960, w. Peter Yeldham d. Antony Kearey), featuring Brian Murphy's first television acting role.

[Billy Smart]

Harry Lifters, an ATV play about a Yacht Club starring Roland Culver (17 November 1974 w. Alun Richards d. Harry Menzies), has been unearthed at the BFI.

The BFI have also found the 2" colour videotape of another 1974 ATV play, Saturday Night Theatre: No Harm Done (24 February 1974 w. Roger Marshall d. Don Leaver), previously only known to exist as a b/w telecine print.

[fatcat]

Strolling down the very creaky BFI site I was very surprised to find that Mrs Wilson's Diary 1/69 has survived considering the nature of this Ingrams & Wells satire, which was probably never repeated hoping to be quietly forgotten.

I was also rather surprised that it was recorded on 405 b/w as with LWT coming on the scene in late 68, and 625 conversions in full swing, could not see why they would have still been using 405 line equipment, I thought it had been a 625 colour tester. Anyway according to the BFI it needs some work so not likely to be seen again very soon.

http://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/we ... /153616076



.

[Billy Smart]

A few ATV titles that are now listed as surviving that used not to be -

Suspense (1960). All twelve episodes of an anthology series of thrillers. Mostly British remakes of American plays, but also includes a play by Giles Cooper starring Honor Blackman.

Television Playhouse: A Stop On The Way (11 March 1960) (probably also made as another Suspense story)

Theatre 60: The Devil Makes Sunday (31 July 1960) Bruce Stewart play directed by Christopher Morahan, starring Andre Morell and Alfred Burke.

Play Of The Week: Ivanov (23 March 1966) John Gielgud stars in his own version of the early Chekhov play, with Claire Bloom, Angela Baddely and Richard Pasco. Had long been presumed to exist, but now definitely confirmed.

[fatcat]

A few ATV titles that are now listed as surviving that used not to be -

Suspense (1960). All twelve episodes of an anthology series of thrillers. Mostly British remakes of American plays, but also includes a play by Giles Cooper starring Honor Blackman.

Television Playhouse: A Stop On The Way (11 March 1960) (probably also made as another Suspense story)

Theatre 60: The Devil Makes Sunday (31 July 1960) Bruce Stewart play directed by Christopher Morahan, starring Andre Morell and Alfred Burke.

Play Of The Week: Ivanov (23 March 1966) John Gielgud stars in his own version of the early Chekhov play, with Claire Bloom, Angela Baddely and Richard Pasco. Had long been presumed to exist, but now definitely confirmed.

Ivanov I believe was recorded twice over a week in B/W and colour.

Always wondered about The Devil Makes Sunday

[Billy Smart]

There's a U-Matic copy of Ivanov that no-one has seen, so they don't know if its in colour or not. There's now also a 16mm b/w print listed as existing.

[Focus II]

I was also rather surprised that it was recorded on 405 b/w as with LWT coming on the scene in late 68, and 625 conversions in full swing, could not see why they would have still been using 405 line equipment, I thought it had been a 625 colour tester. Anyway according to the BFI it needs some work so not likely to be seen again very soon.

London Weekend took over the Rediffusion studios in Wembley when they came on the air. I can only guess they utilised the existing Rediffusion equipment for their early programmes.

The first series of, 'Please Sir!' from 1968 survives on 405-line VT.

[Billy Smart]

Someone's been spring cleaning the Granada archive! Four Television Playhouse dramas have turned up:

11 October 1957 Thunder On Sycamore Street (w. Reginald Rose d. Silvio Narizzano)
14 August 1959 The Queen's Corporal (w. Graeme Kent d. James Ormerod)
06 November 1959 Ticket For Tomorrow (w. Elizabeth Baker d. John Knight)
04 December 1959 Shadow & Substance (w. Paul Vincent Carroll d. Stuart Latham)

The resurfacing of Ticket For Tomorrow is something quite significant. It's a version of the 1909 play Chains, one of a wave of 'New Woman' plays that illuminated the Edwardian theatre alongside the works of Shaw, Galsworthy and Granville-Barker. Granada's revival of this neglected play was a particularly forward-thinking piece of programming - and one that was especially appreciated by the 83 year-old Elizabeth Baker. Even in the heyday of the television theatrical adaptation, plays by women from the non-recent theatrical repertory were pretty much never revived, so for one to now exist is of great value.

[Ian K McL]

Great news Billy. I hope that they can become available perhaps on Network' Forgotten DVD drama series range if that is still ongoing.

[Billy Smart]

There's a useful article by John Wyver about the (15!) Edwardian and Georgian 'Manchester plays' revived by Granada in their early years - https://screenplaystv.wordpress.com/201 ... ter-plays/

[fatcat]

London Weekend took over the Rediffusion studios in Wembley when they came on the air. I can only guess they utilised the existing Rediffusion equipment for their early programmes.

The first series of, 'Please Sir!' from 1968 survives on 405-line VT.

....and I had forgotten about The Gold Robbers


But good news from Billy about the Alfred Burke play

[Billy Smart]

An Associated-Rediffusion production that was previously down as lost now listed as existing: Play Of The Week: The Last Hours (w. Robert Westerby d. Cyril Butcher) (22 Sep 1959).

[Billy Smart]

Here's a surprising thing to have turned up - the half-hour nativity play No Star On The Way Back (29 Dec 1963). Primarily of interest because it was the only drama production that we know of from Border Television (until about 1979).

[Billy Smart]

Two missing 1974 ATV plays have turned up (on the original 2" tape!) and are now available to view at the BFI Mediatheque. They are They Disappear When You Lie Down (11 June 1974 w. Tony Perrin d. Graham Evans - sisterly rivalries at a table tennis tournament) and The Person Responsible (17 September 1974 w. Ellen Dryden d. Don Taylor - Kenneth Haigh as a newly-appointed Headmaster).

[Mark]

That's good news, the tennis one is with Lewis Collins, saw it at the time, and the subject matter turned up a year later in an episode of "Village Hall".

The BFI had them then.

[brigham]

Two missing 1974 ATV plays have turned up (on the original 2" tape!) and are now available to view at the BFI Mediatheque. They are They Disappear When You Lie Down (11 June 1974 w. Tony Perrin d. Graham Evans - sisterly rivalries at a table tennis tournament) and The Person Responsible (17 September 1974 w. Ellen Dryden d. Don Taylor - Kenneth Haigh as a newly-appointed Headmaster).

I wonder if they will be made available for today's audience?