Look-In/Piccolo Books releases

[Ross]

Having no life, I’m compiling a list of all the paperbacks put out by Piccolo that tied in with ITV kids shows and bore the Look-In (*or TV Times*) logo. Here’s what I have so far. Have I missed any?

EDIT: UPDATED 7/9/20

1971

Freewheelers: Sign of the Beaver - Alan Fennell


1972

Freewheelers: The Spy Game - Alan Fennell


1973

The Tomorrow People: The Visitor - Roger Price & Julian R Gregory (25p)

David Nixon’s Magic Box

How


1974

The Tomorrow People: Three in Three - Roger Price (25p)

A Second Book of How - David Jefferis


1975

The Tomorrow People: Four into Three - Roger Price (30p)

Ponies and You - Sue Turner

A Third Book of How


1976

The Tomorrow People: One Law - Roger Price


1977

The Flockton Flyer - Peter Whitbread (65p)

Runaround Quiz Book - Robin May (65p)

Magpie: Make and Do - Eileen Deacon (65p)

The Tomorrow People: Lost Gods - Roger Price

Stewpot’s Fun Book - Denis Gifford (65p)

Rolf Harris Animal Quiz Book - Roy Harris

How: Funtastic - Sue Dyer

Our Landscape - Walter Shepherd

Ali Cat’s Magic Circle Book of Tricks - Christine Howes

Brian Moore's Football Quiz Book - Brian Moore

Breaktime Things To Do Indoors And Out - Hazel Evans



1978

Stewpot’s Travel Fun Book - George & Cornelia Kay

Pop Quest - John Tobler & Cathy McKnight (65p)

A Bunch of Fives - Colin Rogers (60p)

Clapperboard Film Quiz Book - Graham McMurray (60p)

Eric and Ernie’s TV Fun Book - Denis Gifford

The Clifton House Mystery - Daniel Farson

Fun With Words - Eric Linden (60p)


1979

Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson

Quick on the Draw - Denis Gifford (60p)

Magpie: Lots More Make and Do - Janet Barber

2nd Clapperboard Film Quiz Book - Graham Murray

[Cole]

Not sure if this counts: it's a Piccolo book, but the logo is the TV Times: David Nixon's Magic Box. I had this one as a child; not sure if it's still languishing my loft somewhere.

[Simon Coward]

I'm intrigued by this. I have a few of the books listed here, mostly earlier titles, and not one of them is branded with the Look-in logo. They all have the TVTimes logo (less a logo, more a typeface) on the front and most carry it on the spine, but no "Look-in".

The only reference to Look-in that I can find is on the copyright page where some note that "Independent Television Publications Ltd are publishers of TVTimes and Look-in". A fairly cursory look at ebay entries for those same titles or others from the same period all show the same thing.

So were these earlier titles reprinted around 1977, say, in new livery? Were these new covers identical to the originals aside from swapping out the TVTimes logo for the Look-in one? How did it work?

[ian b]

The latter books were definitely branded under the Look-In title...

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/372602569151881058/

[stearn]

A quick google for the titles does suggest a change at the start of 1977 - before is Piccolo/TVTimes (and it is the masthead font that was current at the time) and after it is Look-in Books. Like Simon, I can't see any Look-In prior to 1977

Piccolo seemed to be an imprint of PAN, which was owned by a consortium of publishers, Macmillian included, who bought sole control in the late 80s.

Stewpot's Fun book (and Ali Cat's Magic Circle Book of Tricks (1977) and Clifton House Mystery 25 Sept 1978) are listed as Look-In/Arrow books, a Penguin imprint, and now part of Random House.

I'd guess that there was a licensing deal with PAN, possibly with TVTimes associated titles that pre-dated the start of Look-In, and this either ran out in 1976 or Look-In was established enough by then to command it's own deal with Arrow. Robin of Sherwood books are on the Penguin imprint, and a cursory search doesn't bring up any 'TVTimes' imprint books later than 1976 (and then only when I search Piccolo/TVTimes). This would reinforce the idea that it was a change in publisher, and the Look-In brand was a big enough draw to attract kids to spend their pocket money on TV tie-in books instead of sweets or cigarettes!

[Ross]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I’ve updated this list accordingly. Interesting about the switch from TV Times to Look-In.

These imprints seem to be a Seventies thing. I can find no trace of them after 1979.

For the record, at least two books aimed at adults had the TV Times logo: Whodunnit and Mr & Mrs.

[stearn]

There was a 'The NEW Mr & Mrs Quiz Book' published in 1982 by 'ITV Books & Arrow'. Abebooks list the first one, "The Mr And Mrs Quiz Book" as being published by ITV Books & Arrow in 1978. The Whodunnit book listed on Amazon is dated 1978 and also has ITV Books/Arrow as the publisher on the front cover (along with a photo of Jon Pertwee). Where have you seen the TVTimes logo on the cover of the books as I can't find Mr and Mrs and there is only one version of Whodunnit? Alan Radnor, who is credited with writing the Whodunnit book, also wrote a Masterspy one (Nov 1979) and that, too, has ITV Books/Arrow as the publisher. Radnor also wrote at least one Dick Barton Special Agent book, but those appear to be on the 'Star Book' imprint and the first was 1978.

Breaktime Things To Do Indoors And Out by Hazel Evans also has Look-In Books on the cover and Abebooks says Jointly Published By Independent Television Books Ltd. And Arrow Books Ltd., London (1977)

Brian Moore's Football Quiz Book Moore, Brian Published by Look-In/Arrow Books, London (1977)

Come Sailing Copley, Peter ITV Books / Arrow, London, 1977

Pop Quest: So You Think You Know All About Rock 'n' Pop! Tobler, John & Cathy McKnight Published by Independent Television Books / Arrow Books, London (1978) (a bit more detail to what you had)

Dave Lanning's Speedway Quiz Book Lanning, Dave Published by ITV with Arrow Books Ltd, London (1979)

[Ian Wegg]

A very minor correction to your list, it's just "Freewheelers" without the definite article (Freewheelers was the name of the programme not the people in it).

[Ross]

Thanks Ian and Stearn. I’ve made a few updates, but need to create an addendum with all the adult Arrow/TV Times books.

I got the Mr & Mrs info from an ad in TV Times (August 1979) saying it was an Arrow/TV Times Book. It shows a bit of the cover but it’s cropped so you can’t see the logo.