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Denis Norden has died aged 96

(September 2018)

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WH
Whataday Founding member


"Keep that"
JA
james-2001
There was one alright on the night from the late 90s which repeated a clip from the late 70s of a total messup on a satellite link from an, I think, Formula 1 race, of them trying to get someone to interview and when they finally got hold of the person they were meant to be interviewing the satellite time ran out and it cut to colour bars. What was notoable is they decided to show Denis's introduction and providing context to the clip from the original Alright On The Night episode rather than have him re-explain it in a new link, I think he said because it was quite lengthy. That's the only time I remember anything like that being done, usually he'd just introduce old clips with a new link.
WH
Whataday Founding member
It was an interview with Andrew Marriott, who later claimed that the bit about the satellite time running out was invented to make for a better story. It dropped out for a moment but eventually they sorted the technical problems and the interview took place.
WH
Whataday Founding member
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UK
UKnews
It was an interview with Andrew Marriott, who later claimed that the bit about the satellite time running out was invented to make for a better story. It dropped out for a moment but eventually they sorted the technical problems and the interview took place.

I managed to find it today jumping through the original ‘It’ll Be Alright On The Night 2’. I also saw it some time in the ‘90s but could have sworn it was re-filmed in front of that shows backdrop. Happy to be corrected though!


It was the one clip I clearly remember from seeing the programmes and now you’ve ruined it! Wink
WH
Whataday Founding member
It was repeated on 21 Years Of Alright On The Night which was filmed on location in "the Bermuda Triangle". As said earlier, Denis introduced himself introducing the clip from IBAONN 2... although the outro of the clip was in the present (1998) day.

And sorry to spoil it for you again, but "Bermuda" was actually the south of France. Very Happy
WO
Worzel
Fond memories of Norden and his clipboard growing up. I ended up buying one from QD which was almost exactly the same with some pocket money in 1996. RIP.
JV
James Vertigan Founding member
As the late, great Rik Mayall often said - “Merry Christmas Denis Norden. You *******!”

They’ll both be up there laughing about that now. RIP.
Larry the Loafer and DE88 gave kudos
IS
Inspector Sands
That motor racing feed was used in one of the recent David Walliams shows too, although with little context and only using the end of it. Ruined it even more than Whataday did Very Happy


I remember a clip on one of the Alrights where Denis was responsible for the cock up. It was a reporter doing a piece to camera on an escalator, but just before he started speaking Norden gets on behind him:


I just love the way its him in his civvies with a couple of shopping bags, going about his business.
Last edited by Inspector Sands on 20 September 2018 8:02am - 2 times in total
DA
dafydd
I remember that 1994 show well and particular the Kinnock clip. I don't think you saw many politicians in a candid context back then.

I don't know what went so wrong with 'blooper' shows. Films/dramas keep outtakes for DVDs so may not reach YouTube before TV shows. Of course, live TV bloopers appear almost immediately online. For other recorded shows are people now too precious to allow mistakes to be released? Or is it harder to get production companies to release them? (or does the commercial rate for using footage make it too expensive?).
LL
Larry the Loafer
Given YouTube's rubbish automated copyright system, and the recent passing of Article 13 by the EU that aims to implement that system into the entirety of the internet, I don't like the idea some people have that outtake programmes are being made redundant by YouTube. 95% of the outtakes put on YouTube shouldn't be on there in the first place, if we're being technical here.

I'm going to guess that the decline of outtake shows relates to how uncommon outtakes used to be. Throughout the 80s and 90s, there was no other place to see such content. By the time DVDs became common in the early 2000s, and releases came with an array of special features, maybe they just weren't as valuable?

Saying that, I think the quality of the programmes has declined in general. Griff didn't do a terrible job, but I always felt like he was trying to pass off Denis and didn't do a very good job. The dry witticisms just became naff jokes. As for the BBC, the last stab they had was a cheap, narrated clip show voiced by Mel Giedroyc, which was put out late one night around Christmas. Before that, IIRC didn't Rufus Hound front a revamped and very short-lived Outtake TV?

At the end of the day, TV programmes just aren't made with the same quality that ITV put into their "shiny floor" entertainment shows of yesteryear. Nowadays, everything is shiny because they're too scared to lose the attention of the viewer.
AN
Andrew Founding member
I remember that 1994 show well and particular the Kinnock clip. I don't think you saw many politicians in a candid context back then.

I don't know what went so wrong with 'blooper' shows. Films/dramas keep outtakes for DVDs so may not reach YouTube before TV shows. Of course, live TV bloopers appear almost immediately online. For other recorded shows are people now too precious to allow mistakes to be released? Or is it harder to get production companies to release them? (or does the commercial rate for using footage make it too expensive?).


Just different times.

As mentioned above, IBAOTN was an occasional special rolled out rarely, and it was seen as something worth watching.

Can you imagine a blooper show, in any format on any channel being held in such regard these days. At best it’d do just about ok, at worst it’d be seen as cheap filler not worth bothering with.

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