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TV Breakdown Appreciation Thread

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JA
james-2001
The break being where the BBC had themselves cut the film to put the pre-titles scene after the titles.
itvblocks and Inspector Sands gave kudos
MA
Markymark
You'll find cases of telecine faults from the time that they used to put film straight to air too. There's an infamous one of the film breaking on air during an episode of Star Trek, I've seen one from Newsround as well.

Before he recently retired, a colleague used to regale us of tales of his days in LWT. As a trainee in telecine, he was being shown the ropes by an old hand who had not long returned from lunch. Transmission buzzed down to complain about a hair in the gate. I think the standard procedure was to get an air puffer to dislodge it, but this chap went for the more rustic approach of blowing at it himself. The hair disappeared, but was replaced by some bits of sandwich...


There was a clip that I think has now been taken down on You Tube of a hair in the gate on a TSW showing of Space 1999. They fade it out, and up comes Judi Spiers apologising for a 'tree branch', that's found its way into the picture
SC
Si-Co
You'll find cases of telecine faults from the time that they used to put film straight to air too. There's an infamous one of the film breaking on air during an episode of Star Trek, I've seen one from Newsround as well.

Before he recently retired, a colleague used to regale us of tales of his days in LWT. As a trainee in telecine, he was being shown the ropes by an old hand who had not long returned from lunch. Transmission buzzed down to complain about a hair in the gate. I think the standard procedure was to get an air puffer to dislodge it, but this chap went for the more rustic approach of blowing at it himself. The hair disappeared, but was replaced by some bits of sandwich...


There was a clip that I think has now been taken down on You Tube of a hair in the gate on a TSW showing of Space 1999. They fade it out, and up comes Judi Spiers apologising for a 'tree branch', that's found its way into the picture


This video exists of the incident, though ISTR actually seeing footage of the “tree branch” in the gate, which isn’t included hefe:

Last edited by Si-Co on 6 February 2020 1:13pm
MA
Markymark
Si-Co posted:
Before he recently retired, a colleague used to regale us of tales of his days in LWT. As a trainee in telecine, he was being shown the ropes by an old hand who had not long returned from lunch. Transmission buzzed down to complain about a hair in the gate. I think the standard procedure was to get an air puffer to dislodge it, but this chap went for the more rustic approach of blowing at it himself. The hair disappeared, but was replaced by some bits of sandwich...


There was a clip that I think has now been taken down on You Tube of a hair in the gate on a TSW showing of Space 1999. They fade it out, and up comes Judi Spiers apologising for a 'tree branch', that's found its way into the picture


This video exists of the incident, though ISTR actually seeing footage of the “tree branch” in the gate, which isn’t included here:



I wonder what the protocol for breakdowns was with Channel back then ? Did TSW's TC shout down the 4-wire to CTV that they were about to cut away from the programme, and count them down ?
IS
Inspector Sands
It's a good question. Would they have had a 4-wire though?
Might well have been that Channel just accepted the risk of showing TSW's output in such a situation?
SC
Si-Co
It's a good question. Would they have had a 4-wire though?
Might well have been that Channel just accepted the risk of showing TSW's output in such a situation?


In later years TVS always used unbranded breakdown slides for the benefit of Channel, but TSW went with something very local on this occasion. It’s possible Channel May not even have been taking that programme I suppose, though their opt-outs were few and far between.

That video doesn’t show the breakdown in context - maybe there was a few seconds of black prior to Judi Spiers appearing in vision which Channel should have picked up on and thrown a local caption up?
SP
Steve in Pudsey
Pretty sure there was talkback to CTV. Seem to recall an anecdote about somebody in the TVS MCR (or similar) making a remark about Jersey forgetting they could be heard there and getting an uncomfortable phone call.

Presumably the routine sheets at TSW/TVS/Meridian would have indicated if Channel were with them for a given programme or junction so they knew if they needed to be unbranded?
MA
Markymark
Si-Co posted:
Before he recently retired, a colleague used to regale us of tales of his days in LWT. As a trainee in telecine, he was being shown the ropes by an old hand who had not long returned from lunch. Transmission buzzed down to complain about a hair in the gate. I think the standard procedure was to get an air puffer to dislodge it, but this chap went for the more rustic approach of blowing at it himself. The hair disappeared, but was replaced by some bits of sandwich...


There was a clip that I think has now been taken down on You Tube of a hair in the gate on a TSW showing of Space 1999. They fade it out, and up comes Judi Spiers apologising for a 'tree branch', that's found its way into the picture


This video exists of the incident, though ISTR actually seeing footage of the tree branch in the gate, which isn’t includdd hefe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av7wPq8Bg_E


Si-Co posted:
It's a good question. Would they have had a 4-wire though?
Might well have been that Channel just accepted the risk of showing TSW's output in such a situation?


In later years TVS always used unbranded breakdown slides for the benefit of Channel, but TSW went with something very local on this occasion. It’s possible Channel May not even have been taking that programme I suppose, though their opt-outs were few and far between.

That video doesn’t show the breakdown in context - maybe there was a few seconds of black prior to Judi Spiers appearing in vision which Channel should have picked up on and thrown a local caption up?


I'm on a train at present so I won't play the clip again 😎, but does Judi mention TSW at all? If not CTV could have put up an apology slide, but still carried her voice?
RI
Richard
You'll find cases of telecine faults from the time that they used to put film straight to air too. There's an infamous one of the film breaking on air during an episode of Star Trek, I've seen one from Newsround as well.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8xLEl_Uh1Q

(probably been posted here before but I might aswell wack it on here again)


Was it a regular thing for the BBC to move pre-credit sequences to after the credits? Did they think people wouldn’t like cold opens?
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
You'll find cases of telecine faults from the time that they used to put film straight to air too. There's an infamous one of the film breaking on air during an episode of Star Trek, I've seen one from Newsround as well.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8xLEl_Uh1Q

(probably been posted here before but I might aswell wack it on here again)


Was it a regular thing for the BBC to move pre-credit sequences to after the credits? Did they think people wouldn’t like cold opens?


They were still doing that years later, even when they were airing Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Malcolm in the Middle and whatever else. Yet I think they may have been the only network to do so as late as that.

Of course ITV and Channel 4 had American imports too but I don't believe (happy to be corrected) they converted them to be a "warm" open, they were just shown cold?
SP
Steve in Pudsey
Si-Co posted:

There was a clip that I think has now been taken down on You Tube of a hair in the gate on a TSW showing of Space 1999. They fade it out, and up comes Judi Spiers apologising for a 'tree branch', that's found its way into the picture


This video exists of the incident, though ISTR actually seeing footage of the tree branch in the gate, which isn’t includdd hefe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av7wPq8Bg_E


Si-Co posted:
It's a good question. Would they have had a 4-wire though?
Might well have been that Channel just accepted the risk of showing TSW's output in such a situation?


In later years TVS always used unbranded breakdown slides for the benefit of Channel, but TSW went with something very local on this occasion. It’s possible Channel May not even have been taking that programme I suppose, though their opt-outs were few and far between.

That video doesn’t show the breakdown in context - maybe there was a few seconds of black prior to Judi Spiers appearing in vision which Channel should have picked up on and thrown a local caption up?


I'm on a train at present so I won't play the clip again 😎, but does Judi mention TSW at all? If not CTV could have put up an apology slide, but still carried her voice?

But wouldn't they have had their own continuity announcer most of the time? It was only overnight that they shared wasnt it?
MA
Markymark
Si-Co posted:

This video exists of the incident, though ISTR actually seeing footage of the tree branch in the gate, which isn’t includdd hefe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av7wPq8Bg_E


Si-Co posted:

In later years TVS always used unbranded breakdown slides for the benefit of Channel, but TSW went with something very local on this occasion. It’s possible Channel May not even have been taking that programme I suppose, though their opt-outs were few and far between.

That video doesn’t show the breakdown in context - maybe there was a few seconds of black prior to Judi Spiers appearing in vision which Channel should have picked up on and thrown a local caption up?


I'm on a train at present so I won't play the clip again 😎, but does Judi mention TSW at all? If not CTV could have put up an apology slide, but still carried her voice?

But wouldn't they have had their own continuity announcer most of the time?


Yes, but how long would they have known to talk for ? Smile

In Ken Bruce's auto biography he talks about being a CA on Radio Scotland, and having to repeat simultaneously what the R4 London announcer was saying in his headphones

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