TV Breakdown Appreciation Thread

BBC Four having some technical difficulties with the start of programmes tonight when trying to cross to BBC News so they decided to go to a programme about trains...


*old TVForum joke alert...*

Magic TV is currently airing "Every No.1 of the Noughties" but the years are all screwy and going backwards. It for example thinks that Eminem Without me came out in 1996 (was actually 2002), Will Young's Light my Fire in 1995 (also 2002) and Eminem Lose Yourself in 1981... YES 1981!! (2002). Not sure what's going on there then!

Originally it counted down to 68, from somewhere in the 100s, then turned to 2002 starting with Will Young - Evergreen, which does align to the year the song was released, so it could be that the years are supposed to be shown and this one started the point at which they corresponded, but then from this point, rather than being a set number, it's still acting as though it's a countdown and '2002 is actually No.2002, No.2001.. etc.

Once on Challenge TV, they were showing the rival of Gladiators and around half-way through one episode, a caption appeared on screen saying we apologies for the sound fault or something, and I didn't hear or saw any fault at all, so no idea what gone off there.

Also on Sky1 once during (I think it was) Mad Dogs, the same caption was shown and that time, there was a sound fault which during the first half or so it keep crackling, I believe this was during the Sky with a big blue 1 era.

Maybe the caption was accidentally broadcast on the wrong channel? Or the caption could've been burnt into Challenge's recording, and a fault that happened when it first aired on Sky 1 had been fixed?

A BBC 2 breakdown from 1985 where the show fails to play right from the start.

Those were the days. Did I not start that joke? 🤔

I thought it originated from Spud or Pete?

You’re thinking of Dimblebot, which if I recall correctly was a robot parody of the host of Jonathan Dimbleby, Jonathan Dimbleby.

I remember a couple of times when the fire alarm went off, in the bbc news room, in the 1980s. Both times the 6 o clock news was affected. Left with static caption and music.

How long was the gap between the fire and the news airing? I’m assuming the CA would have to evacuate also?