My favourite was always the scenery shifters strike; Blue Peter presented from a totally empty set, Grandstand from Nationwide (or was it the other way around?), That's Life from the Two Ronnies....ah they don't have strikes like they used to...
Perhaps they were trying to make a statement by doing that because they could have done an OB from the BP garden - but obviously depending on what time of year it was/weather, could have made it difficult.
Blue Peter was affected by strikes quite often. Apparently there was a scene shifters' strike which affected TV Centre only, so BP used Studio G at Lime Grove which had been mothballed two years earlier but equipment had been left installed. Apparently there was a puff of smoke seen in the apps room and the programme ended in sound only!
A cautionary tale for if they ever need to bring N9 out of mothballs?
I also remember Yorkshire TV being affected by an electrician's strike and a lunchtime calendar going out with the presenter lit only by the house lights. I believe they showed the subtitles in-vision on that occasion.
Perhaps they were trying to make a statement by doing that because they could have done an OB from the BP garden - but obviously depending on what time of year it was/weather, could have made it difficult.
It was September 1980, they did it for two consecutive shows (Peter Duncan's second and third shows, fact fans). In the first one, they managed to make a feature out of this by doing a guided tour of the studio. In 1989, they recorded the dress rehearsal and transmitted that because of a strike.
Oh, also, in 1979, during one strike there was an episode with two new films that were scheduled to be screened that day and two archive films, linked by the continuity announcer over still photos, which to me exhibits incredible ingenuity. I'd love to see that episode.
That mention earlier of out-of-vision news reminds me that North West Tonight did that in the strike in 1994, with a still NWT caption on screen when someone, presumably a guy from GMR as I never heard him before or since, read it out.
Perhaps they were trying to make a statement by doing that because they could have done an OB from the BP garden - but obviously depending on what time of year it was/weather, could have made it difficult.
It was September 1980, they did it for two consecutive shows (Peter Duncan's second and third shows, fact fans). In the first one, they managed to make a feature out of this by doing a guided tour of the studio.
I remember that. Didn't they start the show sitting on cushions on the floor?
That mention earlier of out-of-vision news reminds me that North West Tonight did that in the strike in 1994, with a still NWT caption on screen when someone, presumably a guy from GMR as I never heard him before or since, read it out.
That reminds me, in 94, when they had that strike they showed a very long film in place of Breakfast News, which to a 7 year old at the time was very confusing. Again in 1998 when Breakfast News had been replaced with News 24 and Call My Bluff, which was weird to see in the morning.
Perhaps they were trying to make a statement by doing that because they could have done an OB from the BP garden - but obviously depending on what time of year it was/weather, could have made it difficult.
They didn't usually do the BP garden as OBs - they wheeled studio cameras out into the garden instead.
There was strict demarcation in those days as to what was an OB (and covered by the OB operation at Kendal Avenue) and what was a Studio (and covered by the teams at TVC)
Blue Peter was affected by strikes quite often. Apparently there was a scene shifters' strike which affected TV Centre only, so BP used Studio G at Lime Grove which had been mothballed two years earlier but equipment had been left installed. Apparently there was a puff of smoke seen in the apps room and the programme ended in sound only!
A cautionary tale for if they ever need to bring N9 out of mothballs?
I also remember Yorkshire TV being affected by an electrician's strike and a lunchtime calendar going out with the presenter lit only by the house lights. I believe they showed the subtitles in-vision on that occasion.
I believe that gallery has been on-air quite recently, though the BBC World gallery can also work on that staffing level...
That mention earlier of out-of-vision news reminds me that North West Tonight did that in the strike in 1994, with a still NWT caption on screen when someone, presumably a guy from GMR as I never heard him before or since, read it out.
That reminds me, in 94, when they had that strike they showed a very long film in place of Breakfast News, which to a 7 year old at the time was very confusing. Again in 1998 when Breakfast News had been replaced with News 24 and Call My Bluff, which was weird to see in the morning.
Shows how times have changed that at that poinr they didn't feel they could simulcast News 24 for the whole Breakfast News slot, they mixed it up with some daytime repeats too!