Last time BBC Parliament aired the 1979 election did they air the news bulletin that went out at 9:30pm that night? It's on air now.
They've always shown the news bulletin before it, presumably because they cut to the election studio during it and link directly to it, it was on the mastertape - whereas in other elections they've not had the news bulletins, presumably as they came through continuity. When they first showed this election in 2002 I was absolutely fascinated by the whole thing and so I know the news bulletin more or less off by heart ("the terrorists, fifteen in number, including three girls").
I'm assuming they've edited out for where they opt out to the region's?
They threw to the region's about 20 minutes ago but stayed in the Election studio before returning via a hard cut which I can only assuming was the throwback to the studio...
They haven't edited out any of the opts given that, as mentioned, they carried on during the opts for London (and Nothern Ireland overnight). Any wonky cuts are likely to be thanks to original clunky 1979 technology.
That is right. So in 1979 it was left to David Dimbleby and others in Television Centre to cover whilst the rest of the UK went for their opt out.
The silence when they are waiting for the rest of the regions to return is awkward.
This was the case for every election in the seventies, in October 1974 Sue Lawley is promoted as the new face for the election and appears in the titles, and then more or less only does the London opts so most viewers will have wondered where the hell she was. It was very much the network programme just carried on and the regions opted out, rather than the programme actually stopping.
Of course, this election was considered a bit of a disaster for the Beeb at the time, missing the first two results and then buggering off for Play School before Thatcher arrived at number ten, and ITN were considered to be superior by every measure - as Stilgoe seems to refer to in his song. But obviously it's great fun.