JE
Jenny
Founding member
I'm reading David Attenborough's memoirs "Life On Air" and came across this story, which is rather interesting, and I'm surprised I'd never heard it before:
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BBC2 needed a special symbol to indicate to those viewing in monochrome when we were transmitting in colour. I asked Presentation Department for suggestions. One of the the brightest of its producers, Richard Drewett, came to see me. "I have an idea," he said. "We could get Picasso to do the visual, perhaps an image being drawn on glass or something like that, and Stravinsky to provide the musical sting." I thought he was joking but he insisted that he knew a way to reach Picasso and he thought that the idea might appeal to him. I told him to investigate. BBC2 would be nailing its colours to the cultural mast, all right. So much for Hullabaloo and Custard!
A week or so later, Richard was back. Picasso was interested.
"What about his fee," I asked cautiously.
"Apparently he suggested a colour television set."
"But France does not have colour television yet," I said.
Richard laughed. "That," he said "is apparently what appeals to him about it. But he will only do it, if Stravinsky also agrees."
Two weeks later, Stravinsky died. So in the end we had to settle, rather feebly, for the existing BBC2 numeral with a dot in its loop and the word "Colour" beneath.
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BBC2 needed a special symbol to indicate to those viewing in monochrome when we were transmitting in colour. I asked Presentation Department for suggestions. One of the the brightest of its producers, Richard Drewett, came to see me. "I have an idea," he said. "We could get Picasso to do the visual, perhaps an image being drawn on glass or something like that, and Stravinsky to provide the musical sting." I thought he was joking but he insisted that he knew a way to reach Picasso and he thought that the idea might appeal to him. I told him to investigate. BBC2 would be nailing its colours to the cultural mast, all right. So much for Hullabaloo and Custard!
A week or so later, Richard was back. Picasso was interested.
"What about his fee," I asked cautiously.
"Apparently he suggested a colour television set."
"But France does not have colour television yet," I said.
Richard laughed. "That," he said "is apparently what appeals to him about it. But he will only do it, if Stravinsky also agrees."
Two weeks later, Stravinsky died. So in the end we had to settle, rather feebly, for the existing BBC2 numeral with a dot in its loop and the word "Colour" beneath.