RD
It's a shame ITV didn't drop last night's Piers Morgans Life Stories to show the Bruce Forsyth one instead of the Barry Gibb one.
I do hope ITV pay tribute to him somehow given that it was on ITV that he started his television career, and to show there is no bad blood since his bitter breakup with LWT and YTV as explained a few posts back.
I do hope ITV pay tribute to him somehow given that it was on ITV that he started his television career, and to show there is no bad blood since his bitter breakup with LWT and YTV as explained a few posts back.
IS
Nicolas Parsons is 93, has been in showbusiness since 1945 and still working
Don't think there are many of the old school left - Ken Dodd I suppose is probably the other best known example of a similar age and statute who is still actively on tour.
Nicolas Parsons is 93, has been in showbusiness since 1945 and still working
WH
There was no bad blood with LWT and YTV, it was between him and David Liddiment who was at Network Centre. It was often said he vowed never to work for ITV again, but the actual quote was "while that man still works there".
Victoria Wood had a brilliantly made ITV tribute, so I've little doubt Brucie will get one.
Incidentally, I used to have a lot of dealings with Syco, and during the development process of Britain's Got Talent (which resulted in the pilot Paul O'Grady's Got Talent), they seriously explored the possibility of Brucie's Got Talent.
Whataday
Founding member
I do hope ITV pay tribute to him somehow given that it was on ITV that he started his television career, and to show there is no bad blood since his bitter breakup with LWT and YTV as explained a few posts back.
There was no bad blood with LWT and YTV, it was between him and David Liddiment who was at Network Centre. It was often said he vowed never to work for ITV again, but the actual quote was "while that man still works there".
Victoria Wood had a brilliantly made ITV tribute, so I've little doubt Brucie will get one.
Incidentally, I used to have a lot of dealings with Syco, and during the development process of Britain's Got Talent (which resulted in the pilot Paul O'Grady's Got Talent), they seriously explored the possibility of Brucie's Got Talent.
IS
I'm sure I've seen something similar where one of the people talking about the deceased died before they did. that is unsettling
I find these tribute programmes really unsettling, knowing people like Tess Daly had to be asked about Bruce but to answer in a past tense like he was already dead. Must be fairly unpleasant for all involved.
I'm sure I've seen something similar where one of the people talking about the deceased died before they did. that is unsettling
ME
I expect Bruce's work was near the top of the pile to be digitised, and so it's all instantly available to editors. Sadly the BBC's effort to digitise their entire archive was wound up (see the TV Studio history website). Everything else is on videotape with a bit of film -- with a limited lifespan.
As far as I could tell, everything the BBC have used looks like it's come straight from the archives, which I have to give them credit for.
I expect Bruce's work was near the top of the pile to be digitised, and so it's all instantly available to editors. Sadly the BBC's effort to digitise their entire archive was wound up (see the TV Studio history website). Everything else is on videotape with a bit of film -- with a limited lifespan.
BL
I was sat in telecine one day and was idly switching around on a monitor looking at what was coming into the building from far away and my eye was caught by a dimly lit studio. I wandered around to MCR and asked what it was and they told me that it was an incoming feed from LWT and that they were about to record a segment for Brucie's Big Night. The segment to be recorded was 'Beat the Goalie' which was taking place in one of our own studios with a local goalie and contestant. It was a Thursday night and as this was being recorded in London I don't quite know why we needed a return feed from LWT as it did not actually involve Bruce at all.
I wandered back round to telecine and looked at the picture on the monitor again. It was quite simply an unlit, unset studio with a single EMI2001 camera with LWT on it's side panel in the middle of the studio tilted down almost as though it was gracefully at sleep. Graceful would not be an understatement. My mind wandered back for a moment to the days when, as a boy, I would marvel at programmes made by that company as they all seemed so exciting, so 'showbiz'. I vowed there and then that someday I would work for that company. And I did, for very nearly 30 years and it was the time of my life. So perhaps In some strange way I owe a special 'thank you' to Sir Bruce for that initial spark.
I wandered back round to telecine and looked at the picture on the monitor again. It was quite simply an unlit, unset studio with a single EMI2001 camera with LWT on it's side panel in the middle of the studio tilted down almost as though it was gracefully at sleep. Graceful would not be an understatement. My mind wandered back for a moment to the days when, as a boy, I would marvel at programmes made by that company as they all seemed so exciting, so 'showbiz'. I vowed there and then that someday I would work for that company. And I did, for very nearly 30 years and it was the time of my life. So perhaps In some strange way I owe a special 'thank you' to Sir Bruce for that initial spark.
NT
It was a shame that - Nick Higham's brilliant obit aside - the BBC News coverage glossed over his sizeable ITV career somewhat. His TV career began there, and for lots of people he'll always be Mr Play Your Cards Right rather than Mr Strictly. I wonder how many people who saw those clips of the Palladium show clips for the first time assumed it was a BBC production? He was a major figure for both broadcasters and while I guess that BBC News glossing over his career for a rival is in some respects inevitable, you do expect a little better.
His forays into America aside, the story of Forsyth's TV career is also the story of British light entertainment broadcasting - the early variety shows, the massive game shows, the decline into safe formats, an early 2000s slump, a amazing rebirth via shiny floor talent shows. There'll never be another one.
Incidentally, if there's a tribute night - you could have a whole (London) weekend if you wanted - I hope there's room for Michael Grade's The Fight For Saturday Night documentary. It's a bit "Grade meets his mates" in part, but it's fascinating viewing.
Off to watch the BBC1 tribute...
Bruce Forsyth is a bit like Dr Who - you've got the one you grew up with; Play Your Cards Right in our house pic.twitter.com/RBhzb5YRpb
— Stuart Taylor (@stuartctaylor) August 18, 2017
It was a shame that - Nick Higham's brilliant obit aside - the BBC News coverage glossed over his sizeable ITV career somewhat. His TV career began there, and for lots of people he'll always be Mr Play Your Cards Right rather than Mr Strictly. I wonder how many people who saw those clips of the Palladium show clips for the first time assumed it was a BBC production? He was a major figure for both broadcasters and while I guess that BBC News glossing over his career for a rival is in some respects inevitable, you do expect a little better.
His forays into America aside, the story of Forsyth's TV career is also the story of British light entertainment broadcasting - the early variety shows, the massive game shows, the decline into safe formats, an early 2000s slump, a amazing rebirth via shiny floor talent shows. There'll never be another one.
Incidentally, if there's a tribute night - you could have a whole (London) weekend if you wanted - I hope there's room for Michael Grade's The Fight For Saturday Night documentary. It's a bit "Grade meets his mates" in part, but it's fascinating viewing.
Off to watch the BBC1 tribute...
NG
I expect Bruce's work was near the top of the pile to be digitised, and so it's all instantly available to editors. Sadly the BBC's effort to digitise their entire archive was wound up (see the TV Studio history website). Everything else is on videotape with a bit of film -- with a limited lifespan.
Though all the D3 transfers, and the later 1" transfers, will have an uncompressed LTO data tape copy (component but decoded through the best-in-class Transform PAL decoder, which is reversible should a better PAL decode technique be developed) LTO is a commodity 'IT' tape standard - suitable for migration to future digital standards using automated robot tape-handlers.
noggin
Founding member
As far as I could tell, everything the BBC have used looks like it's come straight from the archives, which I have to give them credit for.
I expect Bruce's work was near the top of the pile to be digitised, and so it's all instantly available to editors. Sadly the BBC's effort to digitise their entire archive was wound up (see the TV Studio history website). Everything else is on videotape with a bit of film -- with a limited lifespan.
Though all the D3 transfers, and the later 1" transfers, will have an uncompressed LTO data tape copy (component but decoded through the best-in-class Transform PAL decoder, which is reversible should a better PAL decode technique be developed) LTO is a commodity 'IT' tape standard - suitable for migration to future digital standards using automated robot tape-handlers.
BM
BM11
Challenge are ending every episode with a dedication screen.
LL
I'm a tad perplexed by the dispute with ITV. He left in 2001 after that run of Bruce's Price is Right finished, and Play Your Cards Right had finished two years previous. So how did he end up presenting another series of PYCR in 2002? It's said he was off our screens for some time before his spot on HIGNFY, but it seems like that was only a year after the 2002 series of PYCR started.