MY
Preference is relative, and subjective. I love the style of the second one - very 90s chic - but it's also irrelevant because it's the one I heard *first* and as such is my "control" theme - hearing the second theme was the "different" theme.
It's like covers of songs. If I hear a cover first, that's my reference point and then everything else is *different*, even if it's *original*. Thus why Uptown Girl by Billy Joel always sounds slightly odd/wrong to me because I heard the polished, produced-to-within-an-inch-of-its-life version by Westlife first.
In synaesthesiac terms, they're different colours.
It's like covers of songs. If I hear a cover first, that's my reference point and then everything else is *different*, even if it's *original*. Thus why Uptown Girl by Billy Joel always sounds slightly odd/wrong to me because I heard the polished, produced-to-within-an-inch-of-its-life version by Westlife first.
In synaesthesiac terms, they're different colours.
JA
"Life is the name of the game"
Not any more.
And it was wrong anyway, it was called "The Generation Game"
Not any more.
And it was wrong anyway, it was called "The Generation Game"
AK
I know the thread's moved back to Brucie, but I think the main reason why that generation of TV entertainers would work in such circumstances and the current one won't is that many more of them had seen military service, during the Second World War and (in Winters' case, presumably) the period of compulsory conscription after it. It's the same reason why jockeys could die while racing and even the specialist racing press wouldn't give it much space. People who had had to do military service took it for granted; people who haven't don't. (This isn't "they don't know they're born today" - like you I think things are a lot better now in this respect - but I think it is undisputably and unquestionably the reason for the change.)
It reminds me a bit of a episode of Les-era Blankety Blank they showed on Challenge ages ago with Bernie Winters on the panel, who was wearing dark glasses and there was a lot of talk about how he was very ill but was such a trouper to come and do it. But it wasn't very entertaining to see him like that.
I mean, I love the stories about old showbiz as much as anyone, but it's like if you look at an old issue of the TV Times and a lot of the features and interviews go into graphic detail about the illnesses and injuries people have suffered. I think sometimes it's nicer now to realise people on the telly are human, and don't just soldier on regardless.
I mean, I love the stories about old showbiz as much as anyone, but it's like if you look at an old issue of the TV Times and a lot of the features and interviews go into graphic detail about the illnesses and injuries people have suffered. I think sometimes it's nicer now to realise people on the telly are human, and don't just soldier on regardless.
I know the thread's moved back to Brucie, but I think the main reason why that generation of TV entertainers would work in such circumstances and the current one won't is that many more of them had seen military service, during the Second World War and (in Winters' case, presumably) the period of compulsory conscription after it. It's the same reason why jockeys could die while racing and even the specialist racing press wouldn't give it much space. People who had had to do military service took it for granted; people who haven't don't. (This isn't "they don't know they're born today" - like you I think things are a lot better now in this respect - but I think it is undisputably and unquestionably the reason for the change.)
NJ
Neil Jones
Founding member
I should probably apologise for derailing the thread as I mentioned Mr Cooper in the first place in this thread. But anyway...
Was the famous cuddly toy on the Generation Game belt from the off or was it added later?
There's a nice picture and anecdote here of a former Generation Game contestant with Brucie and Rosemarie Ford:
http://www.timesandstar.co.uk/news/Former-contestant-of-the-Generation-Game-pays-tribute-to-Bruce-Forsyth-3624b36e-3007-419a-b34f-8afd949fb3d8-ds
Was the famous cuddly toy on the Generation Game belt from the off or was it added later?
There's a nice picture and anecdote here of a former Generation Game contestant with Brucie and Rosemarie Ford:
http://www.timesandstar.co.uk/news/Former-contestant-of-the-Generation-Game-pays-tribute-to-Bruce-Forsyth-3624b36e-3007-419a-b34f-8afd949fb3d8-ds
PF
Speaking of the theme tunes, I couldn't remember what they used for Jim Davidson's version of the show so looked it up on YouTube. Oh dear, what happened? The first theme/credit sequence was passable but still not great. The second (and last series IIRC) was absolutely diabolical. What were they smoking when they thought that idea up?
DE
Zoe Ball on Radio Two yesterday afternoon was reminiscing about Strictly (the red carpet for this years launch was being rigged outside NBH, which prompted her link) and said how Bruce would always do a song and dance number with Dave Arch and his Orchestra for the studio audience before a live Strictly show. It's that kind of thing that set him apart from others I think.
BU
Jim was/is a big Emerson Lake and Palmer fan. Pure self-indulgence on his part...
The original Jim theme (series 1) was alright, given they were going to have to change it from the Bruce theme anyway. The series 2 and 3 remix always seemed a bit odd given there wasn't much wrong with it in the first place. And as you say, from series 4, opening with ELP was just bonkers.
I do prefer the 90s version of the Bruce Gen Game theme, I also loved how many different versions of the stings there were through the show. They really brought it up to date whilst putting a nice new spin on it.
Interestingly in the non-broadcast pilot of Larry Grayson's Gen Game they use an instrumental of the Bruce theme - with no credit on the end for him as writer. Although as it didn't go out, guess it didn't matter too much.
Funny how that show that Jim stood in for Bruce on has never turned up as it basically got him the job. Did Roy Castle fill in once too or did I imagine that?
Karn Evil 9. Riffing on the "show that never ends" theme I guess.
Jim was/is a big Emerson Lake and Palmer fan. Pure self-indulgence on his part...
The original Jim theme (series 1) was alright, given they were going to have to change it from the Bruce theme anyway. The series 2 and 3 remix always seemed a bit odd given there wasn't much wrong with it in the first place. And as you say, from series 4, opening with ELP was just bonkers.
I do prefer the 90s version of the Bruce Gen Game theme, I also loved how many different versions of the stings there were through the show. They really brought it up to date whilst putting a nice new spin on it.
Interestingly in the non-broadcast pilot of Larry Grayson's Gen Game they use an instrumental of the Bruce theme - with no credit on the end for him as writer. Although as it didn't go out, guess it didn't matter too much.
Funny how that show that Jim stood in for Bruce on has never turned up as it basically got him the job. Did Roy Castle fill in once too or did I imagine that?
RW
When it was introduced, the first version of Jim's theme sounded very familiar to me, and at the time I was sure it was the theme tune that was used when Larry Grayson did the show (I can only very vaguely remember Larry Grayson's Generation Game as I was only five years old when it ended). However clips online show that the 'Shut That Door' theme, which I have no recollection of, was in fact used right up the final edition on New Year's Day 1982. Maybe Jim's theme had been used as Larry's closing theme in the last series in 1981? Or maybe it had in fact never been used before at all, and I was getting nostalgic over that music for no reason?
Robert Williams
Founding member
The original Jim theme (series 1) was alright, given they were going to have to change it from the Bruce theme anyway.
When it was introduced, the first version of Jim's theme sounded very familiar to me, and at the time I was sure it was the theme tune that was used when Larry Grayson did the show (I can only very vaguely remember Larry Grayson's Generation Game as I was only five years old when it ended). However clips online show that the 'Shut That Door' theme, which I have no recollection of, was in fact used right up the final edition on New Year's Day 1982. Maybe Jim's theme had been used as Larry's closing theme in the last series in 1981? Or maybe it had in fact never been used before at all, and I was getting nostalgic over that music for no reason?