TI
Shown as broadcast, but without the BBC announcer
One of tomorrow’s Drama repeats is the episode originally shown on New Years Eve 1987, and was scheduled 23:30-00:05. The live chimes of Big Ben and a BBC1 continuity announcer saying Happy New Year were incorporated into the episode, as seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3ULwWmBP80
I assume the master copy of the episode was in two parts - the first part ending when Den turned on the TV (after which the BBC switched to a feed of the live chimes) and the second part showing the characters singing Auld Lang Syne and the end credits. Presumably there was a period of black on the tape and a countdown clock into “part two”, and the BBC switched back to the EastEnders tape after the chimes/announcement.
I haven’t seen any repeats of this episode, but I doubt they will include the live chimes and BBC “Happy New Year” announcement as this wasn’t really part of the episode. It’s possible the whole tx was recorded and archived, but I don’t think a minute of chimes etc would really be appropriate for repeat broadcasts. Maybe two versions of the episode were post produced, the latter having a more appropriate transition between the two “parts”, and this version was used for archive/repeats and overseas sales.
It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow on the Drama episode!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3ULwWmBP80
I assume the master copy of the episode was in two parts - the first part ending when Den turned on the TV (after which the BBC switched to a feed of the live chimes) and the second part showing the characters singing Auld Lang Syne and the end credits. Presumably there was a period of black on the tape and a countdown clock into “part two”, and the BBC switched back to the EastEnders tape after the chimes/announcement.
I haven’t seen any repeats of this episode, but I doubt they will include the live chimes and BBC “Happy New Year” announcement as this wasn’t really part of the episode. It’s possible the whole tx was recorded and archived, but I don’t think a minute of chimes etc would really be appropriate for repeat broadcasts. Maybe two versions of the episode were post produced, the latter having a more appropriate transition between the two “parts”, and this version was used for archive/repeats and overseas sales.
It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow on the Drama episode!
Shown as broadcast, but without the BBC announcer
BU
For some reason, Jim Davidson’s Generation Game had a load of (C) MM episodes transmitted towards the end of 1999. Maybe the tx order changed? Although that show always seemed quite traditional in record/transmit rather than banking loads in one go.
Back to EE - is it possible the episode simply continues with a Big Ben, perhaps on the tv? It’s one way of ensuring it all lined up - ensure a fixed start time, then come back without any risk of an issue with the second bit. I’m guessing there was also an omnibus to think of. Anyone know what happened on the UK Gold repeats?
I do love the addition of the announcer VO - as if to say “no it really is 1988” 😀
I wasn’t far off - identical to the original tx, just missing the announcer VO. Not sure how that correlates with the story of NC1 having to “fake” midnight unless this was made up for repeats after the event.
Also, extremely truncated credits on Drama today (even shorter than the modern version) starting with the Designer credit. I am guessing this might simply be because of the longer running time of this ep perhaps, and UKTV trying to bring it in closer to the usual.
Actually wondering if that EastEnders episode has a 1987 or 1988 copyright date considering it straddled midnight and part of it was technically live, or should have been anyway (the credits are missing from that video).
On a similar vain one thing I remember on New year's eve 1997, the last programme shown before the new year show (which was a documentry on Dave Allen) had a 1998 copyright even though there was still an hour left of 1997 when it ended. I wonder if its broadcast was brought forward?
On a similar vain one thing I remember on New year's eve 1997, the last programme shown before the new year show (which was a documentry on Dave Allen) had a 1998 copyright even though there was still an hour left of 1997 when it ended. I wonder if its broadcast was brought forward?
For some reason, Jim Davidson’s Generation Game had a load of (C) MM episodes transmitted towards the end of 1999. Maybe the tx order changed? Although that show always seemed quite traditional in record/transmit rather than banking loads in one go.
Back to EE - is it possible the episode simply continues with a Big Ben, perhaps on the tv? It’s one way of ensuring it all lined up - ensure a fixed start time, then come back without any risk of an issue with the second bit. I’m guessing there was also an omnibus to think of. Anyone know what happened on the UK Gold repeats?
I do love the addition of the announcer VO - as if to say “no it really is 1988” 😀
I wasn’t far off - identical to the original tx, just missing the announcer VO. Not sure how that correlates with the story of NC1 having to “fake” midnight unless this was made up for repeats after the event.
Also, extremely truncated credits on Drama today (even shorter than the modern version) starting with the Designer credit. I am guessing this might simply be because of the longer running time of this ep perhaps, and UKTV trying to bring it in closer to the usual.
JA
The clip posted on the last page from the original broadcast shows the first couple of seconds of the credits- which also begins with the Designer credit, so that's clearly how it was originally shown.
JA
Still quite possible it's a PasB recording of the "live" broadcast, just recorded downstream of the BBC1 continuity announcer.
I wasn’t far off - identical to the original tx, just missing the announcer VO. Not sure how that correlates with the story of NC1 having to “fake” midnight unless this was made up for repeats after the event.
Still quite possible it's a PasB recording of the "live" broadcast, just recorded downstream of the BBC1 continuity announcer.
TI
Still quite possible it's a PasB recording of the "live" broadcast, just recorded downstream of the BBC1 continuity announcer.
Or they could have just overlaid the audio of the chimes from slightly later on to cover up the the announcer if they were on the recording.
I wasn’t far off - identical to the original tx, just missing the announcer VO. Not sure how that correlates with the story of NC1 having to “fake” midnight unless this was made up for repeats after the event.
Still quite possible it's a PasB recording of the "live" broadcast, just recorded downstream of the BBC1 continuity announcer.
Or they could have just overlaid the audio of the chimes from slightly later on to cover up the the announcer if they were on the recording.
BU
Ah well spotted. I wonder why - two lots of credits in one night is not unusual for EastEnders (25/12/86 being another example). There was however a scene cut where Ali and co sing a Turkish song, which didn’t seem particularly offensive (though I don’t know the translation!).
If you listen carefully between the chimes, you can hear low level chattering. Complete speculation but could be the audio from the studio tape as they all wait to continue with Auld Lang Syne?
The clip posted on the last page from the original broadcast shows the first couple of seconds of the credits- which also begins with the Designer credit, so that's clearly how it was originally shown.
Ah well spotted. I wonder why - two lots of credits in one night is not unusual for EastEnders (25/12/86 being another example). There was however a scene cut where Ali and co sing a Turkish song, which didn’t seem particularly offensive (though I don’t know the translation!).
If you listen carefully between the chimes, you can hear low level chattering. Complete speculation but could be the audio from the studio tape as they all wait to continue with Auld Lang Syne?
SC
Yes, this was mentioned on one of the websites for former Beeb employees, not that I can find it now - I seem to recall they said presentation uncovered some kind of technical reason why it wouldn't have worked to do it live, so they actually recorded it a few days earlier, and didn't tell anyone. Happier pre-complicance days, Though of course in the fifties and sixties they had a model of Big Ben in the pres studio they sometimes used instead of the real one.
Not knowing exactly what the technical issue was, is it possible the Big Ben sequence was actually edited into the episode prior to transmission, and the only live intervention at the time of broadcast was the BBC One announcer’s VO at midnight? That would explain why today’s repeat was identical except for the VO.
It would create a lot of unnecessary work to switch live between three sources/recordings, when the same result could be achieved by editing it all together in advance. The whole point of the exercise was to cross live to Big Ben, and once they realised this couldn’t be done (for some reason), there would be little point in inserting the recorded Big Ben sequence “live”.
BTW, I’m told that the Big Ben chimes that ended up being shown that night weren’t actually live as some technical fault meant the feed was lost, and the BBC showed a back-up recording. This still involved switching between the sources of course. And the public were none the wiser. The whole idea was quite progressive for 1987, I would say, and was pretty effective on air.
Yes, this was mentioned on one of the websites for former Beeb employees, not that I can find it now - I seem to recall they said presentation uncovered some kind of technical reason why it wouldn't have worked to do it live, so they actually recorded it a few days earlier, and didn't tell anyone. Happier pre-complicance days, Though of course in the fifties and sixties they had a model of Big Ben in the pres studio they sometimes used instead of the real one.
Not knowing exactly what the technical issue was, is it possible the Big Ben sequence was actually edited into the episode prior to transmission, and the only live intervention at the time of broadcast was the BBC One announcer’s VO at midnight? That would explain why today’s repeat was identical except for the VO.
It would create a lot of unnecessary work to switch live between three sources/recordings, when the same result could be achieved by editing it all together in advance. The whole point of the exercise was to cross live to Big Ben, and once they realised this couldn’t be done (for some reason), there would be little point in inserting the recorded Big Ben sequence “live”.
JA
Any editing Drama did today was probably down to the fact the episode was originally 35 minutes long so it would fit into the usual slot.
Will be interesting to see how ITV3 handle the Xmas day 1991 Corrie- that episode also ran for 35 minutes once you take the queen's speech out the middle of it (without adverts). ITV3 will have to put it into 40-45 minute slot to show it uncut!
Will be interesting to see how ITV3 handle the Xmas day 1991 Corrie- that episode also ran for 35 minutes once you take the queen's speech out the middle of it (without adverts). ITV3 will have to put it into 40-45 minute slot to show it uncut!
BU
Yes, this was mentioned on one of the websites for former Beeb employees, not that I can find it now - I seem to recall they said presentation uncovered some kind of technical reason why it wouldn't have worked to do it live, so they actually recorded it a few days earlier, and didn't tell anyone. Happier pre-complicance days, Though of course in the fifties and sixties they had a model of Big Ben in the pres studio they sometimes used instead of the real one.
Not knowing exactly what the technical issue was, is it possible the Big Ben sequence was actually edited into the episode prior to transmission, and the only live intervention at the time of broadcast was the BBC One announcer’s VO at midnight? That would explain why today’s repeat was identical except for the VO.
It would create a lot of unnecessary work to switch live between three sources/recordings, when the same result could be achieved by editing it all together in advance. The whole point of the exercise was to cross live to Big Ben, and once they realised this couldn’t be done (for some reason), there would be little point in inserting the recorded Big Ben sequence “live”.
It does look as though the TV in the Vic is showing ever so slightly different output (the shot appears to change as they cross to Big Ben full screen).
It’s probably lost to time now, but the apparent studio audio underneath the chimes does suggest some sort of involvement at transmission level - perhaps they left the audio up from VT assuming it was completely silent? Doesn’t seem likely that would make it through an edit. Then, the repeat version was made up from what was transmitted, as the master tape wasn’t much use as it had a big gap in it.
It’s one theory anyway - I find this sort of thing fascinating!
Edit: just watched the YouTube ep again and compared with the UKTV Play recording, and it may be the age/quality of the VHS transfer but I can’t hear any studio chatter on the “live” ep, whereas it’s quite obvious using earphones on the version shown on Drama today. Which suggests (theory time again) that NC1 did it fine on the night, but the edit made after tx for repeats has somehow left in the audio from the master that was never meant to be transmitted.
BTW, I’m told that the Big Ben chimes that ended up being shown that night weren’t actually live as some technical fault meant the feed was lost, and the BBC showed a back-up recording. This still involved switching between the sources of course. And the public were none the wiser. The whole idea was quite progressive for 1987, I would say, and was pretty effective on air.
Yes, this was mentioned on one of the websites for former Beeb employees, not that I can find it now - I seem to recall they said presentation uncovered some kind of technical reason why it wouldn't have worked to do it live, so they actually recorded it a few days earlier, and didn't tell anyone. Happier pre-complicance days, Though of course in the fifties and sixties they had a model of Big Ben in the pres studio they sometimes used instead of the real one.
Not knowing exactly what the technical issue was, is it possible the Big Ben sequence was actually edited into the episode prior to transmission, and the only live intervention at the time of broadcast was the BBC One announcer’s VO at midnight? That would explain why today’s repeat was identical except for the VO.
It would create a lot of unnecessary work to switch live between three sources/recordings, when the same result could be achieved by editing it all together in advance. The whole point of the exercise was to cross live to Big Ben, and once they realised this couldn’t be done (for some reason), there would be little point in inserting the recorded Big Ben sequence “live”.
It does look as though the TV in the Vic is showing ever so slightly different output (the shot appears to change as they cross to Big Ben full screen).
It’s probably lost to time now, but the apparent studio audio underneath the chimes does suggest some sort of involvement at transmission level - perhaps they left the audio up from VT assuming it was completely silent? Doesn’t seem likely that would make it through an edit. Then, the repeat version was made up from what was transmitted, as the master tape wasn’t much use as it had a big gap in it.
It’s one theory anyway - I find this sort of thing fascinating!
Edit: just watched the YouTube ep again and compared with the UKTV Play recording, and it may be the age/quality of the VHS transfer but I can’t hear any studio chatter on the “live” ep, whereas it’s quite obvious using earphones on the version shown on Drama today. Which suggests (theory time again) that NC1 did it fine on the night, but the edit made after tx for repeats has somehow left in the audio from the master that was never meant to be transmitted.
Last edited by buster on 5 March 2019 10:03pm - 2 times in total
JA
Would be good if someone could pull up the paperwork for this episode, it might shed some light on what was done!