ITV Early 70's sitcoms

Yes indeed It was standard practice at the time. Apparently producers at the time still hated the distinction between film and studio Video-tape, so it looks like they used film because they had to. Have to admit though, that programmes shot on all-film in the 80s like Bergerac did actually look quite good! Video-tape in those days was sharp, and stands up these days more than film of the time, but i thought it was bland! Film was much more interesting to look at.

Only Fools is the most famous of the later shows ISTR, for not swapping to VT totally!

It was still Film/VT mix up to the last new episode wasn't it ?

I wonder why?

'To Hull & Back' was totally film wasn't it?

Anyone remember the surprise they got when they first saw the Trotter's flat on film, rather than the usual studio VT?

The Miami episodes ISTR were usual film/VT for episode 1, but episode 2 was film, but ISTR letterboxed too?

I take the earlier poster's point about OB, as it wasn't live!

There was an ATV children's TV drama series in 1970 called Timeslip. They shot that as an OB, sending the pictures back to ATV's Elstree studio centre via a microwave link for VT recording.

http://www.timeslip.org.uk/production/location.php

I think One Foot in the Grave used film up to the last series as well, or at least some sort of filmic effect was put onto the location shots which wasnt there in the studio. I guess audiences had become used to having the two running side by side and so producers left it like that.

Funnily enough, I did borrow the DVD set from big sister, which I've still to watch properly!

On a similar topic, I couldn't help feeling when watching "A Duty Free Christmas" (1986) on the recent Network DVD how empty and cavernous it seemed, being shot entirely on film and, not surprisingly (but not inevitably by any means) without an audience track. OK so it was filmed in a real hotel, but a mockup hotel in a TV studio just seems to suit a sitcom more. I remember getting the same feeling from filmed 'Only Fools' too. Of course, it's not just the appearance, but the lack of interplay between the actors and the audience reaction, but just going all out for photographic excellence does seem to get in the way somewhat and push the characters to the background.

I remember thinking exactly the same thing when I watched that episode of Duty Free back in 1986.. many are quick to complain about 'canned laughter' or a live audience, but the lack of it meant that many jokes just didn't seem to go down as well as they would have done with an audience reaction.

Didn't they try to reproduce the "grainy" effect of film even when using VT for interior shots on Casualty many years ago?

ISTR the explanation was that it made the scenes more realistic (a very arty excuse) and the effect was dropped shortly afterwards as it just ended up looking cheap on good quality TVs of the time.