ITV Telethon

If we're talking about the short regional slots in the main night on BBC One the last time it came from a studio on BBC North was 1991 with Mike Neville and Wendy Gibson, they also had audience seating which was impressive for the Pink Palace.

After that it was done from the BBC reception area, usually Paddy MacDee and Wendy Gibson. I know the 1998 one came from the Sunderland Glass Centre as I was at it.

I remember being in one in Manchester in the late 90s which came from their news studio - or at least the then North West Tonight set was in the studio pushed to one corner - I remember thinking how odd it looked when it wasn't lit (it was the multicoloured set which was used before standard sets came in - but the basic set was just white).

Interesting points of discussion that I've always wondered about: Who produced the telethons? I presume all the regions pitched in production cost wise. Also I presume recordings of each telethon (network feed most likely) would have been made at the time as per IBA regulations and do they still exist? (the recordings, not the IBA )

Didn't Thames produce the networked part of the ITV Telethons with LWT providing the opt in London even though it was shown at the weekend?

Wasn't it the other way round? (Network Came from South Bank/London Studios!)

The main networked part of the Telethon came from LWT on the South Bank, the local bits came from OBs. I remember them coming from The Connaught Rooms - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ddu7juBiq8U#t=5m54s but I've seen a trail somewhere for another year's where they mention several locations including Hays Galleria (i'll try and find that). The presenters and guest appearances were from both LWT and Thames programmes - Danny Baker, Emma Freud, Jim Davidson etc.

Although the 1992 one was all at the weekend, the 1988 and possibly the 1990 one were on bank holiday Sunday/Monday. It's possible that the local bits crewed and produced by Thames to do their bit as LWT were doing the national segments. It could be that they didn't get involved in 1992 post-franchise and when it wasn't in their airtime. The design of the main programme was very 'LWT' - a shiny floor show decked out in red white and blue

Thames did do a couple of Telethons by themselves - one in 1980 and the other in 1985

Yes, and of course they were on during the week, leading to some fabulous scheduling, having to work around all the usual news bulletins, schools programmes and even a golf tournament in 1980.

The This Morning bit was in 1992, and that last Telethon wasn't such a marathon effort as there were loads of pre-recorded bits, there was a film overnight that you could vote for, there was an hour-long compilation of Princes Trust concerts because they were one of the charities that benefited, and in the morning there was that Michaela Strachan TVam thing, which was clearly pre-recorded, and two hours of The Disney Club, which was also on tape. And Richard and Judy fronted two hours from the Albert Dock. As was said earlier, lots of sponsorship too, I remember the kids Blind Date was sponsored by Safeway and they made particular reference to them being the kids of Safeway employees.

In 1988 and 1990 it was more like one big show, Mike Aspel did the whole thing, but in 1988 he went off for a bit in the morning and Gaz Top presented for an hour or so with items for kids. I remember in 1990 Andy Crane appeared and announced he was joining Motormouth, which left me slack-jawed. And, of course, you could always work out what time it was by what Asp was wearing, starting in a dinner jacket, then after a few hours changing to a normal suit, then a jacket and jeans, then a jumper, before working his way back up again to a dinner jacket again by the end of it.

As for Children In Need sets, I remember in 1991 the North West opt-out was done from The 8.15 From Manchester set, with the 8.15 logos intact. Presumably they just needed a set and that was hanging around in the scenery dock, although it was its last appearance as the 8.15 never came back for another series.

I haven 't checked TV Ark for a while but they've been busy uploading stuff onto their media player I see and there's some classic CiN stuff from the 90s on there now.
http://www.tv-ark.org.uk/mivana/mediaplayer.php?id=798c2784a0ad1aefa5d896387b2ba10a&media=bbc_CIN_1991&type=mp4
This clip is the opening titles from 1991 with a round-the-regions DVE in the titles sequence (That doesn't quite go to plan!) with The Pink Palace, Pebble Mill, Cardiff, Glasgow and Middle Wallop (!) all featured. There's some regional stuff on TVArk now from BBC Northwest too. All very interesting. Less said about Andi Peters' rap theme tune to 1992 show the better... Yo Pudsey!!!