NT
There were some quite obscure / less well remembered programmes that Channel 4 broadcast when Countdown wasn't broadcast most of the year as it is now.
I remember Jigsaw ( does what it says on the tin and no relation to the BBC programme ). Think Dickie Davies presented it.
I remember Jigsaw ( does what it says on the tin and no relation to the BBC programme ). Think Dickie Davies presented it.
IT
Crazily for a BSB show, all episodes exist! As with Hardwicke House, as the shows were never broadcast, they were never cleared and therefore need all the contracts negotiating again.There is a man on YouTube trying to get the rights cleared - so head over there if you want to see the unaired Bewitched style opening titles, or the seven VT clocks!
Whether Heil Honey still actually exists in an archive somewhere is up for debate.
Crazily for a BSB show, all episodes exist! As with Hardwicke House, as the shows were never broadcast, they were never cleared and therefore need all the contracts negotiating again.There is a man on YouTube trying to get the rights cleared - so head over there if you want to see the unaired Bewitched style opening titles, or the seven VT clocks!
Last edited by IndigoTucker on 27 July 2017 11:12am
:-(
A former member
That is unbelievable. Also Its was claimed Hardwicke house went out on Central during night time.
NJ
Neil Jones
Founding member
I know Hardwicke House still exists despite media reports at the time, as they all appear on ITN Source (though that on it's own doesn't mean anything) and there's that website that has a synopsis of all the episodes including the five or so that didn't air - the first two episodes did in 1987. Also Network tried to push it out on DVD, and ITV blocked it.
I was under the impression unless I totally misunderstood the situation that most of the BSB archive vanished after the merger with Sky, or at least is in rights limbo.
I was under the impression unless I totally misunderstood the situation that most of the BSB archive vanished after the merger with Sky, or at least is in rights limbo.
JA
Elizabeth Montgomery would have been turning in her grave... if she wasn't still alive in 1990
JA
From what I've read about Hardwicke House, keeping it "banned" seems bizarre. We've had much more controversial shows since, and there were even plenty around at the time. The scheduling and promotion were very badly misjudged, but even in 1987 if it had gone out in a post-watershed slot on BBC2 or Channel 4 I doubt it would have raised an eyebrow.
WH
On the subject of Gayle Tuesday, talking about her on here has led me to discover a comeback show she made for Living. Stuffed full of cameos and actually quite funny.
Whataday
Founding member
I never really understood the joke of Gayle Tuesday, and even if it worked in small doses, a whole series was stretching it to breaking point. Brenda Gilhooly, for it was for her, now a very successful writer of course - she was a prolific contributor to TV Burp - and funnily enough I saw her revive Gayle Tuesday last year for a charity concert I went to. She seemed a bit out of practice, though, alas.
On the subject of Gayle Tuesday, talking about her on here has led me to discover a comeback show she made for Living. Stuffed full of cameos and actually quite funny.
NJ
Tragic thing is the show was scheduled to go out at 8pm. Production wrapped best part of a year before it aired. Clearly nobody at ITV bothered to check the show, the script or anything or raised issues about it prior to transmission and if they had then Hardwicke may have ended up going out after News at Ten, in full and without (major) issue and possibly be sitting on a DVD shelf near you.
Even more tragic, Central decided ahead of time to make a second series before the first had aired. A contract stipulation meant everybody was paid even though sod all of the second series was made and because the show had been canned the entire second series plans were scrapped and it cost Central an absolute fortune. Moral of the story: Don't get cocky.
Maybe one day it will be released on DVD. Along with The Melting Pot.
Neil Jones
Founding member
From what I've read about Hardwicke House, keeping it "banned" seems bizarre. We've had much more controversial shows since, and there were even plenty around at the time. The scheduling and promotion were very badly misjudged, but even in 1987 if it had gone out in a post-watershed slot on BBC2 or Channel 4 I doubt it would have raised an eyebrow.
Tragic thing is the show was scheduled to go out at 8pm. Production wrapped best part of a year before it aired. Clearly nobody at ITV bothered to check the show, the script or anything or raised issues about it prior to transmission and if they had then Hardwicke may have ended up going out after News at Ten, in full and without (major) issue and possibly be sitting on a DVD shelf near you.
Even more tragic, Central decided ahead of time to make a second series before the first had aired. A contract stipulation meant everybody was paid even though sod all of the second series was made and because the show had been canned the entire second series plans were scrapped and it cost Central an absolute fortune. Moral of the story: Don't get cocky.
Maybe one day it will be released on DVD. Along with The Melting Pot.
IS
Crazily for a BSB show, all episodes exist!
It was made by Noel Gay Television who are still an active company so it's not that unlikely. The Wikipedia article says that Arthur Matthews (co-writer of Father Ted) was sent a copy of the series by them.
It should be pointed out that it wasn't, as many think, cancelled after one episode. The episode shown was the pilot. The series went into production, but it was never finished because of the merger between BSB and Sky.
It was that that scuppered the programme not any notion of good taste. Whether all 8 were made I think isn't certain, though I imagine if the studio recordings happened then they'd have finished it off just in case
Incidently I notice that the exec producer was Paul Jackson so it had quite a pedigree. At the same time he and Noel Gay had a big hit in Red Dwarf on BBC2
Whether Heil Honey still actually exists in an archive somewhere is up for debate.
Crazily for a BSB show, all episodes exist!
It was made by Noel Gay Television who are still an active company so it's not that unlikely. The Wikipedia article says that Arthur Matthews (co-writer of Father Ted) was sent a copy of the series by them.
It should be pointed out that it wasn't, as many think, cancelled after one episode. The episode shown was the pilot. The series went into production, but it was never finished because of the merger between BSB and Sky.
It was that that scuppered the programme not any notion of good taste. Whether all 8 were made I think isn't certain, though I imagine if the studio recordings happened then they'd have finished it off just in case
Incidently I notice that the exec producer was Paul Jackson so it had quite a pedigree. At the same time he and Noel Gay had a big hit in Red Dwarf on BBC2
Last edited by Inspector Sands on 27 July 2017 12:33pm
IT
It is relatively rare for BSB material to exist - They produced so much original material during those few months on air (a HUGE AMOUNT really) - and is virtually all gone! NGTV and John Gau were primary producers of the programmes, and junked a lot, leading to Kaleidoscope's project to recover as much as possible.