Tommy Cooper Retrospective Drama: ITV April 21st

extremely accurate, apart from the into break wide shot (it was a tracking shot in the actual thing, but is a fixed camera shot in the drama). But i wouldn't recommend anyone watches the actual moment on You Tube.

Yes please don't try and track down the original, its truly horrific. I caught it on YT when it first leaked, and Ill never forget it, in a bad way.

I noticed they couldn't get the original music for Live from Her Majesty's. Sounded very generic.

Musicians Union rights perhaps? I can't recall whether there was a live orchestra or not but if there was, clearing music performed live on the night can be hard if not impossible.

There's a brief scene where the Thames ident music is altered too.

Yes - it was The Alyn Ainsworth Orchestra, IIRC.

I really enjoyed this programme. I've seen quite a few of these sort of biopic retrospectives and the historical accuracy in some of them can be a bit hit and miss; this one, I felt, did a very good job of recreating the television production atmosphere in the 70s/80s. There are a few firms out there who specialise in providing cosmetically reconditioned cameras (and even OB Scanners) as props to the TV/Film industry. Are the cameras which were badged "Thames" in the early scenes of Tommy arriving very late for a read through at Teddington Studios accurate? I've only ever seen Thames badged EMI2001s on things like Magpie...

One thing that was a bit of an anachronism (I assume) was the slightly botched job of putting a Thames Television logo over the Pinewood sign above reception in Broom Road.
http://thestudiomap.com/cms/resources/teddingtonentrance-w390h270.jpg

Did it ever say "Thames Studios" or "Thames Television" or was it always signed as Teddington Studios?

[quote:0015098569="deejay" pid="914059"]Did it ever say "Thames Studios" or "Thames Television" or was it always signed as Teddington Studios?[/quote:0015098569]

I'm sure I've seen a photo of the sign saying Thames Studios before.

Yes, here:

Yes, here's a shot of EMI 203 b/w cameras, along with EMI-2001 colour cameras in use at Teddington during a 1969 Tommy Cooper show.

http://www.tvstudiohistory.co.uk/images/teddington%20colour%20and%20bw%20cameras%20450p.jpg
From:-
http://www.tvstudiohistory.co.uk/studio%20history.htm#teddington%20early

My original point though is that scene in the film was 1967, before Thames had been formed, (by merging ABC and Rediffusion)

The Teddington Studios name only came into use when it was spun off as a separate company in the run up to the franchise bid.

I'm pretty sure it was just 'Thames Studios' before that, at least that was what was on the sign by the gatehouse :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE2_BGncS8U

The sign outside Thames Euston was longer so had the word television on it too:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4059/4375407292_e28bcfa756_m.jpg

I must be immune then as the video never really shocked me. Perhaps because I'd always imagined it to be more disturbing before I saw it.