It's a shame the BBC don't have that archived listings service anymore (Wasn't it called Infax or something?)
The BBC are in the process of scanning in the listings from every copy of Radio Times so hopefully it should eventually once again be possible to look up the schedule from any day in history:
It had a 30-episode run in the 9.25 slot from 28 May 1990. (The 9.25 show immediately after Easter was Crosswits.) Did they really intend to run it once a week? It looks more like they deliberately made two series (a prime time series and a daytime series) back-to-back in a single production block.
Yes. The previous year this is exactly what they had done -- 40 episodes striped across most of the year. Why would they make 30 eps in a series (40 was standard at the time), and why would there be two only shown in one region?
Anyway, as mentioned the only way to demonstrate any of this is either to write to Tyne Tees or get the papers on Microfilm, which I will do at some stage if I am feeling so inclined (and bored at the library, which won't happen often!).
This seems like an interesting topic in which to mention a curious programme I found about a while back, which is (from my search at least) strangely absent in any records online, almost as if it did not exist.
BBC2, and I believe the year was 1990 - although as I'm recalling this from memory, it could have been a year earlier - called 'Your Move', televised towards the end of the night, but was apparently a television first: a live, interactive broadcast of a Chess game, which invited the public the phone-in within a set time and choose the moves on behalf of a British player.
The last digits of the telephone number corresponded to different squares, and the move with the majority of votes - displayed via computer monitor - was then made. It was presented by Rob Curling (he of 'Turnabout' and 'Newsroom South East') and was joined by a English Chess master, maybe in his 30s, who offered a commentary on the choices and strength of the moves. Individuals who had voted for the played move were occasionally spoken to down the line, to give their thoughts and opinions on the game.
I have no idea who won in the end, but I saw a fair bit and it wasn't looking too good for Joe Public as things went on. I do think it's really odd that, despite Chess being a televisual niche (no longer broadcast on mainstream channels), from the interactivity point of view it was so unique that I'd have expected some reference to it somewhere online. It's unlikely anything like that would ever be commissioned now; seems to particularly fit the 'TWO' era of which it was a part.
Re: Infax - from what I saw of the beta when it was around, it was a potentially invaluable resource, really extensive stuff - I look forward to seeing it return in some form in the future.
This seems like an interesting topic in which to mention a curious programme I found about a while back, which is (from my search at least) strangely absent in any records online, almost as if it did not exist.
BBC2, and I believe the year was 1990 - although as I'm recalling this from memory, it could have been a year earlier - called 'Your Move'
The site I'm involved with, UKGameshows.com has a basic entry for it: http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Your_Move. For a long time, all we knew about it was that it was hosted by Rob Curling and was interactive. Sources were (and are) so scarce that when we were finally able to fill in the other details from INFAX, the edit summary read "(One of our most enduring mysteries solved thanks to the BBC catalogue!)". To this day, we don't know who won.
As regards Chain Letters, I'll bring all my most evil research skills to bear on it and see what I can find out. Even if I have to waterboard Allan Stewart.
The site I'm involved with, UKGameshows.com has a basic entry for it: http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Your_Move. For a long time, all we knew about it was that it was hosted by Rob Curling and was interactive. Sources were (and are) so scarce that when we were finally able to fill in the other details from INFAX, the edit summary read "(One of our most enduring mysteries solved thanks to the BBC catalogue!)". To this day, we don't know who won.
Ah, I see - last time I searched would have been quite some time ago, but nothing came up. That you were able to glean some of the extra details from Infax including TX (7 Dec 1990 - I had the year down right!) is good. It's clear the synopsis is still pretty basic, which is a shame - but all the same, many thanks for the link. I don't think I'd be able to help with the entry unless I am sure about some details; from memory is too sketchy to give specifics - will have to see.
how about contacting radio times or tv times they must archive their magazines
as for wyke know alls I had a long standing issue over where the location filming for keeping up appearances and added northampton as the location for the church hall and other scenes, it kept being removed by somebody saying it was filmd in leamington Spa and Coventry, I wasn't denying that I was adding it was ALSO filmed in northampton, I should know, I lived there and saw them filming eventually the person accepted my facts as well and the bit about northampton is still on wyki, I did try to load a photo fo the church hall they used but it wouldn't send
I think the National Library in London and the National Library of Scotland may have old copies of Radio Times. The Mitchell Library in Glasgow also has a complete backrun going back to 1923.
ITV listings may be a problem. The Mitchell Library only has TVTimes (STV edition) from 1975 onwards. Nationally, it's a bigger problem. As you know, before 1968 several different listings magazines existed. Whatever happened to the archives of The Viewer and so on? Did individual ITV companies keep backruns of their local listings magazines? What happened when franchises changed? (And, even assuming an ITV company did have listings records going back to the 50s they might. perfectly understandably, be reluctant to open it up to the public unless and individual could demonstrate a really good reason such as academic research.)
A better bet, if you're only after times and titles, is to consult the archives of any national or major regional paper. Most big reference libraries would have at least one title.
When Tyne Tees moved in 2005 their archive of 'The Viewer' went to Sunderland University apparently, along with lots of other items from the archive.
ATV's TV World archive may have been sold off in the Nottingham auction in 2004, otherwise it may have been binned when Birmingham closed in 1997 (They were all there in 1996). Birmingham library has copies of course but some nice people have stolen and ripped out pages from many.
The TV Times themselves do keep copies going right back to the first one, but I don't know if they have just London it would take up some space to keep a copy of every region.
As regards Chain Letters, I'll bring all my most evil research skills to bear on it and see what I can find out. Even if I have to waterboard Allan Stewart.
Thanks
Looking at the BFI entry of the programme I note the director of the Stewart series (single or plural, take your pick...) -- Jim Brown. I know with 99% certainty that Brown left Tyne Tees in January 1990 (having only joined a few months previously) -- so if indeed these series were recorded seperately, they will have been done in parallel. Also the daytime recordings went out with a 1989 copyright date which would lend more weight to that idea.
I do not recall any differences in prize money or rules between one Stewart block and the next either.
The prime-time Stewart episodes were a ratings disaster for ITV (I believe down some 40% on the year before)... but of course this is all just recollection until we can find some documentary evidence.
On the subject of AWIYE, I wonder if Gordon Burns would be happy to receive an email about a 20-year-old gameshow?
