Televisual Holy Grails

[Steve Williams]

Thinking about televisual holy grails - those odd telly moments that you only saw once but vividly remember and would love to see again, but are either long wiped, highly unlikely to ever be commercially available or, even if you were given free reign in the archive, are so obscure they would involve having to search through hundreds of hours before you ever found it.

I mention this because it's 34 years to the day - I've cross-referenced it with various sources - since something I vividly remember, the day they moved Broom Cupboards. This has stuck with me so much, the previous Friday there was a running gag about them being "evicted" from the Broom Cupboard (big "FOR SALE" sign, the walls being stripped bare, all that) and then on the Monday, Andy Crane did all the links from different parts of TV Centre - I remember the first was from the scenery lift, but they were at the fire escape, in the canteen, all over the place - until at 5.35 they found the new Broom Cupboard. Of course, they actually were moving Broom Cupboards in real life (as mentioned on https://thebroomcupboard.co.uk/page2.html, they swapped over the BBC1 and BBC2 continuity suites) and this was how they reflected it on air.

I was totally taken in by the whole thing, I remember being fascinated by it all, a great example of how CBBC played around at TV Centre. I can still see in my mind's eye the opening link with the lift doors opening and Andy in there with a chair and a coffee table.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure the whole thing has long been wiped, so pretty much the only chance I've ever got of seeing it again is if someone recorded it at the time and uploads it to YouTube. Would love to hear other examples of this kind of thing that are so vivid in your memories but you've got absolutely no chance of ever seeing them again, either because they don't exist anymore or your memories of when it was are so hazy it's impossible to find them. The aim is not to be one of those threads from the old place which were just long lists of idents that weren't on YouTube (a now seemingly common meaning of "lost") but to bring back lots of amusing memories.

[thegeek]

Here's one which may be Mandela Effect, but certainly exists in my head - if it was real I'd love to see it again, and also find out how it was achieved.

I'm pretty sure it was an episode of Tomorrow's World in the mid 90s - possibly one of the Megalabs. They played a VT, and then invited people to phone in to a televote number to give their opinion on something in it. But at the end, they revealed that they'd played a different version of the VT in different parts of the country, which is why they had different results in each region.

The bit I remember for sure is seeing a bit of a glitch in the picture before the VT started (and another after it), which gave me both a 'I wonder what that was?' followed by an 'aah, that's what that was!' when they did the reveal.

[Joe]

Fantastic idea. I hope there are some interesting contributions here!

[soupie]

I remember a gag on Wogan once (just before the closing credits) where Tel said he’d do an amazing trick if the audience chanted ‘change! change! change!’. So they do this for about 10 seconds and then (via the magic of TV), he morphs into David Frost! Frosty then did the closing link. Pretty sure I didn’t make it up

[Inspector Sands]

Here's one which may be Mandela Effect, but certainly exists in my head - if it was real I'd love to see it again, and also find out how it was achieved.

I'm pretty sure it was an episode of Tomorrow's World in the mid 90s - possibly one of the Megalabs. They played a VT, and then invited people to phone in to a televote number to give their opinion on something in it. But at the end, they revealed that they'd played a different version of the VT in different parts of the country, which is why they had different results in each region.

The bit I remember for sure is seeing a bit of a glitch in the picture before the VT started (and another after it), which gave me both a 'I wonder what that was?' followed by an 'aah, that's what that was!' when they did the reveal.

Yes, I remember that too you weren't imagining it. I can't remember what the point of it was though 


I have found a few of my personal holy grails either by browsing archives or on YouTube. It's not always a good thing, they're not always as good as memory thinks they are and removes the mystery behind some things. 

There's a breakdown in the early 2000s I'd like to see but only because I caused it, it'll pop up on the Breakdown Appreciation thread one day I'm sure.

There was a Paul Daniels Halloween special where it looked like he'd been squished and killed in a spiked chamber. That is around but later that night there was either a bit of continuity or an appearance by Paul reassuring viewers he was fine

The other Paul Daniels trick I really wanted to see was the motor racing stunt with Mike Smith, again where it looked like it had gone wrong (yes the pretend deaths are what sticks in the mind!) A former colleague sent me that years ago and it was just as good as I remembered it

[Neil Jones]

I did post this on TV Forum but and for years have been wondering whether I've just fabricated the whole thing.

A "breakdown" caption appearing on screen apologising for signal interference due to foggy conditions in the area at the time. Appeared just after a picture break-up in a programme, but it wasn't one of those blue-screen monospace font type breakdown captions generated by a transmitter when it loses its feed. This caption was in the presentation style of Central of the era - so used their corporate font, a black background, white text... And the programme audio continued underneath it. Most probably late 1980s, probably early 90s.

Only saw this caption once and it has never appeared on any TV presentation site or anything that I'm aware of. Which makes me wonder whether it actually happened. But it has stuck with me for best part of 30 years so...

[soupie]

Here's one which may be Mandela Effect, but certainly exists in my head - if it was real I'd love to see it again, and also find out how it was achieved.

I'm pretty sure it was an episode of Tomorrow's World in the mid 90s - possibly one of the Megalabs. They played a VT, and then invited people to phone in to a televote number to give their opinion on something in it. But at the end, they revealed that they'd played a different version of the VT in different parts of the country, which is why they had different results in each region.

The bit I remember for sure is seeing a bit of a glitch in the picture before the VT started (and another after it), which gave me both a 'I wonder what that was?' followed by an 'aah, that's what that was!' when they did the reveal.

Yes, I remember that too you weren't imagining it. I can't remember what the point of it was though 


I have found a few of my personal holy grails either by browsing archives or on YouTube. It's not always a good thing, they're not always as good as memory thinks they are and removes the mystery behind some things. 

There's a breakdown in the early 2000s I'd like to see but only because I caused it, it'll pop up on the Breakdown Appreciation thread one day I'm sure.

There was a Paul Daniels Halloween special where it looked like he'd been squished and killed in a spiked chamber. That is around but later that night there was either a bit of continuity or an appearance by Paul reassuring viewers he was fine

The other Paul Daniels trick I really wanted to see was the motor racing stunt with Mike Smith, again where it looked like it had gone wrong (yes the pretend deaths are what sticks in the mind!) A former colleague sent me that years ago and it was just as good as I remembered it

I think I’ve seen this bit in the last few years online (I remember it originally as well). You saw the front of the Iron Maiden (the torture device) and the door swings open with Paul explaining he actually survived. I feel like it was shown after a Monty Python repeat (the Whicker Island one) very late that night cos we had it on VHS for years!

[Steve in Pudsey]

The other Paul Daniels trick I really wanted to see was the motor racing stunt with Mike Smith, again where it looked like it had gone wrong (yes the pretend deaths are what sticks in the mind!) A former colleague sent me that years ago and it was just as good as I remembered it

Starts at 30m28s, and yes a very good stitch up of Smitty!

---

I did post this on TV Forum but and for years have been wondering whether I've just fabricated the whole thing.

A "breakdown" caption appearing on screen apologising for signal interference due to foggy conditions in the area at the time. Appeared just after a picture break-up in a programme, but it wasn't one of those blue-screen monospace font type breakdown captions generated by a transmitter when it loses its feed. This caption was in the presentation style of Central of the era - so used their corporate font, a black background, white text... And the programme audio continued underneath it. Most probably late 1980s, probably early 90s.

Only saw this caption once and it has never appeared on any TV presentation site or anything that I'm aware of. Which makes me wonder whether it actually happened. But it has stuck with me for best part of 30 years so...

Plausible that the fog was causing issues with an SHF link being used for a programme being networked, so Central could do their own caption when it failed?

[Inspector Sands]

Re Tomorrows World.... 

Yes it was Megalab 95: https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/137e5785bec0...00c2be25ec

They had a sequence about a job interview and showed a different version in the east of the country to the west. They were edited differently and the viewers were asked if the candidate came across positively or not.

[eggsontoast]

I remember in the late 1980's BBC London Children in Need did a link up with LWT's Trish Bertram with full branding about how much LWT had raised for the appeal. Totally blew my mind at the time!

[Inspector Sands]

I remember in the late 1980's BBC London Children in Need did a link up with LWT's Trish Bertram with full branding about how much LWT had raised for the appeal. Totally blew my mind at the time!

There was a South East Children in Need segment that had a TV version of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. I think it was the one tat featured David Mellor standing at a piano singing with his son. The latter gets oft repeated but I've never seen the former

---

The other Paul Daniels trick I really wanted to see was the motor racing stunt with Mike Smith, again where it looked like it had gone wrong (yes the pretend deaths are what sticks in the mind!) A former colleague sent me that years ago and it was just as good as I remembered it

Starts at 30m28s, and yes a very good stitch up of Smitty!

]https://youtu.be/RCHCkBj_DWk?t=1828

Yes as I say someone sent me a copy years ago and it's great. Am pleased it's online for everyone to see now

Mike wasn't pleased, possibly why it's not been shown again which is a shame

[wonkey_monkey]

There was a Lily Savage episode of Blankety Blank that had one contestant appear in both rounds. IIRC they vaguely implied they were twins, but at the end of the episode when everyone comes back and stands around waving a chatting as the credits roll, one of the "twins" kept his back to the camera.

Apparently it was a call-back to a Les Dawson episode which actually did feature twins, but if you didn't know that it just all looked a bit odd.

[Neil Jones]

The "one contestant appearing in both rounds" thing happened (apparently) on Channel 5's Brainteaser programme, where somebody apparently fainted mid-round (not on camera though). So they wheeled on the next contestant who was going to play to replace them, finished the game off and then took their rightful place at the beginning of the next game.

Not that Brainteaser will be remembered for things like that, it going down in history as being an early casualty of the premium-rate phone in scandal for announcing fictitious winners to phone-in competitions.

[Transmission]

Steve's original post has triggered a vague memory of something from the Broom Cupboard a bit later, from the Andi Peters years, where I think they went through a short period of changing the Broom Cupboard set every week. Possibly viewer's designs were involved, one week might have been spaceship-themed, but the one that I particularly remember (or maybe just dreamt) was all made of wood. I think it was all building up to the introduction of the new more permanent set in there, most likely the one with the neon lights. I've found the debut of that set on YouTube (with the neon having not arrived yet!) but I've not found anything from the weeks before.

I might be misremembering it entirely, though.

[Joe]

CBBC, early-2000s (yellow and black press era).

Morning continuity links: a decree went out that all presenters (and puppets) must wear CBBC uniform – i.e. yellow and black branded t-shirts.

Afternoon links (same day): the decree had been overturned due to an outcry.

As a child, I couldn't work out if it was a real decision that was rethought very quickly, or entirely made up as a talking point for that day, referencing school uniforms or something.

Anyone else remember that? Doubt it!