Unseen (?) 4 Clash itw

[Kory]

It will no doubt have been "wiped" by the BBC due to their policy of reusing videotape well into the 80s.

One of the biggest travesties in all of popular culture.

I mean, come on, how did they not have the foresight to think people might want to watch the Beatles on Top of the Pops at some point in the future. Not to mention all those Doctor Who episodes...

And to think it took until 1978 for some bright spark to consider archiving their material. 1978!

At least once a week I think about how lucky I am that the Pythons were able to buy their tapes back.

The BBC is subsidized by the government, isn't it? Were they wiping because they didn't have enough money to buy new tape all the time?

Basically, yes...

http://mentalfloss.com/article/501607/w ... wn-history

Depressing. But at least we have what we do, I guess. I'd still like to see Palin and Jones' Complete and Utter HIstory of Britain. Only two episodes remain, if I recall correctly.

[Dr. Medulla]

I wonder how much cultural snobbery in Britain from the Powers That Be contributed to not saving those broadcasts. It's just tv for the plebes, not real art, so who cares?

[Kory]

I wonder how much cultural snobbery in Britain from the Powers That Be contributed to not saving those broadcasts. It's just tv for the plebes, not real art, so who cares?

Did anyone really think TV was real art back then? That article kind of talks about how people were a bit incredulous that anyone would want to save any of it.

[Dr. Medulla]

I wonder how much cultural snobbery in Britain from the Powers That Be contributed to not saving those broadcasts. It's just tv for the plebes, not real art, so who cares?

Did anyone really think TV was real art back then? That article kind of talks about how people were a bit incredulous that anyone would want to save any of it.

Back in the 50s, there were a few optimists who believed that broadcasting Shakespeare and operas could make the masses cultured, thereby saving "real" culture. Mostly, tho, it was believed by cultural critics that anything mass produced and distributed for profit was garbage. Saving it would only perpetuate the problem. But commercial tv execs in the US undoubtedly realized that re-runs were a way of maximizing profit from producing shows (especially after realizing that people happily watched movies that they'd seen in the theatres already). That commercial impulse was lacking with the BBC, so that wouldn't have been an incentive.

[101Walterton]

I guess back then there was no such thing as nostalgia for old TV as there wasn't much and what there was not very exciting so historically they didn't think to keep it?

[Low Down Low]

Its easy to say it from our 21st century vantage point of course, but still wasn't there anybody in the BBC back then who thought the Beatles TOTP performances might be worth holding onto for posterity? The one where they appeared live, for the first and only time i think, was such a big deal, it makes no sense at all that it was wiped.

[WestwayKid]

Sadly never seen it, still a 'Wanted'.

Shown on 20 May 78 'Don't Quote Me' on BBC2 with Rick Wakeman. This was the Rock, Pop and Press episode presented by Brian Redhead, he of Sex Pistols anti-punk TV fame in Dec 76. Joe Strummer is interviewed, Series 3, 30 minute episodes

It will no doubt have been "wiped" by the BBC due to their policy of reusing videotape well into the 80s.

One of the biggest travesties in all of popular culture.

I mean, come on, how did they not have the foresight to think people might want to watch the Beatles on Top of the Pops at some point in the future. Not to mention all those Doctor Who episodes...

And to think it took until 1978 for some bright spark to consider archiving their material. 1978!

At least once a week I think about how lucky I am that the Pythons were able to buy their tapes back.

The BBC is subsidized by the government, isn't it? Were they wiping because they didn't have enough money to buy new tape all the time?

I never thought of that - but my god - consider the loss of Monty Python!? Frightens me!!

[Heston]

Its easy to say it from our 21st century vantage point of course, but still wasn't there anybody in the BBC back then who thought the Beatles TOTP performances might be worth holding onto for posterity? The one where they appeared live, for the first and only time i think, was such a big deal, it makes no sense at all that it was wiped.

Indeed, though I think the BBC was populated by massive muesli-eating cunts at the time, it maybe doesn't surprise me.

I never thought of that - but my god - consider the loss of Monty Python!? Frightens me!!

Yeah, and to get back to the original post, I think most of Tiswas was wiped.

Edit: Only 22 of 302 episodes remain.

[Inder]

Wasn't there a union element to the practice, at least to begin with? Something about performers not getting money for re-airings and rebroadcasts?

[Kory]

Its easy to say it from our 21st century vantage point of course, but still wasn't there anybody in the BBC back then who thought the Beatles TOTP performances might be worth holding onto for posterity? The one where they appeared live, for the first and only time i think, was such a big deal, it makes no sense at all that it was wiped.

Indeed, though I think the BBC was populated by massive muesli-eating cunts at the time, it maybe doesn't surprise me.

Yeah, weren't the Beatles considered by adults the same way my dad thought of rap when I was growing up?

[Kory]

Wasn't there a union element to the practice, at least to begin with? Something about performers not getting money for re-airings and rebroadcasts?

Seems so, there was some talk of contracts in that article, and apparently keeping stuff seemed more tenable once contracts had eased up a bit.

[Marky Dread]

Its easy to say it from our 21st century vantage point of course, but still wasn't there anybody in the BBC back then who thought the Beatles TOTP performances might be worth holding onto for posterity? The one where they appeared live, for the first and only time i think, was such a big deal, it makes no sense at all that it was wiped.

Indeed, though I think the BBC was populated by massive muesli-eating cunts at the time, it maybe doesn't surprise me.

I never thought of that - but my god - consider the loss of Monty Python!? Frightens me!!

Yeah, and to get back to the original post, I think most of Tiswas was wiped.

Edit: Only 22 of 302 episodes remain.

I loved watching that show I don't think I ever missed it.

[Marky Dread]

Its easy to say it from our 21st century vantage point of course, but still wasn't there anybody in the BBC back then who thought the Beatles TOTP performances might be worth holding onto for posterity? The one where they appeared live, for the first and only time i think, was such a big deal, it makes no sense at all that it was wiped.

Indeed, though I think the BBC was populated by massive muesli-eating cunts at the time, it maybe doesn't surprise me.

I never thought of that - but my god - consider the loss of Monty Python!? Frightens me!!

Yeah, and to get back to the original post, I think most of Tiswas was wiped.

Edit: Only 22 of 302 episodes remain.

I loved watching that show I don't think I ever missed it.

[101Walterton]

Its easy to say it from our 21st century vantage point of course, but still wasn't there anybody in the BBC back then who thought the Beatles TOTP performances might be worth holding onto for posterity? The one where they appeared live, for the first and only time i think, was such a big deal, it makes no sense at all that it was wiped.

Indeed, though I think the BBC was populated by massive muesli-eating cunts at the time, it maybe doesn't surprise me.

I never thought of that - but my god - consider the loss of Monty Python!? Frightens me!!

Yeah, and to get back to the original post, I think most of Tiswas was wiped.

Edit: Only 22 of 302 episodes remain.

Although Tiswas was ITV not BBC.

[Marky Dread]

Its easy to say it from our 21st century vantage point of course, but still wasn't there anybody in the BBC back then who thought the Beatles TOTP performances might be worth holding onto for posterity? The one where they appeared live, for the first and only time i think, was such a big deal, it makes no sense at all that it was wiped.

Indeed, though I think the BBC was populated by massive muesli-eating cunts at the time, it maybe doesn't surprise me.

I never thought of that - but my god - consider the loss of Monty Python!? Frightens me!!

Yeah, and to get back to the original post, I think most of Tiswas was wiped.

Edit: Only 22 of 302 episodes remain.

Although Tiswas was ITV not BBC.

Yep you can stick Noel Edmonds and Swap Shop!