Details of some other Southern TV black.white programmes in chronological order
Probe chaired by Fenton Bresler, and directed by Berkeley Smith, "gives local residents the opportunity to vent their feelings on the way they are governed." The first programme aired on Monday May 25th 1959 at 6.25pm, and was from Bournemouth asking the vital question, "Does Bournemouth give a square deal to its visitors- and to its residents?" Southampton and Yeovil were the next locations, and Portsmouth hosted the programme on July 7th 1959 at the new time of 10.15, then Rex Ballroom Bognor Regis on August 18th. The first series ended on Sept 1st 1959 with a programme from Town Hall Ryde.
Most towns queued up to get some publicity, however Shaftesbury, Dorset, Town Council took a stand and in December 1959 voted against allowing cameras near them, "these programmes are not an advertisement but are just a means of taking the rise out of a town." Berkeley Smith defended the series, stating, "this is a debate in public rather than a public debate, which we believe will produce a controversial, lively and entertaining programme."
Canterbury Council's General Purposes Committee in 1960 recommended this city should not participate
either, but an offer from Southern Television of £500 to the municipal controlled Marlowe Theatre seems to have swayed the council's debate and on a majority vote, the proposal that they take part in Probe was agreed.
The programme was popular and returned for a second series in early April 1960, Berkeley Smith again defending Probe dispelling completely "the idea that the programme puts members of Councils on the fence as pigeons to be shot at."
Swap Shop (1959) made a celebrity of the Duke of Bedford. He ran it with Elizabeth Allan. Drawings by Ronald Searle. The format was first tried out by ABC from whom Southern bought the idea, which was that if viewers saw goods in the shop and they could offer something of equal value, Swap Shop arranged a swap. From Autumn 1959, Helen Standage, returning to Southern TV, directed the series.
Sea War was an acclaimed 13 part documentary made in conjunction with Rank, detailing the role of the Royal Navy in the war. It was not networled, but shown in some regions in September 1960, including ATV London. Ulster, Tyne Tees and STV also bought it up. Southern also repeated the series in their own region, starting February 11th 1962 at 3.15pm.
Strictly for the Birds was a jazz series that commenced on May 15th 1961 and ran throughout that summer. This was a late night 30 minute series directed by Peter Frazer-Jones, of special interest because the Dudley Moore Trio were resident guests, along with Bobby Sansom. Alex Orgar, the roving jazz reporter, linked the series. Special guest on the first programme was Cleo Laine. Next guests in the following weeks were Dinah Kaye, then Elaine Delmar, then Johnny Dankworth. From Oct 1st 1961, the show was repeated on Sunday afternoons at 5.20pm. It was also screened by Granada TV.
Don't Look Now (originally planned to be titled Let's Face It)- an intimate revue series that started on Sunday July 9th 1961 at 11pm, with Eric Merriman, Bill Pertwee and Dany Clare, the Art Jones Quartet providing musical backing. Director: Peter Frazer-Jones
The Young Elizabethans
began in 1962, and ran until 1964. Young people from grammar and public schools offered their opinions under the chairmanship of Elaine Grand
Background- a series of documentary programmes originally titled Southern Affairs. This had included a special (local??) programme on Space (Dec 1960) with Geoffrey Pardoe talking to Eastleigh MP David Price, Lord Hailsham and Bernard Lovell. The series also included fourteen programmes on The Seven Ages of Man, with Barry Westwood, as well as three profiles of local towns: Portsmouth, Southampton and Brighton. In August 1961 the series was renamed, and the plan was to devote two conecutive programmes to a topic.
August 18th and 25th 1961 it was The Mystique of Money. On March 2nd and 9th 1962 the two 30 minute programmes investigated progress on the Hovercraft. A group of three programmes was also shown by Anglia and included Under or Over (April 30th 1962) dealing with the merits of a Channel Tunnel or Bridge. The second programme on May 7th was about the probation service. Presented by Barry Westwood and directed by Terry Yarwood. The success of the series led to its continuation in a Tuesday slot through the year, George Egan taking over direction on and from the Dec 11th edition
Three of a Kind (June 18th 1962) marked the debut of Jon Pertwee's long running association with Southern TV. This was a guitar series, and apparently on this show Pertwee played the guitar. Resident hosts were Dorita y Pepe and Wout Steenhuis. Director: Peter Frazer-Jones. The series did well in the Southern TAM ratings, and was also networked to Grampian TV
Sweet 'n' Sour was an "intimate late night revue" introduced and scripted by Clement Freud, with Pip Hinton and Art Jones and his Quartet. Director was George Egan. The weekly programme began on Monday June 25th 1962.
First Night at Chichester (Tues July 3rd 1962, 11.17pm, networked to A-R, TWW, Anglia, Westward, and Grampian)- a one off programme on the opening of the Chichester Festival Theatre. Roy Rich interviewed Sir Laurence Olivier, while Peter Haigh and MacDonald Hobley gave viewers a tour of the building, whose history was traced on film
A Handful of Songs - a 30 minute late night (11.10pm) series of six shows in autumn 1962 starring Rosemary Squires
The Beating Heart was an acclaimed documentary networked to A-R London and Grampian only on Dec 13th 1962. ATV Midlands also showed it in that month, while Granada screened it on January 10th 1963 at 11.10pm. It pictured the physical and emotional build-up of the human heart, during an operation on a 11 year old girl for a defective valve in her heart at Southampton Chest Hospital. It was written by Robert Hounsome and narrated by Barry Westwood. Directed and produced by Berkeley Smith and Terry Yarwood
Absolutely Barkers began on March 25th 1963 and starred the inimitable Eric Barker, who also scripted the series. His co-star was his wife Pearl Hackney. Director: Peter Frazer-Jones
Going Up- in the June 11th 1963 edition, Kenny Lynch appeared.
The ABC of Jazz (thirteen week series starting on Nov 5th 1963)- host Steve Race, producer: Peter Frazer-Jones. Taking the alphabet, two letters per week, personalities of the jazz world were showcased.
Robin & Jimmy & Rhythm
starred Robin Hall and Jimmy Macgregor, a series of six half hour shows starting on February 4th 1964. The idea was to create a folk club atmosphere with a backing group by Manfred Mann.
The Bilbow Report (May 18th 1965) Tony Bilbow as Willie Shakespeare's Agent, with Ronald Baddiley and Ivor Mills, director: Peter Fraser Jones. "A friendly get together" for the tv, no studio audience
Playback (Southern, 1965)
This "experimental" series began on Tuesday April 6th 1965, executive producer Jack Hargreaves described it as offering "a free hand" to writers and directors. He added, "we've got to accept that mistakes will be made because noone can know for sure he is going to do a good programme- he only knows after he has done it whether the idea has worked out. We will lay some eggs, and we will lay them in public, but television must have the courage to experiment and take chances."
Each week a well known personality or expert was in the studio to watch and give a candid opinion on the way the subject was handled. Anyone seen any reports on the actual shows?
On March 1st 1966 the programme was Nearly Made It... Didn't Quite.. But I Bet I Will One Day - featuring Mike Barnett, a scene shifter on Southern TV. Script by Tony Bilbow (who also appeared), director: Mike Connor.
This Show was hosted by Sid Green and Dick Hills and ran in early 1965. Guest on the last of the series on Feb 26th 1965 was Ivor Emmanuel.
Play-back- one of this series on August 31st 1965 starred Bill Pertwee who also wrote the script with Charles Hart. Also featured were Jackie Lee and Harry Littlewood
Take It From Us (August 7th 1967, 8.40-9.30pm)
Hidden cameras show public apathy towards crimes being committed. It was made with the co-operation of Hampshire Police, and showed specially staged crimes. Reporter: Peter Clark. Producer: Terry Johnston.
The programme won the Egon Erwin Kish Prize for Reportage at the tenth International Festival of Documentary Films at Leipzig, beating over 200 entries.
A Tale of Two Rivers (1968)
Set on board the Southerner, which Southern TV claimed was the world's only permanent marine outside broadcast vessel!
Against a changing backdrop of famous landmarks on the Thames and The Seine, stars performed songs to match- Petula Clark, Lulu, Sandie Shaw, Masrianne Faithfull, Richard Anthony, Claude Francois, Adam Faith, Mark Wynter, and The Unit Four Plus Two. The Gojos performed dance sequences. Director: Mike Mansfield.
The series of four was shown weekly at 9.30pm commencing April 22nd 1986 on Southern, partially networked to STV, Harlech, Ulster, Border and Grampian.
Rediffusion however showed it at 11pm commencing April 15th. Apparently on the first show Lulu sang a Gallic ditty on a Paris bridge, while Adam Faith sang about Paris in between slurping ice cream
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