TV Live Forum

I've said this before, but the 84 Christmas special, which we had on BBC4 last night, feels very flat and empty without a presenter to hold it together. Though at least the format prevents a potential Smith or Woolfe thinking they're bigger than the show and keeping it off air...

I presume there's no "clean" (caption free) version of this edition in existence, which is the reason why the Band Aid at the end of the review of the 80s edition was a mix of this performance and the video, as half the performance has the scrolling credits over it, they had to mix in the video to work around that.

James2001 post_id=56906 time= user_id=956 Wrote:I presume there's no "clean" (caption free) version of this edition in existence, which is the reason why the Band Aid at the end of the review of the 80s edition was a mix of this performance and the video, as half the performance has the scrolling credits over it, they had to mix in the video to work around that.

That may well be the case, but from the original PasC documents that TOTP Facts very kindly posted, it can be gleaned that Band Aid was shot across multiple spools and days to begin with, then edited together. It would seem that alongside one or two additional prerecords done on the day of the 20/12 live edition, TOTP occupied TC6 from December 17 to 19, during which time most of the appearances for both hour long specials and the closing Band Aid "singalong" were shot.

This fact is also borne out by some of the acts who can be seen together in the final cut of the performance, despite sometimes not appearing on the main 25/12 edition and indeed on Band Aid itself - e.g. Slade and Black Lace, who both shot performances for the 27/12 show hosted by Lenny Henry.

It's probable that there was a "clean" version of the performance at one point, but it was likely discarded either in the editing process or shortly after the show aired. Michael Hurll has cited it on at least one occasion as one of the greatest things he did for TOTP under his tenure, so you'd think he'd at least try to save a reusable copy...

Here's some discussion about the recording of the Band Aid performance from Jonathan's tweet:
https://mobile.twitter.com/richardmarson...7625434117

Like that the thumbnail for next's week 1998 Xmas repeat is represented by... S-Express (1988). Oops! :lol:

Benriggers post_id=58395 time= user_id=1198 Wrote:Like that the thumbnail for next's week 1998 Xmas repeat is represented by... S-Express (1988). Oops! :lol:

Thumbnail now changed.

Watching the 1990 Christmas special, there's clearly a lot of interference coming from one of the cameras, which is causing lines up and down the screen, which I somehow didn't notice when it was shown earlier this year.

Also noticed the faux-letterbox effect on the World in Motion video lso doesn't entirely reach to the bottom of the screen- one of those many things that happened frequently at the edge of the picture on TV of this era, but you'd never have noticed without the overscan switched off.

Those lines are - and I hope other, more knowledgeable forum users may confirm, and elaborate further on - triggered by loud sound levels which affect the camera's mechanics.

I did observe the other night that this occurred during some of Anthea's links... :evil:

A significant chunk of the BBC's 'Live Aid' coverage has the same picture issue - especially from the cameras positioned nearer to the stage and in vicinity of the amps etc.

Colm post_id=60058 time= user_id=975 Wrote:I did observe the other night that this occurred during some of Anthea's links... :evil:

Ooh, burn!

Also watching the 1998 Christmas special, I remember when first seeing the Fat Les performance (on the original airing back in June), wondering why it started on Albert Square- didn't realise EastEnders was filmed at the same studios at the time. Seeing the Vic in scaffolding was a bit of a spoiler at the time I seem to remember too, as I don't think it had appeared on the show itself at that point.

So much teasing of Jane McDonald throughout the show as well for what was an awful piece of music.

Colm post_id=60058 time= user_id=975 Wrote:Those lines are - and I hope other, more knowledgeable forum users may confirm, and elaborate further on - triggered by loud sound levels which affect the camera's mechanics.

From memory it's the pickup tube's electron gun assembly vibrating which causes this.

valley post_id=60115 time= user_id=971 Wrote:

Colm post_id=60058 time= user_id=975 Wrote:Those lines are - and I hope other, more knowledgeable forum users may confirm, and elaborate further on - triggered by loud sound levels which affect the camera's mechanics.

From memory it's the pickup tube's electron gun assembly vibrating which causes this.

Yes, it was caused by the ‘mesh’ behind the target vibrating in sympathy with external acoustic forces. It was called ‘microphony’. It only affected some types of tube cameras, were the BBC still using tube cameras in 1990? I guess they must have.

Bluecortina post_id=60124 time= user_id=1554 Wrote:

valley post_id=60115 time= user_id=971 Wrote:

Colm post_id=60058 time= user_id=975 Wrote:Those lines are - and I hope other, more knowledgeable forum users may confirm, and elaborate further on - triggered by loud sound levels which affect the camera's mechanics.

From memory it's the pickup tube's electron gun assembly vibrating which causes this.

Yes, it was caused by the ‘mesh’ behind the target vibrating in sympathy with external acoustic forces. It was called ‘microphony’. It only affected some types of tube cameras, were the BBC still using tube cameras in 1990? I guess they must have.

Elstree had EMI 2001s until 1991 and then Thomson TTV-1531s which were, I believe, some of the last tube cameras ever made? This old BBC ENG INF from Winter 1991 may be of interest to some forum users - TOTP related from page 9 onwards: https://www.bbceng.info/Eng_Inf/eng-inf-...gInf47.pdf

Here are all the currently available Overnights and 7 day Catch Up ratings for the Christmas TOTP's that have been on BBC Four this December.

7 day Catch Up:
Friday 4th December - Christmas Day 1984 - 480,562
Friday 10th December - Christmas Day 1988 - 552,739

Overnight:
Thursday 23rd December - Christmas Day 1998 - 300k

I thought the picture quality looked quite poor for something from 1998, not as sharp as I expect from programmes made from that time, quite washed out and dull colours too.

VMPhil post_id=60133 time= user_id=1043 Wrote:I thought the picture quality looked quite poor for something from 1998, not as sharp as I expect from programmes made from that time, quite washed out and dull colours too.

Wouldn't be surprised if they were still using the equipment installed when they first moved to Elstree 7 years earlier