ITV Telethon

[Torpido1]

Looking on you tube at the starts and ends of these info please how did they work what was on them? How did the regions interact. How did they fit the news in and any other necessary programmes. Has anyone got any listings or running order. All I can remember is that they lasted 27 hours, which meant nighttime tv what did they do in the middle of the night etc any info gladly received. Thanks

[Neil Jones]

Looking on you tube at the starts and ends of these info please how did they work what was on them? How did the regions interact. How did they fit the news in and any other necessary programmes. Has anyone got any listings or running order. All I can remember is that they lasted 27 hours, which meant nighttime tv what did they do in the middle of the night etc any info gladly received. Thanks

This thread might be of interest: https://tvforum.uk/tvhome/itv-telethons-44937
Think of Telethon as one long nationally networked programme with sweeps around the regions. Not "opt-out" as such, though the interesting "oddity" from the TV Forum thread was that Thames did the London regional hit, but the Telethon programme was done by LWT. The other "oddity" was the bulldozing through TV-am's hours from 6am, presumably they just relayed the feed and to Joe Public it looked relatively seamless.

As how they work - just see any modern similar programming like Children in Need, Red Nose Day, Sport Relief... nothing much changes really, its just how its presented.

There may have been a news bulletin in the ITV telethons (can't really recall) but even in the likes of a 27hr programme the requirement to "provide" news could have been negated to a certain extent. I believe that was a "number of hours of news per year" quota, not a number of bulletins per year as such. So there was probably no need to shoehorn one in just because.

And of course Thames did their own "mini-telethon" in 1985, but I believe they didn't trample over TV-am that time if the schedule printed here is anything to go by:
https://tvforum.uk/tvhome/thames-telethon-1985-43842

[Steve Williams]

The other "oddity" was the bulldozing through TV-am's hours from 6am, presumably they just relayed the feed and to Joe Public it looked relatively seamless.

I remember that, certainly in the 1992 Telethon, the Granada phone number was on screen throughout TV-am's hours, so clearly the individual regions were still broadcasting, rather than TV-am. That was certainly the case in 1988 because it was during the TV-am strike and the unions said they'd boycott the whole programme if TV-am were allowed to take part, so TV-am agreed to hand over their hours to the rest of ITV to allow for continuous broadcasting, and I'm sure that was also the case in 1990 and 1992. TV-am certainly contributed to the whole thing, though, like all the other ITV companies, in 1992 they did a (pre-recorded) hour presented by Michaela Strachan.

There may have been a news bulletin in the ITV telethons (can't really recall) but even in the likes of a 27hr programme the requirement to "provide" news could have been negated to a certain extent. I believe that was a "number of hours of news per year" quota, not a number of bulletins per year as such. So there was probably no need to shoehorn one in just because.

News bulletins went out throughout the Telethon as usual, at lunchtime, teatime and in the late evening, much as they went out during 2000 Today on the Beeb . I do remember in I think 1990 that Aspel had to do a bit of an apology because he'd done a jocular link in a "Well, let's see what the team at ITN have been up to" style and it was actually a news bulletin rather than, as he'd presumably assumed it was, some silly item they'd contributed, presumably it just said "ITN" in the script.

And of course Thames did their own "mini-telethon" in 1985, but I believe they didn't trample over TV-am that time if the schedule printed here is anything to go by:
https://tvforum.uk/tvhome/thames-telethon-1985-43842

Thames did a couple of Telethons, the first was in 1980 which sounds a masterpiece of planning because it was in October and they had to work around schools programmes and a golf tournament, it went on for 24 hours but not continuously. As you say, in 1985 it pretty much was 24 hours aside from TV-am and the news.

The other interesting thing about the 1985 Telethon was that all the other regions showed a US mini-series called Hollywood Wives which Thames had bought and complied and showed another day, and they sent it to Central to play out to the rest of the network. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, one of the reels went missing, as the regions found out when it suddenly ended twenty minutes early.

[Humphrey Hacker]

Looking on you tube at the starts and ends of these info please how did they work what was on them? How did the regions interact. How did they fit the news in and any other necessary programmes. Has anyone got any listings or running order. All I can remember is that they lasted 27 hours, which meant nighttime tv what did they do in the middle of the night etc any info gladly received. Thanks

This thread might be of interest: https://tvforum.uk/tvhome/itv-telethons-44937
Think of Telethon as one long nationally networked programme with sweeps around the regions. Not "opt-out" as such, though the interesting "oddity" from the TV Forum thread was that Thames did the London regional hit, but the Telethon programme was done by LWT. The other "oddity" was the bulldozing through TV-am's hours from 6am, presumably they just relayed the feed and to Joe Public it looked relatively seamless.

As how they work - just see any modern similar programming like Children in Need, Red Nose Day, Sport Relief... nothing much changes really, its just how its presented.

There may have been a news bulletin in the ITV telethons (can't really recall) but even in the likes of a 27hr programme the requirement to "provide" news could have been negated to a certain extent. I believe that was a "number of hours of news per year" quota, not a number of bulletins per year as such. So there was probably no need to shoehorn one in just because.

And of course Thames did their own "mini-telethon" in 1985, but I believe they didn't trample over TV-am that time if the schedule printed here is anything to go by:
https://tvforum.uk/tvhome/thames-telethon-1985-43842

In "Morning Glory" Ian Jones wrote about how the relations between ITV and TV-AM were so low that in 1992 all TV-AM provided were a slew of cartoons linked by Michaela Strachan. Interesting to note that there were no telethons after 1992. Probably because Carlton had a different model of broadcasting to Thames.

[Steve Williams]

In "Morning Glory" Ian Jones wrote about how the relations between ITV and TV-AM were so low that in 1992 all TV-AM provided were a slew of cartoons linked by Michaela Strachan. Interesting to note that there were no telethons after 1992. Probably because Carlton had a different model of broadcasting to Thames.

I think the 1992 Telethon was considered a bit of a disappointment, it was lower profile than the previous two - being held on a Saturday and Sunday in July, rather than the Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday in May - and the amount of money they raised went down quite a bit as well (there was a recession at the time, I remember Children in Need's total going down quite a bit that year). There was also an issue with the 1992 Telethon in that disability rights activists were protesting against what they felt was patronising coverage of the disabled, leading to them picketing outside the studios and, I vividly remember, a couple managed to get in the studio and briefly on air, before a hurried cut to a VT, which put the willies up me a bit. So I'm not sure it was a very happy event and that, combined with the new franchises, meant it was considered a decent time to call it a day.

As I said, the Michaela bit was a "special" edition of her regular weekly TV-am show which, at that point, was just her linking cartoons, much like that episode of Hey Hey It's Saturday on the other thread, so it was no worse than any other week probably. There was quite a lot of pre-recorded stuff in the 1992 Telethon, the main kids bit was a Disney Club special which was certainly on tape, and overnight there was a vote to choose what film they showed for a couple of hours. These days we're quite used to lots of pre-recorded bits on charity events but at the time I thought it was a bit of a disappointment because the excitement for me was the idea of a live show that never stopped.

[Neil Jones]

In "Morning Glory" Ian Jones wrote about how the relations between ITV and TV-AM were so low that in 1992 all TV-AM provided were a slew of cartoons linked by Michaela Strachan. Interesting to note that there were no telethons after 1992. Probably because Carlton had a different model of broadcasting to Thames.

While it can be argued that they didn't continue in that style after 1992, they remained on the other side in the form of Comic Relief, Children in Need. Text Santa is probably the closest ITV got to a similar sort of event, albeit years later.

[Inspector Sands]

While it can be argued that they didn't continue in that style after 1992, they remained on the other side in the form of Comic Relief, Children in Need. Text Santa is probably the closest ITV got to a similar sort of event, albeit years later.

They had a few charity appeal type things after Telethon - there was something called Trading Places, the only thing that exists of that is the oft used clip of Richard and Judy in each others clothes.

And the ITV Year of Promise of course

[Neil Jones]

While it can be argued that they didn't continue in that style after 1992, they remained on the other side in the form of Comic Relief, Children in Need. Text Santa is probably the closest ITV got to a similar sort of event, albeit years later.

They had a few charity appeal type things after Telethon - there was something called Changing Places, the only thing that exists of that is the oft used clip of Richard and Judy in each others clothes.

And the ITV Year of Promise of course

Well we all know the Year of Promise fell on its arse and only exists now in memories and the occasional monument that was erected:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18_6kLLKoEc

There was a clip on YouTube from Trading Places from a Blockbusters insert they did for it, had Bob Holness, Jim Bowen and somebody else who I can't remember now. A normal (ish) game with some "Fred from Bedrock did this, that and the other" straps, culminating in Holness revealing he had no trousers on behind the desk.

Can't find it now, I did post it on TV Forum but I can't find it there either!

[Inspector Sands]

Think of Telethon as one long nationally networked programme with sweeps around the regions. Not "opt-out" as such,

There were frequent opt outs throughout the Telethons, about 10 minutes every hour or similar. They were similar to the ones that CiN used to do with each region presenting their own little Telethon from an OB or their studios.

As you say London had its own bits presented mainly mainly by presenters only really known in London - Danny Baker, Emma Freud etc One was from the Connaught Rooms in Holborn which stuck in my head for some reason and it was only years later when I used to go into the pub opposite that I realised where it was. Hays Galleria was another location it came from.

I remember for one of them, possibly 1990 being on holiday in York during the a Telethon weekend and being fascinated but the hotel TV having both Yorkshire and Tyne Tees and being able to see both their Telethons. Yorkshire being the better one. All I remember is that it was presented by Richard Whiteley presenting from a lecturn with the Yorkshire chevron logo on it, think it had an audience. Tyne Tees' was very dull in comparison

[Steve Williams]

They had a few charity appeal type things after Telethon - there was something called Changing Places, the only thing that exists of that is the oft used clip of Richard and Judy in each others clothes.

And the ITV Year of Promise of course

Trading Places was actually before Telethon ended, it was in March 1992. This was quite an interesting event, it was run by Breakthrough Breast Cancer and the idea was that you'd swap roles with someone else, a bit like a giant Take Your Child To Work Day, and you could also send off for a pack to change places with a celebrity and pretend to be them for the day, there was about a dozen to choose from like Kylie. I remember reading they wanted to make it the biggest mass participation event since Red Nose Day, and it was quite prominent in the media - it was covered by Radio 1, with Jakki Brambles and Gary Davies appearing on the cover of the Radio Times, and I remember Going Live covered it too with a film where Lisa Stansfield swapped places with a check-out girl. And the main TV exposure was two programmes on the Friday night, one at 8pm on ITV with Cilla and the other at 11pm on C4 with Hale and Pace. I remember it was done on the Surprise Surprise set (it was an LWT production) and the following week in the same slot was a new series of Surprise Surprise, so it just felt like an episode of Surprise Surprise.

The various regions would have their own charity events too, Granada did something called Live Challenge which involved several months of updates on Granada Tonight and then a big two hour show on Granada (and Border) after News at Ten one night. And there was Get Up And Give on GMTV, of course.

Indeed, the TV-am strike kicked off about their Caring Christmas campaign which was something they covered every year in association with Lions Clubs, with TV-am promoting it and soliciting donations. The strike started over a dispute about whether the VTs were news items or features, as the former used a smaller crew.

[From The North]

In 1992 they definitely did do regional opt out slots, not just networked sweeps around the regions. Michael Aspel would say something along the lines of 'And now over to your area to see how fundraising is going' and then the regions would take over. I remember flicking between Central who I think had taken over the NEC with Bob Warman (and Marti Caine IIRC?) and YTV who were in the YTV studios with Richard Whitely and Jimmy Saville!

[Steve Williams]

In 1992 they definitely did do regional opt out slots, not just networked sweeps around the regions. Michael Aspel would say something along the lines of 'And now over to your area to see how fundraising is going' and then the regions would take over. I remember flicking between Central who I think had taken over the NEC with Bob Warman (and Marti Caine IIRC?) and YTV who were in the YTV studios with Richard Whitely and Jimmy Saville!

Yes, they would go around the regions on a regular basis as well, including the memorable link to HTV in the 1990 one where the sound kept failing. On YouTube there's a clip from the 1988 Telethon where they go to Border for a special Mr and Mrs with Jack and Vera Duckworth. And in 1992 a few hours in the morning were presented by Richard and Judy from the Albert Dock.

It was always very exciting when they went round the regions with the opportunity to see all the different set-ups, and going from Central or Granada raising several million pounds to Border and Channel rustling up a few thousand.

[deejay]

Regional sweeps around the country fully networked to everyone also used to be a core part of CIN and were often a shambles. In a way I used to enjoy them more actually and the geek in me loved seeing the various regions having a bash at being on the network.

All wonderfully lampooned here by KYTV’s “Brown Nose day”

https://youtu.be/yb_IwI7lGPw

[Torpido1]

What actually filled the itv ones and how did they schedule it into the programme etc to fill the 27 hours

[James Martin]

Like I say, think a very long CIN or Comic Relief.

I remember the 1990 and 1992 Telethons - like you say, 1990 was on a Bank Holiday Monday and displaced even Corrie. You used to be able to buy the blue Telethon bug from all sorts of places.

Worth noting that the Thames-only one in 1985 took all ITN bulletins as well as stopping for TV-AM, but nevertheless GMB regularly went over to the theatre to check in with the team and show highlights to the network.