Talking Pictures TV on BBC News
Watch on Sky 328 | Freeview 82 | Freesat 306 | Virgin 445
Watch on Sky 328 | Freeview 82 | Freesat 306 | Virgin 445
Dear Friends and Supporters of Film & TV History,
FREEVIEW CHANNEL MOVE – CHANNEL 82. Firstly, some BIG news for those you who watch us on Freeview. On Wednesday, 26th January, we are moving to Freeview Channel 82. There’s no change for Sky, Virgin and Freesat viewers. Don’t panic!
If you are on Freeview you may need to re-tune your box. The Freeview website has a handy guide HERE if you need help with this.
We’re excited to say that the 9th Festival of Film in St Albans on Sunday 20th March has now sold out! Phone us on 01923 290555 if you would like to be put on the waiting list.
A WEEKEND BY THE SEA
If you missed out on St Albans, never fear. We have a summer event, A Weekend By the Sea, coming up at the Art Deco Regent Cinema in the beautiful setting of Christchurch, Dorset. That’s taking place on Saturday and Sunday 16th and 17th July. Two days dedicated to the celebration of film and TV history, with newsreels, shorts, films and lost TV episodes on the big screen. There’ll be celebrity guests, quizzes and merchandise. A brilliant way to spend a summer weekend. You can book for the whole weekend for £50, or for either Saturday or Sunday only at £25 per day.
Tickets are limited so click HERE to book now!
Thank you for all the many responses to The Footage Detectives (today at 5pm). They just show how amazingly knowledgeable our viewers are. Today (Sunday 23rd at 5pm) Mike and Noel show us some pre-WWII footage of Germany, a lost episode of a series teaching English starring Hattie Jacques and footage of Radio Essex. Next Sunday, 30th Jan, at 5pm, the chaps are on their virtual travels once again, reliving the family holidays of the 1950s. Don’t miss this slice of nostalgia.
You’ll be pleased to hear that we have been filming more episodes of The Footage Detectives this week. We have some amazing guests lined up, including Frank Muir’s son, Jamie Muir with unseen Peter Sellers footage, Patsy Blower, THE Larry the Lamb and Gay Emma from Badger’s Bend. We can’t wait!
Also in the Talking Pictures studio this week has been the wonderful Caroline Munro. She’s been filming more introductions for all you Cellar Dwellers. The Cellar Club (Friday at 9pm) really does go from strength to strength. We’ve worked very hard to find amazing, and unusual, films for you. This week’s triple-bill includes The Abominable Dr Phibes (1971). This comedy horror is a camp classic and stars the magnificent Vincent Price, who is clearly enjoying every minute of his performance. And there’s a very familiar face as the photos of the doctor’s late wife. (Clue: she introduces the film.)
If you were at the Festival of Film in Stockport last year, you will have seen Frazer Hines in conversation with our good friend, Melvyn Hayes. Happily, we recorded the event, and you can watch Melvyn regale us all with his funniest stories on Tuesday at 3.25pm in Talking Pictures with Melvyn Hayes.
This week’s episode of Maigret (Saturday at 8pm) has as its guest star, Margaretta Scott. Margaretta was in lots of British films of the 1930s and 40s and moved easily into television. Her career was given a boost in the 1970s when she played Mrs Pumphrey, owner of Tricky Woo the dog, in All Creatures Great and Small. She went on to star in Together, which you can see every Monday and Wednesday at 9am.
WIN A PRIZE WITH OUR SPONSOR, NFU MUTUAL
Our good friends at sponsor, NFU Mutual, would like your help. And the first five people whose responses are drawn from the hat will win a pair of tickets to the 9th Festival of Film in St Albans on Sunday 20th March. Send your answers to Theprojectionist@talkingpicturestv.co.uk by Friday 28th January. Thank you for your help and good luck!
- Have you heard of NFU Mutual?
- Have you seen their sponsorship on Talking Pictures TV?
- Would you consider getting an insurance quote from them?
- On a scale of 1-5, where 1 is very negative and 5 is very positive, how do you feel about NFU Mutual?
TPTV ENCORE PICK OF THE WEEK
Scarf Jack was produced by Southern Television in 1981, and starred Roy Boyd in the title role of an eighteenth century swashbuckling rogue. It ran for only one series and was typical of those Sunday teatime family-oriented shows that we all gathered round the television to watch back in the day. The series co-starred Richard Greene, Robin Hood himself, and was filmed around the New Forest and the town of Shaftesbury in Dorset.
FULL SCHEDULE
For our FULL LISTINGS for 7 days with full details click HERE.
To see more HIGHLIGHTS, click HERE.
For those of you who would like to see a full list of this week’s programming WITH SUBTITLES AVAILABLE click HERE.
For FOUR WEEKS of advance schedules click HERE.
Remember you can see the full schedule for several weeks ahead on our website. On the schedule page, just click on the dates for your chosen week. The first week you are taken to will be the current one, don’t panic just select the next week on the tab!
PREMIERES, DAILY PICKS AND ALL SHORT FILMS
FOR THE WEEK 24th - 30th January
PREMIERE FILMS AND EPISODES FROM YOUR FAVOURITE SERIES
Take your seats in the best cinema in the land for a great mix of films. There truly is something for everyone.
The Main Chance on Monday at 8pm. Stars John Stride and Sharon Maughan. David finds himself with two very contrasting cases; a corrupt business cartel and a woman struggling to feed her children. With guest stars Stuart Damon and Madge Hindle.
Talking Pictures with Melvyn Hayes on Tuesday at 3.25pm. Frazer Hines interviews actor Melvyn Hayes in front of a live audience at the Stockport Plaza. They discuss his career from his start as a child performer through to his television success. There are plenty of amusing anecdotes on the way.
Love and War: The Lost Years on Tuesday at 5.30pm. The story of a love that never died; Margaret, the daughter of the Mayor of Faversham and Dennis, a GI stationed in Britain married in 1945 but divorced 11 years later. Now, they've remarried.
Dial 999 On Tuesday at 6pm. Stars Robert Beatty. Maguire works with the railway police to track down a gang that has stolen mail from a London to Glasgow train. With guest star, Sydney Tafler.
Justice on Thursday at 8pm. Stars Margaret Lockwood. Harriet’s health starts to suffer as her workload increases and her personal life comes under pressure. With guest star, Ray McAnally.
Woman Times Seven (1967) on Thursday at 9pm. Stars Shirley MacLaine, Peter Sellers & Michael Caine. The divine Miss MacLaine gives us seven portraits of entirely different women.
The Outer Limits: The Man with the Power on Friday at 8pm. Stars Donald Pleasence. A vengeful scientist creates a device to harness electromagnetic powers.
Maigret: The Revolver on Saturday at 8pm. Stars Rupert Davies, Ewen Solon and Helen Shingler. With guest star, Margaretta Scott. Maigret travels to London to work with Scotland Yard.
The Footage Detectives on Sunday at 5pm. This week Mike and Noel take a look at a lost film of entertainers Wilson, Keppel and Betty and are joined by expert Alan Stafford. There’s a promotional film made by The National Trust in 1938 and a nostalgic trip back to those family holidays in the 1950s.
Secret Army on Sunday at 9pm. Stars Bernard Hepton, Angela Richards and Clifford Rose. Lifeline takes on a special agent and a wounded Polish engineer.
THE CELLAR CLUB – Friday from 9pm
9pm. ‘Scream Queen’, Caroline Munro, introduces three late-night classics.
9.05pm The Abominable Dr Phibes (1971). Stars Vincent Price, Joseph Cotten and Terry-Thomas. A disturbed man wreaks revenge on nine doctors he believes responsible for the death of his wife.
10.00pm. The Cellar Club. Caroline is back to introduce a gritty crime noir.
11.05pm. The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950). Stars Lee J. Cobb, Jane Wyatt and John Dall. A veteran detective witnesses his socialite girlfriend murdering her husband. Then he is assigned to investigate the case.
00.45am. The Cellar Club. Caroline is back to introduce our final Cellar Club offering for this week.
00.50am. Jail Bait (1954). Stars Lyle Talbot and Dolores Fuller. A young man is drawn into the life of crime a then blackmails a plastic surgeon to change his face so he can evade the law. Directed by the legendary Ed Wood of Plan 9 From Outer Space fame.
1.40am. Caroline returns to wish us farewell from the Cellar Club and give us a taste of what’s coming up next week.
SATURDAY MORNING PICTURES (9am – 12 noon)
9.00am. Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans. Hawkeye sets out to help the Tuscarora tribe.
9.30am. Young Eagles. Will the boys escape from the Islanders? Are they any closer to finding the hidden treasure?
9.50am. Lionheart (1968). Stars James Forlong, Pauline Yates and Irene Handl. A lion escapes from a circus but is rescued and protected by a young boy. Made by the Children’s Film Foundation.
11.00am. The Barnstormers. Stars Peter Hempson & Dennis Waterman. Concerned about the future of the mill, The Barnstormers decide on a plan to thwart Ludgate's schemes.
11.30am. Champion the Wonder Horse. Ricky and Sandy help a gullible store owner who is about to be conned.
WEEKDAY MORNING CHOICE
Seven Days to Noon (1950) on Monday at 11.15am. Stars Barry Jones, Andre Morrell, Joan Hickson & Olive Sloane.
One of the finest films from the Boulting Brothers. A nuclear scientist becomes disturbed by the destructive power of the atomic bomb. He steals a warhead and threatens to detonate it in London unless the government agrees to disarm. A story that was hugely relevant at the time of its release is lent even greater power by a stunning central performance by Barry Jones. The acting overall is first class, despite the lack of star names, although there are many, many familiar faces.
WEEKDAY AFTERNOON CHOICE
The Captive Heart (1946) on Friday at 3pm. Stars Michael Redgrave, Jack Warner, Rachel Kempson & Mervyn Johns.
A Czech spy assumes the identity of a British officer and is sent to a prisoner of war camp. To save himself, he must continue the pretence, even writing to the dead man’s wife. She, meanwhile, has no idea she is corresponding with a total stranger.
SHORT FILMS, Glimpses and Look at Life
(THESE MAY NOT BE LISTED IN TV GUIDES)
Nobody else offers the unique, and eclectic, range of short films that we do. These shorts may not always make it into the TV listings, so we’re highlighting them here for you. Make a note so as not to miss your favourites, or to set your recorders.
MONDAY
1.05pm. Steering Clear. PREMIERE. (Also showing on Saturday at 5.20pm.) From the 60s, a look at the 'new' highway code. Great shots of 60s cars and life; remember, Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre!
7.45pm. Look at Life: Testing Time (1963). A Look into all the different things that need to be tested in Britain today.
TUESDAY
8.50am. Cinema Tax Must Go (1958). We visit the ABC at Golders Green, The Ritz West Drayton, and hear from Richard Todd, Tommy Steele, Jack Hawkins & Kenneth More about the tax.
7.40pm. Look at Life: Common Market (1962). A look at the progress of the European Common Market as member states start to remove trade barriers.
WEDNESDAY
6.30pm. Look at Life: Coming Sir! (1964). A Look into the developing hotel industry and the services it provides.
THURSDAY
7.40pm. IWM: Tyneside Story (1943). The reopening of the Tyneside shipbuilding yards closed down by the Depression with music from The Walker Shipyard Choir.
FRIDAY
11.25am. IWM: The Dawn Guard (1941). Home Guard volunteers Bernard Miles and Percy Walsh discuss the causes of war and their hopes for the peace. Directed by Roy Boulting.
7.45pm. Look at Life: Harvest of Hops (1962). A Look at a typical London family on their annual hop-picking holiday to Kent.
TPTV PODCAST
Tune in to the popular podcast for news, views and reviews of upcoming films and shows on your favourite channel. Click HERE to listen.
FROM YOU TO US
We do love hearing from you, so keep your letters and emails coming. This week, we hear from Thomas Dunn, who almost met two of the biggest stars of all!
As a child I loved watching Laurel & Hardy films, which were regularly shown as part of the Saturday Morning Pictures for Children at our local Gaumont cinema in Southend-on-Sea. I had just celebrated my 10th birthday in July 1952 and was excited by the prospect of seeing my heroes "in the flesh" as they were booked to appear on stage at our local Odeon Cinema in August 1952. All tickets were sold out, so I was disappointed not to be able to get a ticket, but I had an aunt who worked at the Odeon Cinema and she knew quite a number of the stagehands there. So I gave my autograph book to my aunt to hopefully get the famous duo's autographs. I was delighted to get my autograph book returned to me with their signed names below a lovely silhouette sticker they had placed on the page.
LAST WEEK’S PRIZE CROSSWORD WINNER
Congratulations to Harry Jenkins of Chesterton. A prize will be on its way to you soon.
The pair stayed overnight in Southend's famous Palace Hotel, overlooking the pier, and there was extensive local press coverage with many photos. I kept the press cuttings along with my prized autograph book for many years, but sadly lost both during a house move. Thank you for regularly showing Laurel & Hardy films on Talking Pictures TV!
Please keep spreading the word about the channel. Your recommendations are very important to us.
Thank you, as always, for all your support for Talking Pictures TV.
Noel, Sarah and Neill
