This is a Clever Blog Title

BBC: Tales of Television Centre

Cut to 1:42

Really interesting (I think, at least) documentary about the historic BBC Television Centre, where programs including Monty Python and the old Doctor Whos were made. Actors and technical staff are interviewed in this, and each one has a different interesting story to tell about their time in Television Centre. They make really good use of old historic footage and archived television programmes as well.

The good ol’ days of Television Centre are no more, sadly. The Beeb has put the building up for sale, and they have stated that they will be ending all BBC production in the building, by (they hope) the end of 2013, and to have the building vacant by 2015.

Luckily the building will not be demolished, as parts of Television Centre are now a Grade II listed building, but it will still be sad to know that it will never be like it was again.  (And I say that as someone who has wanted to work in television since I was little.)

At the end of the program, actress Penelope Keith says “It was an iconic building on it’s own, with the cars in the middle, all that’s changed, and certainly the inside has changed, radically. And, um, it seems awfully corporate to me now.”

She hit the nail on the head there.

(Also, it seems the historic Granada Television Studios are facing a similar fate.)

BBC Panorama: Stadiums of Hate

Racism and Euro 2012

Happy 2012 everyone. Hope you all had a good night, and I hope all of your hangovers aren’t too bad.

Here is what London was up to last night.

John Lennon - Mind Games

From the album “Mind Games”

From the booklet of the “Lennon Legend” DVD:

On November 15, 1974 a BBC film crew, directed by John, spent a day with him around Central Park and various other locations in New York, to make a video for “Whatever Gets You Through The Night”. The video was never broadcast, but a small amount of the footage emerged as a very short edit for “#9 Dream” in February 1975. We unearthed all the original camera film reels from the day, which were very aged and damaged from decay and scratching, cleaned them up, and discovered incredibly charismatic footage of John, obviously greatly enjoying himself on a sunny day out.

Charlie Brooker on Steve Jobs and the iPad (Newswipe - BBC Four - S2E3 - Feb 2, 2010)

Voshybaby just posted this hilarious video on my Facebook. It’s of the brilliant British comedy duo Mitchell and Webb doing a spoof of the whole “Jesus and Mary being found in food” malarkey, from their BBC2 sketch show That Mitchell and Webb Look.

British comedy always wins. When, in America, shows like Two and a Half Men, Tosh.0 and Family Guy are the most watched comedy shows, it always makes me feel better that Britain is still exporting primo comedy.

Everyones talkin about “Dear John” by Taylor Swift now adays.

I still prefer “Dear John” by Ryan Adams and the Cardinals.

(From BBC4 Sessions - Summer 2007)

Also, make it 480p folks!