Boggenstrovia at the Olympics - Part Two...

After the Mexico Olympics of 1968 showed the public the wonders of colour television and a mass sporting occasion, meant the take up for colour television sets was steady as by the time the 1972 Munich Olympics came around. Broadcasting using the PAL system both used in the UK and also in host country Germany, unlike Mexico when the pictures needed converting to both 405 lines and also 625 lines as well. It allowed pictures just to stream back to the BBC in London bringing more extensive coverage then ever before and more live events as well.

Historical feats of endevour such as Mark Spitz's seven gold medals, Mary Peters winning the hepthalon could be seen live and brought into people's homes but to all this there was one event which overshadow these Olympics and them from a great sporting event to looking at dramatic and tragic unfolding before the viewing public.

On September 5th, what was seen as the friendly games was to be shaken to its core when the Palestinian terrorist group Black September got into the Athletes Village and held hostage five Israeli athletes and six of the Israeli coaching staff. When this happened, it was clear that the world's eyes would focused on their television sets watching an apartment block in the Athlete's Village. With this developing situation, what had been the world's top sports broadcasters covering the Olympic event meant they had turned into news anchors informing the public what was happening.

For David Coleman, that day was to be a rest day for him having commentated on the Athletics and also having anchored coverage as well the previous day. But this was all to change when his fellow athletics commentator Ron Pickering came to his room banging on his door. After being awoke by the rapid pounding of the room he was staying in, Pickering relayed the news that no-one wanted to hear.

Coleman went straight to the studio to anchor what was effectively rolling news coverage of the events unfolding, unbelievable to think now with twenty-four hour news available. Such was the BBC's higher management judgement, they trusted Coleman with holding the coverage together whilst reporting any news as to what was going on. As hour after hour passed with a single locked-off camera looking at the apartment block's balcony with the terrorists on it, the events came to their gory conclusion with the terrorists trying to escape with the hostages by helicopter but with them, German police and Secret Service officers being involved in a firefight. The story which had unraveled was one of tragedy and such as a mark of respect, the games were postponed for a few days for those who had died.

When coverage started again with a memorial service for those who had died, Coleman was once again called upon to be the BBC's commentator for the service relaying the feelings of all athletes, officials and the public to the viewer at home. It was during these games that Coleman's reputation was cemented as one of the broadcasting giants.

For all the BBC's coverage of the 1972 Olympic Games, ITV had made different plans themselves. They had announced they were going to show the day's best action in a two hour block of programming per day, as the TV Times had said about their plans "You can catch all of the day's best Olympic action, but also still watch Max Bygraves as well..."

This in itself seemed antiquated, but compared to the overshadowing events seem irrelivant. But ITV's relationship with the Olympics has been patchy at times though. Through the European Broadcasting Union's purchasing wholesale of the coverage of the Olympic Games, like the World Cup, allowed ITV to cover them as well as the BBC.

The first time that ITV covered the Olympics with full gusto was in 1968 when LWT had been put in charge of editing ITV's coverage of the games. Though one man made his debut on commentary duties for ITV in 1968 who would commentate on every Olympics right upto the 2012 addition of the games, but more later on him...

With similar coverage in 1976 for the Montreal games, ITV's coverage seemed almost non-exsistant in the public's eye. But for the BBC, who broadcast more live hours of sport then ever before, these games were memorable for the public being able to vote on which theme tune the BBC would use for their coverage via Nationwide and a postal vote. Unique by the way the theme was chosen, apart from very few other programmes this was one of the first examples of interactivity. By 1980 though both the broadcasting and the political landscape surrounding the Moscow Olympics was very different.

With the Soviets invasion of Afganistan in 1979, lead to questions being asked about the games and participation of nations by both the sporting organisations themseves and politicans as well.

With several countries withdrawing from the games including the United States, which meant NBC which had big plans for covering the games had to withdraw their live coverage apart from highlights on the nightly news. But for British broadcasters it was catch-22, some sports had gone to Moscow such as the Athletics team and the swimmng teams, other completely withdrew. Where as it was British athletes competing, they had go under the Olympic flag as independent athletes after the government gave the choice to the individual athletes if they wanted to go to Moscow or not.

But this lead to both BBC and ITV scaling down coverage for these games, though the events which counted the most were covered live by both. It was costly for NBC in the end, but for memorable moments for British competitors great for ITV and more so BBC. Though as it came around to 1984, the BBC were able to offer through the night coverage of the LA Olympics even changing the BBC1 globe of the time to the Olympic rings with the globe contained within them.

These games were truely Hollywood with sun beating down and also the Americans as host broadcaster, it gave a new perspective to the coverage with the BBC wanting to showcase what was going on but really from this point the coverage changed more to live events and with the BBC gaining full live rights in 1992, it may gained huge audiences upto and including the London games. But it somehow lost a little bit with one network showing coverage and that alone.

Coleman, Pickering and the other great commentators may have been there, but as we have seen new commentators have taken their place, some good, some bad... But the experience of Olympic Grandstand, it was a part of coverage but that will never be forgotten for what it did for sports broadcasting...

Thought what about that man who's commentated on every Olympics since 1968? Barry Davies, the man behind the mic... His commentary has brought moments of importance to the screen such as the 1988 men's hockey gold medal, his line "Where were the Germans? Frankly who cares..." It struck a cord with the viewers. Yes maybe jingoistic in some ways, but it captured the moment so well and his dulcet tones are still commentating on the hockey at the latest games nearly 44 years later...

Boggenstrovia at the Olympics - Part One

As you may have noticed the Olympics have started in London during the past few days, no matter what your viewpoint on the games like Marmite, love or hate... No matter television has been the number one medium to see the games on and this has been shown in the remarkable viewing figures for the Opening Ceremony and also events which would not be called mainstream at all outside of the usual big sports.

Television has played a major part in the Olympics development and bringing them to the people, from using them as propaganda through to both historic and also tragic moments as well.

The first televised Olympics were in 1936, when Adolf Hitler used the games to show off his ideal society and ideal image through sport. A closed circuit television system using 180 lines was set up in association with a radio system to bring the games to over 41 different countries, two different companies Telefunken and Fernseh using different systems themselves retrospectively bringing 72 hours of live coverage to special booths set upto to allow the public to watch the events live, based in Potsdam and also Berlin, this gave the public for the first the opportunity to watch live action of the athletes competing.

But this was to backfire on Hitler, when Jessie Owens won four gold medals at the games with apparent ease. Allowing the historic footage to be captured not only live but on film as well, capturing the first of many moments in Olympic history to be replayed again and again.


With the outbreak of World War Two, the planned Olympics which were meant to take place in both Tokyo and also London were cancelled. Though in London's case they hosted the first post-war games in 1948, with the BBC covering the events zeal allowed even more coverage to be beamed to even more homes then ever before allowed live coverage to the lucky few people who had television sets at that time. It can be said that a different type of propaganda was used to persuade austerity Britain to see this great event and buy a television set, patriotic pride maybe but on television's journey in Great Britain this was another step along the way. 

The Olympics went through both the Helsinki, Melbourne and Rome games with Melbourne being the first games to allow pictures to come from the other side of the world but still on film but with a delay, the new watchword was live and live is how the public wanted to see the events of the games. With new technologies coming in such as satellite technology allowed events to be covered almost live but more live then they had been than ever before, meaning events that had happened on that very same day. The Relay 1 satellite allowed only 15-20 minutes of broadcast to take place during each of its orbits allowing European viewers to see pictures, plus as also the Telecast satellite allowed pictures to beamed to the United States but also allowed the pictures to be beamed to Relay 1 as well.

This was to be the first major Olympics were one man came to the attention of the whole of the nation and not just sports fans, one David Coleman was the main athletics commentator whose reputation as one the best commentators in Britain was made in one race. The 800 metres featuring Britain's Anne Packer, the favourite for the women's 400m. The finish itself of the 800 metres, saw packer overtake Mayvonne Dupureur of France in a thrilling finish to allow Coleman's enthusiasm to come through the screen and into living rooms to experience the event themselves. A stalwart of every Olympic Games up until his retirement after the 2000 Sydney games, his most proudest moment has to be the linking of the tragic events of the Israeli Athletes hostage situation at the 1972 Munich Games where his journalistic training came into its own, staying live with events for several hours live whilst the events unfolded and also at the memorial service for the dead athletes and the other who had died a few days later.

Such was his contribution to broadcasting that the outgoing International Olympic Committee President Juan-Antonio Samaranch presented Coleman with the Olympic Order in 2000 in recognition of his services to the Olympic ideals. There are so many other moments with David Coleman, he represents a huge part of British Olympic History in which for many people he was the voice of the Olympics.

The Mexico Olympics was another turning point for Olympic coverage and television, with Satellite technology now improved it meant that for the first time totally live coverage could happen allowing the viewing public to see the event at the same time as people in the venues themselves but more importantly that BBC 2 had started broadcasting in colour in 1967, that the fully majesty of the technicolour aspects of the Olympics could be seen such as what colour the athletic track was, how blue the water in the swimming pool was but also in the Opening Ceremony as well, in future years would allow people to the full spectacle live and direct as well.

 Coming up next time, we go to Germany, see Canada nearly go Bankrupt, America not turn up behind the Iron Curtain but Britain does and does rather well plus the USSR don't do as well and a different kind of rocket man and UFO...

A wide world of sport and a whole new world for me...

In the past couple of weeks I have decided to spread my wings somewhat by trying to write for the local Portsmouth News, by doing a piece for their Saturday TV Nostalgia column. It may not be an in-depth piece, that it is not the style of the column at all, but its a start a I suppose... Here it is..

In today's world of multiple sports channels, its hard to forget there was a time when two shows dominated Saturday afternoons, the BBC had Grandstand whilst ITV's version was World of Sport. Though the two could not have been more different at all, if Grandstand was like  a luxury sofa, then World of Sport was like a beanbag.

It was presented by Dickie Davies for all of its life, a man who looked like a cross between a badger and a used car salesman whilst all the time helming a mixed bag of sports from the sublime to the ridiculous titled including the World Clown Diving Championship. Which was basically men in fuzzy rainbow coloured wigs diving into a paddling pool for entertainment.

On Christmas Eve 1977, Eric Morecambe brought his brand of comedy to help Dickie Davies present the programme. Even leading to Morecambe commenting on Davies' trademark moustache whilst Dickie was introducing the next with the line "The last time I saw anything like that they kill a whole herd of buffalo to make it!" With Davies trying to keep a straight face throughout this chaos happening around him!

In the end with ITV wanting to head in a new direction with its sports coverage, World of Sport was axed in 1985. But for a programme which was going to be called 'Wide World of Sports' originally, it did pretty good by covering events more close to home.

2012 (c) Rob Williams

Boggenstrovia's Bits of Christmas - Number Three... Rude, Lewd and a little bit nude...

Hello again and we are at the three French Hens stage of the countdown, though who let Bridget Bardot, Audrey Tautou and Charlotte Gainsbourg in here is anyone's guess.. There comes a time of year when people like to let their hair down or in Bobby Charlton's case, his two strands... But imagine you are working making programmes all year round for people to watch, as we know though Light Entertainment is a hard business especially to get it right. So for all the staff, they need to let off some steam at the end of the year and have some fun, same goes for the performers as well.

This is where the Christmas Tape or Film, as they were originally called came into its own. As the first earliest examples are of impromptu sketches being filmed at the staff's Christmas party, usually involving a hat or a wig with some shtick of some sort. But later on more and more complicated sequences were filmed involving the stars of the time performing for the staff and even joining in with the fun. Usually the bloopers in later years were taken for out-take shows, generally the more racier stuff was kept in to appeal to the staff and every year a competition was held privately to find out who could put together the best one.

Though when journalists found a skit involving Princess Anne being interviewed by David Coleman had been edited down to make Anne say things out of context to the interview, the tapes were clamped down on more and more as practises in the broadcasting industries were changed. But contrary to belief, these tapes have not gone away, the stars maybe weary about taking part but the staff at television companies and regions still do make them for their own amusement....

Let's a look at what the boys and girls in VT got upto...

1. "Give me a shot of Enge please!"

The legendary Stewart "CUE THE ROLLER!" Morris here directing a piece for the BBC 1979 Christmas tape 'Good King Memorex' partly persuading Engelbert Humperdinck to film a piece with the girl dancers from his show for VT, but also Stewart plays along with the nature of the tape making jokes as he goes. This shows Morris at his best, in control but getting the best out the performers he worked with but also having a laugh as well. Stewart Morris could that so well, knowing that his rapore with the staff he worked with was intact to be able to produce great shots when needed, but loving the cheekyness of the whole thing as well...

2. "I don't believe it! Figgis, why have you got a party hat on?"

Richard Wilson here in full 'Only When I Laugh' mode with James Bolam as well offering good advice on the do's and dont's of Christmas lunch from a 1983 LWT Christmas Tape. Wilson known for appearing 'Only When I Laugh' at that time, acts the same way that his character does to make it sound very genuine. Its his words which make this clip, appealing to the saucy nature of production crew, the laughter from the crew says it all "We get where you are coming from..." or depending on the nature of where the wind is blowing... But seeing this doesn't make Richard Wilson of being other then being a great performer, in fact it adds to it that he can play on the naughty side and still seem believable as his character.... Even with James Bolam not even saying anything, it makes the clip funnier that they just stuck a party hat on him to get into the spirit of things...

3. "Boll-locks!"

The best of the BBC here featuring the late Sir Jimmy Savile, Angela Rippon, Richard Baker and sweary Dalek as they enjoy themselves and show their boobs or should that their goof-ups? When newsreaders are singing and dancing ten-a-penny nowadays, Richard Baker just has to put on a wig to make people laugh. Plus during a break from one of his many shows, Les Dawson treats us to a little tune on the piano but the star has to be Noel Edmonds who has a very little time to tell us what's on Swap Shop that Saturday but in such little time he makes so make goofs much to the amusement of Maggie Philbin and John Craven who are supposed to be dozing either side of him. With one familiar refrain of "Merry Christmas VT!" they know that the mistake which has just occurred will be put on tape ready for the Christmas tape that year.

4. "He's a sports PA and he went onto work for the FA..."

Finally, a musical number about working in the BBC Sports department including Suzie Quatro and her band plus a man who went onto oversee England at the World Cup, one Brian 'You work for the BBC, out you go!' Barwick. Ms Quatro plays a little ditty, installing the virtues of working in the BBC Sports department in the late 70's. Taking on everybody and everyone by the presenters and commentators seemingly not trusting the sports PA's it seems, but also footage from many far flung places such as Munich and also a cold soggy first division football ground as well. Its little wonder why the BBC didn't have any left after this or either that everything was settled with a few pints in the BBC bar... Lager 1 Malt Whiskey.. Two dozen...

So that's another aspect of Christmas wrapped up in protective foil for another time, come back on Wednesday when I'll have part four...

"At the sporting event of the year!"

Its not everyone's cup of tea, I know that. But its there no matter, I'm talking about sport on television. As such nowadays everyone sees sports channels coming out of the woodwork all the time with even niche channels setting up. Even for me a sports fan, its too much nowadays. Whole channels just don't seem right, I was brought up on Saturday sport from a young age with Grandstand or World of Sport with the latter the choice which was always on at my grandparents when we used to visit them on a Saturday afternoon. With Sundays being the other way around at my other grandparents, so that was Match of the Day.

From 2nd of January 1965 when Eamonn Andrews introduced the first edition of World of Sport featuring on that day Motor Cycling Scrambling, Racing from Catterick and also Professional Running from Edinburgh as well. Professional? Hadn't they just only learnt to run by then? Meanwhile on the BBC, there was a diet of Racing from Aintree and also a Rugby League and Ice Hockey, both wrapped up the day's sports results.

As a fan of broadcasting as well, it was also the people who presented the programmes as well, with Dickie Davies sitting behind his desk trying to big up what sport ITV had on that afternoon. This naturally was a boon to any comedians as well knowing that they could get a sketch out of it, whether they were good or not but always material...

1. Were those ladies answering all of Steve Ryder's love letters?

Its just sprayed on you know...

French and Saunders, the two ladies who helped give comedy a kick up the 80's with their sketch shows. They saw the potential in the typists behind the sports presenters backs to be able to give them a life of their own in this 1987 sketch, the truth about what they were doing was they were doing admin like typing letters, requests and other bits of business. So it looked there was always action in the studio as well as the action which was being covered, much like dead air on the radio, an empty studio on a fast moving show is no good to anyone at all. But alike anyone there was always a sense of getting noticed in the background, knowing that even if they could get their face on the screen, well at least they would have something to say next time they were out and about!

2. "In a specially extended edition of World of Sport..."

"How?"

"Because I'm being paid good money for this!"

Fred Dinenage, what can you say about him? Except that hair you see there has receded right back nowadays.. No! But as a substitute for Dickie Davies he was the man, versatile in the same way as Jake Humphrey is today but where as Jake presented a Saturday morning show, here's Fred on the the best children's show ever Tiswas in a pre-title sequence sketch with his glamorous assistants in the background supplying him with information as well, but its most notable for that World of Sport t-shirt which has been made up so if any person or persons had been drinking the night before and switched on ITV at that time in the morning through their foggy haze would have confused themselves into thinking that it was later then they thought it was... Genius! 

So from the introduction its time for the action! Usually Auntie Beeb would be at a high class event such as thirty men throwing and egg-shaped ball about in the mud all afternoon or doing some other pursuit in the freezing weather while over at ITV they would make do with the New York State Fireman's Competition on the 10th of October 1981 or how about the World Watersking Championship from Thorpe Park on Saturday 12th September 1981? I wonder if all the competitors got a half price ticket to go on all the rides? Mind you, you would want to get wet again after plunging into the lake there? Though an example of this is this sketch from End of Part One, its a long video of the best bits but its in there. But hey, its End of Part One though! Its all good stuff you know, like an extra biscuit with your cup of tea... Beware of the racing results though, as it might bring back memories of a monotone nature...

 A very Dickie Stomach...

So after that top sporting action there only one more thing to come and that's the results... Finding out if you can afford to splash out on  the rolls, but usually more times then not a late goal has up the pathway again... Though reading out all those places week after week must take a toll on a person, because you're never going to go there so apart from a load of people vainly holding onto their pools coupons in the hope they'll get 23 or 24 points and that weeks jackpot, who on earth would could care about somewhere in the back of beyond? Or that's generally their held view because someone hasn't scored a goal to get them that crucial draw... 

Draw your own conclusions from this!

"Some godforsaken place nil..."

So we've come to end of the another action packed programme, next week we'll have Yachting from Cowes, The World Tiddlywinks Championships from Luton and Karting from Far.. nborough.. I do hope you can join again then... See you next Saturday!

Television Presenting? Child's Play!

"I could do that! How hard is it to present a television programme?" The regular call of viewers throughout the land as they see many numbers of faces on their screens day in and day out, as Sue Peacock would testament quite hard on your debut. Sue was picked by Esther Ranzen and her Big Time team to be give the chance to co-present Nationwide along with Frank Bough, the pro's pro. But thinking about presenting especially in children's television, there has been so many presenters over the years since Phillip Schofield took on in-vision continuity in the afternoons replacing the BBC1 robot. Which itself seems alright as Phillip had a radio and television career in New Zealand before coming home and to bigger and better things.

Go-pher broke...

Beyond Phillip the rota of stars who have taken the route of children's television is amazing, but one thing stands out if you were to consider what most of them had done before they wouldn't it even get on the screen today! It maybe said that times were different, with most presenters coming through the media studies route and having been trained in what they should say and to a template. Not that's there anything wrong with that if they are good. 

For example with Play School, most of the protagonists came from a dramatic background such as Gordon Rollings and also Brian Cant as well, Rollings later playing parts in two of the Superman movies with Cant still working occasionally with an appearance earlier this year in BBC 1's 'Doctors'. Their communication skills such as also Toni Arthur and Carol Chell would qualify for them to be good presenters, but then the waters get muddied. Some of the people who joined in the 1970's were to re-write the script literally. Don Spencer was a folk singer but with experience of Play School in Australia, bringing musical experience to the mixture which was already there with the vast experience of singing the theme to 'Fireball XL5'. Added with Julie Spencer, Floella Benjamin, Stuart McGugan, Ben Bazell, Eric Thompson and so many more as well.

"Let's make it a date!"

Then we come to three men who came from left field, who looking at their combined CV's they would not have struck the average person as children's television material. Johnny Ball, now know as a leading light on promoting science through his television programmes and later on his stage shows. But back when he was give the job of entertaining the under 5's that Johnny had already been a stand-up comedian and a Redcoat at Butlin's as well. Hardly, a glowing CV you might say but number two was even more from left field!

On the ball!

Derek Griffths, what can you say about him? Legend is a word which bandied about so easy, but Derek could fit in anywhere. There was time where you could just turn on the television there he would be starring in a drama, singing a song, doing a bit of light entertainment with the best of the day even appearing with Terry Scott and June Whitfield for a touch of sitcom. In 1997, Griffiths originated the role of Lumière in the original West End production of Beauty and the Beast  and played the role of The Child Catcher in the West End run of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. 

Ice, ice baby...

Finally comes Fred Harris, a one time teacher who decided he needed a change of career so one wet and dull afternoon coming back from teaching he was passing a television rental shop and saw Play School on the bank of televisions. So with a thought of "I could give that a go!" and waited until the end to see the name of Cynthia Felgate and decided to write off to ask if they need anyone else to present and put himself forward as a presenter. From this, Fred was launched onto a new path of comedy taking in 'The Burkiss Way' and its television counterpart 'End of Part One'. Which lead to in one episode, threatening to squash a hamster if the show didn't get a better time slot and was taken out of the children's programmes on a Sunday afternoon. Dramatic you might say, but this helped Fred cement his relationship with the viewing public as such for being a steady hand when needed but also with the freedom to be as surreal as a 'Python' member. 

A right One Show!

The worst case? Oh no, that goes to a young lady who had been an actress and had make a career out of being attractive in a number of films both horror and also some which were a bit saucy. She was Jenny Hanley, Jenny had the unenviable task of replacing Susan Stranks on Magpie in 1972. But with the able hands of Mick Robertson, Douglas Rae and later Tommy Boyd, she became action girl for a whole generation of young girls and boys and even maybe crush material as well! Well, she had learned from the best though as she had been a Bond Girl in On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969. No better qualified then learning from 007 himself... She etched herself on the memories who saw her and stayed with the programme until its end in 1980, thus proving a movie career maybe the best option for being a Children's presenter.

Jumper-ing to conclusions...

There have been people who've gone the other way such as Jake Humphrey, the BBC's F1 anchor who had previous experience working for IMG's television sport division learning from Anglia's Gerry Harrison. He's proven that you can make the leap, as for Ortis Deeley... Well, everyone knows you can't run before you can walk... Though if you've got rubber legs as well, its twice as worse..

It shouldn't happen to a Kids TV presenter? Maybe it might, maybe it should... But always remember, Television Presenting, it can be Child's Play where ever you enter it from...