Saturday Night at the Movies – tape 709

Saturday Night at the Movies was an LWT film programme, presented by Tony Slattery (who seemed to be on everything put out at this time, see also Clive Anderson Talks Back).

First episode on this tape looked at the merchandising of Ghostbusters 2.

This is the Fearsome Flush. Every bit as awesome as this picture implies.

There’s a retrospective on John Wayne, a look ahead to Robert Lindsay in Bert Rigby You’re A Fool, a piece about the Police who advise movies on technical matters, reviews of Wes Craven’s The Serpent and the Rainbow, Da and Bob Balaban’s Parents. Then there’s a profile of Harvey Fierstein and Torch Song Trilogy.

Before the next episode, Anne Diamond talks seriously about the “fight against the consumer terrorists” – tampering and poisoning of jars was a big story around this time. For Anne Diamond on Sunday.

Ad break:

• Petit Filous
• Old El Paso Tacos
• DHL – wargames ripoff
• Diet Sunkist – “With the great taste of Nutrasweet”
• Castrol GTX
• Do It All
• Heinz Weightwatchers
• Kronenbourg

There’s a trail for Capstick’s Law.

Next episode of SNATM contains a look at the Nightmare on Elm Street series, including talking to fans of the series.

I think someone should talk to this young man about his life choices

There’s a look at the video rental business and the video chart,  a set report on Nuns on the Run featuring a young Jackie Tyler.

Obligatory screenshot of Doctor Who-related actor

There’s a look at the 70th anniversary of Felix the Cat followed by reviews of Betrayed, Without a Clue and My Stepmother is an Alien.

A report on the use of New York in the movies rounds off the episode.

Next episode leads with the launch of Empire magazine – whatever happened to that?

Although since Tony says they’ve only seen one article, this must be a mock-up

There’s a report on Wired, and the closing of ranks in Hollywood against the movie; and there’s a look at Dean Stockwell’s career, following his Oscar nomination for Married to the Mob.

Behind the Screen looks at the role of Dialect Coach Robert Easton.

Reviews this week of Mississippi Burning, The January Man and Shame.

Finally, Jodie Foster is profiled and interviewed about her career.

Next episode, and on the eve of release of K-9, the programme starts with a look at animals on film, and their treatment and monitoring.

Liam Neeson is interviewed, at a time when he’s “still looking for that elusive starring role”.

Foley artists are the subject of this week’s Behind the Screen segment, looking at the work of Pam Finch and Pauline Griffiths on Branagh’s Henry V.

This week’s reviews are for Her Alibi, A Time of Destiny, and Vincent Ward’s The Navigator.

A report on Lenny Live and Unleashed looks at the transition from comedian to movie star.

The programme finishes with the trailer for Batman – I think this was one of the first programmes to play the trailer, and judging by the quality of the tape at this point, I think I might have watched it a few times. It’s the early trailer with no music.

And that’s it for this tape, apart from a trail for LWT’s Hale and Pace.

Sugarland Express – tape 680

The Sugarland Express was Steven Spielberg’s first feature film as director. His earlier film Duel had a theatrical release in Europe but had been made for American television, so Sugarland was his first official feature. It doesn’t get much play these days, and people tend to forget it when looking at Spielberg’s work. Duel and Jaws tend to get all the attention, but Sugarland is an excellent film with great performances, including a very young William Atherton, who would later turn in memorably sleazy performances in Ghostbusters and Die Hard, but who is very sweet as the slightly hopeless husband Clovis. Well worth watching if you find it.

BBC Genome: BBC One – 1st April 1989 – 22:45

This was the only recording on the tape, recorded from BBC1, obviously on a timer, since it runs the whole duration of the tape.

We have the end of an episode of The Odd Couple (looks like The Blackout). Then a trailer for Denis Lawson’s new series The Justice Game – of which I have some episodes recorded so they’ll show up here later. His character is “A lawyer with a reputation and a healthy disregard for the rules”. Of course.

After the movie, there’s a rundown of highlights for Sunday evening.

Remember when Mastermind was Sunday night prime time viewing?

It includes a programme called The Software Show which sounds like the kind of thing I should have been all over, but I have no recollection of it whatsoever. However, a little googling reveals it was presented by Carol Vorderman, and co-presented by Bruce Smith, a writer who I used to know a little in my BBC Micro/Acorn days. He wrote a couple of books about applications I had worked on, so we’d meet up occasionally at trade shows. I had no idea that he was a partner in dabs.com – I knew Dave Atherton at the time, as we were suppliers to Dabhand (as they were known) but I didn’t know Bruce was his partner. I now really wish I’d recorded some of The Software Show.

We then a complete recording of Elvis Aloha from Hawaii deep in his later spangly jumpsuit phase. I confess I didn’t watch much of this. A weather bulletin follows, then BBC1 closes down, complete with National Anthem and clock.

I miss the clock. Why don’t they bring the clock back?

Victoria Wood – Smith and Jones – tape 788

On this tape, some episodes of Victoria Wood‘s series of comedy stories. On this tape are the episodes:

• Mens Sana in Thingummy Doodah – BBC One – 16th November 1989 – 20:30
• The Library – BBC One – 23rd November 1989 – 20:30
• Over to Pam – BBC One – 30th November 1989 – 20:30
• Val De Ree (Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha) – BBC One – 14th December 1989 – 20:30

There is also an episode of Smith and Jones in there too. BBC Genome: BBC One – 23rd November 1989 – 21:30

Around the edges we have – the end of a Les Dawson Show (Special guests Leo Sayer, Christopher Timothy, The Fairer Sax and Odd Bod the Penguin) “Wayne Eagling appeared by kind permission of the General Director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden” Then a trail for an episode of Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em.

We have a trail for The Ginger Tree which is notable for being the first BBC serial ever shot for High Definition TV.

Then, a short burst of the Nine O’Clock News. “Czechoslovakia’s army warns it will defend communism against anarchy”, “Sir Geoffrey Howe says a leadership challenge to Mrs Thatcher would damage the Conservatives and boost Labour”

This was during Josef Goebbels’ brief tenure as editor of BBC News

Rob Curling presents Newsroom South East, and Michael Fish reads the weather.

There’s also a Radio Times advert with Dennis Potter talking about writing and directing Blackeyes.

Before the next episode, we have the end of an episode of Blankety Blank, featuring Cribbins, Biggins and some people who needed two names.

Following a trail for Sports Review of the Year there is a brief promo for Bed, Chair, Table, Lamp, a four part series about furniture.

Following the last episode on the tape, there’s a Christmas Comedy promo featuring Only Fools and Horses and Bread – whose promo was specially shot.

More news follows, covering an Ambulance dispute and a Judge who was criticised by the appeal court for being “too sympathetic” in a rape case and he shouldn’t have awarded damages. I’d like to say things have improved over the years, but I’m not sure they have.

There’s also a report on the fears of the conservative back benchers over the number of people from Hong Kong being given the right to live in Britain. Then a story about forced repatriation of Vietnamese boat people, and a report about an IRA attack.

Then that recording stops, and a previous recording appears – an episode of Cagney and Lacey, in which Cagney appears to go undercover as a nun.

Force of Habit