shows that have been destroyed (1 Viewer)

[Vahan_Nisanain]

And don't count on BBC airing a good chunk of TOTOP episodes again, after the fact that Jimmy Savile was a predatory paedophile (as the British pronounce it) went public.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

And don't count on BBC airing a good chunk of TOTOP episodes again, after the fact that Jimmy Savile was a predatory paedophile (as the British pronounce it) went public.

Well, sadly, large blocks of TOTP reruns (or from any other "old" show for that matter) aren't likely on British TV anytime soon for far more across-the-board reasons than Jimmy Saville. Sadly, the UK have followed the example of US broadcast/cable stations in that "classic" reruns are now few and far between, or relegated to channels with low viewership. In the '90s, there was a vast amount of vintage UK and US reruns on British telly (I have the off-air VHS tapes to prove it), but now, reruns of vintage shows are now more a rarity than something you can count on, and the UK stations are now like the US ones in another way: they edit old shows for time now, as well.

 

[Silverking]

Since the discussion has turned to British shows, what is the know fate of Top of the Pops from the 60s, early 70s? Also, what about Ready Steady Go?

Neil,
As mentioned a lot of old TOTP's are missing, but a lort of clips still exist as it was sold around Europe & surface on German Television in particular, which runs many old nostalgia music shows. BBC is in the odd position of having to buy back material originally made by themselves for which they no longer have copies.

Ready Steady Go - my understanding of this is most of it still survives & the rights are owned by Dave Clark (of the 60;s group The Dave Clark 5). Quite a number were shown on C4 in the 80's.

Of the the other vintage British pop music shows of the period, 'Oh Boy' has only episode surviving, I think, -' 6'5 Special' I don't know though BBC did run one a year or so back. Lastly 'Thank Your Lucky Stars' I think has gone. whilst 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' I think is mostly intact.

Appreciate this may not be of much interest to US fans however there were an awful lot of top US acts featured on these shows , often playing live, and i'ts such a shame so much has been lost to music fans..

 

[Jack P]

I was going through my personal collection of CBS coverage of the JFK Assassination (from CBS News Archives) and found an unusual item that may have resulted in a "lost" TV special being preserved inadvertently.

On the morning following the assassination, CBS signed on first with the CBS Morning News anchored by Mike Wallace. Then they broke from the news coverage for an hour and decided to repeat a special "Let Freedom Ring" that first aired December 31, 1961 and starred Richard Boone, Dan O'Herlihy, Laraine Day and Howard Keel doing dramatic readings of patriotic speeches with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir doing patriotic songs. Evidently, CBS felt the need to show something that could let Americans still feel good about their country in the face of such a horrific tragedy. What struck me was how this special I am certain was not preserved in terms of its original master tape by CBS but is an insight into how they would have still been holding onto them for a time after the initial broadcast to use for a purpose like they did by reairing it during the JFK coverage. And in so doing, we have a copy of this special that you could never see made again in today's world, preserved for all time in its original videotape state thanks to CBS News preserving all of the assassination coverage (this also being the reason for why the "As The World Turns" episode that CBS interrupted to break news of the shooting was also preserved in terms of what was shown to the country that day).

 

[Frank Soyke]

From what I've been told, hundreds exist but Bob Barker prevented anything from being done with them, either on GSN or DVD.

Simplistic question but why? is it completely $'s related or some other issue?

 

[oldtvshowbuff]

I was going through my personal collection of CBS coverage of the JFK Assassination (from CBS News Archives) and found an unusual item that may have resulted in a "lost" TV special being preserved inadvertently.

On the morning following the assassination, CBS signed on first with the CBS Morning News anchored by Mike Wallace. Then they broke from the news coverage for an hour and decided to repeat a special "Let Freedom Ring" that first aired December 31, 1961 and starred Richard Boone, Dan O'Herlihy, Laraine Day and Howard Keel doing dramatic readings of patriotic speeches with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir doing patriotic songs. Evidently, CBS felt the need to show something that could let Americans still feel good about their country in the face of such a horrific tragedy. What struck me was how this special I am certain was not preserved in terms of its original master tape by CBS but is an insight into how they would have still been holding onto them for a time after the initial broadcast to use for a purpose like they did by reairing it during the JFK coverage. And in so doing, we have a copy of this special that you could never see made again in today's world, preserved for all time in its original videotape state thanks to CBS News preserving all of the assassination coverage (this also being the reason for why the "As The World Turns" episode that CBS interrupted to break news of the shooting was also preserved in terms of what was shown to the country that day).

Is there any chance for us to see that special on DVD?

 

[Lord Dalek]

Simplistic question but why? is it completely $'s related or some other issue?

He's confusing the reason why Truth or Consequences is never rerun (the Ralph Edwards estate demanding too much) with the reason many Price is Right episodes will never be seen again (fur coats).

 

[Neil Brock]

He's confusing the reason why Truth or Consequences is never rerun (the Ralph Edwards estate demanding too much) with the reason many Price is Right episodes will never be seen again (fur coats).

From what I've heard, it is all Bob Barker's wishes.

 

[Jack P]

Is there any chance for us to see that special on DVD?

Doubtful, but I've since discovered the Paley Center has a copy one can view though it doesn't indicate if its a tape master or a kinescope. When CBS aired it originally on New Year's Eve 1961 it was in an afternoon timeslot as part of Sunday afternoon programming (the NFL season being over by then).

 

[MatthewA]

From what I've heard, it is all Bob Barker's wishes.

I sure hope there's no stipulation about that in his will.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

From what I've heard, it is all Bob Barker's wishes.

I'm pretty sure you're mistaken about Barker being the hold-up for Truth or Consequences. I'm fairly confident it's legal issues with the Edwards estate (either high fees as Lord Dalek suggests or some other copyright-related problem).

As for why certain Price episodes were withheld from GSN syndication (and the DVD set), the reasons are actually two-fold: one is, as was said, to do with Barker's stance on the fur issue (BCI even asked Barker if they could run "fur" episodes with a disclaimer/PSA prior to them, but he wasn't having it).

Rumour has it Barker also asked that the Dennis James night-time episodes not be run, but as far as I know, that is just rumour (at least, as far as the reruns). I do think GSN ran Tom Kennedy episodes during the time they had Price rerun rights. As for the BCI set, I think Bob didn't want them to select any James or Kennedy episodes, but was okay with a sampling of Cullen, as he had great respect for Bill (and the show began with Bill).

The other issue is to do with Barker's animosity towards Holly Halstrom (in particular) and Dian Parkinson over their lawsuits against the show and Barker himself. I don't know if they would have received any residuals from reruns/DVD sales, but he didn't want them included for personal reasons. Parkinson was included on one episode on the DVD set (maybe two), so he compromised there (it was the only way to get the first regular hour-long episode on there), but that episode(s) only feature her in a minor capacity.

As for GSN reruns, those may have ended before Parkinson's lawsuit (and probably even began before Halstrom's), so could explain why Holly/Dian/Janice episodes were shown on GSN but not allowed on DVD, as rerun agreements would have already been signed at that time.

Fat chance of any GSN reruns of the show (in any form) now, though, since CBS didn't want them on GSN anymore (didn't want old episodes competing with the new ones). Only chance will be if the show is ever cancelled and then, given GSN's aversion to most older programming now, would probably consist entirely of Drew Carey-hosted shows (or later high-def Barker shows).

 

[Jack P]

My understanding is the James episodes were nixed because the majority of them had fur coat giveaways and thus, there were not enough episodes left for GSN to run overall.

Bob had no control over the Cullen episodes. GSN was limited on what they could show of those, but only because many were originally sponsored by Viceroy cigarettes and in those days GSN would not air shows that were cigarette sponsored where the name was present on a podium (which is why Password episodes sponsored by Salem were not affected; though the "brought to you by" plug for them was always edited out). When GSN relaxed this rule in 2001 and started airing Winston and Marlboro episodes of "I've Got A Secret" and "To Tell The Truth" their contract to air Cullen TPIR episodes had expired along with the rest of TPIR. A number of Cullen episodes that did air on GSN did have fur coats as prizes.

Kennedy episodes were part of the regular GSN schedule at one time.

 

[Vahan_Nisanain]

I think there's another reason why the James episodes haven't aired in years: I heard Bob Barker despised Dennis James. Held a grudge towards him.

Did Barker ever once share a dressing room with him, engage in a friendly conversation with him, compliment each other, etc.? I don't think so. I think Barker may have hated him all his life.

A shame, because Dennis James was far more down-to-earth.

 

[Lord Dalek]

From what I've seen of the Dennis James episodes (the few that are on YouTube), they were nothing special.

Also IIRC GSN did air that one week he guest hosted when Bob fell sick.

 

[Jack P]

It wasn't one week it was one show only during the course of a week, and because it was from the daytime run that meant GSN could air it. Oddly that show aired the same day that James was finishing up a six month stint hosting a revival of "Name That Tune" on NBC (Tom Kennedy hosted the syndicated nighttime version of that).

James brought a different livelier quality to the hosting that I think makes for an interesting contrast from Barker's approach. Bob was a bit more stiff in the early months of the show before he grew into the hosting job (he was still doing Truth Or Consequences in syndication for the first three years of TPIR).

Many say that Barker started to become more of a tyrant after his wife died in the early 80s, which was also when he began his fling with Dian. In my case, I stop collecting episodes after he stopped dying his hair which is when his obnoxious qualities started to become more evident.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

Many say that Barker started to become more of a tyrant after his wife died in the early 80s, which was also when he began his fling with Dian. In my case, I stop collecting episodes after he stopped dying his hair which is when his obnoxious qualities started to become more evident.

I think part of what was said was that his wife helped keep his ego "in-check", but with her gone, there was no one to reign him in.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

Fat chance of any GSN reruns of the show (in any form) now, though, since CBS didn't want them on GSN anymore (didn't want old episodes competing with the new ones). Only chance will be if the show is ever cancelled and then, given GSN's aversion to most older programming now, would probably consist entirely of Drew Carey-hosted shows (or later high-def Barker shows).

IIRC, there were no hi-def Barker episodes, and TPIR didn't go hi-def or widescreen until a year or so into the Drew Carey run.

I also believe the reason so many set changes occurred over a relatively short period was because Barker as executive producer was a major part in keeping the show's look locked in the 80s, and once he was gone, they had room to play with upgrading things.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I also believe the reason so many set changes occurred over a relatively short period was because Barker as executive producer was a major part in keeping the show's look locked in the 80s, and once he was gone, they had room to play with upgrading things.

I would change "'80s" to "'70s". Those garish oranges that dominated the sets! Those old fonts! Et cetera.

It would be interesting to know what his thinking was about keeping things exactly the same. One might reason that he was thinking "if it ain't broke..." But in television that is never a rule that's followed. usually, the viewers demand that things keep up with the times.

 

[JMFabianoRPL]

Fat chance of any GSN reruns of the show (in any form) now, though, since CBS didn't want them on GSN anymore (didn't want old episodes competing with the new ones). Only chance will be if the show is ever cancelled and then, given GSN's aversion to most older programming now, would probably consist entirely of Drew Carey-hosted shows (or later high-def Barker shows).

Is it true that Let's Make A Deal falls under this CBS edict as well now?

I think TPIR would be immune to GSN's "aversion," seeing as even current viewers know who Bob Barker is so there's that familiarity there. And Match Game remains on their schedule, which began only a year after T(N)PIR. Other thing is, how much of the series would they be allowed, as now, GSN must lease classics from everyone, as opposed to the almost free reign they once had.

re: RSG!, I remember Dusty Springfield fans complaining that Dave Clark DIDN'T want them seen anymore, or wouldn't lease them? And does anyone else remember the show being seen on The Disney Channel?

Dunno if I brought this up, and it's not exactly DESTROYED, but wrestling-wise we can safely say most Chris Benoit matches can be classified here. As would be Over the Edge '99.

 

[Jack P]

The Golden Age of Game Show Network was 1994-2003. Even the brief six month stretch in 1997-1998 that became known as the "Dark Period" because that was when GSN let the rights to the entire Goodson catalog lapse (and prompted a storm of outrage from fans that forced them to quickly sign new deals and bring the Goodson shows back) with hindsight turned out to be a good thing because that marked the only time in the history of GSN we saw these shows brought out of the vault. "Break The Bank" (1976), "Go!" (1983-84), "Chain Reaction" (1980), "Pass The Buck" (1978) and the only time the New York-based "20,000 Pyramid" was part of the daily schedule.

The classic B/W shows got a new lease on life in 2001 when the ban on cigarette shows was lifted and we finally got to see the 50s golden age of "I've Got A Secret" and then in 2002 the 150 odd episodes of 70s "Hollywood Squares" marked the last great new acquisition in GSN history. After 2003, with increased problems of program speed-up, crunched credits and a reliance on more recent fare or bad original programming, GSN was no longer worth watching and only if you'd been fortunate enough to tape like made during its golden age did you get a chance to keep enjoying the GSN that once was and have the greatest preservation of classic game shows possible. We'll never see those days again.