Continuity Booth - Television News and Nostalgia

The battle for viewers increases between the BBC and ITV

Alan — Sat, 05 May 2012 11:53:28 +0000

In recent months, the tensions between the BBC and ITV have been escalating as the two television channels battle for viewers. These tensions are coming to a head as the two channels are going to be airing their most popular programmes at the same time. Britain’s Got Talent and The Voice are going to be overlapping which means that viewers are going to have to choose which programme they watch live.

The two channels are still in negotiations about delaying different parts of the show in order to benefit them both, however, it is certain that some parts of the show will definitely overlap. It was thought initially that over an hour of programming would overlap, however, negotiations have meant that this has come down to a much smaller amount in reality.

ITV have moved their programme, Britain’s Got Talent into a later start to accommodate the BBC and because of this they are going to be starting the show at 6:30 PM. The BBC are going to be starting the show 20 minutes earlier at 6:10 PM and ITV have been the ones to compromise because the BBC were scheduling live sports that afternoon which could not have their time changed.

The negotiations appear very frustrating for both channels and the bosses have said that they have been angry at their counterparts for not being more compromising in the situation. It is a strange situation as both shows are immensely popular and the channels know this, it just seems to be a game of one-upmanship on each other.

The situation could be completely avoidable if the channels planned ahead of time and were less concerned about beating each other, and more concerned about overall ratings figures for both of their programmes. They have also both been openly critical of each other in the press.

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Revealing documentary to look behind the scenes at the BBC Television Centre

Alan — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:13:25 +0000

The documentary is about to take place about the BBC Television Centre and it is expected to be rather revealing. It is going to look at the story behind the scenes throughout the BBC’s history and talk about various stars who have had sex on the premises and the smoking of illegal drugs that has been known to take place.

The documentary has been put together by the BBC itself and is going to be appearing on BBC4. One of the highlights of the documentary is where the presenter, Johnny Ball, tells the story of him and two of his co-stars who smoked an enormous joint before going on to film a nativity scene for children.

Mr Bull commented, “We all got completely stoned before we went out into the studio. It was hilarious and we kept screwing up our lines.” The documentary also makes the claim that David Attenborough once had to lodge a complaint because he found the Television Centre smelled too much of smoke because people were smoking pot before performing.

David Attenborough was then the controller for BBC2 and he points out that most of the guests who were appearing on the shows weren’t smoking ordinary cigarettes. The documentary also highlights some of the more unusual occurrences that have gone on at the Television Centre over the years. One was that Barry Norman was almost fired for wearing a wig on set one day, however it turned out that he wasn’t wearing a wig and his hair was just out of control.

There are a huge range of interviews in the documentary including ones with Terry Wogan and Brian Blessed. The documentary also highlights how many of the television stars were having sex with each other in the dressing rooms, when they were supposed to be working.

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The digital switchover signals the end of Teletext and Ceefax

Alan — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 19:30:52 +0000

As the digital switchover continues, the signal from Crystal Palace’s transmitter was switched off last night. The analogue TV signal is gradually being turned off all over the UK, with only Northern Ireland and Tyne Tees still getting the full signal. Analogue isn’t the only thing on the verge of disappearing for good, BBC’s Ceefax and ITV’s Teletext service are also transmitted their last pieces of news.

The familiar white block text on the black background often surrounded by lurid colours such as yellow, red and blue has allowed users to literally ‘see facts’ on the TV since 1974. Navigating by using the numbers on the television remote, Ceefax viewers could read the latest news, entertainment gossip, football scores, lottery numbers and look up the local weather.

Many British people have already lost the ability to access the Ceefax and Teletext services as analogue signals are slowly being replaced with digital. The new wave of switchovers from analogue has brought with it a fresh round of people reminiscing about the Ceefax/Teletext services.

As the Red Button approach is gradually replacing the old service, Ceefax has become a term that has been recently trending on Twitter. Many Twitter users have been posting about the end of BBC’s Ceefax service and what their favourite pages were. Aaron KD Bourn wrote on Twitter, “No more daily fixes of 101, 302, 501 and 888 on Ceefax as the service just got switched off in London.”

Tim Burgess, singer of The Charlatans, wrote “What surprised me most about Ceefax was how long it lasted, like dial up internet.” Jimthegooner posted on Twitter that “younger people will never know what it’s like to sit and wait for page 2 to load to see if their team won”. Jordan Ette also commented, “RIP. I used to check Top 40 music charts on there years ago, before we all had computers and iPhones.”

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IKEA enters the world of technology

Alan — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 19:26:55 +0000

For smart, compact home furnishings, IKEA is already a one-stop shop. Recently, IKEA have decided to venture into combining the technology world and the furniture world through the creation of IKEA TV. The new range of furniture, UPPLEVA (which means ‘experience’ in Swedish) integrates a sound system and wireless bass speakers, a DVD, CD and Blu-Ray player and an internet connection in one self-assembly piece of kit.

IKEA joined forces with TCL on this venture and have combined the controls for all the electronic equipment into one handy remote control. The furniture is specially made by IKEA and allows the signal from the remote control to travel through, which means that the electronic equipment can remain hidden, if desired.

The TV screens that come as part of the IKEA TV package come in four sizes between 24 and 46 inches, simply pick the screen size of choice. A range of TV colours are also available, including grey, blue and black. Users have the added benefit of being able to connect MP3 players or iPods to the TV.

IKEA furniture is typically purchased as a flat-pack and this is no different. If you’re handy with hammers, screwdrivers and spanners, you’ll be able to assemble this yourself with ease once you get the IKEA TV package home.

The product, available in three different designs, will first become available in Sweden, Poland, Germany, France and Italy. The product is set to launch in several more countries later this year.

3 out of 4 people surveyed by YouGov for IKEA said they wanted cables that were less visible and 60% also admitted that their household had between three and four remotes. An IKEA spokesperson noted that “IKEA have realised that people are using a wide range of electronic equipment. IKEA came up with the product to reduce the number of visible cables and remotes that annoy people so much.”

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Hit 60′s crime series Mr Rose come to DVD on 23rd April

Alan — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:03:20 +0000

Hit 60's crime series Mr Rose come to DVD on 23rd April

William Mervyn, the well known star of All Gas and Gaitors, is Chief Inspector Rose of Scotland Yard in Mr Rose: The Complete First Series.

The star of the cult crime series of the early 1960′s from Granada was first introduced in The Odd Man and It’s Dark Outside, Mr Rose made a triumphant return in this excellent series that also stars Donlad Webster, Iain Cuthbertson, Gillian Lewis and Terence Alexander.Mr Rose:

The Complete First Series, cert. PG, is being released as a 4 disc set and will be available to buy from the 23rd April 2012 with an rrp of £39.99.

Retirement has afforded Mr. Rose time not only to cultivate a cottage garden on the south coast, but also to write his memoirs. It’s the impending publication of those memoirs that brings a number of figures crawling out of the woodwork and back into his life!

Criminals and former colleagues alike, who know that his vast personal collection of case files contains a wealth of incriminating details. Time may have mellowed Rose a little, but he is as sharp as ever, and now sets about a succession of new investigations with customary aplomb- and evident relish!

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‘Slinger’s Day’ available on DVD from the 23rd April

Alan — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:48:18 +0000

'Slingers Day' available on DVD from the 23rd April

Bruce Forsyth, the living legend in the world of light entertainment, had only starred in one sitcom and Slinger’s Day: The Complete Series is available to buy from the 23rd April with a rrp of £19.99.

The hilarious series from Thames Television boasts scripts from comedy legends Vince Powell and Brian Cooke and chart the daily trials and tribulations that befall a beleaguered supermarket manager in London.

Environmental protesters, a shoplifting epidemic, a burgeoning butter mountain and largely incompetent staff are just a few of the problems facing Cecil Slinger, the new manager of Supafare. And just how is he supposed to offload 560 packets of Jacobson’s Savoury Fishcakes when no one wants to buy them? Slinger is forced to concede that the public doesn’t respond to lying, cheating and deception any more. Whatever happened to the old values?

Release Date: 23rd April 2012

RRP: £19.99

Running Time: 300 minutes

Screen Ratio: 1.33:1/colour

Discs: 2

Cat. No.: 7953705

Episode listing:

Series One disc one-

New Management Supafare gets a new manager Cecil Slinger. He meets with his workforce- it turns out to be a traumatic experience on both sides… not to mention a group of very worked up environmentalists…

Going Bananas; Things aren’t going too well for Slinger; an illegal immigrant hidden in a consignment of bananas, and an ex-wife on a shoplifting spree. These are just two of the new challenges that requires instant attention…

Butter wouldn’t Melt; This time Slinger finds himself trying to train his staff the proper respect that ought to be shown the customers. The shoplifting seems to be turning into amajor epidemic, not to mention the butter mountain that seems to grow larger by the day…

A Right Royal Mix-Up; A Royal visit is planned to the area, which will include a visit to the supermarket. Slinger makes every effort to make the occasion memorable and alas, one must always be careful of what one wishes for…

Black Letter Day; The new manager Slinger blows off steam by dictating upsetting letter but he does not send them; alas his secretary misunderstands…

The Nightshift; Competition is ruining business and late-night opening seems to be the answer; but the night brings in strange customers…

Series Two disc two-

Lost and Found; Slinger’s secretary has left for a better job and 2 other of his team are leaving fortheir own reasons; just as things cannot seem to get more stressful, of course they do…

Whose baby?; Slinger fancies himself a father figure to his staff, and when he finds a baby apparently abandoned in the stock room, his paternal instincts rise to the fore…

Taken for a Ride; Why is it that nobody’s buying mushroom yoghurt? And at the same time, why is Colin overdosing on 24 cartons of the stuff…?

Initiative; Slinger tries all the tricks in the book to offload 560 packets of Jacobson’s Savoury Fishcakes to no avail, then suddenly, a solution appears from an unexpected quarter…

The Stock Take; Slinger finds himself stuck with an extra case of Whiskey when he does the stock take, and with the auditors en route, it is imperative that he disposes of it…

A Pane in the Neck; Slinger’s eagerness to impress his new chairman backfires badly; and instead of cutting an impressive figure in front of the chairman, he finds himself ordered to stay overnight in the supermarket until the plate glass- that he breaks- is replaced…

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Sky announce investment into British films

Alan — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:10:06 +0000

The television company Sky have recently announced that they are going to be investing more money in the development of British films to be broadcast on television. It is keen to improve its credentials as a company dedicated to supporting film makers in the UK.

The company said that they are going to be targeting two markets. The first is the creation of children’s films which can be shown on the Sky Movies channels, as well as documentary films which will be made for Sky Atlantic.

It is expected that the first of these films created under the agreement are going to be launched in 2013. It is also estimated that the company are going to be increasing their spending on developing film in the UK to around £600 million within two years.

The company said that they are already working on some new productions but that they are currently taking submissions for projects they feel could be of cinema quality. It is estimated that productions will have an average budget of £5 million. The company also said that the documentaries for Sky Atlantic are designed to turn the channel into more of a rival for BBC Four.

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Jamie Oliver now turns his hand to TV drama

Alan — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 09:08:05 +0000

Jamie Oliver has already had a great deal of success in the media, all of this based around his successful culinary career. He has starred in several prominent cooking television shows and he has also produced best selling books. Interestingly, he has recently been commissioned by the BBC to create a drama series which is going to star the actor David Tennant.

The television programme is called The Spies of Warsaw and it comes from the production company, Fresh Pictures. This is a production company that has recently been established to create original drama productions.

Jamie Oliver has previously worked with Fresh Pictures, but in different ventures with their parent company, who have been producing his culinary shows. This is the first time that he has become involved in drama however and it follows a recent move he made into documentary film making.

It is estimated that Mr Oliver is worth over £100 million which has been accumulated through his book sales, ownership of restaurants and of course, his media appearances. In the UK he has only been outsold by one other author in the past decade, JK Rowling. Mr Oliver has been unable to be reached for comment about the project.

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Terrestrial TV turn off causes more problems than anticipated

Alan — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 09:06:05 +0000

Terrestrial TV is gradually being wound down across the UK and 5 million households recently lost the analogue signal they have been receiving for decades as digital takes over. BBC2 turned off the analogue signal recently, and it is expected that BBC1, Channel 4 and ITV will be turning off their signals within two weeks. Terrestrial transmissions have been broadcast for nearly 75 years and despite significant advertising about the changeover, many people were left without a signal on their television.

It is estimated that around 1 million people have lost their television transmission because they have been unable to switch to digital. It is expected that the majority of these viewers are disabled or elderly. The body responsible for leading the digital switch over is Digital UK. This latest switch off has been the largest phase so far in the project and is the biggest switch off since they began in 2008.

Large areas of homes within the M25 as well as parts of Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire, have all lost terrestrial transmission. It is estimated that around four percent of people in the area do not have the ability to receive digital television. The move will eventually lead to people getting many additional television channels.

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Woman arrested for breaking into Simon Cowell’s house

Alan — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 23:01:03 +0000

A woman has recently broken into the home of Simon Cowell in London and was reportedly wandering around his home before walking into the celebrity’s bedroom. Max Clifford, the spokesman for Mr Cowell commented, “This was a very frightening experience for Simon and he is going to be reassessing the security situation at his home immediately.”

Mr Cowell is a judge on Britain’s Got Talent and resides in a luxury house in Holland Park, located in West London. The security on this property is already said to be quite tight. It is reported that when the intruder broke into Mr Cowell’s home, he was watching himself on the television.

A spokesperson from the Metropolitan police commented, “We were called to a disturbance at a property in West London. When we arrived we found that a woman had broken into the home and she was arrested on a burglary charge.”

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