Bob Monkhouse on BBC4

[Matthew Mortimer]

Good documentary on BBC4.

Turns out, when he died, they found he had literally recovered most things he'd been in since he started in showbiz - radios, stand-up, sitcoms, Palladium, Golden Shot of course; all things that were wiped by companies like ATV.

Had thousands and thousands of hours of recorded material, apparently.

No Crossroads mention (haha), but there was a canny still photograph of Bob standing afront the main Crossroads principal cast, who looked like they were in the audience of something... was the last 10 minutes, if anyone wants to BBC iPlayer it! x

[Matthew Mortimer]

*Recorded, not recovered...

[Maria No. 1.]

Yes a very good programme, very watchable wasn't it.

There is a thread within "General Debate" about this when the programme first aired on Monday.  You may find some of the comments interesting Matthew.

[Maria No. 1.]

Oh and there is a thread within this section Matthew "Variety Night 1980" showing a couple of photos.

There is a good one of the cast. 

[Matthew Mortimer]

Aw sorry guys, am half asleep, didn't think about checking elsewhere for previous posts x

[Maria No. 1.]

Don't worry Matthew.  You put an interesting post in anyway 

But the cast photo that Mike put up is quite funny, as in what Janet Hargreaves (Rosemary Hunter) was wearing.  I'm sure you will be amused 

[Mike of CAS]

Very good show, shame he didn't keep any of his Crossroads episodes he was in.

Though the Variety Club night survives as an ATV News report but the content of it I guess is lost (unless someone turns up one of the booklets sold about the Tribute show at the theatre on the night, they did have them I've seen one, but not to read!)

[Mike of CAS]

A question raised in the other thread but is more apt here is Noele's appearances on Golden Shot/Celebrity Squares.

I don't know the year but must be 1978 or 1979, she's on the Christmas Celebrity Squares special. Saturday 23rd December.

And what a line-up its hopeful Bob may have taped it because he likes his 'comedy' people. Noele Gordon was on with Frankie Howerd - oh yes missus yes, Dick Emery - oh you are awful, and Leslie Crowther - come on down.

[Mike of CAS]

Checked the Christmas ones seem to be wiped (bar 1977's) and it ended in summer 1979, so its the 1978 edition (Bruce Forsyth has a show on ITV in the same week and he was BBC-ing it before '78.)

[Castlewich]

Is it an irony that of all the programmes

Very good show, shame he didn't keep any of his Crossroads episodes he was in.

That we know of? I could imagine Bob recording all his own TV appearances, especially something that was a bit of a novelty like cameo in Crossroads.

[Mike of CAS]

Yes maybe its gone tits up over the years and it was lost. But I'm pretty sure they've logged all his tapes and film, unless someone knows better.

[Maria No. 1.]

Of course when I started the other thread I didn't know that Crossroads was going to feature.  I was reacting to Bob on The Golden Shot.

A question raised in the other thread but is more apt here is Noele's appearances on Golden Shot/Celebrity Squares.

I don't know the year but must be 1978 or 1979, she's on the Christmas Celebrity Squares special. Saturday 23rd December.

Noele was a certainty wasn't she as a guest seeing as she was a Christmas baby.  When compiling the potentials I bet her name was first on the list.

[Castlewich]

Yes maybe its gone tits up over the years and it was lost. But I'm pretty sure they've logged all his tapes and film, unless someone knows better.

If only the TV companies had the same love of film and TV as Bob, but of course video tape was, I understand, too expensive not to reuse.

[Mike of CAS]

From the paperwork and all that OB recording it seems Crossroads in the 1960s was pretty good early on. Shame those have gone it would have been a good era to view.

[Maria No. 1.]

I can see this programme being shown on BBC2 later in the year as alot of BBC4 programmes are.

I'm hoping at some point it gets released as a DVD.  Depends on the viewing figures I suppose but lesser programmes have gone to DVD haven't they.  I'm thinking if it goes to DVD there might some some nice Extra Features. 

I know on the end credits it gave thanks to the "Estate of Bob Monkhouse" I suppose thats his family ?  And down to them just what material is made public.