BBC Two showing the same old films has become a running joke in our house. If you check the page on the BBC website for 1960’s School for Scoundrels, we can find out it’s been shown no less than 14 times since 2013. I don’t care how much you like Terry-Thomas, that’s surely overkill.
Which means that when the BBC does start showing some “new” old films which they haven’t actually broadcast for years1, they can get somewhat lost in the schedules. So consider the following a public service announcement. The first two have already gone out and are on iPlayer, and the other two are on this weekend:
Funny Face (1957)
Recent BBC TX: 16th Sep 2023 (Schedule) • Previous BBC TX: 4th May 1998 (Genome)
A film that more than one person has cited as a possible inspiration for parts of Barbie, quite aside from the more obvious elements from another film directed by Donen: Singin’ in the Rain.
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
Recent BBC TX: 17th Sep 2023 (Schedule) • Previous BBC TX: 17th Mar 1996 (Genome)
One of Judy Garland’s final film performances. A strong film to show on BBC Two before the watershed due to the use of real Holocaust footage, which garnered an equally strong warning from continuity beforehand.
Moulin Rouge (1953)
Next BBC TX: 23rd Sep 2023 (Schedule) • Previous BBC TX: 19th Feb 1978 (Genome)
This one in particular feels very strange that it hasn’t been on the BBC since 1978! It should have been on every bank holiday! (Although Channel 4 had rights for years.)
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
Next BBC TX: 24th Sep 2023 (Schedule) • Previous BBC TX: 7th Sep 2001 (Genome)
This was remade as In the Good Old Summertime in 1949, which is one of my favourite musicals. Oddly, despite my recent sojourn through Golden Age Hollywood, I have somehow conspired to see none of the above films. So this is an ideal opportunity to rectify this.
Other interesting things are popping up here and there; it’s so widely-seen that I didn’t think it was worth adding to the above list, but BBC Two are also showing the original Psycho for the first time in years this Sunday the 24th. So it’s worth keeping an eye out for other shards of joy/terror in the schedules during the upcoming weeks.
Other channels will have shown them more recently, of course – I’m only talking about the BBC here. ↩