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How GOLD ruins programmes, Part #367234

Published 22nd October 2011

TV Comedy / TV Presentation

Whilst we’re on the subject of GOLD transmission errors, the below – broadcast yesterday – brings me out in FISTS OF RAGE. The dinnerladies episode Minnellium – and just as we get to the discovery that Anita was the one who abandoned her baby:

One of the most heart-wrenching endings they ever had to an episode: ruined. The last joke in the episode: ruined. One episode of dinnerladies: ruined. All because they triggered their pre-recorded voiceover in the usual place, rather than actually checking the end of the episode to see if it fitted.

Brilliant, GOLD, well done.

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Stick Something INCORRECT On

Published 20th October 2011

TV Presentation

Oh dear, GOLD’s going through an identity crisis. Broadcast at around 7:40pm on the 19th October:

For anyone wondering how that happened, I’m fairly certain that’s a dynamically created trail – not a pre-created piece of video, but automatically generated by the playout server. Clearly, the right schedule information, audio, and video clips were present – but the wrong channel graphics were selected…

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So, take a seat. Welcome. And enjoy.

Published 13th July 2011

TV Comedy

OK, so you thought the Brittas Empire ticket and programme leaflet were obscure? Back in 1993, my girlfriend attended a recording of BBC sitcom Every Silver Lining. On a British Legion trip. A rude comment about the blue rinse brigade would be demeaning but accurate.

Luckily, being the type of person she is, she kept the programme leaflet given out at the recording, a scan of which follows below. Click to enlarge. Anyone care to guess how many of these still exist?

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Erm… Just Scan It, Colin?

Published 6th July 2011

TV Comedy

Piss poor. But move on.

I presume it’s not just me who has a list of sitcoms they wish they’d been at recordings of. From Fawlty Towers to Blackadder to Men Behaving Badly, for me the list extends even to specific episodes of a series. The fact I will never see the Red Dwarf episode Back To Reality recorded pains me immensely.

Another sitcom on the list is the vastly underrated The Brittas Empire. A few years back, however, someone eBayed their audience ticket and leaflet given out at the show – and I now present this material which I have refused to allow to become ephemera. Click for bigger versions:

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I’ve Never Read… A Book

Published 18th May 2011

TV Comedy

When I think back to 2003, two things stick in my mind. Firstly, that was the year when I dropped out of uni a complete and total failure. Secondly, it was when I got involved with a Red Dwarf fansite run by a certain Ian Symes – Ganymede & Titan.

A lot’s happened in the intervening years – whether it’s arguing with Iain Lee, nearly getting sued by Grant Naylor Productions, or… well, arguing with Norman Lovett. Yet oddly, for me, one of the most exciting things we’ve done is a repackaging of old stuff. Because last month, we put a book out.

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Letter Sweep

Published 1st May 2011

Internet

Oooh, this is a fun idea from Tim Bray – type each first letter of the alphabet into your URL bar, and see what the browser’s guess is for where you want to visit. Let’s see what well-rounded portrait this gives of me, shall we?

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The Beginning

Published 28th February 2011

TV Comedy

Look, mum, I did an interview!

http://www.ganymede.tv/indepth/the-beginning

Nic Farey, founder of The Official Red Dwarf Fanclub, and ex-team member Maxine Lehmann, discuss early Red Dwarf fandom – something I’ve always been fascinated by. Even if you’re not a hardcore Dwarf fan, though, there’s some interesting stuff there about the nature of fandom before most people had the internet.

Also: it contains my favourite answer to any interview question I’ve ever asked…

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# As every galaxy was formed in less time than it takes to sing this song…

Published 24th January 2011

Music / Other TV / TV Comedy / TV Drama

A thought crossed my mind the other day. (This is quite rare, so savour it.) When talking about favourite telly theme tunes, people often mention ones from the 90s and earlier. Which is eminently understandable – apart from any perceptions about quality, television is less and less likely to give programmes time to have a decent theme tune these days.

Still, it’s not like they don’t exist. So, as a celebration of great theme tunes post-2000, I asked the Twitter hive mind for their opinions. Their thoughts follow; before I carry on with the next stage of my little plan, are any of your favourite 21st century theme tunes missing? Let me know below…

Update (26/01/11): Loads more of your suggestions added!
Update (31/01/11): More suggestions added!

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Miranda, Catherine and Andrew

Published 8th January 2011

TV Comedy

Miranda Hart

In a rare guest article here on Dirty Feed, script editor and writer Andrew Ellard takes issue with the poor quality of debate around the subject of studio audience sitcom…

This little piece in The Telegraph caused a minor kerfuffle just before Christmas. Catherine Gee gave her (negative) opinion on Miranda and Miranda’s fans, lent voice by Twitter and the ever-present ‘comment’ option, responded angrily.

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