Catacombs Reference LibraryTrade Press
The Stage
Catacombs Reference LibraryThe Stage is a weekly trade newspaper started in the UK in 1880. It is considerably older than Variety (1905), Screen International (1975) and the Hollywood Reporter (1930). Many UK performers began their careers by answering adverts in The Stage. From 1959 to 1995 it included a TV supplement named Television Today. It included the weekly JICTAR ratings, for networked and regional UK television.
Dear Sir,
May 1 report that the British. made series UFO which the industry almost totally ignored during its UK run, is being very well received here in the States. Figures released by CBS show that it was first in its time period in New York for four consecutive weeks since its premiere on September 17. In a prime time slot (7-8 pm Saturday nights) it captured 40 per cent, 38 per cent, 37 per cent and 32 per cent audience share during this period. Figures from other areas show a similar picture. This compares, for example, with another British made series "The Adventurer, which during the same period in New York, captured only 19 per cent, 16 per cent, 16 per cent, and 18 per cent, of its prime time audience.
In a market dominated by 30 minute action series with star names, UFO without names and its 60 minute length, looks like the potential dark horse among syndicated series on current release here. I understand, from a usually reliable source, that Gerry Anderson, has been asked by ATV to prepare more UFO scripts for, should the series. maintain these ratings, it is very possible that another block would be made.
I feel that the many hundreds of artists and technicians who worked on this series at MGM and Pinewood would appreciate this information.
Yours faithfully
Ed Bishop
320 Central Park West, Apt 12J N.Y. 10025, N.Y.
Ed Bishop, who starred in UFO, was promoting the revival of the series; his source is almost certainly Gerry Anderson himself. ITC would soon cancel the revival, and Anderson would propose reworking the preparation into a new series, Space: 1999.
CHAIRMAN of ATV Sir Lew Grade announced last week that two major co-production ventures with RAI (Italian State Television) have been sold to America.
The first is The Life and Times of William Shakespeare which has been sold to the American Broad Casting Company. The series is written by Anthony Burgess and based on his book of Shakespeare.
It will be produced by Vincenzo Labella and Cecil Clarke. The director is Peter Wood.
The second sale is The Origins of the Mafia, five one-hour programmes which will examine the origins and history of the Mafia.
Another RAI/ATV co-production is Space 1999, a new science fiction series of 24 hour-long episodes. It features Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, the stars of Mission Impossible, and Barry Morse.
Series script editor is George Bellak and the producers are Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Production begins on November 26 at Pinewood.
A new ATV/ORTE co-production will be called Cabsmash. Work on scripts has begun on this series of 24 one-hour programmes. Final casting will be announced later.
This series is based on an idea by Ronald Bowey and the executive producer will be Robert Baker who produced The Persuaders, The Saint and other major series for ATV
This will be ATV's second co- production deal with French Television. The first, already announced, is six one-hour episodes of The Life of Offenbach.
Peter O'Toole has made a long term agreement with ATV for a series of world-premiere films specially made for television. The films have been sold in the United States to NBC.
ATV, in association with Keep Films, Peter O'Toole's company, will produce a major feature film which in the first instance will be shown in cieas throughout the world.
The Shakespeare series eventually became the Tim Curry mini-series "Will Shakespeare" written by John Mortimer and aired in 1978 (Anthony Burgess would instead script the mini-series Moses The Law Giver, 1974). The Origins of the Mafia series was directed by Enzo Muzii, narrated by Richard Johnson, and aired in 1976 in the US and Italy, but does not seem to have aired in the UK. Bob Baker's Cabsmash was not made. The Peter O'Toole/ITC film was Man Friday, directed by Jack Gold and released in 1975.
SIX drama and situation comedy series, seven musical spectaculars, five plays, several documentaries, a space epic and two children's series are among the productions being made or about to start work at ATV's studios.
Gerry and Sylvia Anderson are working on a new space series, Space 1999, now being filmed for television at Pinewood. This 26-part series of one-hour episodes is an ATV(ITC) co-production with RAI, Italy. The stars are Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, the American husband and wife acting team, and Barry Morse will also be starred in the series which presents guest stars in each episode.
This is the article seen by Martin Bower which prompted him to write to Gerry Anderson, who in turn put him in touch with Brian Johnson.
Meanwhile the 24-part filmed series Space 1999, produced by Gerry Anderson and directed by Sylvia Anderson, is in its final stages at Pinewood after 15 months on the floor.
Each episode runs for an hour and the stars of the series are Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Barry Morse. Guest stars (at the rate of one per episode) include Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Joan Collins, Roy Dotrice, Margaret Leighton, Cyd Hayman and Judy Geeson.
The long-awaited Edward the Seventh, in 13 one-hour episodes, is also being given its finishing touches in the editing suite before it begins transmission on April 1; while the 26 parts of Clayhanger are expected to be finished in June for showing in September of this year.
The Life of Jesus series mentioned would eventually be named Jesus of Nazareth.
In the ratings 8 September -14 September 1975, Space: 1999 featured in the top 10 in only 2 regions- Westward (at 7th) and STV (at 10). Many regions include many BBC titles (Liver Birds, Nine O'Clock News and the Two Ronnies and Dad's Army were top in Thames/LWT); the Midlands was odd in featuring The Sweeney as their top show. Dr Who made 3rd in one region, Grampian, but appeared no-where else. In later weeks, Space: 1999 did not appear in any of the top 10s . Figures is viewing homes in millions
Network
1 Man About the House (Thames) 7:60
2=The Sweeney (Thames) 7.10
2=The Stars Look Down (Granada) 7.10
4 Crossroads, Thu (ATV) 7.05
5 My Son Reuben (Thames). 6.95
5-The Two Ronnies (BBC) 6.95
7 Upstairs, Downstairs (LWT). 6.90
8 Sale of the Century (Anglia) 6.80
9 Crossroads, Wed (ATV). 6.60
9=Crossroads, Fri (ATV) 6.60
9=The Liver Birds (BBC) 6.60
12=Raffles (Yorkshire) 6.45
12=General Hospital (ATV). 6.45
14 Softly, Softly (BBC) 6:40
15 Crossroads. Tue (ATV) 6.35
16 The Dick Emery Show (BBC) 6.30
17 Coronation St. Mon (Granada) 6.20
18 Kojak, US series (BBC) 6.10
19 Whodunnit? (Thames). 6.05
20 Coronation St. Wed (Granada) 6.00
And here's Westward, with their top 10 viewing shares.
South West (Westward)
1 Crossroads, Thu (ATV) 45
2 Crossroads, Fri (ATV) 42
3 Sale of the Century (Anglia) 41
4 Westward Diary, Thu (Westward) 40
5=Crossroads, Wed (ATV). 39
5=Man About the House (Thames). 39
7=Space 1999 (ATV) 38
7= The Stars Look Down (Granada) 38
9 Westward Diary and Sports Desk, Fri (Westward) 32
10=The Sweeney (Thames) 36
10=Survival (Anglia). 36
10=General Hospital (ATV) 36
ATV has made 20 of the 24 programmes in the second series of its hour-long sci-fi adventures, Space 1999, which is currently being shown at 11 a.m. on Saturdays in London and 4.45 p.m. on Thursdays in the Midlands.
This series, unlike the first one, is not a co-production. The executive producer is Gerry Anderson and the producer for the whole series is Fred Frieberger, who has worked on Startrek. Different writers and directors are working on each episode, but Fred Frieberger has worked closely with the writers on each script.
The emphasis, in this series, is more on the continuing storyline and the regular players Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Catherine Schell and Tony Anholt.
Other players featured in forthcoming episodes will be Stuart Wilson, Lynn Frederick, Willoughby Goddard, Patrick Mower, James Laurenson and Jess Conrad.
A list of notices of performers and crew looking for work. David Goodenough doesn't appear on SFX crew lists, but being based at Bray Studios he would have been readily available when they needed an extra hand.
David Goodenough at Bray Studios has plenty of work to organise for documentaries, commercials and special effects for the television series "Space 1999". Adjacent to his offices he has Adam Francis and Nick Brind in their recording studio ready to supply music and effects and John Hatt (ex Radio Caroline) with voice- overs where required, In conjunction with Nigel Pegrum and Rick Kemp (of Steeleye Span) Adam and Nick as "Joe Public" have an enviable EMI contract and their first release "Hold Me Tight will be available in January. Bray Studios was the home of the Hammer Films, "The Music Lovers", "Pope Joan" and many other fine projects, times have changed but with all film and recording requirements, songwriter's facilities and preview theatre available and all contained in one place could be for the better.
This was a 5 day exhibition of BBC programming for European buyers, an attempt to by-pass busy markets like MIP in Cannes.
This week BBC Enterprises will be evaluating the success of the five day Brighton Showcase to see whether the operation should be repeated next year and, if so, whether to hold it in the same location or somewhere else. How their new general manager will view it is another matter. Meanwhile, what did the European delegates think of it? A Television Today reporter spoke to them on the last day.
Jaako Tervasmaki, is head of purchased programmes of the commercial service in Finland, the other service is run by the Government.
The tastes of Finnish and I think all Scandinavian viewers are very similar. We are different from the French and Germans for example. One of the differences is that there is now a very strong anti-violence movement in the Nordic countries and our television is frequently attacked if we have too violent programmes.
"Sometimes this can seem to me ridiculous, as in the case of Space 1999 which we began at 7.30 in the evening; we were asked to move it to a much later slot in the evening You have many more police series than we do, they are almost non-existent in Finland these days. Kojak is just not tolerated. But I am against the kind of intolerance that we have in Finland now and I hope it will change."
The news that satellite channel Bravo has lined up ace seventies show Space 1999 got us thinking.
Do we look back on programmes such as this from our childhood with fondness because they were groundbreaking and excellent, or is it just the rheumy glow of nostalgia which makes us think of them in a favourable light? A case in point is the execrable Randall and Hopkirk Deceased. Surely one could have liked this tosh first time around.
All I can remember from Space 1999 is Martin Laundau looking worried and some woman with funny eyebrows who could, at will, turn into. monsters which resembled huge plates of jelly.
But Space 1999 ice lollies are another matter. They were green and had some gooey jelly in the middle and were delicious. A vox pop of the office finds more people remember the lollies than the plots of the TV show. Maybe Bravo should open an ice-cream parlour.
Space: 1999 copyright ITV Studios Global Entertainment