| Author | Message | ||
     Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 09-2010 Posted From: 86.143.98.68 |
Did anyone else just see that amazing documentary about the late Bob Monkhouse on BBC 4? Especially what was revealed about his obsessiive collecting, eg of videos of TV from the late sixties onward, radio recordings from 1948 onward and annotation etc. Absolutely amazing. | ||
| Stu (Stu) Username: Stu Registered: 04-2008 Posted From: 86.16.2.241 |
No, I missed that. I've got a soft spot for Bob Monkhouse as he's pretty much the only 80s games show host who I actually knew was a comedian. Whereas with people like Jim Bowen and Ted Rogers the revelation that they used to be comedians came as a huge shock. "You mean they used to be funny? Honestly?" | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.166.117.210 |
Yeah, Monhouse was actually very funny: a witty guy. | ||
| Paul_finch (Paul_finch) Username: Paul_finch Registered: 11-2009 Posted From: 92.9.16.50 |
Bob Monkhouse's private video collection was once seen as a possible source of missing Dr Who episodes, but I think it was thoroughly checked and no lost treasures were uncovered. | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
Didn't he also famously have some files containing his jokes go missing from his car at one point? That, in itself, became the subject of many jokes from my recollection. No, I didn't see the documentary about him - might look out for that on iPlayer. I chuckled at young Stu calling him an 80s game show host - I remember him as a 60s game show host (The Golden Shot)!  | ||
| Paul_finch (Paul_finch) Username: Paul_finch Registered: 11-2009 Posted From: 92.9.16.50 |
So do I, Caroline. That dates me worryingly. | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 09-2010 Posted From: 86.143.98.68 |
The Golden Shot was seventies, really. Discovered last night that in the live edition of the show where he said goodbye (having been fired from it for spurious reasons - he returned 2 years later in trimuph) - he said on air, that he hoped his replacement host - Norman Vaughan - would be shot by one of the bolts. | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 09-2010 Posted From: 86.143.98.68 |
Sorry, sixties and seventies - | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
>>he hoped his replacement host - Norman Vaughan - would be shot by one of the bolts.<< So did I!  You had me worried for a minute, Des. I was sure I remembered watching it with my mum and dad in the 60s - but the mind plays tricks on me at this age! Paul - don't worry about your age, you wear it well.  | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.182.24.98 |
Who was the blonde chap who hosted The Golden Shot before Bob Monkhouse? | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 09-2010 Posted From: 86.143.98.68 |
I'm pretty certain Bob Monkhouse was the original. He was followed by inept Norman Vaughan and Charlie Williams for 2 years, until Bob returned to the Golden Shot because of public demand. | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.182.24.98 |
Ah-ha! Jackie Rae! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Shot | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.182.24.98 |
 ...although this picture shows him at least ten years before he started on The Golden Shot... | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
Just consulted "TVs Greatest Hits" by Paul Gambaccini (those of our generation will know his name too, from the radio  ) and, apparently, it was originally a German show. So perhaps you're thinking of a German presenter, Mick? But it says in my book: Monkhouse (1967-71,1975), Vaughan (1972), Williams (1974). | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
Sorry, Mick, crossed posts with you - and then we had a power dip and I got knocked off the internet before I had the chance to post this. It looks like Wikipedia (and Mick) 1, Paul Gambaccini (and me) NIL. | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 09-2010 Posted From: 86.143.98.68 |
WEll done, Mick. Forgot that. Jackie Rae also did NAME THAT TUNE? | ||
| Stu (Stu) Username: Stu Registered: 04-2008 Posted From: 213.81.115.176 |
I spotted Paul Gambaccinni in a London comic shop a year or two back. Was surprised until I remembered that when he was a nipper he won a contest in The Flash letters page and had a character named after him -- Paul Gambi, who supplied all the villains with their costumes. | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
Well done, Des: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Name_that_tune#United_Kingdom This is turning into Name That Golden Oldie Game Show Host! | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 09-2010 Posted From: 86.143.98.68 |
My favourite was DOTTO with Shaw Taylor. | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
Now you've got me! Shaw Taylor? He was the one who did that thing which was like the fore-runner to Crimewatch, wasn't he? Can't recall the name. It's no good - I'm going to have to go and look that one up too ... *dashes off* | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.59.115.60 |
Caqroline, that was Police 5! I recall watching that with my dad around sunday lunchtime. Don't recall Dotto, but we didn't get a TV until 1967 or so... | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
Police 5. But what on earth was DOTTO? Are you jesting with me, Des? | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
Whoops, we're obviously both playing this "game" at the same time, Mick!  | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.59.115.60 |
"Caqroline"? Sorry Caroline... Not having a TV was strange - I remember being very confused watching kids at my primary school running around at playtime with arms pointing forward, shouting "exterminate, exterminate". Then I saw an episode of Doctor Who at my gran's house and it all fell in to place! | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
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| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 09-2010 Posted From: 86.143.98.68 |
Dotto was a game show - and checking - I see that it was on 1958-1960. It just came to mind for soem reason. ;) | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 09-2010 Posted From: 86.143.98.68 |
Remember Bob Holness? Well his first game show was Take A Letter in 1961. | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
I was only born in 1957 so that might explain how I missed it! Anyway, sorry, I can't "play" with you fellas any more this evening (we seem to be doing some real-time conversing here) as I've got to go and do the washing up before the news comes on ... | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
Sorry, washing up can wait - I only know Bob Holness from Blockbusters. I was a bit too young for game shows until later in the sixties.  | ||
| Stu (Stu) Username: Stu Registered: 04-2008 Posted From: 213.81.115.176 |
Shaw Taylor -- "Keep 'em peeled." Apparently Bob Holness played James Bond on the radio back in the day. | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.182.24.98 |
Apparently Bob Holness played James Bond on the radio back in the day. I was just about to add that Stu - the only bit of trivia I know about Bob Holness! | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 09-2010 Posted From: 86.143.98.68 |
Bob Holness - after his intial TV career in 1961 on Take the Letter - entered a sort of dark period unti 1975 when he became The Eye in the Sky (traffic reporter from a helicopter) on LBC Radio - later to become one of the main hosts of the Breakfast Show there with Douglas Cameron (previously of Today on the Home Service) - and later, having been successful on that radio programme, Bob was employed on Blockbusters. | ||
| Mark_lynch (Mark_lynch) Username: Mark_lynch Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 217.171.129.69 |
I always liked Monkhouse. Comedy was his main love, of course - and I think he was probably one of - if not THE - best British stand-up of the last half of the Twentieth Century, in terms of consistancy at least - but he was a big comics and SF fan too. His autobiography, Crying, With Laughter, is a very good read. Underrated comedian, humanist, and humanitarian. The world needs more people like Bob Monkhouse. | ||
| Stu (Stu) Username: Stu Registered: 04-2008 Posted From: 81.100.114.34 |
I was talking about Bob Monkhouse to someone at work the other day. After he died there was a campaign about cancer using footage of him (I forget if it was stuff he'd filmed specifically for it or if it was just archive material.) So even after he died Monkhouse was trying to help people. But when Bernard Manning died his will stipulated that a video was released of him saying that his un-PC jokes weren't intended as a bit of fun, he really did hate foreigners and coloured people. What a prick. | ||
| Stu (Stu) Username: Stu Registered: 04-2008 Posted From: 82.11.87.230 |
Bob Monkhouse documentary on ITV at 8pm tonight. | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 09-2010 Posted From: 86.143.98.68 |
Thanks, Stu. I've noticed that, too. But I can't imagine it will be as good as the 90 minute doc on BBC4 the other night. Or perhaps I'm being snobbish against ITV?  | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.182.24.98 |
Just watched the Monkhouse documentary - marvellous stuff, and I admit to getting more than a little excited at the mention of fifteen previously missing episodes of Hancock's Half Hour that were found amongst his recordings. | ||
| Mark_lynch (Mark_lynch) Username: Mark_lynch Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 217.171.129.70 |
Monkhouse: People laughed when I told them I waas going to be a comedian. Well they're not laughing now. He was the guv. |