A TV on TV to identify

[Colourstar]

Well here's a set to identify- I won't spoil the end of the clip! It certainly seems to take the audience by surprise This is a sketch brings tgoether two hugely popular Thames series of the time, namely Callan.... and Father Dear Father! It's from The Edward Woodward Hour, made in 1971, so that would make the tv pretty much new.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NkU...1hOg&index=341

Steve

[neil29]

A thorn set perhaps?.

Cheers
Neil.

[toshiba tony]

So where was the implosion? Was it a tv?

[jayceebee]

I would put a sizeable bet on it being a Thorn 1400 but I’ve searched the brochures over on Vrat but can’t find the exact match, nearest is a Marconi 4668. A lot of D.E.R. sets turn up on Thames TV programmes but I don’t recognise it.

John.

[Colourstar]

I agree John, I'd say it was definitely a 1400, although it appears devoid of any badging. Very unusual to see an apparently pristine new set on the end of that treatment. There's quite an audible gasp from the studio audience when it goes up!

Steve

[HamishBoxer]

Thorn 1400,no doubt.

[Andrew2]

Mr Woodward doing a passable impression of Jim Dale when he gets the gun stuck in his pocket!

[Welsh Anorak]

Yes, a 1400. I imagine the CRT would have been carefully brought down to air before it gets broken. Can't imagine an actor's insurance allowing him so close to injury nowadays! Looks a bit HMV, but not one I recognise.

[McMurdo]

I'm sure he'd have had a more upmarket set judging by the tone of Father Dear Father, maybe the budget didnt run to it!

[Welsh Anorak]

Well it looked smart to the average viewer - and as a bonus it didn't have to work! Besides, the character would probably not have changed to colour until he was convinced that it was the thing to do.

[Graham G3ZVT]

Originally Posted by Welsh Anorak

Yes, a 1400. I imagine the CRT would have been carefully brought down to air before it gets broken.

Looks like he broke the screen for real, the object he used must have been very heavy to do that and not without risk to the actors arm, not to mention the toxic phosphor.

It wouldn't have worked so well with the usual theatrical sugar-glass.

[Welsh Anorak]

Agreed - no technical trickery in those days and a healthy disregard for danger!
Mind you, I'll bet the broken tube was removed, the good one put back and the set lived another day.

[Colourstar]

Viewing this again, although the set looks 100% like a 1400, the profile of the rear cover seems wrong. The shape is more like that of a 950 (which of course it most definitely isn't!) Freeze the footage at about 3.57 and you'll see what I mean.

I like the sketch- it's good fun mixing Callan with Father Dear Father. By 1971 Edward Woodward had spent several years playing his normally cold and ruthless character absolutely dead straight, so it must have been quite a release to do this! Presumably that was one of his tv awards amongst the nicked trophies that his associate 'Lonely' pulls from his coat!

Steve

[Welsh Anorak]

I see what you mean - it's probably a mock up but a pretty good one!
We had to do something similar when plasma TVs were very new and cost thousands. A TV programme needed to show a new TV in a party at a posh house being damaged. Luckily I had a plasma TV that had been damaged in a genuine accident available, so we took the broken screen and insides out and fitted random old PCBs behind the screen. A piece of greenhouse glass, cut to size and sprayed grey on the back was put in place so the 'accident' looked more dramatic than would have been the caase. A much cheaper option!

[Richard_FM]

When Rick kicked in a TV set in The Young Ones it was obviously sugar glass, especially as the picture was CSO-ed onto it.

[its ur aerial]

Definitely a 23 inch Thorn 1400, I also agree with Jayceebee, probably a Marconi version, and obviously the CRT had gone to air, even so it would have required a fair whack to break.
I did think I noticed slight differences to the set, in the scene were it's smashed, could that version have been a constructed prop ??
On another note, even in the 70's watching Father dear Father first time round, I found the script a bit pedestrian, its only real entertainment value was the two Daughter Eye Candy.

Ken, G6HZG VMARS

[Welsh Anorak]

The TV looks like a squarer 24" version to me. I also think it was done before a 'live' audience, hence the shock value!
Yes, comedy isn't what it used to be - thankfully in most cases!

[Focus Diode]

What a great clip. Not at all familiar with this programme. Edward Woodward's ability to keep a straight face just showed what a brilliant actor he was.

[Richard_FM]

It looks like the cone of the CRT is made out of sheet metal, so did they make a mock CRT with a sugar glass screen & put it in an empty cabinet?

[Colourstar]

I think without doubt it's a real 24" crt just taken down to air. It certainly took me by surprise the first time I saw the clip! When you think about it, the average family set in 1971 would still have been a mid-60s b&w dual standard, so the one in this scene would have looked very new to the audience both in the studio and at home.

Incidentally the complete 'Edward Woodward Hour' from which this is taken is included on the dvd set 'Callan: This Man Alone' available at all good retailers (as they used to say).

Steve