Fun Missing Television

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
Incredibly, someone recently bought a load of old film cans at auction and found the earliest surviving Benny Hill episode amongst them. Without realising it was missing they stuck it on Youtube, then were told of it's uniqueness. And it's still on Youtube for us to enjoy, which saves us mucking about with all that BFI/Missing Believed Wiped malarkey!

Here it is, along with the uploader's message.....

A 1963 episode of the Benny Hill Show for the BBC entitled the Visitor. I have not been able to find out a lot about this, except that it is one of a number of episodes made by Benny that were comedy "stories" which changed with each episode (not to be confused with the sketch show format ones). This one is about a man who out stays his welcome as a guest, and also includes a little of a youngish Frank Thornton who played Captain Peacock from Are You Being Served. It is interesting how straight Benny plays it, with the humour acted, and much more situational than the more bawdy approach that he is perhaps better known for. This episode was shown twice in 1963, but I can find no copy of it so far...so for what its worth, it appears again here at any rate, some 57 years later. It is 16mm film, projected to a Steenbeck, and apologies for the poor sound quality.

 

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
That other sci-fi series that starred John (Professor Quatermass in tv version of QUATERMASS II) Robinson.....

R3 (1964):



The adventures of the staff of Research Centre Number Three (R3), headed by director Sir Michael Gerrard, and its trouble-shooting department the Consultancy Service, run by Philip Boult. They dealt with all manner of scientific ideas and issues, including drugs, new technology, space flight, and undersea exploration.

A SciFi drama serial set in Research Centre Number Three (R3), overseen by Director Sir Michael Gerrard, where scientists strive to create & perfect new technology & medicine. The second series switched its attention to the centre's troubleshooting department, the Consultancy Service, headed by Philip Boult & his right-hand man Dr Richard Franklin.


Sadly every episode wiped.

26 x 50 minutes.

And no, had never even heard of it until now.


 

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
The guy who uploaded that missing Benny Hill episode to Youtube has now uploaded a missing Frankie Howerd episode there too! :emoji_open_mouth:


A BBC edition of the Frankie Howerd Show. This is filmed from found 16mm footage. This is season 1, episode 2 dating to the 18th of December 1964. It does not include the opening monologue, but the main part of the show, which was a comedic anthology of sorts.

 
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