61-472: Do Not Adjust Your Set is a British television series produced originally by Rediffusion, London , then, by the fledgling Thames Television for British commercial television channel ITV from 26 December 1967 to 14 May 1969. The show took its name from the message (frequently seen on the TV screen in those days) that was displayed when there was a problem with transmission or technical difficulties. It helped launch
122-581: A middle class Englishman. In the early 1980s, he branched out into pantomime as the Dame in Dick Whittington . He was also the author (and co-author) of several humorous books, based mainly on his radio and television work, and the sports of golf and cricket . His interest in golf came to the fore when he took part in the Pro-Celebrity Golf television series (opposite Bruce Forsyth ), and appeared in
183-538: A 49% stake in Thames, and was under-represented in the management of the new company – a state of affairs to which Rediffusion strongly objected. The ITA replied that either Thames took the new contract, or ABC took over. Rediffusion chose the former and went off the air on 29 July 1968 at 12:26 am. Employees based at Wembley went to work for London Weekend Television whilst those at Television House were employed by Thames. Some managerial and presentation staff re-located to
244-522: A comic and transparent feed-line, as their adventure story reached its climax or cliffhanger ending. Other members of I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again were John Cleese , Bill Oddie , Graeme Garden , David Hatch and Jo Kendall . In the mid-1960s, Brooke-Taylor performed in the television series On the Braden Beat with Canadian Bernard Braden , taking over the slot recently vacated by Peter Cook in his guise as E. L. Wisty . Brooke-Taylor played
305-666: A cup for his prowess as a bowler in the school cricket team) and Winchester College which he left with seven O-levels and two A-levels in English and history. After teaching for a year at Lockers Park School , a preparatory school in Hemel Hempstead and a term back at Holm Leigh School as a teacher, he studied at Pembroke College, Cambridge . There he read economics and politics before changing to read law and mixed with other budding comedians, including John Cleese , Graham Chapman , Bill Oddie , Graeme Garden and Jonathan Lynn in
366-532: A highly successful telecast of his opera The Turn of the Screw in 1959. Associated-Rediffusion added new television studios at Wembley Park in 1960. Their size and unique design attracted worldwide attention. During the 1960s, the studios were home to some of the most popular programmes on the ITV network, including The Rat Catchers , Blackmail , At Last, The 1948 Show and The Frost Report . The Beatles appeared at
427-877: A mother-in-law joke in Latin and a suggestion his successor should be a woman; he was succeeded by Katherine Whitehorn who was elected unopposed as the university's first female rector in 1982. Brooke-Taylor is remembered as an effective Rector who visited the town frequently, took the role seriously, wore a Saltire waistcoat while there and is said to have remarked that St Andrews was "the happiest university" he had been to. Brooke-Taylor married Christine Wheadon in 1968 and they had two sons, Benjamin and Edward. He lived in Cookham Dean , Berkshire and
488-476: A number of continuity announcers throughout its 13 years on air, with Redvers Kyle and Muriel Young being the most recognised. Programmes produced by or for Associated-Rediffusion and Rediffusion include: Most of the surviving archive is now held by Archbuild and it has never been officially confirmed exactly how large the surviving archive actually is. Tim Brooke-Taylor Timothy Julian Brooke-Taylor OBE (17 July 1940 – 12 April 2020)
549-491: A reactionary City gent who believed he was the soul of tolerance. In 1967, Brooke-Taylor became a writer/performer on the television comedy series At Last the 1948 Show , with John Cleese , Graham Chapman and Marty Feldman . The " Four Yorkshiremen " sketch was co-written by the four writers and performers of the series. The sketch appears on the DVD of At Last the 1948 Show . Footage of Brooke-Taylor and Cleese from At Last
610-408: A series of satirical sketches, often presented in a surreal, absurd and discontinuous style – anticipating Monty Python's Flying Circus , which began five months after the last episode of Do Not Adjust Your Set . Several surreal animations between sketches were crafted for the second series by Terry Gilliam , who soon graduated to Python along with Palin, Jones and Idle. One recurring feature of
671-490: A shareholder on Independent Television News . Thomas Brownrigg , the general manager of Associated-Rediffusion from 1955, had a very clear idea of what his new commercial television station was to be like – the BBC Television Service, with advertisements. To this end, the station had a heraldic-style on-air clock, referred to as "Mitch" by staff (after chief station announcer Leslie Mitchell , who had not only made
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#1733085943766732-510: A small basement studio at Television House, Studio 9, was occasionally used for current affairs programmes and was home to Ready Steady Go! during its first few years. Television House had been known as Adastral House when it was the headquarters of the Air Ministry. This gave its name to A-R's logo, the 16-point Adastral Star, which appeared not only at the start and end of each commercial break but also between each advertisement. (The motto of
793-693: A smaller music provider, bought AEI Music in 2000. Mood Media bought DMX Music in 2005. The current owner remains Mood Media ; however, it trades under the MOOD: brand today. Mood Media Corporation own the previous trading names of Rediffusion Reditune, Rediffusion Music, AEI Rediffusion Music, AEI Music and DMX Music. The company's administrative headquarters and transmission facilities were at Television House in Kingsway , London. Most programmes were produced at Wembley Studios in Wembley Park, north-west London. However,
854-623: A special episode of One Foot in the Grave . In 1998, Brooke-Taylor appeared as a guest in one episode of the political satire game show If I Ruled the World . In 2004, Brooke-Taylor and Garden were co-presenters of Channel 4 's daytime game show, Beat the Nation , in which they indulged in typical game show "banter", but took the quiz itself seriously. He appeared on stage in Australia and England, usually as
915-460: A theatre space, prior to the site's planned redevelopment from 2019. Television House was used as Thames' headquarters until their Euston Road studios were built in 1970 and was subsequently sold off. When Rediffusion originally launched, as Associated-Rediffusion, presentation consisted of a simple animated ident, featuring the station name, and a spinning star called the Adastral. This first ident
976-696: The Cambridge University Footlights Club (of which Brooke-Taylor became president in 1963). The Footlights Club revue, A Clump of Plinths , was so successful during its Edinburgh Festival Fringe run that the show was renamed as Cambridge Circus and transferred to the West End in London before being taken to both New Zealand and Broadway in the United States in September 1964. Brooke-Taylor
1037-525: The 1948 Show , working together with old Cambridge friends John Cleese and Graham Chapman . With Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie , he starred in The Goodies (1970–1982), picking up international recognition in Australia , Canada and New Zealand . He appeared as an actor in various sitcoms and was a panellist on BBC Radio's I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue for almost 50 years. Timothy Julian Brooke-Taylor
1098-563: The 1948 Show was shown on the documentary special Monty Python: Almost the Truth (Lawyers Cut) . The sketch has since become known for its satirical depiction of Britain's class system and North-South divide . Brooke-Taylor also took part in David Frost 's pilot programme How to Irritate People in 1968, designed to sell what would later be recognised as the Monty Python style of comedy to
1159-667: The Air", the show was a string of comedy sketches (often lifted from I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again ), linked (loosely) by a weekly running theme. The success of Broaden Your Mind led to the commissioning of The Goodies , also with Oddie and Garden. First transmitted on BBC2 in November 1970, The Goodies was a television success, broadcast for over a decade by both the BBC and (in its final year) by ITV contractor London Weekend Television , spawning many spin-off books and successful records. During
1220-519: The American market. Many of the sketches were later revived in the Monty Python TV series, such as the job interview sketch in which Brooke-Taylor played a nervous interviewee tormented by interviewer John Cleese. The programme was also the first collaboration between Cleese and Michael Palin . One of the sketches referred to Cleese's character dating a promiscuous woman named "Christine Wheadon", which
1281-555: The Christmas special and some Terry Gilliam animations (restored from his own masters) that appeared in otherwise lost episodes. The very first episode, an introductory special meant for Boxing Day 1967, was accidentally switched with the first regular episode in all regions except for London. The first series was produced by Rediffusion, thirteen episodes were broadcast between 26 December 1967 to 28 March 1968, Thursdays at 17:25. Three episodes from this series are currently missing from
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#17330859437661342-719: The ITA, and the company officially took control of the premises on Monday 6 May 1968 for a contractual minimum term of three years. London Weekend Television subsequently vacated the studios in the late summer of 1972. Somewhat confusingly, this Wembley studios site is the very same studio buildings site that would later be sold-off, renamed, re-purposed as film studios, then back to television studios, at various stages when used by later owners; London Weekend Television (Wembley), Lee International Studios (Wembley), Limehouse Television (Wembley), Fountain Television, before closing in 2018, and becoming
1403-508: The ITV network grew, for its programmes shown across the country. Boris Ford became Associated-Rediffusion's first head of schools broadcasting (1957–58), during which time he persuaded Benjamin Britten to compose his church opera Noye's Fludde for a series of programmes. Ford was dismissed before the opera was produced, allegedly for administrative shortcomings and inexperience. However, A-R continued its association with Britten, producing
1464-471: The London weekday franchise for another 24 years. Associated-Rediffusion Television was originally a partnership between British Electric Traction (BET), its subsidiary Broadcast Relay Services Ltd. (trading as Rediffusion), and Associated Newspapers , owner of the Daily Mail , which had been interested in commercial broadcasting as early as the 1920s. In the aftermath of the heavy financial losses made by
1525-509: The Pops to perform "Funky Gibbon". Garden joined Brooke-Taylor in the theatre production of The Unvarnished Truth . Other BBC radio programmes in which Brooke-Taylor played a part include the self-styled "antidote to panel games" I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue , which started in 1972; he took part regularly for over 40 years. On 18 February 1981, Brooke-Taylor, was the subject of Thames Television 's This Is Your Life . In 1997, he appeared in
1586-579: The Radio 4 comedy series Tell Me Where It Hurts in 1979. Brooke-Taylor also appeared regularly in advertisements, including the Christmas commercials for the Brentford Nylons chain of fabric stores and in a public information film for the now-defunct E111 form, since replaced by the European Health Insurance Card . In 1971, he played the short, uncredited role of a computer scientist in
1647-563: The Royal Air Force is "per ardua, ad astra" - "through adversity to the stars".) The station's archives were also kept at these properties, with the original programme library situated on the roof of Television House with some storage in the film vaults at Wembley Studios . Following Rediffusion's loss of franchise and the creation of Thames Television, the Wembley studios were leased to the newly formed London Weekend Television by order of
1708-538: The additional writers in the credits for episodes 3 and 4. The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band was seen playing their song " Death Cab for Cutie " (also performed in the Beatles ' film Magical Mystery Tour ) on the DVD in episode 7. On 16 September 2019, the British Film Institute released a comprehensive DVD set of the surviving videos and animations from both series. It includes the previously missing fourth episode of
1769-403: The archives, nine episodes survive as telerecordings and a further edition (Episode 4) survives on a domestic tape recording. Several cast changes occurred over the course of this series, Tim Brooke-Taylor filled in for Michael Palin for the studio recording for Episode 9, as the latter was having his appendix removed. The following edition, Neil Innes was absent from the taping since he had
1830-531: The careers of Denise Coffey , David Jason , Eric Idle , Terry Jones and Michael Palin ; the last three became members of the Monty Python comedy troupe soon afterward. Although originally conceived as a children's programme, it quickly acquired a fandom amongst adults, including future Python members John Cleese and Graham Chapman . The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band , a satirical comedy/art/pop group, also performed songs in each programme and frequently appeared as extras in sketches. The programme itself comprised
1891-711: The children's TV series Gideon . Brooke-Taylor appeared in Amnesty International shows: in A Poke in the Eye (With a Sharp Stick) he, Oddie and Garden, sang their hit song " Funky Gibbon ", whilst in The Secret Policeman's Other Ball he took part in the sketches "Top of the Form" (with Cleese, Chapman, John Bird , John Fortune , Rowan Atkinson and Griff Rhys Jones ), and "Cha Cha Cha" (with Cleese and Chapman). Brooke-Taylor, Garden and Oddie also appeared on Top of
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1952-448: The complete audio of a further episode with fragments of film. In the 1990s, the name "Associated-Rediffusion Television" and the adastral trademark were acquired by British journalist Victor Lewis-Smith , and were used by his own production company. Productions included: Rediffusion Music , Reditune Rediffusion , Reditune Music and Rediffusion Thorsen (Germany) were sold to AEI Music Network of Seattle, WA in 1996. DMX Music ,
2013-558: The episodes from this series are currently missing from the archives, although audio recordings survive from several missing episodes Only Episode 2 survives intact, it's also the only episode from the entire series run to exist on its original 2" master videotape. Animated sequences by Terry Gilliam including 'Beware of the Elephants' and 'Learning to Live with an Elephant' also exist on b&w 35mm film. Associated-Rediffusion Associated-Rediffusion , later Rediffusion London ,
2074-575: The film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory ; his scene was the final one filmed for the movie. After The Goodies on UK television, Brooke-Taylor also worked again with Garden and Oddie on the television animated comedy series Bananaman , in which Brooke-Taylor was the narrator, as well as voicing the characters of King Zorg of the Nurks, Eddie the Gent, Auntie and Appleman. He also lent his voice to
2135-499: The first announcement when A-R went on the air in 1955, but had done the same when the BBC TV service started in 1936). Associated-Rediffusion took over the former Wembley Film Studio at Wembley Park in Middlesex . Associated-Rediffusion officially began broadcasting on 22 September 1955 at 19:15, with actress Marjie Lawrence uttering the first words. That night the BBC, which had held
2196-436: The first full day of transmissions on 23 September 1955. The London weekend contractor ATV launched two days later. This strategy was intended to allay fears that the new service would be aimed at the bottom of the market. Associated-Rediffusion sought to make ITV respectable. It did introduce popular game shows, but also provided quality programming across all genres gained large audiences both in its own London area and, as
2257-576: The first series, which was rediscovered (but only after the earlier DVD release) when it was noticed that a copy had been sent to the jury of the Prix de Jeunesse award. This edition survives as a domestic recording on a Phillips 1500 cassette made by Thames Television in 1976, which was discovered by Kaleidoscope in 2015, when a copy was returned from Munich. It is thus the only series 1 episode with magnetic rather than optical sound quality. The BFI release features episodes with their original numbering. They include
2318-461: The flu, so Eric Idle filled in for him when performing the vocals/ piano parts for the Bonzo's musical number 'Love is a Cylindrical Piano' . A summer special was broadcast on the 29 July 1968, it was the last episode to be produced by Rediffusion, since it was transmitted on their final day of broadcasting before Thames Television took over as the franchise holder for the London region (weekdays only)
2379-505: The following day. The Christmas special was the first episode to be produced by Thames. For a 1986 repeat, David Jason demanded to be removed from the show, thus creating an abridged version of 25 minutes. This edition was also notable for featuring the first animated sketch by Terry Gilliam, who would go on to contribute further material for the subsequent series. The second and final series, thirteen episodes were broadcast between 19 February 1969 to 14 May 1969, Wednesdays at 17:20. Most of
2440-576: The monopoly on broadcasting in the UK, aired a melodramatic episode of their popular radio soap opera The Archers on the BBC Home Service in which core character Grace Archer was fatally injured in a fire. This was seen as a desperate, and rather underhand, ploy to lure as much of the potential audience as possible from tuning in to the new station's opening night of broadcast entertainment. Britain's first female newsreader Barbara Mandell appeared during
2501-590: The new Yorkshire Television in Leeds . Much of Rediffusion's programme library was either lost or destroyed following the creation of Thames. Surviving titles from the Rediffusion archive are held by the BFI National Archive at Berkhamsted , Hertfordshire . Most titles are the intellectual property of Archbuild Limited , with the exception of some of Rediffusion's musical output such as Ready Steady Go! which
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2562-400: The new ITV system in its initial years, Associated Newspapers sold the majority of its share to BET and Rediffusion, although the company did not drop the word "Associated" from its name until 1964. Associated Newspapers, later realising the potential of ITV, was a significant investor in the ITV franchise contractor for southern and south-east England, Southern Television and later on becoming
2623-561: The new name now in a stripe and in a sans serif font. A new seven note strident theme was adopted to replace the original fanfare, and a new and simpler clock was designed featuring a 24-hour display at the bottom of the face and an adastral at the centre. The original timepiece 'Mitch' was given to the Science Museum , where it became the first ITV exhibit, and now resides in the National Media Museum , Bradford . Rediffusion used
2684-526: The original 29 episodes currently exist. In June 1968, an episode of Do Not Adjust Your Set was submitted to the 1968 Prix Jeunesse International Television Festival in Munich . It won first prize in the 12–15 years category. Nine of the 14 episodes from the first (Rediffusion) series were released on DVD in the UK and the US on 25 August 2005. Both releases use the same NTSC Region 0 discs made from telerecordings of
2745-471: The original videotapes. In this DVD release, the episodes are numbered 1 to 9, although, in fact, they are episodes 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 from series 1 (a similar fault was made on the release of At Last the 1948 Show ). The sole surviving episode from series 2 and Do Not Adjust Your Stocking were not included. Contrary to claims on the packaging, Terry Gilliam's animations also do not appear on this release, although Gilliam does appear as one of
2806-690: The premiere episode of the BBC's golf-based game show Full Swing . In 2008, Brooke-Taylor was heard in the Doctor Who audio story The Zygon Who Fell To Earth , made by Big Finish Productions . Paul McGann played the Eighth Doctor and Brooke-Taylor played the part of Mims, a Zygon taking the shape of a human. Brooke-Taylor made his final public appearance when he attended the Bristol slapstick festival in January 2020, 3 months before his death. Brooke-Taylor
2867-597: The run of The Goodies , Brooke-Taylor took part in the BBC radio series Hello Cheeky , a bawdy stand-up comedy show also starring Barry Cryer and John Junkin . The series transferred to television briefly, produced for ITV by the commercial franchise Yorkshire Television . He appeared on television in British sitcoms , including You Must Be the Husband with Diane Keen , His and Hers with Madeline Smith and Me and My Girl with Richard O'Sullivan . He also starred in
2928-481: The show was Captain Fantastic , a superhero parody featuring David Jason in farcical and morbid adventures against villainess Mrs. Black (Coffey). These segments were shot entirely on location in London. The feature was so popular with the young audience that after Do Not Adjust Your Set itself ended, Captain Fantastic briefly continued in its own capacity in the children's magazine show Magpie . Only 14 of
2989-462: The sizeable ABC, the ITA proposed ABC and Rediffusion should form a new company: Thames Television . This was not a merger or " forced marriage " as is commonly stated and is an urban myth . ABPC , the parent company of ABC, and BET, the parent company of Rediffusion, created Thames as a separate entity. Thames would use the resources and staff of ABC's Teddington Studios and Rediffusion's Television House . Rediffusion's parent company, BET , took
3050-544: The studios on more than one occasion. In 1964, the company simplified its name to Rediffusion Television and rebranded the station on screen as "Rediffusion London", with a very hip 1960s style, the face of Swinging London in the shiny prosperous new Britain. However, the new Rediffusion did not survive for long – in October 1967 the Independent Television Authority announced to the company's shock that there
3111-456: The two series of Marty has been released on a BBC DVD entitled The Best of Marty Feldman . During this period Brooke-Taylor appeared as two characters in the film One Man Band directed by Orson Welles ; however, the project was never completed and remains unreleased. At around the same time, Brooke-Taylor made two series of Broaden Your Mind with Garden (and Oddie joining for the second series). Describing itself as "An Encyclopedia of
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#17330859437663172-417: Was accompanied by a five note electronic fanfare, achieved by tapping out the morse code for 'A-R'. To accompany the ident, a timepiece was created based on a heraldic coat of arms and nicknamed 'Mitch' after Head of Presentation Leslie Mitchell. In 1964, Associated-Rediffusion rebranded itself on screen as Rediffusion London, using a black and grey ident featuring the same spinning star as previous, but with
3233-590: Was also active in the Pembroke College drama society, the Pembroke Players . Brooke-Taylor moved swiftly into BBC Radio with the fast-paced comedy show I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again which he performed in and co-wrote. As the screeching eccentric Lady Constance de Coverlet, he could be relied upon to generate the loudest audience response of many programmes in this long-running series merely with her unlikely catchphrase "Did somebody call?" uttered after
3294-518: Was an English actor and comedian. He was best known as a member of The Goodies . He became active in performing in comedy sketches while at the University of Cambridge and became president of the Footlights , touring internationally with its revue in 1964. Becoming more widely known to the public for his work on BBC Radio with I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again , he moved into television with At Last
3355-511: Was born on 17 July 1940 in Buxton , Derbyshire , son of Edward Brooke-Taylor, a solicitor and games teacher and international lacrosse player and Rachel, daughter of Francis Pawson , a parson who played centre forward for the English football team in the 1880s. He was expelled from primary school at the early age of five and a half. Brooke-Taylor was then schooled at Thorn Leigh Pre-Preparatory School, Holm Leigh Preparatory School (where he won
3416-587: Was elected Lord Rector by the students of the University of St Andrews and held office between 1979 and 1982. In this role he represented the students, chaired the University Court and presided over the General Council in the absence of the Chancellor . At his installation he arrived by helicopter, rode a motorbike and was hauled in an open carriage as part of The Drag. His installation speech included
3477-485: Was for a long time owned by Dave Clark International, and latterly by BMG Rights Management . Some Rediffusion shows have been rediscovered in recent years. In the late 1980s, a series of five At Last the 1948 Show compilations was found in the archives of Swedish broadcaster, SVT . In 2020 The British Film Institute released the most complete box set possible of the restored series, including all ten surviving episodes, two almost completely reconstructed episodes, and
3538-573: Was involved in local events. A keen golfer, he was a member of Temple Golf Club. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours for services to light entertainment. Brooke-Taylor died of complications from COVID-19 on 12 April 2020, aged 79, in Cookham, Berkshire. In tribute to Brooke-Taylor, the flag of his alma mater , Pembroke College, Cambridge ,
3599-521: Was no place for Rediffusion in the redrawn franchise pattern. Following changes to the ITV network structure, which resulted in the abandonment of the Midlands and North weekend franchises held by ABC Weekend TV , ABC lost all its franchises along with the rights to take over the Midlands, held by ATV , or the London weekend franchise, awarded to the London Television Consortium . To preserve
3660-506: Was the British ITV franchise holder for London and parts of the surrounding counties , on weekdays between 22 September 1955 and 29 July 1968. It was the first ITA franchisee to go on air, and one of the " Big Four " companies that between them produced the majority of ITV networked programmes during this period. Rediffusion lost its franchise in 1968 but merged with another franchisee to form Thames Television , which continued to hold
3721-487: Was the name of Brooke-Taylor's wife. Also in 1968, Brooke-Taylor made an unexpected and uninvited guest appearance in an episode of Do Not Adjust Your Set , filling in for Michael Palin who was ill that week. The episode he was in still survives and has been included in DVD compilation sets. In 1968–69, Brooke-Taylor was also a cast member and writer on the television comedy series Marty starring Marty Feldman , with John Junkin and Roland MacLeod . A compilation of
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