"Lost" Footage?

[Very Young Mr Grace]

I collect tapes and CD's of bootlegs / outtakes / live shows from my favorite bands and I'm wondering if any rare footage exits from the AYBS days.

For instance:

I wonder if a professional or bootlegged recording exists of any of the AYBS stage plays put on in the late 70's. Maybe the BBC recorded something and they're just sitting in a vault somewhere?

I wonder if blooper footage or rehearsal footage is in a vault, too?

And, of course, I'm sure Australian TV has the Aussy version of the series locked away somewhere, too. I wonder how we could get these released.....should we petition our local PBS stations or is that too small of an effort? :mrgreen:

Personally, the Holy Grail is to try and find a copy of the CBS pilot of AYBS made for American TV in the late 70's. I come in contact with TV show collectors all the time and I have a few trying to hunt down this pilot. Ah, if only......

Okay, enough rambling! Your thoughts??

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

As John Inman reposts in an interview... Things were done on video tape back then so instead of saving bloopers, they just re-used the tapes (because the BBC is so cheap) so if anything was messed up, it was just recorded over.... :cry:
Total bummer because I would have LOVED to seen some of the "Bloopers" that occured but as Mr. Inman states, they didn't delete a whole lot. Most of the stuff is still in the shows.

[Lucas The Tucas]

Greg

This is one time that I wish that you are wrong...

But, I not wasting any extra time hoping...

Lucas :P

[sonosun]

As Greg so wisely wrote the 'film' was very expensive so everything that went wrong was recorded over or as we have seen just left in. The stage plays might have been recorded by an audience member on a very expensive and huge video recorder,but the BBC wouldn't likely record something for broadcast and not air it.

[DuranFan]

Sadly, I doubt that there is any rare footage left of AYBS (as Greg and Inman said, the film they were using was too expensive) ...

However, there could very well be some extra footage of AYBS Again (since it's more current than the original series) ... pity they didn't include a blooper reel on the AYBS Again DVD package :(

[dazzlestar14]

Good Thought Duran!

Aybs?A! was a newer series, so there just may be some deleted footage that we have never seen before. I just don't know how we would manage to get our hands on that footage.

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

Sadly, I doubt that there is any rare footage left of AYBS (as Greg and Inman said, the film they were using was too expensive) ...

However, there could very well be some extra footage of AYBS Again (since it's more current than the original series) ... pity they didn't include a blooper reel on the AYBS Again DVD package :(
In an interview, Inman said there were many a bloopers with Grace and Favour. I often wondered myself why they didn't package them with the DVD's ??? Like the Ab Fab DVD's, there are at least 15 minutes from each season on a disc....

[sonosun]

there are at least 15 minutes from each season on a disc....


It may be fifteen minutes,but I watch them for more than half an hour.

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

there are at least 15 minutes from each season on a disc....


It may be fifteen minutes,but I watch them for more than half an hour.
It's actually my favorite part of the disc.... When people crack up or say the wrong line... it's hilarious !!! It also gives you a peek inside the "real" aspect of the show. The fun people have working together. :D

[Lucas The Tucas]

Instead of a few lost cutting room scraps...

I wish someone would do a "JOHN CROWLEY" or 3 or 4...

That is find some lost episodes... "Top Hat and Tails"... :D

Now that would be SWEET...

Lucas :D

[Lucas The Tucas]

MMMMMMMM______Things aren't looking very good yet...

Tiddles, Sonosun, and Greg have all posted after the above post and have not said that they have a hidden episode... :shrug:

That leave either one of you or Minki...

Because I don't have or know of one...

Lucas

[dazzlestar14]

I remember one night at my old house, we watched an Aybs? marathon on PBS, and John Inman was a guest star and they interviewed him. I recall him mentioning that "Top Hat and Tails" was this fabled lost episode. However, having a British accent, I thought he meant: "Last Episode" which made no sense as Mr.Grainger and Mr.Lucas were in it, and the last episode was "Pop Star." But I soon was all cleared up when my mom explained it to me.

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

There are no more eppy's lost or otherwise. Top Hats and Tails was the only one that was ever "lost". How the hell it got lost in the first place is beyond me but luckily it was found.

[dazzlestar14]

I find it funny that my PBS and YTV stations would only play "Top Hat and Tails" a few times a year; as if it were a holiday special. Interesting.

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

I find it funny that my PBS and YTV stations would only play "Top Hat and Tails" a few times a year; as if it were a holiday special. Interesting.

I never got that one myself ??? :shrug: I think it was released on the "Holiday" VHS..... dunno though......

[Lucas The Tucas]

There should be one somewhere...

:D "A Color One of the PILOT"... :D

If the BBC didn't toss it...

Lucas :D

[sonosun]

There should be one somewhere...

:D "A Color One of the PILOT"... :D

If the BBC didn't toss it...

Lucas :D

I read that the only copy left of the pilot was in B&W. You didn't invent the question Lucas. It has been asked a lot. that doesn't mean we can't hope. Some pictures from the Pilot in color can be found on Miss Jackson's web page.
http://home.hiwaay.net/~emilyj/

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

John Inman even said in an interview that only a B&W copy was left. He thought it was sad. The Beeb evidentally didn't think the show would amount to what it is today ???? :shrug:

[Lucas The Tucas]

Thank You Sonosun and Greg :D

As far as Miss Jackson's Site...

And I have seen the color pilot pictures...

I have had it book-marked for years in my favorites... :D

It is a very fine site...

Lucas

[Maurice Moulterd]

I find it funny that my PBS and YTV stations would only play "Top Hat and Tails" a few times a year; as if it were a holiday special. Interesting.

Our local PBS use to roll it out during pledge week.

[spoonme]

They have shown some Grace & Favour outtakes on one of those Blooper shows on BBC - Auntie's Bloomers or something like that. Can't recall what though exactly, possibly something with the goat???

[dazzlestar14]

That sure sounds interesting Spoonme, I would love to see that!
:D

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

So would I !!!!

[spoonme]

I'm surprised nobody has uploaded them onto the web!

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

I'm surprised nobody has uploaded them onto the web!

I'll have to check on this to see if anyone has anything out there.

[Melchett]

You all are so certain that there are no lost episodes, but you never know...

For you fans of Fawlty Towers, just last year news broke of a lost "13th episode" that was shown privately.

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/12/06/lost_13th_episode_of.html

Who knows what lost AYBS episodes are out there that have been forgotten or were shown privately for some reason.

Don't give up hope!

-Melchett

[dazzlestar14]

I never give up hope. Even if the case seems hopeless, I always like to show a bit of hope deep inside. That would be radical if there was a lost episode.

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

You all are so certain that there are no lost episodes, but you never know...

For you fans of Fawlty Towers, just last year news broke of a lost "13th episode" that was shown privately.

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/12/06/lost_13th_episode_of.html

Who knows what lost AYBS episodes are out there that have been forgotten or were shown privately for some reason.

Don't give up hope!

-Melchett

I still have me fingers crossed !!!

[CaptainGinger]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the BBC recorded the summer show the cast did and aired it. But I have a feeling it doesn't exist anymore.

[minki]

You never know--it's amazing what people have been able to dredge up from the archives these days. It's not very likely though :( But like everyone else I still hold onto that little bit of hope too.

[Sir Humphries]

Perhaps someone in the future will study the still photographs from the Pilot episode and make a color version for fans to enjoy again. It isn't out of the question.

I have several DVDs of Sherlock Holmes movies from the 40s with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce that were produced in black & white. In the last few years, some people went over the movies with a fine-tooth comb and restored them to their former glory in black & white.

And not only that, but they also took the time to redo the movies in color in extremely well-done detail. They never existed in color other than photo stills, but the remakes were superb.

So if they can turn exclusively black & white movies into color with excellent detail, I'm sure they can restore a TV pilot for an immensely popular show.

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

One can wish SH but colorization of a black and white film is very costly. Not likely that the Beeb would invest so much money for the project.