Bob The Fish top bloke found whole series on Itv regions very informative. BRING BACK THE REGIONAL BROADCASTING ITV, miss LWT made some great programmes in the 80s so good they have tried to bring them back. But they have to change things but not necessarily for the better
@@jean-lucpicard5510Only things the show needs is a better mic, better editing, and better mixing so logos don't destroy our ears while we're trying to listen to the voiceover. I don't think I've actually enjoyed much channels on TH-cam with this much opposement to modern quality standards like him and 65scribe.
Of all the ITV In The Face episodes, this is the one I truly relish watching time and again. So many things to pick up on - one thing in particular was the "haunting" final closedown of Southern Television, which to me says "you'll miss us when we're gone" - immediately usurped by TVS's first images. The first sight of that TVS clock says to me "no we won't Grandad." But in terms of visual legacy, Southern seems to have had the last laugh - courtesy of Talking Pictures TV, some of their old programmes are being re-shown, even "Take A Letter Mr Jones". You can't even see any one of TVS's old networked shows, thanks to Disney. Not even Art Attack - damn them!!
I have heard that Disney has wiped them for good. Found this out when they had wiped all the Motor mouth shows so Art Attack might of suffered the same fate
@@evonne_o Nope. Neil Buchanan and Tim Edmunds bought TVS out of their share of Art Attack when they had the chance. That's why when CITV had the Old Skool Weekend in early 2013 the eps of Art Attack shown were TVS ones.
@@antster1983 What happened to the Catchphrase library that TVS owned? Challenge couldn't get the rights to those earlier episodes because of this issue with TVS.
Of course TVS's archives was in the hands of Pat Robertson, Fox, and Disney, so it could be that nobody knows who owns those... although I assume that the whole Disney-Fox buyout may make that issue cease being an issue.
I've literally just posted a comment asking about TPTV! I think it helps when an old ITV station has its back catalogue bought by enthusiasts who love the stations (such as Southern, Westward/TSW and tv-am) instead of corporations who only see the profitability of the back catalogue (such as ATV, ABC, Rediffusion and Thames) You see this in TPTV's adverts I feel, every other channel, wall to wall ads for funeral plans and life insurance ("Hello there! Do you remember the olden days? Well that's because you're going to die soon! Stop being a burden to your family! That's why they sent you to the home, you know!") TPTV tend to avoid that sort of thing which makes a nice change should I actually watch daytime TV.
I have to love TVS if only for "Exclusive Yarns". It was a TV play in a series devoted to new writers, and was the campest, most surreal "comedy" imaginable with a stellar cast including Lesley Joseph and Patricia Hodge. I only came about it through a friend in south London (we were north east London) who could get a grainy form of TVS, and had recorded it. It became a meme before memes existed, and I only wish I had a videorecorder to play the vid copy I still have of it. It did end up as a musical in the West End, briefly, and I bumped into both the writer and some (TV) cast whilst out and about. Seems incredible that it only ever got a local airing, no other company took it. "Zips are zips, Amanda!".
Thanks for posting all of these videos up. Different times - what with regional TV. This one is more personal to me, as it was my ITV area. Had a very troubled history, what with going through 3 times : Southern, TVS and Meridian. Never really had much of a distinguished identity. It did produce a things like Worzel Gummidge(probably their most famous TV program).
These documentarys are so brilliantly researched. The standard is incredible and I finally get my UK TV idents organ tickled to a level I am happy with. Thank you.
Southern ITV had a small and geographically awkward region.The station however was well received locally and this has completely been lost to the present structure.Fantastic and well funded regional television still exists in Germany!
TVS also helped Jim Henson make probably his most famous creation apart from The Muppets, “Fraggle Rock” and Helped Neil Buchanan launch “Art Attack” before being Brought by Disney and Hosted by Goddamn Lloyd Warbery!
Verity Martindill regularly appeared on LWT. Keeping both sides of her toast buttered. I lived in West Kent, untouched by BBC South unloved by BBC London and ignored by Thames TV, which is what we received. No wonder I grew up with an identity crisis. The saddest thing about TVS, is at one point (I'm told), a lot of UK archive material was sent for storage in the U.S. As far as I know, never to be seen again. This might explain why when anniversary of South & South East events occurred there appeared to be little news footage to hark back to. The 1987 hurricane ten year remembrance relying on stock ITN footage, for some reason.
And to add to your comments, most of the rights and copyright documentation has also been lost, so those programmes that do still exist cannot be released on DVD, such as Cats Eyes for example. Such a shame and a bloody mess!
From my understanding, Meridian (& thus ITV plc) did apparently retain the TVS News Archive. However I have also read that TVS Wiped some of its Local News Programmes before it demise. So I find it bizzare that ITV plc couldn't find enough news footage from that era.
Southern execs were SO far up their own backsides,that they got everything they deserved. I was gutted as a fan of TVS (up here in what's the old STV Central region) when they went. STV got the production rights to some TVS programmes once they went - mostly CITV stuffs as I remember. Not sure it did us up here in that part of Scotland any better with quality of programming... (I have been in parts of the old transmission area in Surrey and it's not as posh as some say.. it's a lovely area to visit,I've got a few friends in Surrey!)
Thanks again for taking us down Memory Lane in your informative and entertaining manner. My childhood years were largely spent living in the TVS region. 22:00 The multicoloured flower/shell/pants symbol was pretty and eye-catching, although nobody was ever sure what it was supposed to be or represent. The trumpeted eight note fanfare was a basic composition but consequently memorable. 23:10 The 1987 mid-term facelift saw the inexplicable TVS symbol take on the flying objects in space theme pioneered by Channel 4 and imitated to varying degrees of success by a number of ITV companies. I remember, as a 9 year old, being mightily impressed by the apparent animation wizardry and wondering how the hell they did it. 25:35 Everyone scoffed at the ridiculous rebranding to TVS Television - or Television South Television in 1989. But the viewers were generally unaware that the acronym TVS no longer had any meaning. The South East was served very well by TVS. It gave us our first nightly dedicated local news magazine, Coast to Coast. It trounced the BBC and was the most popular ITV regional news programme by audience share. Mike Debens and Liz Wickham were a great presenting duo, getting the tone and balance just right. Meridian took over and the style of presentation changed from sober, polished greyish blues, to garish orange, red and purple. 31:40 Their first ident was remarkably different to anything that went before, particularly with its dramatic burst of light through the blank screen. But in terms of programme production Meridian were unambitious. They were described as the prodigal son of Southern. 34:30 That clever sunburst ident of 1993 was replaced in 1996 by a strange sort of billowing flag version of the logo which was out of proportion. 34:46 And then in 1998 the ident went ever further retrograde, with the logo performing a feeble emergence from a yellowish haze. It was again incorrectly proportioned. And then Granada came along and imposed the second attempt at generic branding, with the naff hearts theme. And the rest is history. TVS stands out as the most innovative and productive franchise holder the region ever had.
I was introduced to Rula Lenska and John Inman's Take a Letter Mr Jones (and sorry, but I liked it) via Talking Pictures TV when Renown bought the Southern archives.
The irony of the ITC's decision is, TVS were actually right about their advertising figures and could've maintained their programme output and paid the premiums on their license. Additionally, along with most of the other license holders, Meridian's premiums were reduced by the ITC, anyway...
TVS simply got over ambitious but it’s contribution to ITV cannot be denied, particularly childrens output where it quickly became probably the most dominant player in the 80s and beyond, behind a number of genuine classics in childrens TV starting of course with No 73, and Maidstone remained symbolic in ITV Saturday mornings right up to Ministry of Mayhem, ITVs last proper Saturday morning show.
Thank you for this, Matt. What a nostalgia trip. Moved to Kent (St Margaret's Bay, near Dover) in December 1981 and only an 8 year old so I cannot remember Southern that well. The problem with Southern (and broadly speaking with the South for ITV), as you correctly allude to, was its territorial coverage, too wide in-scope with no real identity. Geographically, entwined with sprawling London as well. The channel owned studios in Dover but, as you say, did they really knew Kent existed? Folkestone, Canterbury, Margate, Whitstable? And what did people in Ramsgate share in common with those living in Reading? That said and in-spite of this, TVS was a great channel. Whilst Southern rested on its laurels, TVS had a vision. Colourful, great new shows, what a change it must have been from gloomy 1970s TV for Southern viewers. Much of Southern's production (and practices) could be traced back to the late 1960s. " How", "Freewheelers" etc. TVS embraced the 1980s for a new generation of viewers. "Coast to Coast", the news broadcast, was exactly that as it covered the South East in a separate edition. So in Kent we came to matter! Just the new ident and jingle on 1982 New year's day was a breath of fresh air and well ahead of Channel 4's graphics launched later that year. I had no idea TVS went on a spending spree in 1988 but, then again, these were the 80s. I left Kent in 1991 so do not recall what happened after. However, from what I see with ITV Meridian, there is no longer any regional identity at all. What a shame....
"What have the people of Ramsgate got in common with the people of Reading?" That is basically why HTV Wales/West existed. It was a good idea to split the region in two because what have the people of say, Swansea, got to do with the people of, say, Trowbridge?
As mentioned by Edward Burek, it has been a joy to see the Southern logo on Talking Pictures TV, and watching long forgotten favourites like Dick Barton Special Agent (was it really originally shown in 15 minute episodes) and Spearhead (in my opinion, vastly superior to Soldier Soldier) .
I just heard Fred Dinenage is retiring from ITV Meridian. Loved him on How 2 with Carol Vorderman and Gareth Jones all those years ago and I'm lapping up those crime documentary series he's been making recently. Fred is the Mike Neville of the South.
Here is what C. David Wilson, said in that speech at the farewell Christmas dinner... "Ladies and Gentleman, forgive me for interrupting your enjoyment this evening for a minute or so, but this is the last time we shall all be together - to say farewell to Southern Television, a company which has provided us with our livelihood, and for many, with the best years of their lives. Now, I am going to sing our praises a bit in due course. For over 25 years, Southern has been, and still is, a fine company." [Drunk audience cheers and applause] "But we are to be killed off, having been condemned for eleven months - a condemned cell, for reasons we know, I think, far too little about. We have suffered, and I *mean* we have suffered. The agony and shock of that decision on the 28th of December may now be passed. But there remains the rage, the bitterness, the sense of injustice, for many of us, and that will not pass. But the sooner it's all over, now, so much the better. History may vindicate us, but there is little consolation in that at this present time. But let us remember our record with pride. And in the years to come when we look back, and maybe reminisce together, let us think again on the good things we have done, and the major contributions we have made to the success of Independent Television, for we have been a progressive, dedicated company with a panache and high standards. We have been a leader in a number of fields. I need not enumerate them now, they are known to you. But this I believe - in fact I know - we have provided a first-class regional service to our area, stimulating interest and providing enjoyment for millions of our viewers over the years. In addition, we have been a leader amongst the regional companies in providing major contributions to the national network, culminating in the very notable successes we have achieved this year. I wonder how well did the Authority study our application, because it was all in there! Let us also not forget the major part that our sales staff have played in industry affairs. But that is now all in the past. Shortly, we will all go our various ways. For a few of us, it's the end of the road. The many will carry on their work in the region, others will be scattered. But I know that they will carry Southern's standards with them. Let us wish them every success. But enough! Do let ourselves not be downhearted tonight, rather let us be merry and enjoy the company of the friends we have all made in the fellowship of Southern Television. So ladies and gentlemen, I would like you to stand if you would, and I would ask you to join in a toast - to Southern Television, a fine company, a *very* fine company!" [Audience toasts "To Southern Television, a fine company, a *very* fine company]
All hail to the late, great Jack Hargreaves. Arguably the man who undermined the BBC more than anybody else by stating on How that TV Detector Vans could not & did not work! I still watch Out of Town. e is supposed to be the inspiration for Bob Flemyng-The Fast Show! Finally does anybody else remember Noah's Castle by Southern starring Mike Reid? Runaround Now!
Well said, Sir! I, too, find the fact that the legend that was Jack Hargreaves gets no mention here to be most odd - all the more puzzling when one thinks of how high up he actually was at Southern Television!
still love that you mention reboot. I complained to meridian the day it was stopped..the episode didn't come on that had been advertised.. I was really upset. mum called up a receptionist lol ...
I wonder how close Talking Pictures TV is to Southern Television? The channel does seem to be aimed at people who have first hand memories of Southern.
If you’re planning to give these videos any spit and polish what with ITV’s 70th birthday now less than 2 years away, may I please suggest adding? - in 2018, Meridian celebrated their 25th birthday and even redesigned the sun logo, but referred to themselves as a news provider rather than an ITV franchise - GMTV at one point had their own charity event called Get Up and Give, likely because the life of ITV’s Telethon was cut short the way it was - on their last day, LWT did NOT use their old idents all day, they had their traditional startup after Nightscreen, NOT GMTV, but they did use their late 70s ident before The Southbank Show that evening
Here are the full lyrics to "Portakabin TV", a despairfest of a dirge by the Prick of the Ivories, Sir Dickard Stilgoe (with a correction in the first verse courtesy of Matthew Harris aka Bob the Fish Productions, who also made the observation that the first halves of the second and third verses were incredibly vitriolic)... We are Portakabin TV and we can't believe our luck To have got the bit from Channel to North Sea To be frank we through the best would have been to go for Westward Or Yorkshire or even ATV We are Portakabin TV, our approach is fresh and new You won't see us making shows just 'cause they pay There'll be no more 3-2-1, and Crossroads we will shun Well, at least for the first six months anyway! We are Portakabin TV - Gatward, Boston and Blakstad And on January the first our flag's unfurled Our future is assured - we've a Lord upon on the board And someone who once did Tomorrow's World! We are Portakabin TV and the south east of our patch Is top of our list of priorities It will be all systems go at our Maidstone studio Just as soon as we find out where Maidstone is! We are Portakabin TV and our papers brown and cream Not that nasty Southern TV white and blue And we all say "Yours Sincerely" when we finish letters off "Hugs and Kisses - Bryan Izzard" - just won't do! We are Portakabin TV and we promise we will change Everything, so that all is new and vital: The show to alter most will be our nightly Coast To Coast Which is really Day By Day with a new title! We are Portakabin TV and we're dropping lots of shows I'm afraid to How we all must say goodbye Because we don't know how, but we do known when - it's now And what people want know is not how but why? We are Portakabin TV and all that's going to change Is the local television station's name... We could change things if we could... but Southern was so good... We've decided to leave everything the same!
@@sandraodell9441 It's a reference to an episode of Angry Video Game Nerd about the NES game Dick Tracy. Early in the episode, The Nerd, played by the series creator and writer James Rolfe, goes into a rant about shortened variants of names. _"Like, seriously, when this movie came out, I never said "Dick" so much before in my life. Every kid on the block was runnin' around sayin' "Dick Tracy", "Dick Tracy", "Dick this" and "Dick that"! My dad said, "Can't you just call him Richard Tracy?" And I was like, "You know... how is 'Dick' short for 'Richard'?" That doesn't even make any sense. It's like Bill and William, or Jim and James. But at least Bill and Will rhyme, and Jim and James both start with a J. But Richard and Dick? Like, nobody ever says "Dickard"!"_
The map shown at 36:51 is actually slightly incorrect and was is really relevant from 2006 onwards when the regions were long gone. In fact Oxfordshire, North Buckinghamshire and West Northamptonshire were still very much in the Central region when Meridian was around. Bizzarely some of this region was actually further south than some parts of the London region. There was some bizzare land grab around the late 00s, which is why the map is a strange L shape and that some of ITV 'South' is actually only a few miles from Brum!
16:46 I heard from a rumor on twitter stating "Hopefully, That 1980 Southern Television Application DID NOT include the lyrics to Portakabin TV." Also of Note: there are some final programs from Southern That are out there on TH-cam, Including: The Final Day by Day entitled "Day by Yesterday", The last Airing of the Kids show Runaround portions of the Last "How?" (The ending of the episode is on TH-cam) The Last Houseparty And, Some of the "And It's Goodbye From Us" finale, (The beginning 8 minutes or so and the ending, featuring Lillian Watson with "songs for the occasion" as well as the final cast credits). on that note Does anyone have the full tape of And It's Goodbye From us? Asking given that This December will be 40 years on since that fateful night.
About that full tape of _And it’s goodbye from us…_ ADC TV Collection is based in the South, so I’m crossing everything to bring us a New Years Eve miracle. (It’s specialised on TVS, so he is the one that is morally obliged to do this sort of thing) EDIT OVER A YEAR LATER: The New Year Eve miracle never happened (and will never know if will ever happen), but this New Years Eve, ADC graced us with a THIRTY PART EPIC, with the complete continuity of the last day of Thames, so, in my watch, they are forgiven.
One last long post and then I'm chuffing done! The final "Day By Day" (titled "Day By Yesterday") ended with all the presenters and reporters (sans Cliff Michelmore who was suffering from a cold) singing these words to the tune of "Bless 'Em All" accompanied by the Bournemouth Sinfonietta conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes... Day By Day, Day By Day It's been Day By Day all the way Twenty-odd years now we've brought you the news Reflecting the region and all of its views Now we're saying goodbye in this way In our final programme today From Monday to Friday, right now to goodbye day Our programme's been leading the way We've had fun, we've had fun With most of the things that we've done: Peter [Clark] has solved lots of crimes on the show Trevor ["The Weather" Baker] has brought us great carnage with snow But he does get it right now and then So let's give him five out of ten While over from Dover, Mike Field has come over And Brian's [Shallcross] come down from his den! Then there's you, then there's you The folks who sit back home and view Thank you for watching us on the TV Thank you for liking the folk that you see For without you, we've nothing to do The programme has been just for you So let us reward you, right now we applaud you By drinking a toast just for you! Day By Day, Day By Day It's been Day By Day all the way Twenty-odd years now we've brought you the news Reflecting the region and all of its views Now we're saying goodbye in this way In our final programme today From Monday to Friday, right now to goodbye day Our programme's been leading the way!
The sulking and bitterness from Southern on 31/12/1981 began in earnest earlier that evening - Day By Yesterday th-cam.com/video/-r-iU85uTcA/w-d-xo.html Why didn't Southern Television use its collective boardroom "brains" and reckon up that they could raise its contribution to ITV in that weekend void where Thames couldn't possibly have any clout??? That's where TVS kind of did itself proud sparring with LWT...for a little while at least
Here it is... Skip to 21:05 for David Wilson's bitterness and 25:45 for Richard Stilgoe's petulance in all their dubious glory: th-cam.com/video/-r-iU85uTcA/w-d-xo.html
You have to wonder whether ITV would've ended up the way they did if UNM had been allowed to merge with Carlton. It would've put them as equal to Granada and may even have left us with a two franchisee service instead of the inevitable Granada Carlton merger.
Carlton being allowed to merge with UNM would have probably meant that they would have become the dominant force in ITV instead of Granada. Mainly because they would have all the ITV Regions in the South & Midlands (bar LWT) under their control. Regardless, a Carlton-Granada merger would have still probably happened anyway, the biggest difference being that Carlton would have been the dominant party (rather than Granada) and the strong possibility that the ITV name itself could have been dropped in favour of Carlton.
it’s as though there’s always been a conscious effort to keep central southern England & especially the se Dorset metropolitan area from economic & social contact with the sw , Bristol & the west & Wales because notwithstanding the lack of a direct or fast route from the road network from Ringwood or Ferndown to Honiton or Bristol , the organisation of regional news demonstrated this disconnect. viewers in SE Dorset would hear about events in Thames Valley or Oxfordshire or West Sussex yet not from 30 miles west or north west or west of Dorchester or north of Salisbury & this doesn’t make a lot of sense because it gives a very skewed perspective of the area . An example of the lack of perspective this created was when AFCBournemouth regularly played Yeovil Town in spite of the grounds being 45 miles apart , the matches weren’t given the local Derby treatment & hype which accompanied trips to or visits from Reading or Brighton twice the distance . Ashton Gate & The Gas are as far as those but these games weren’t given the derby fanfare . SE Dorset & south hampshire have to be regarded as an extension of Greater London & it’s ridiculous given the old timers have ‘Westcountry’ accents ….
man tvs didn't even have their flower/shell thing fly into the starry night sky at the end with an eerie echoey version of their jingle. smh amateurs! They didn't even commission Richard Stilgoe to write a rude song about Meridian! No respect for tradition! smh my head! And no drunken self pitying speech from the managing director for posterity! too much dignity! omg
The ITV in the Face series is so professionally put together - it's like we're watching it on actual television! Thanks, Bob the Fish!
I’ve lost how many times I watched
Bob The Fish top bloke found whole series on Itv regions very informative. BRING BACK THE REGIONAL BROADCASTING ITV, miss LWT made some great programmes in the 80s so good they have tried to bring them back. But they have to change things but not necessarily for the better
A decent mic would be nice.
@@jean-lucpicard5510Only things the show needs is a better mic, better editing, and better mixing so logos don't destroy our ears while we're trying to listen to the voiceover. I don't think I've actually enjoyed much channels on TH-cam with this much opposement to modern quality standards like him and 65scribe.
Thought Southern might have invited Vrillon for the farewell 'party'.
They were killed before they sent the invitation.
21:20 "You ungrateful bastards! I hope you DO forget to switch off your set and your house burns down in the night!" 😂
Of all the ITV In The Face episodes, this is the one I truly relish watching time and again. So many things to pick up on - one thing in particular was the "haunting" final closedown of Southern Television, which to me says "you'll miss us when we're gone" - immediately usurped by TVS's first images. The first sight of that TVS clock says to me "no we won't Grandad." But in terms of visual legacy, Southern seems to have had the last laugh - courtesy of Talking Pictures TV, some of their old programmes are being re-shown, even "Take A Letter Mr Jones". You can't even see any one of TVS's old networked shows, thanks to Disney. Not even Art Attack - damn them!!
I have heard that Disney has wiped them for good. Found this out when they had wiped all the Motor mouth shows so Art Attack might of suffered the same fate
@@evonne_o Nope. Neil Buchanan and Tim Edmunds bought TVS out of their share of Art Attack when they had the chance. That's why when CITV had the Old Skool Weekend in early 2013 the eps of Art Attack shown were TVS ones.
@@antster1983 What happened to the Catchphrase library that TVS owned? Challenge couldn't get the rights to those earlier episodes because of this issue with TVS.
Of course TVS's archives was in the hands of Pat Robertson, Fox, and Disney, so it could be that nobody knows who owns those... although I assume that the whole Disney-Fox buyout may make that issue cease being an issue.
I've literally just posted a comment asking about TPTV!
I think it helps when an old ITV station has its back catalogue bought by enthusiasts who love the stations (such as Southern, Westward/TSW and tv-am) instead of corporations who only see the profitability of the back catalogue (such as ATV, ABC, Rediffusion and Thames)
You see this in TPTV's adverts I feel, every other channel, wall to wall ads for funeral plans and life insurance ("Hello there! Do you remember the olden days? Well that's because you're going to die soon! Stop being a burden to your family! That's why they sent you to the home, you know!") TPTV tend to avoid that sort of thing which makes a nice change should I actually watch daytime TV.
I have to love TVS if only for "Exclusive Yarns". It was a TV play in a series devoted to new writers, and was the campest, most surreal "comedy" imaginable with a stellar cast including Lesley Joseph and Patricia Hodge. I only came about it through a friend in south London (we were north east London) who could get a grainy form of TVS, and had recorded it. It became a meme before memes existed, and I only wish I had a videorecorder to play the vid copy I still have of it. It did end up as a musical in the West End, briefly, and I bumped into both the writer and some (TV) cast whilst out and about. Seems incredible that it only ever got a local airing, no other company took it. "Zips are zips, Amanda!".
30:01
FRED DINEAGE: "Happy New Year!"
Thanks for posting all of these videos up. Different times - what with regional TV. This one is more personal to me, as it was my ITV area. Had a very troubled history, what with going through 3 times : Southern, TVS and Meridian. Never really had much of a distinguished identity. It did produce a things like Worzel Gummidge(probably their most famous TV program).
These documentarys are so brilliantly researched. The standard is incredible and I finally get my UK TV idents organ tickled to a level I am happy with. Thank you.
Southern ITV had a small and geographically awkward region.The station however was well received locally and this has completely been lost to the present structure.Fantastic and well funded regional television still exists in Germany!
Geographically awkward, sure, but small? I don't think that's fair.
But it's based mainly on public network ARD
33:40 Every time I hear Meridian mentioned in the rest of the series I just hear "bastards" in my head.
TVS also helped Jim Henson make probably his most famous creation apart from The Muppets, “Fraggle Rock” and Helped Neil Buchanan launch “Art Attack” before being Brought by Disney and Hosted by Goddamn Lloyd Warbery!
They also helped launched catchphrase with Roy walker
They did rupert with Garfielf (Ellipse - France) and Babar (Nelvana - Canada) before Scottish took over
Watching these again, love the series. Always grateful for your efforts.
Verity Martindill regularly appeared on LWT. Keeping both sides of her toast buttered. I lived in West Kent, untouched by BBC South unloved by BBC London and ignored by Thames TV, which is what we received. No wonder I grew up with an identity crisis.
The saddest thing about TVS, is at one point (I'm told), a lot of UK archive material was sent for storage in the U.S. As far as I know, never to be seen again. This might explain why when anniversary of South & South East events occurred there appeared to be little news footage to hark back to. The 1987 hurricane ten year remembrance relying on stock ITN footage, for some reason.
And to add to your comments, most of the rights and copyright documentation has also been lost, so those programmes that do still exist cannot be released on DVD, such as Cats Eyes for example. Such a shame and a bloody mess!
From my understanding, Meridian (& thus ITV plc) did apparently retain the TVS News Archive. However I have also read that TVS Wiped some of its Local News Programmes before it demise.
So I find it bizzare that ITV plc couldn't find enough news footage from that era.
Thank you so much for the memories-well done and so wonderful too!
Southern execs were SO far up their own backsides,that they got everything they deserved. I was gutted as a fan of TVS (up here in what's the old STV Central region) when they went. STV got the production rights to some TVS programmes once they went - mostly CITV stuffs as I remember. Not sure it did us up here in that part of Scotland any better with quality of programming...
(I have been in parts of the old transmission area in Surrey and it's not as posh as some say.. it's a lovely area to visit,I've got a few friends in Surrey!)
Thanks again for taking us down Memory Lane in your informative and entertaining manner.
My childhood years were largely spent living in the TVS region. 22:00 The multicoloured flower/shell/pants symbol was pretty and eye-catching, although nobody was ever sure what it was supposed to be or represent. The trumpeted eight note fanfare was a basic composition but consequently memorable.
23:10 The 1987 mid-term facelift saw the inexplicable TVS symbol take on the flying objects in space theme pioneered by Channel 4 and imitated to varying degrees of success by a number of ITV companies. I remember, as a 9 year old, being mightily impressed by the apparent animation wizardry and wondering how the hell they did it. 25:35 Everyone scoffed at the ridiculous rebranding to TVS Television - or Television South Television in 1989. But the viewers were generally unaware that the acronym TVS no longer had any meaning.
The South East was served very well by TVS. It gave us our first nightly dedicated local news magazine, Coast to Coast. It trounced the BBC and was the most popular ITV regional news programme by audience share. Mike Debens and Liz Wickham were a great presenting duo, getting the tone and balance just right.
Meridian took over and the style of presentation changed from sober, polished greyish blues, to garish orange, red and purple. 31:40 Their first ident was remarkably different to anything that went before, particularly with its dramatic burst of light through the blank screen. But in terms of programme production Meridian were unambitious. They were described as the prodigal son of Southern.
34:30 That clever sunburst ident of 1993 was replaced in 1996 by a strange sort of billowing flag version of the logo which was out of proportion. 34:46 And then in 1998 the ident went ever further retrograde, with the logo performing a feeble emergence from a yellowish haze. It was again incorrectly proportioned. And then Granada came along and imposed the second attempt at generic branding, with the naff hearts theme. And the rest is history.
TVS stands out as the most innovative and productive franchise holder the region ever had.
This is crazy that Disney now owns the name and the back catalog of TVS.
It explains why Art Attack is part of Disney now.
I was introduced to Rula Lenska and John Inman's Take a Letter Mr Jones (and sorry, but I liked it) via Talking Pictures TV when Renown bought the Southern archives.
I've seen Verity Martindill on LWT and also Central.
As someone who grew up in Surrey, I can confirm that important people live there
Lol
The irony of the ITC's decision is, TVS were actually right about their advertising figures and could've maintained their programme output and paid the premiums on their license. Additionally, along with most of the other license holders, Meridian's premiums were reduced by the ITC, anyway...
The Jingle was “too common” lmao, i lost it at that. Great video.
I remember the ITN News coming on that day. Up came the best of all, the one from TVS. And in Birmingham we had a what the f**k logo.
You forgot to mention Southern were responsible for Runaround (with Cockney comedian Mike Reid)
Heeeeeyyyyy... 😎🚬🥃
The TVS logo has a very NBC style, very American, very 1980s.
Southern’s ending does stuck in the mind
Southern Fried Rabbit
TVS simply got over ambitious but it’s contribution to ITV cannot be denied, particularly childrens output where it quickly became probably the most dominant player in the 80s and beyond, behind a number of genuine classics in childrens TV starting of course with No 73, and Maidstone remained symbolic in ITV Saturday mornings right up to Ministry of Mayhem, ITVs last proper Saturday morning show.
Surrey in fact was mainly served, and still is, by the London ITV region.
I'm sure I saw Meridian when visiting family in Woking as a kid. Maybe i'm getting mixed up with a visit elsewhere?
Meridian. Best known in it's 30+ years now, for one hardly noticeable "wizzadora".
Thank you for this, Matt. What a nostalgia trip. Moved to Kent (St Margaret's Bay, near Dover) in December 1981 and only an 8 year old so I cannot remember Southern that well. The problem with Southern (and broadly speaking with the South for ITV), as you correctly allude to, was its territorial coverage, too wide in-scope with no real identity. Geographically, entwined with sprawling London as well. The channel owned studios in Dover but, as you say, did they really knew Kent existed? Folkestone, Canterbury, Margate, Whitstable? And what did people in Ramsgate share in common with those living in Reading? That said and in-spite of this, TVS was a great channel. Whilst Southern rested on its laurels, TVS had a vision. Colourful, great new shows, what a change it must have been from gloomy 1970s TV for Southern viewers. Much of Southern's production (and practices) could be traced back to the late 1960s. " How", "Freewheelers" etc. TVS embraced the 1980s for a new generation of viewers. "Coast to Coast", the news broadcast, was exactly that as it covered the South East in a separate edition. So in Kent we came to matter! Just the new ident and jingle on 1982 New year's day was a breath of fresh air and well ahead of Channel 4's graphics launched later that year. I had no idea TVS went on a spending spree in 1988 but, then again, these were the 80s. I left Kent in 1991 so do not recall what happened after. However, from what I see with ITV Meridian, there is no longer any regional identity at all. What a shame....
"What have the people of Ramsgate got in common with the people of Reading?" That is basically why HTV Wales/West existed. It was a good idea to split the region in two because what have the people of say, Swansea, got to do with the people of, say, Trowbridge?
As mentioned by Edward Burek, it has been a joy to see the Southern logo on Talking Pictures TV, and watching long forgotten favourites like Dick Barton Special Agent (was it really originally shown in 15 minute episodes) and Spearhead (in my opinion, vastly superior to Soldier Soldier) .
I just heard Fred Dinenage is retiring from ITV Meridian.
Loved him on How 2 with Carol Vorderman and Gareth Jones all those years ago and I'm lapping up those crime documentary series he's been making recently.
Fred is the Mike Neville of the South.
Legend. I don't live in the region, but legend.
RIP, Mike Neville.
Another cracking programme! Well done.
How did you mention Southern and not include the '77 signal hijack? The Ashtar Galactic Command will hear of this.
Here is what C. David Wilson, said in that speech at the farewell Christmas dinner...
"Ladies and Gentleman, forgive me for interrupting your enjoyment this evening for a minute or so, but this is the last time we shall all be together - to say farewell to Southern Television, a company which has provided us with our livelihood, and for many, with the best years of their lives. Now, I am going to sing our praises a bit in due course. For over 25 years, Southern has been, and still is, a fine company."
[Drunk audience cheers and applause]
"But we are to be killed off, having been condemned for eleven months - a condemned cell, for reasons we know, I think, far too little about. We have suffered, and I *mean* we have suffered. The agony and shock of that decision on the 28th of December may now be passed. But there remains the rage, the bitterness, the sense of injustice, for many of us, and that will not pass. But the sooner it's all over, now, so much the better. History may vindicate us, but there is little consolation in that at this present time.
But let us remember our record with pride. And in the years to come when we look back, and maybe reminisce together, let us think again on the good things we have done, and the major contributions we have made to the success of Independent Television, for we have been a progressive, dedicated company with a panache and high standards. We have been a leader in a number of fields. I need not enumerate them now, they are known to you.
But this I believe - in fact I know - we have provided a first-class regional service to our area, stimulating interest and providing enjoyment for millions of our viewers over the years. In addition, we have been a leader amongst the regional companies in providing major contributions to the national network, culminating in the very notable successes we have achieved this year. I wonder how well did the Authority study our application, because it was all in there! Let us also not forget the major part that our sales staff have played in industry affairs.
But that is now all in the past. Shortly, we will all go our various ways. For a few of us, it's the end of the road. The many will carry on their work in the region, others will be scattered. But I know that they will carry Southern's standards with them. Let us wish them every success.
But enough! Do let ourselves not be downhearted tonight, rather let us be merry and enjoy the company of the friends we have all made in the fellowship of Southern Television. So ladies and gentlemen, I would like you to stand if you would, and I would ask you to join in a toast - to Southern Television, a fine company, a *very* fine company!"
[Audience toasts "To Southern Television, a fine company, a *very* fine company]
Just realised this speech has a lot less bile than the letter. But then, he was drunk.
@@TheGerkuman He knew at this point that it was inevitable, so he must have mellowed and just been a bit maudlin instead of angry.
TSW were bloody angels compaired to Southern.
It's TVS!
@@KitHubCats True. I could've written this in the comments for Episode 1 but TVS simply ate its humble pie without spitting it in the ITC's face.
@KitHubCats I mean TSW owned Westward for the latter half of '81.
I'm 40 and that final shutdown ident chills me to hell.
38:31
Bugs Bunny: Whew, I wonder why they put the South so far south?
I live in Swindon near to Swindon town football ground,we could pick up all 3,htv,atv and southern transmitters
I went to college in Swindon and once in 2006 when tuning my TV, I was able to pick up S4C!
All hail to the late, great Jack Hargreaves. Arguably the man who undermined the BBC more than anybody else by stating on How that TV Detector Vans could not & did not work!
I still watch Out of Town. e is supposed to be the inspiration for Bob Flemyng-The Fast Show!
Finally does anybody else remember Noah's Castle by Southern starring Mike Reid? Runaround Now!
Well said, Sir!
I, too, find the fact that the legend that was Jack Hargreaves gets no mention here to be most odd - all the more puzzling when one thinks of how high up he actually was at Southern Television!
We got mainly Anglia and LWT and Granada
still love that you mention reboot. I complained to meridian the day it was stopped..the episode didn't come on that had been advertised.. I was really upset. mum called up a receptionist lol ...
Also in 1967 Southern and Westward kept there franchises
0:46
_"Well, shut my mouth and call me cornpone, if it ain't the little ol' South!"_
- Bugs Bunny (Southern Fried Rabbit)
I wonder how close Talking Pictures TV is to Southern Television? The channel does seem to be aimed at people who have first hand memories of Southern.
The composer of the iconic Southern guitar ident - my favourite of them all, as it happens - was Steve, not Simon, Race.
I know. I don't know why I said Steve.
A somewhat derogatory song called "Portakabin TV" was heard to criticize the newcomers at the time.
0:46
Bugs Bunny: Well, shut my mouth and call me cornpone, if it ain't the little ol' South!
Ya mon, we be jammin 😂🤣
If you’re planning to give these videos any spit and polish what with ITV’s 70th birthday now less than 2 years away, may I please suggest adding?
- in 2018, Meridian celebrated their 25th birthday and even redesigned the sun logo, but referred to themselves as a news provider rather than an ITV franchise
- GMTV at one point had their own charity event called Get Up and Give, likely because the life of ITV’s Telethon was cut short the way it was
- on their last day, LWT did NOT use their old idents all day, they had their traditional startup after Nightscreen, NOT GMTV, but they did use their late 70s ident before The Southbank Show that evening
Here are the full lyrics to "Portakabin TV", a despairfest of a dirge by the Prick of the Ivories, Sir Dickard Stilgoe (with a correction in the first verse courtesy of Matthew Harris aka Bob the Fish Productions, who also made the observation that the first halves of the second and third verses were incredibly vitriolic)...
We are Portakabin TV and we can't believe our luck
To have got the bit from Channel to North Sea
To be frank we through the best would have been to go for Westward
Or Yorkshire or even ATV
We are Portakabin TV, our approach is fresh and new
You won't see us making shows just 'cause they pay
There'll be no more 3-2-1, and Crossroads we will shun
Well, at least for the first six months anyway!
We are Portakabin TV - Gatward, Boston and Blakstad
And on January the first our flag's unfurled
Our future is assured - we've a Lord upon on the board
And someone who once did Tomorrow's World!
We are Portakabin TV and the south east of our patch
Is top of our list of priorities
It will be all systems go at our Maidstone studio
Just as soon as we find out where Maidstone is!
We are Portakabin TV and our papers brown and cream
Not that nasty Southern TV white and blue
And we all say "Yours Sincerely" when we finish letters off
"Hugs and Kisses - Bryan Izzard" - just won't do!
We are Portakabin TV and we promise we will change
Everything, so that all is new and vital:
The show to alter most will be our nightly Coast To Coast
Which is really Day By Day with a new title!
We are Portakabin TV and we're dropping lots of shows
I'm afraid to How we all must say goodbye
Because we don't know how, but we do known when - it's now
And what people want know is not how but why?
We are Portakabin TV and all that's going to change
Is the local television station's name...
We could change things if we could... but Southern was so good...
We've decided to leave everything the same!
I believe I may have a riposte... this may take some time...
I know this is a stupid rant on the blameless TVS, but the composer and lyricist did try to make it good.
"Dickard Stilgoe"? I think his name is actually Richard... wait a minute, that's my dad's name!
@@sandraodell9441 It's a reference to an episode of Angry Video Game Nerd about the NES game Dick Tracy. Early in the episode, The Nerd, played by the series creator and writer James Rolfe, goes into a rant about shortened variants of names.
_"Like, seriously, when this movie came out, I never said "Dick" so much before in my life. Every kid on the block was runnin' around sayin' "Dick Tracy", "Dick Tracy", "Dick this" and "Dick that"! My dad said, "Can't you just call him Richard Tracy?" And I was like, "You know... how is 'Dick' short for 'Richard'?" That doesn't even make any sense. It's like Bill and William, or Jim and James. But at least Bill and Will rhyme, and Jim and James both start with a J. But Richard and Dick? Like, nobody ever says "Dickard"!"_
Wow, what absolute dickwombles Southern really were!
Sore losers hazing the new guy before they've even began broadcasting. Shameful.
28:10 - £60 Million a year for the franchise - even NBC wouldn't offer that for an affiliate in the US.
S T I P E N D S
@@KitHubCats What?
@@johnking5174 That what it sounded like a the beginning!
@@KitHubCats Stipend?
£59.8 million in 1991 would be the equivalent of £142.7 million in 2022, or $163.6 million USD.
Now on ITV, it's time for another episode of, ITV in The Face.
The map shown at 36:51 is actually slightly incorrect and was is really relevant from 2006 onwards when the regions were long gone. In fact Oxfordshire, North Buckinghamshire and West Northamptonshire were still very much in the Central region when Meridian was around. Bizzarely some of this region was actually further south than some parts of the London region. There was some bizzare land grab around the late 00s, which is why the map is a strange L shape and that some of ITV 'South' is actually only a few miles from Brum!
Very good.
I hated Worzel Gummidge as a kid, they used to have reruns in the early 90s, i was more afraid of scarecrows coming to life than anything else.
32:38. Ya mon, we be jammin'.
We truly be jammin', mon
I like this series and it was professionaly edited but the voice over is a bit soft but still good
16:46 I heard from a rumor on twitter stating "Hopefully, That 1980 Southern Television Application DID NOT include the lyrics to Portakabin TV."
Also of Note:
there are some final programs from Southern That are out there on TH-cam, Including:
The Final Day by Day entitled "Day by Yesterday",
The last Airing of the Kids show Runaround
portions of the Last "How?" (The ending of the episode is on TH-cam)
The Last Houseparty
And, Some of the "And It's Goodbye From Us" finale, (The beginning 8 minutes or so and the ending, featuring Lillian Watson with "songs for the occasion" as well as the final cast credits). on that note
Does anyone have the full tape of And It's Goodbye From us? Asking given that This December will be 40 years on since that fateful night.
About that full tape of _And it’s goodbye from us…_
ADC TV Collection is based in the South, so I’m crossing everything to bring us a New Years Eve miracle. (It’s specialised on TVS, so he is the one that is morally obliged to do this sort of thing)
EDIT OVER A YEAR LATER: The New Year Eve miracle never happened (and will never know if will ever happen), but this New Years Eve, ADC graced us with a THIRTY PART EPIC, with the complete continuity of the last day of Thames, so, in my watch, they are forgiven.
I'm from Maidstone. No we don't remember Southern either. It was that painfully dull.
“Ding dong!”
“Who’s at the door?”
“Marjorie!”
“It’s always fucking Marjorie!”
(Houseparty 31/12/81)
I'm so glad you're using West Country dialect here "chinny reckon". Isn't that a North Somerset phrase... you're from Cornwall, aren't you?
One last long post and then I'm chuffing done! The final "Day By Day" (titled "Day By Yesterday") ended with all the presenters and reporters (sans Cliff Michelmore who was suffering from a cold) singing these words to the tune of "Bless 'Em All" accompanied by the Bournemouth Sinfonietta conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes...
Day By Day, Day By Day
It's been Day By Day all the way
Twenty-odd years now we've brought you the news
Reflecting the region and all of its views
Now we're saying goodbye in this way
In our final programme today
From Monday to Friday, right now to goodbye day
Our programme's been leading the way
We've had fun, we've had fun
With most of the things that we've done:
Peter [Clark] has solved lots of crimes on the show
Trevor ["The Weather" Baker] has brought us great carnage with snow
But he does get it right now and then
So let's give him five out of ten
While over from Dover, Mike Field has come over
And Brian's [Shallcross] come down from his den!
Then there's you, then there's you
The folks who sit back home and view
Thank you for watching us on the TV
Thank you for liking the folk that you see
For without you, we've nothing to do
The programme has been just for you
So let us reward you, right now we applaud you
By drinking a toast just for you!
Day By Day, Day By Day
It's been Day By Day all the way
Twenty-odd years now we've brought you the news
Reflecting the region and all of its views
Now we're saying goodbye in this way
In our final programme today
From Monday to Friday, right now to goodbye day
Our programme's been leading the way!
31:02 - 31:07 And He Did! 😈
33:23 - 33:25 That's why we have child therapists!
The sulking and bitterness from Southern on 31/12/1981 began in earnest earlier that evening - Day By Yesterday
th-cam.com/video/-r-iU85uTcA/w-d-xo.html
Why didn't Southern Television use its collective boardroom "brains" and reckon up that they could raise its contribution to ITV in that weekend void where Thames couldn't possibly have any clout??? That's where TVS kind of did itself proud sparring with LWT...for a little while at least
The speach is now on here
Here it is... Skip to 21:05 for David Wilson's bitterness and 25:45 for Richard Stilgoe's petulance in all their dubious glory: th-cam.com/video/-r-iU85uTcA/w-d-xo.html
god that song really is bitter.
Well shut my mouth and call me a corn pone, if it ain't the little ol' south!
Integrity, imagine that!
You have to wonder whether ITV would've ended up the way they did if UNM had been allowed to merge with Carlton. It would've put them as equal to Granada and may even have left us with a two franchisee service instead of the inevitable Granada Carlton merger.
Carlton being allowed to merge with UNM would have probably meant that they would have become the dominant force in ITV instead of Granada. Mainly because they would have all the ITV Regions in the South & Midlands (bar LWT) under their control.
Regardless, a Carlton-Granada merger would have still probably happened anyway, the biggest difference being that Carlton would have been the dominant party (rather than Granada) and the strong possibility that the ITV name itself could have been dropped in favour of Carlton.
it’s as though there’s always been a conscious effort to keep central southern England & especially the se Dorset metropolitan area from economic & social contact with the sw , Bristol & the west & Wales because notwithstanding the lack of a direct or fast route from the road network from Ringwood or Ferndown to Honiton or Bristol , the organisation of regional news demonstrated this disconnect. viewers in SE Dorset would hear about events in Thames Valley or Oxfordshire or West Sussex yet not from 30 miles west or north west or west of Dorchester or north of Salisbury & this doesn’t make a lot of sense because it gives a very skewed perspective of the area .
An example of the lack of perspective this created was when AFCBournemouth regularly played Yeovil Town in spite of the grounds being 45 miles apart , the matches weren’t given the local Derby treatment & hype which accompanied trips to or visits from Reading or Brighton twice the distance . Ashton Gate & The Gas are as far as those but these games weren’t given the derby fanfare . SE Dorset & south hampshire have to be regarded as an extension of Greater London & it’s ridiculous given the old timers have ‘Westcountry’ accents ….
man tvs didn't even have their flower/shell thing fly into the starry night sky at the end with an eerie echoey version of their jingle. smh amateurs! They didn't even commission Richard Stilgoe to write a rude song about Meridian! No respect for tradition! smh my head! And no drunken self pitying speech from the managing director for posterity! too much dignity! omg
Where did you find the clip of "Under Manning"?
TV-Ark.
@@applemask thanks
Did a station in America use Southern's jingle?
Don't know?
What?
I still haven't figured out why that audience is apparently laughing itself into a hernia at the opening credits of Under Manning.
Because they've been told to.
Written and said by? Shouldn’t it be written and narrated by?
I mean... He said stuff. 🤷🏽♂️
Discounting 1974 where nothing happened whatsoever
They let all companies keep their franchises because the rollout of color was so expensive!
@@adultmoshifan87 oh really that's interesting cheers!
Under Manning - pa ha ha!