0:00:03 > 0:00:06This is the British Broadcasting Corporation.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12To most, Caversham is simply a sleepy Berkshire suburb.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16To those who work for the BBC, however, it's the guardian
0:00:16 > 0:00:18of their travails and triumphs.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24Contained within the walls of this unassuming building,
0:00:24 > 0:00:30the BBC has locked its secrets away in file upon file of correspondence.
0:00:30 > 0:00:31Words written to its stars.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Words written by its stars.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Words written about its stars.
0:00:37 > 0:00:42Four and a half miles of words, stretching all the way back to 1922.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47These are the secret files of the BBC.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51TYPEWRITER CLACKS
0:00:52 > 0:00:56Fresh out of drama school, to me and thousands of other hopeful actors,
0:00:56 > 0:01:00work at the BBC felt like an unattainable dream.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03In those days, of course, there were only two channels,
0:01:03 > 0:01:05and competition was fierce.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09I wrote what felt like hundreds of letters to anyone I thought
0:01:09 > 0:01:12might help me get a foot in the door.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14The Caversham vaults have preserved them all.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18"Dear Mr Bennett, I am writing to ask if I may have an interview
0:01:18 > 0:01:20"or an audition with you.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23"I have worked for six months at the Civic Theatre, Chesterfield
0:01:23 > 0:01:25"under the direction of Richard Scott,
0:01:25 > 0:01:28"and also at the Theatre Royal, Lincoln for six months.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31"I played a great variety of parts, mostly juvenile character.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35"I have also appeared on the Michael Medwin show on ITV.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38"I am 5' 8" tall, my photo is in Spotlight.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42"Hoping to hear from you soon, Yours faithfully, Penelope Keith."
0:01:43 > 0:01:45What I didn't know at the time
0:01:45 > 0:01:48was someone else had also had the same idea.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Until I looked through my own file for this programme,
0:01:53 > 0:01:56I had no idea my mother put in a word for me.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59And I found it very touching after all these years.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03"My daughter, aged 20, unfortunately has chosen
0:02:03 > 0:02:05"the stage as her career -
0:02:05 > 0:02:07"she's just finished one year in repertory.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11"She had two years' training at the Webber Douglas school
0:02:11 > 0:02:15"and ran off with all three cups - for Shakespeare, modern
0:02:15 > 0:02:19"and for the best all-round student, boy or girl,
0:02:19 > 0:02:21"over the two years.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25"She's got the talent, all she needs is that little extra push.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27"Could you help her?
0:02:27 > 0:02:29"Perhaps you could be good enough to give her an interview?
0:02:29 > 0:02:32"I do so want her to get on.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35"She's always wanted to do this, since the age of five,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38"and will work extremely hard to get to the top.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42"Hoping so much to hear from you, Yours sincerely,
0:02:42 > 0:02:43"Constance M Keith."
0:02:45 > 0:02:48The production files held at Caversham
0:02:48 > 0:02:51are equally as fascinating as the personal ones.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Although many have been destroyed, the best offer an insight
0:02:54 > 0:02:58into some of the BBC's most iconic programmes.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00CHEERING AND BANGING
0:03:00 > 0:03:02And so, ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure
0:03:02 > 0:03:04to introduce our guest of honour,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07one of Walmington-onSea's most distinguished citizens...
0:03:07 > 0:03:11A man of many parts, a banker, soldier, magistrate,
0:03:11 > 0:03:15alderman... And secretary of the Rotary Club.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20A good fellow all round - Alderman George Mainwaring...
0:03:20 > 0:03:22THEY CLAP
0:03:22 > 0:03:25To start the story of Dad's Army, we need to begin
0:03:25 > 0:03:27with the programme's star, Arthur Lowe,
0:03:27 > 0:03:34who wrote 25 letters to the BBC between 1946 and 1948,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37apparently on the advice of one Nan Macdonald,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40producer of Northern Children's Hour.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42"Previous broadcasting experience includes work with
0:03:42 > 0:03:44"the Forces Broadcasting Unit,
0:03:44 > 0:03:48"and the Egyptian State Broadcasting during the war.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52"Character acting is my line of country, all accents, any age.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54"Yours sincerely, Arthur Lowe."
0:03:55 > 0:04:00There follows a slew of internal memos concerning his ability,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03and skill at accents in particular.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07His big champion, Nan Macdonald, is asked for a reference,
0:04:07 > 0:04:09and rather surprisingly writes -
0:04:09 > 0:04:13"We only used him once, before he moved to London.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16"We were sorry, as we felt he might be useful.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20"His dialects on audition were not very convincing,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22"apart from broken English."
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Another producer, Douglas Cleverdon, agreed with her.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28"He's very good at a Derbyshire accent, for which I used him
0:04:28 > 0:04:32"last week. He claims to do other accents, but they didn't
0:04:32 > 0:04:36"sound very convincing to me - probably OK for Midlands."
0:04:36 > 0:04:39RD Smith, however, saw greater merit in him.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42"This man is a first-class dialectician.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44"He did for me a wonderful Black Country role,
0:04:44 > 0:04:48"and Black Country is an extremely difficult accent, as you know."
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Noel Ayliff was much more to the point.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53"Sorry, I don't remember him."
0:04:53 > 0:04:56While Arthur Lowe was struggling to get work,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59his future co-star already had his foot firmly through the door.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04However, even a successful actor like John Le Mesurier
0:05:04 > 0:05:08regularly wrote to remind producers of his presence.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12"Dear Harold, I'm playing at Richmond Theatre the next few weeks,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15"but if after that there is anything in any of your productions
0:05:15 > 0:05:19"I should be awfully pleased. Working at Richmond is a bit of bind.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22"I find that about three weeks at a stretch is just about enough
0:05:22 > 0:05:24"these days.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27"I hope all goes well with you up there, sincerely,
0:05:27 > 0:05:28"John Le Mesurier."
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Both men forged ahead with their careers -
0:05:32 > 0:05:35John Le Mesurier becoming a well-known film actor,
0:05:35 > 0:05:39and Arthur Lowe finding fame on Coronation Street,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42before winning the roles that would forever define them.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45# Blue skies around the corner
0:05:45 > 0:05:48# Walk round the corner with me... #
0:05:48 > 0:05:50But the early days of Dad's Army
0:05:50 > 0:05:53were marked by a particularly spiky correspondence
0:05:53 > 0:05:57between the then head of Comedy and the controller of BBC One.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01It concerned the opening titles.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04"As requested by you, the amendments listed below
0:06:04 > 0:06:07"will be made to the opening and closing titles of this series..."
0:06:07 > 0:06:11" 1) The shots of refugees in the opening titles will be replaced.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15" 2) The shots of Nazi troops will be replaced by something
0:06:15 > 0:06:17"entirely innocuous.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20"Having established that your wishes are going to be carried out,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23"I would like to record my profound disquiet over your decision.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26"The whole object of this comedy series is to contrast the
0:06:26 > 0:06:30"pathetic but valorous nature of the Home Guard, who believed
0:06:30 > 0:06:33"that this, the Nazi hordes, was what they were up against."
0:06:38 > 0:06:41- VOICEOVER:- The massive Nazi war machine is pushing
0:06:41 > 0:06:43its way across Europe, laying waste neutral countries
0:06:43 > 0:06:45with a savagery unmatched in history.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50"Looking, as I do, at the abrasive nature of some
0:06:50 > 0:06:53"of the output of other departments in the BBC television service,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57"I cannot help wondering whether we in the Comedy Department
0:06:57 > 0:06:59"are controlled by different standards,
0:06:59 > 0:07:01"ie clowns must stay clowns.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05"In any case this decision cannot help but have a depressing effect
0:07:05 > 0:07:08"upon me and upon some other people working in this department.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10"The thought that other departments in television
0:07:10 > 0:07:13"are allowed to advance their output into new areas, while we,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16"apparently, are not, can only have a bad effect in the long run,
0:07:16 > 0:07:18"Michael Mills."
0:07:18 > 0:07:21"Quite frankly, I was surprised by some points in your note
0:07:21 > 0:07:24"of 23rd May. Although I feel it would be more profitable
0:07:24 > 0:07:26"to continue our discussion from two armchairs,
0:07:26 > 0:07:28"I'm quite prepared to say this on paper.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32" 1) I felt slightly uneasy about this series, as you know,
0:07:32 > 0:07:36"when it was first discussed. The titles underlined this view.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39"I am sorry we differ.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42" 2) A comparison with the output of other departments
0:07:42 > 0:07:45"is both invidious and irrational.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50" 3) 'Different standards' for Comedy department, you allege.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54"From the department that produced 'Till Death', that's pretty rich.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58" 4) After what I've seen so far, I think one must be allowed to wonder
0:07:58 > 0:08:01"whether 'Dad's Army' does indeed
0:08:01 > 0:08:04"'advance Comedy's output into new areas.'
0:08:04 > 0:08:06"Is this really breakthrough territory?
0:08:06 > 0:08:08"Paul Fox."
0:08:08 > 0:08:09STIRRING MUSIC
0:08:14 > 0:08:18The audience response to the first episode was almost-unanimous praise.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22And this is reflected in the minutes of the programme review panel.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Its use of military-style acronyms could themselves
0:08:26 > 0:08:28have been lifted from a Dad's Army script...
0:08:28 > 0:08:33"H.V.L.E.Tel. thought this new comedy had started well.
0:08:33 > 0:08:34"It was funny in its own right,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36"as well as doubly funny for those viewers
0:08:36 > 0:08:40"who remembered the start of the Home Guard in 1940.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44"D.Tel. thought it particularly encouraging that his three sons
0:08:44 > 0:08:47"(all under 30) should have enjoyed the programme so much."
0:08:49 > 0:08:52It soon became apparent that the show was a huge success.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Even the BBC One controller had to do a volte-face,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02although it did take him 18 months.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06"From Paul Fox to David Croft. I am sorry it has taken me
0:09:06 > 0:09:08"so long to write a note of thanks
0:09:08 > 0:09:12"to you for Dad's Army. You made an enormous success of it
0:09:12 > 0:09:16"and like millions of others, I am only sorry it has come to an end.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18"Temporarily, I hope.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21"Looking back to that first programme, I am glad to say
0:09:21 > 0:09:24"you were right 100%.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28"Thanks to your persistence - and despite that title change -
0:09:28 > 0:09:30"the show became a great hit.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32"To you - and all who've been associated
0:09:32 > 0:09:36"with this splendid series - many congratulations
0:09:36 > 0:09:40"and grateful thanks, Paul Fox, Controller, BBC1."
0:09:42 > 0:09:46As the show drew to a close, its elderly cast faced the prospect
0:09:46 > 0:09:49of their careers coming to an end.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53"Dear Mr Mason, I doubt if we've met, but I'm presuming
0:09:53 > 0:09:56"to bother you because Dad's Army is finished
0:09:56 > 0:09:59"and I don't feel I am, quite.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03"Within the last four weeks I've taken part in radio discussions,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06"a leading role in a Finlay's Casebook
0:10:06 > 0:10:08"and two radio commercials.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12"Because I believe I was good value may I ask you, please,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15"to remember me. Yours truly, John Lawrie."
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Although performers and their families often wrote to the BBC
0:10:21 > 0:10:25themselves, producers were regularly alerted to new talent
0:10:25 > 0:10:27by members of the public.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31"Dear Ron, excuse my calling you by your Christian name, won't you?
0:10:31 > 0:10:34I'm sending you this short note, first time I've written
0:10:34 > 0:10:37"to the BBC, by the way. But I must let you know about this
0:10:37 > 0:10:41"future star of television - and I know you need one or two..."
0:10:41 > 0:10:44# Grey skies are gonna clear up
0:10:44 > 0:10:46# Put on a happy face
0:10:46 > 0:10:49# Brush off the clouds and cheer up
0:10:49 > 0:10:51# Put on a happy face
0:10:51 > 0:10:54# Take off that gloomy mask of tragedy
0:10:54 > 0:10:56# It's not your style
0:10:56 > 0:10:58# You'll look so good you'll be glad
0:10:58 > 0:11:00# You decided to smile... #
0:11:00 > 0:11:04"When I say he's funnier than Norman Wisdom, I mean it.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06"And don't tell Wisdom.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10"I'm one of his fans and, by the way, he doesn't know me from a crow.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14"You'll be missing a real find if you let this boy go undiscovered.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17"Well, Ron, that's the name - Ken Dodds.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20"Even if you're not interested, remember the name
0:11:20 > 0:11:22"and try not to reproach yourself."
0:11:24 > 0:11:28A personal recommendation might help to get you over the threshold,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31but once there, it was down to talent alone.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35"Mr Graham called here on Tuesday. I feel I must tell you
0:11:35 > 0:11:39"I am greatly distressed and angered as a result of the interview.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42"It is most displeasing when a gentleman
0:11:42 > 0:11:43"of the Dance Band profession
0:11:43 > 0:11:47"endeavours to force a bottle of whisky on me during the interview,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50"which, in the ordinary way one would expect to be conducted in a
0:11:50 > 0:11:53"businesslike manner. I would certainly take objection to any
0:11:53 > 0:11:57"engagement being offered to the band in question."
0:11:57 > 0:12:01With so much competition, writing a letter that would set you apart
0:12:01 > 0:12:05from the rest of the crowd became a much-needed skill in itself.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Pushy but not desperate. A touch of humour,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12but not so much that they would think that you weren't serious about
0:12:12 > 0:12:15your career. A master of the art was Derek Nimmo,
0:12:15 > 0:12:19who would later achieve fame in a series of ecclesiastical
0:12:19 > 0:12:22roles in situation comedies.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27But in 1956, he was a 26-year-old actor whose experience included...
0:12:27 > 0:12:32"West End and touring plays, musical comedy, pantomime and variety,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35"and I've spent four years in repertory.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38"At present I am walking around with sandwich boards,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40"but am desirous of a change."
0:12:40 > 0:12:43"Dear Mr Nimmo, I don't really think that there would be much point
0:12:43 > 0:12:45"in arranging an interview at the moment.
0:12:45 > 0:12:46"Mr Clayton is now in charge
0:12:46 > 0:12:49"of the Television Training Department of the BBC
0:12:49 > 0:12:51"and does not expect to do another production
0:12:51 > 0:12:52"until well into next year.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54"I am sorry about this.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57"Your sandwich boards sound most uncomfortable, but there it is."
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Nimmo was undaunted and the letters continued.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04"Dear Miss Plummer, you must be the most heavily guarded person
0:13:04 > 0:13:09"in the BBC. I have tried phoning, writing, knocking on doors,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12"but I can never manage to pierce your protective screen.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16"At every attempt your sentries greet me the utmost courtesy
0:13:16 > 0:13:20"but always assure me that you never see people or give interviews.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23"I'm afraid this letter is frighteningly rude,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25"but I've tried everything else.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28"Yours obsequiously, Derek Nimmo."
0:13:29 > 0:13:32I've already earthed one of these things, haven't I?
0:13:32 > 0:13:34Yes, when we get back... You were earthing the second.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37- All right, I'll do the other one, I presume, on here.- Yep.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Without family connections or much previous experience
0:13:40 > 0:13:43it was hard to get even an audition. Especially so after the war,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46when the show-business world was suddenly flooded
0:13:46 > 0:13:49with talented young men who had learned their craft
0:13:49 > 0:13:52in one of the many forces entertainment troupes.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56I say, I like your new yachting blazer!
0:13:57 > 0:14:02Kenneth Williams wrote many letters to the BBC asking for auditions,
0:14:02 > 0:14:04over the course of seven years.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09They show how soul destroying the whole process could become.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13"The echoes of so many begging letters are in my ears
0:14:13 > 0:14:16"that I hardly know what phrase to fashion next.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19"And it's tortuous writing an unprovoked letter anyway,
0:14:19 > 0:14:24"for me it is. I can't embarrass you with an account of my work etc
0:14:24 > 0:14:27"and parts - it will have to suffice that I have had some little
0:14:27 > 0:14:31"experience in radio acting, and at the moment I am desperately
0:14:31 > 0:14:33"in need of some work.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36"While I know I have no right to burden you with the worries
0:14:36 > 0:14:40"of a fairly personal nature, you must believe that I am a young man
0:14:40 > 0:14:42"of unusual talent.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44"But really, I assure you,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47"I shall not be wasting your time if you see me.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50"And you'll hurt me terribly if you don't.
0:14:50 > 0:14:51"Hopefully, Kenneth Williams."
0:14:59 > 0:15:03I paid a visit the Air Ministry roof to meet some of the meteorologists,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05or as they're sometimes called, liars.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07Thank you, you'll be nice.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11You could be selling out variety halls, have a part in a film,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13or be appearing in a West End play,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16in those days, it meant little to the BBC.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20It didn't matter how good anyone else thought you were -
0:15:20 > 0:15:24if you didn't audition well for the BBC Talent Selection group,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27you might as well set your dreams to one side.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30"Dear Miss Forbes, you may remember writing to me
0:15:30 > 0:15:34"regarding a television audition to be held on September 14th.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37"As you know, my partner and I were working at the Windmill Theatre
0:15:37 > 0:15:40"at the time, and unfortunately were unable to leave the theatre
0:15:40 > 0:15:44"to post the confirmation letter to you, so it was given to someone else,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46"who promptly forgot to post it.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49"I've only just discovered this, so I'm writing to confirm
0:15:49 > 0:15:52"the audition now, in the hope that I'm not too late.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55"Apologies if any inconvenience has been caused.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57"Yours sincerely, Tony Hancock."
0:15:57 > 0:16:01Happily for the future of British television comedy,
0:16:01 > 0:16:06he wasn't too late. And despite being physically sick beforehand,
0:16:06 > 0:16:07his audition went well.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12Here's how the young Benny Hill went down with the team.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14# Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh... #
0:16:14 > 0:16:15LAUGHTER
0:16:17 > 0:16:21"The only trouble with him was that he didn't make me laugh at all.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24"And for a comedian, that's not very good."
0:16:24 > 0:16:27"I find him without personality, and very dully unfunny."
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Ten years after that first audition,
0:16:31 > 0:16:35Ronnie "He didn't make me laugh at all" Waldman
0:16:35 > 0:16:38had landed the job of Light Entertainment head,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41and had a complete change of heart.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45"Dear Benny, I just wanted to repeat on paper what I said to you
0:16:45 > 0:16:49"personally last Saturday afternoon. I have been really delighted
0:16:49 > 0:16:53"by the quality and success of your series.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57"I firmly believe it to have been the best TV series of its kind
0:16:57 > 0:16:59"ever seen in this country.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02"And you know, I hope, how grateful I am to you for this."
0:17:04 > 0:17:07One of the most interesting things we learned from the files,
0:17:07 > 0:17:11is how the BBC's relationship with its stars changed over the years.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15To begin with, the BBC had the upper hand - they were the nation's
0:17:15 > 0:17:20only broadcaster, the sole arbiters of would should and should not
0:17:20 > 0:17:24educate, inform and entertain the British public.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28Performers were there to serve the BBC and no matter how popular
0:17:28 > 0:17:31they became, no-one was bigger than the Corporation.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, here's Frankie Howerd.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38APPLAUSE
0:17:41 > 0:17:44"Before I went on leave, I wrote to Frankie Howerd, as you suggested.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47"I received no reply, so I made arrangements for Frankie Howerd
0:17:47 > 0:17:52"to contact you in my absence. I gather that he has failed to do so,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55"and in my opinion, the situation has become farcical,
0:17:55 > 0:17:58"if not insulting, both to you, myself and the Corporation.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00"He must either be a very bad businessman,
0:18:00 > 0:18:04"mentally unstable or just not interested.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06"I wouldn't like to commit myself as to which is the case
0:18:06 > 0:18:10"and I feel that the hopes of a successful series are very slender
0:18:10 > 0:18:12"if this is the way we are to begin.
0:18:12 > 0:18:13"May I suggest that we cancel it
0:18:13 > 0:18:16"before it gets any worse? John Simmonds."
0:18:16 > 0:18:18FRANKIE HOWERD: Do come in, won't you?
0:18:18 > 0:18:20He said, "Now, tell me, which one are you?"
0:18:20 > 0:18:22I felt like one of The Beverly Sisters.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24LAUGHTER
0:18:24 > 0:18:26I said, "Look, I'm not one of anybody." I said, "I'm on me own.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29"Howerd F, comedian - BBC for the use of."
0:18:29 > 0:18:31LAUGHTER
0:18:31 > 0:18:34"And not very much lately, I might add."
0:18:34 > 0:18:35LAUGHTER
0:18:35 > 0:18:36However, they soon learned
0:18:36 > 0:18:39that if they wanted to keep their stars happy,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42they needed to learn the art of diplomacy.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46The person often at the sharp end was Variety Booking manager
0:18:46 > 0:18:51Pat Newman, who worked for the BBC from 1946 to 1973.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Hmmm.
0:19:01 > 0:19:06"Dear Pat Newman, regarding your statement that I'm awkward,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09"I've just heard of the latest BBC-ism which will naturally be
0:19:09 > 0:19:13"blamed on me. Having spent all week practising on my cornet,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16"throwing my arrangements out of gear and making numerous phone calls
0:19:16 > 0:19:21"to the North, I am now told that the proposed session is off,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24"because of some difficulty with repeats and the Musicians' Union.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27"I must apologise for me being so difficult,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30"and you will still be able to spread the word that Milligan
0:19:30 > 0:19:32"is STILL very difficult about accepting
0:19:32 > 0:19:35"disorganisation on a high scale."
0:19:35 > 0:19:38"PS - Like to bend over backwards for me now?
0:19:38 > 0:19:42"Dictated by Spike Milligan and signed in his absence."
0:19:42 > 0:19:46"Dear Spike, forgive the familiarity. Oh, dear,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48"that's the problem about having a chat with you.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52"Many thanks for the wine, by the way. I mean to say that one is
0:19:52 > 0:19:55"immediately made to feel that one has done something awful,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58"or been unreasonable, and a letter invariably follows.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01"Still, to write to me makes a change from writing to the
0:20:01 > 0:20:03"director general.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06"I must say I think it's pretty irritating from your point of view
0:20:06 > 0:20:10"to have wasted time on practising and on coping with arrangements,
0:20:10 > 0:20:13"and I don't blame you for being a bit 'tetchy'.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18"Anyhow, we people to be 'a bit difficult' - it's more fun!
0:20:18 > 0:20:22"I'm sorry about it all. I like your notepaper.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24"Come and have a drink any time you're passing
0:20:24 > 0:20:28"Dictated by Pat Newman and signed in the Canteen."
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Eventually, a sense a weariness creeps into the correspondence -
0:20:32 > 0:20:34much like that of a parent
0:20:34 > 0:20:37trying to deal with a bunch of wayward children.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40"From Tom Sloan, head of Light Entertainment to HCD Tel
0:20:40 > 0:20:45"and Dennis Main Wilson. I had an enquiry passed on to me
0:20:45 > 0:20:49"from a Mr Percy Richer of Richer & Company, Regent Street.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53"Mr Richer claims that he did a deal with Anthony Booth's press agent
0:20:53 > 0:20:55"whereby in return for a sum of money -
0:20:55 > 0:20:57"£80 paid to Booth,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01"that Booth would wear three jackets supplied by Mr Richer.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05"Richer's complaint is that Booth wore only one of three jackets
0:21:05 > 0:21:09"on one occasion, and he feels he therefore has been swindled.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12"I left Mr Richer in no doubt that he had been taken for a mug,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15"and that no artist would enter into such an agreement,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18"since all matters of wardrobe were the final decision
0:21:18 > 0:21:20"of the producer and wardrobe supervisor.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22"Nevertheless...
0:21:22 > 0:21:26SIGHING: "..Richer says he is going to sue Booth.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29"I only hope that this sort of thing is by no means widespread.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31"Tom Sloan."
0:21:31 > 0:21:36But always, the high standards of the BBC must be preserved,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39and no-one was above a slap on the wrists.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43VOICEOVER: The Beatles - in one meteoric year they've led the way
0:21:43 > 0:21:47from the cellars of Liverpool to the national limelight.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49George Harrison - lead guitar.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52John Lennon - rhythm guitar.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Paul McCartney - bass guitar.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Ringo Starr - drums.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00A group run by Liverpool businessman Brian Epstein.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04"Dear Brian, I am sorry I was unable to get along
0:22:04 > 0:22:06"to the studio yesterday to see you and the boys,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09"but unfortunately I was very tied up here.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13"I would, however, like to say I was a little perturbed when we heard
0:22:13 > 0:22:15"that the boys all arrived late for the session,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18"and in a particularly weary state. Whilst I appreciate
0:22:18 > 0:22:21"that the night before was their premiere,
0:22:21 > 0:22:23"it would seem a pity that we were asked to present
0:22:23 > 0:22:25"The Beatles under these handicaps.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29"Obviously we are delighted to have the boys on BBC television
0:22:29 > 0:22:33"and I hope next time maybe we will be able to organise it
0:22:33 > 0:22:36"so that we get more time to do them justice.
0:22:36 > 0:22:37"Look forward to seeing you soon,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40"Yours sincerely, Bill Cotton Jnr,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43"Assistant Head, Light Entertainment Group Television."
0:22:44 > 0:22:48Those high standards didn't only apply to performers,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51but to anyone appearing on the BBC.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Lord Reith's statement that, "He who prides himself
0:22:55 > 0:22:58"on giving what he thinks the public wants,
0:22:58 > 0:23:02"is often creating a fictitious demand for low standards,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05"which he will then satisfy," was taken very seriously
0:23:05 > 0:23:07by his staff.
0:23:09 > 0:23:10JAUNTY MUSIC
0:23:21 > 0:23:22"It is debatable
0:23:22 > 0:23:25"whether it is fair to keep her out of the sort of programme
0:23:25 > 0:23:29"you suggest if there is a demand from the audience to get into closer
0:23:29 > 0:23:32"touch with this well-known personality.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35"In my view - if the invitation is simply to meet her and she be
0:23:35 > 0:23:40"asked to give her views on horror comics or hats or
0:23:40 > 0:23:43"anything under the sun except her own methods and aims,
0:23:43 > 0:23:47"no harm could be done. But if she is allowed to lay down the law
0:23:47 > 0:23:51"on methods of writing for children unchallenged,
0:23:51 > 0:23:55"the BBC becomes just another victim of the amazing advertising campaign
0:23:55 > 0:23:59"which has raised this competent and tenacious second-rater
0:23:59 > 0:24:03"to such astronomical heights of success.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06"No writer of real merit could possibly go believing that
0:24:06 > 0:24:10"this mediocre material is of the highest quality
0:24:10 > 0:24:13"and turn it out in such incredible quantities.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17"Her capacity to do so, amounts to genius,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20"and it is here that she has beaten everyone to a standstill -
0:24:20 > 0:24:23"anyone else would have died of boredom long ago.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27"I think people in positions like ours have every right to exercise
0:24:27 > 0:24:30"our judgment in deciding who shall utter unchallenged
0:24:30 > 0:24:36"on certain subjects. Jean Sutcliffe, Schools Broadcasting Department."
0:24:36 > 0:24:40The person under discussion was none other than Enid Blyton,
0:24:40 > 0:24:45who in 2008 was voted Britain's favourite ever author.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49But who was effectively banned from the BBC for nearly 30 years.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55VOICEOVER: Down at Beaconsfield,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57live two small girls that other children may well envy.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Gillian and Imogen don't have to
0:24:59 > 0:25:02wait for the next Enid Blyton book to appear in the shops,
0:25:02 > 0:25:04they can read it as it comes off the typewriter,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07for their mother, Mrs Darrell Waters, is Enid Blyton.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10"I think a talk that would probably be of interest to listeners
0:25:10 > 0:25:14"would be one on the subject of 'Writing Books for Children.'
0:25:14 > 0:25:17"I have written, probably, more books for children than
0:25:17 > 0:25:20"any other writer, from story-books to plays,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23"and can claim to know more about interesting children than most.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26"Yours with best wishes, Enid Blyton."
0:25:26 > 0:25:29"My impression of her stories is that they might
0:25:29 > 0:25:30"do for children's hour,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33"but certainly not for schools department.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36"They haven't much literary value, but are competently written
0:25:36 > 0:25:38"without sentimentality, on the whole.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40"They are well-designed for children to read themselves.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42"(This is their primary object, I imagine.)
0:25:42 > 0:25:46"There is rather a lot of the Pinky-winky, Dweedle-dweedle,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49"Dum-dumm type of name and lots of pixies."
0:25:49 > 0:25:51VOICEOVER: Every day when she's working on a book,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53she rattles out about 6,000 words.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55In addition, there are always proofs to be read,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57and letters from young fans to be attended to.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00It's a full-time job being as successful as she is,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03what with stories, articles and books.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07Undeterred, Blyton continued to try and get her work on the BBC,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10but eventually became aware of the "esteem"
0:26:10 > 0:26:12with which she was held.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17"Dear Mr Gamlin, thank you for your nice letter. It all sounds
0:26:17 > 0:26:21"very interesting. But I ought to warn you of something you obviously
0:26:21 > 0:26:23"don't know but which has been well-known in the literary
0:26:23 > 0:26:26"and publishing world for some time -
0:26:26 > 0:26:30"I and my stories are completely banned by the BBC,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32"as far as children are concerned.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35"Yours with best wishes, Enid Blyton."
0:26:35 > 0:26:37"Dear Miss Blyton,
0:26:37 > 0:26:39"Thank you very much for your letter of the 24th of May.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41"I am very sorry that you feel unable
0:26:41 > 0:26:44"to appear in my 'Autograph Album' feature,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47"but I quite appreciate your reasons, and must content myself
0:26:47 > 0:26:50"with saying thank you for replying so promptly."
0:26:50 > 0:26:53"I think, if you don't mind, I must just put it on record
0:26:53 > 0:26:58"that I did not refuse to appear in your Autograph Album series,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01"but, on the contrary, would have been delighted to do so.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04"All I did was to warn you of something that obviously
0:27:04 > 0:27:08"you did not know. But as sooner or later an enquiry will be made
0:27:08 > 0:27:11"into the matter, I felt I really ought to put it on record
0:27:11 > 0:27:14"that I did not refuse your request."
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Shortly after this, a memo from head of Children's Hour
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Derek McCulloch came across Gamlin's desk, headed
0:27:21 > 0:27:27Enid Blyton Stories and marked "Strictly confidential and urgent."
0:27:27 > 0:27:30"I will be grateful if you would first discuss with me
0:27:30 > 0:27:33"should you be considering the inclusion of material
0:27:33 > 0:27:34"by the above author.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37"I am most anxious that no conflicts in policy shall get loose,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41"not only to our embarrassment, but to yours also."
0:27:41 > 0:27:45The Corporation eventually decided her material was fit for broadcast,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49and Enid Blyton appeared on Woman's Hour in 1963,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51five years before her death
0:27:51 > 0:27:57and 27 years after she had made her first efforts to appear on the BBC.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05Now, one thing I didn't mention earlier
0:28:05 > 0:28:09was that my first BBC audition didn't go particularly well.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14"A good voice - deep, mature.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19"Pleasant, but no life or colour about her at all.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23"No sense of comedy, and very little of character.
0:28:23 > 0:28:24"B minus."
0:28:26 > 0:28:29However, it seems I was in good company.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35"Unattractive young man with indistinct speaking voice
0:28:35 > 0:28:38"and extremely unfortunate appearance."
0:28:38 > 0:28:40Now, before I begin talking...
0:28:40 > 0:28:42I'd like to say a few words.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44LAUGHTER
0:28:44 > 0:28:47"The piano player tries very hard to do the rolling piano
0:28:47 > 0:28:53"Erroll Garner-style, but no good. Face - appalling."
0:28:53 > 0:28:57"Songs, dance, piano, accordion, drums, impressions -
0:28:57 > 0:29:01"third-rate musical hall act, not for us."
0:29:02 > 0:29:06# There's a star man waiting in the sky... #
0:29:06 > 0:29:10"Amateur-sounding vocalist, who sings wrong notes and out of tune."
0:29:10 > 0:29:12# Daniel, my brother... #
0:29:12 > 0:29:17"Pretentious material, self-written. Sung in an extremely dull fashion,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20"without any feeling, and precious little musical ability."
0:29:20 > 0:29:23# Get it on, bang a gong
0:29:23 > 0:29:25# Get it on... #
0:29:25 > 0:29:28"This, unless you understand exactly what they are trying to do, is crap,
0:29:28 > 0:29:30"and pretentious crap at that.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33"I suppose, for certain programmes, that care for
0:29:33 > 0:29:36"pretentious, understanding people, they might be acceptable -
0:29:36 > 0:29:38"but not for me."
0:29:39 > 0:29:44Any recording artists hoping to achieve national fame
0:29:44 > 0:29:47needed to get on the radio. And until 1973,
0:29:47 > 0:29:52the BBC had a complete monopoly over the airwaves.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54Just like everyone else, though,
0:29:54 > 0:29:57they had to pass the rigorous audition process.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01Each band had 20 minutes to set up, do their three numbers,
0:30:01 > 0:30:02then get out.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05Notes were scrupulously taken by the assessors,
0:30:05 > 0:30:08and then it was down to a majority decision as to
0:30:08 > 0:30:11whether or not their music would be allowed on radio.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14Just another lot of hitchhikers -
0:30:14 > 0:30:17that's what they look like to motorists speeding towards Hull.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19Little do they know they're having their legs pulled,
0:30:19 > 0:30:22because these apparent hitchhikers, so blandly ignored,
0:30:22 > 0:30:25are five of the most famous young men in show business -
0:30:25 > 0:30:27the Rolling Stones.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29"Dear Sir, I am writing on behalf of the 'Rolling Stones'
0:30:29 > 0:30:31"Rhythm and Blues band.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34"We have noticed recently in the musical press that
0:30:34 > 0:30:36"you are seeking fresh talent for 'Jazz Club'.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40"We already have a large following in the London area, and in view
0:30:40 > 0:30:43"of the vast increase of interest in Rhythm and Blues in Britain,
0:30:43 > 0:30:46"an exceptionally good future has predicted for us by many people.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50"Our music policy is simply to produce an authentic
0:30:50 > 0:30:54"Rhythm and Blues sound using material of such R&B greats
0:30:54 > 0:30:57"as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Bo Diddley, Jimmy Reed
0:30:57 > 0:30:59"and many others.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01"We wonder if you could possibly arrange for us an audition.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04"We look forward eagerly to hearing from you.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06"Yours faithfully, Brian Jones."
0:31:06 > 0:31:10"Dear Mr Jones, the recording has now been played to our production
0:31:10 > 0:31:12"panel with a view to general broadcasting,
0:31:12 > 0:31:15"but we regret to inform you that the performance was not
0:31:15 > 0:31:17"considered suitable for our purposes."
0:31:17 > 0:31:19# I said the joint was a-rocking
0:31:19 > 0:31:22# Goin' round and round
0:31:22 > 0:31:24# Yeah, reeling and a-rocking
0:31:24 > 0:31:26# What a crazy sound... #
0:31:26 > 0:31:29However, only two months after their audition,
0:31:29 > 0:31:32and with a manager and new single under their belts,
0:31:32 > 0:31:35the BBC were already playing catch-up.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37SCREAMING
0:31:38 > 0:31:41"We're pleased to tell you that your performance received
0:31:41 > 0:31:44"favourable reports and your name has now been added
0:31:44 > 0:31:47"to the list of artists available for broadcasting generally,
0:31:47 > 0:31:50"but this does not mean, of course, but offers of engagement will
0:31:50 > 0:31:53"automatically follow, but simply that you may be
0:31:53 > 0:31:58"considered for whatever opportunity to broadcast might occur.
0:31:58 > 0:31:59"Yours sincerely, David Dawe,
0:31:59 > 0:32:04"Assistant to Light Entertainment booking manager."
0:32:04 > 0:32:08By the mid-1960s, bands were forming at an unprecedented rate.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11The talent selection group had their hands full,
0:32:11 > 0:32:13but not much slipped past them.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15# I'm not gonna rest
0:32:15 > 0:32:18# Woman, you don't know me
0:32:18 > 0:32:20# Yeah, you don't know me, no
0:32:20 > 0:32:21# Know me, no... #
0:32:21 > 0:32:24"Our application form for the above group has recently been
0:32:24 > 0:32:25"returned to us.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29"However, they are clearly precisely the same group as 'The Detours',
0:32:29 > 0:32:34"for whom you have accepted an audition for Thursday, 9th April.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38"We would ask you to bear in mind our stipulation that artists may not
0:32:38 > 0:32:42"apply for auditions or broadcast for the BBC
0:32:42 > 0:32:47"under more than one name or title without our knowledge and approval."
0:32:47 > 0:32:48# But I'm a-gonna know you.. #
0:32:48 > 0:32:52"Would you be good enough to ask 'The Detours' to decide by 9th April
0:32:52 > 0:32:54"and let us know on that day which name
0:32:54 > 0:32:56"they wish to continue to be known by?"
0:32:56 > 0:33:00Most of the familiar faces of British broadcasting
0:33:00 > 0:33:01have their own file.
0:33:01 > 0:33:06Many just hold contracts, but others are treasure troves,
0:33:06 > 0:33:11tracing the journey of a performer over their entire BBC career.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14Peter Sellers' first communication with the BBC
0:33:14 > 0:33:17set the tone for his future relationship.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21It was assured, some might even say arrogant,
0:33:21 > 0:33:22on notepaper headed -
0:33:22 > 0:33:24Peter Sellers "Bang On."
0:33:24 > 0:33:26He wrote...
0:33:26 > 0:33:29"Dear Sir, I shall be in town for the next three weeks prior to
0:33:29 > 0:33:32"variety at the Hippodrome Aldershot.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36"Shall be glad if you can arrange an audition during my stay in town.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38"Yours Very Truly, Peter Sellers."
0:33:39 > 0:33:42# I've got an idea soon she'll be
0:33:42 > 0:33:44# Cooking my breakfast Wait and see
0:33:44 > 0:33:46# I haven't told her
0:33:46 > 0:33:47# She hasn't told me
0:33:47 > 0:33:50# But we know it just the same
0:33:50 > 0:33:53# Saturday night on her settee
0:33:53 > 0:33:56# Oh, what a time there's going to be... #
0:33:56 > 0:33:57"Singing not bad,
0:33:57 > 0:34:01"Though no great asset. Very good at dialects. Impressions good.
0:34:01 > 0:34:06"Likeable personality. With better material, he could be a real find."
0:34:06 > 0:34:09Three years later, and now a rising radio star,
0:34:09 > 0:34:12Sellers was feeling quite at home at the BBC.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15"I notice you have printed on your notepapers -
0:34:15 > 0:34:19"BBC Broadcasting House, Portland Place, W.1.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22"I think it right to point out to you that we do not like artists to give
0:34:22 > 0:34:24"the BBC as their address.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27"I should be glad to know whether you asked any permission for
0:34:27 > 0:34:30"or indeed sought any advice about this
0:34:30 > 0:34:32"before having the notepaper printed.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36"Please do not think you are the only offender in this respect -
0:34:36 > 0:34:40"I am afraid we are often making a similar request to other artists,
0:34:40 > 0:34:43"so perhaps you would be good enough to co-operate
0:34:43 > 0:34:45"and fall into line with our wishes."
0:34:45 > 0:34:50As a symbol of his new standing, Sellers was keen to become
0:34:50 > 0:34:54one of the privileged few to have a telephone installed in his home.
0:34:54 > 0:34:59He wasn't averse to pulling any strings he had at his disposal.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02"Herewith the telephone manager's name and address.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05"If you could drop him a line I would be most grateful, as I'm
0:35:05 > 0:35:08"sure it would help considerably in getting the phone installed.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10"With many thanks, Peter Sellers."
0:35:12 > 0:35:16"Dear Sir, I understand Mr Peter Sellers has applied to you
0:35:16 > 0:35:19"for the installation of a telephone.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22"If it will either strengthen his application or
0:35:22 > 0:35:24"soften your heart, or both,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27"I can say that Mr Sellers does a very substantial amount
0:35:27 > 0:35:30"of broadcasting work for us, amounting, I dare say,
0:35:30 > 0:35:34"to the best part of 100 appearances before the microphone each year,
0:35:34 > 0:35:38"and it can unquestionably be said that to have him available by
0:35:38 > 0:35:42"telephone in his home can facilitate things
0:35:42 > 0:35:43"from our point of view.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46"Yours faithfully, Michael Standing, head of Variety."
0:35:46 > 0:35:50May I welcome you to the Goon Show and introduce you to...the Goons!
0:35:50 > 0:35:52CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:35:54 > 0:35:55"Dear Mr Standing,
0:35:55 > 0:35:58"I assure you we are very conscious of the important part
0:35:58 > 0:36:00"which a telephone plays in the lives of people
0:36:00 > 0:36:02"in the entertainment world.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04"My heart does not require softening on their behalf.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08"But I have to do the same for dollar exporters, illness,
0:36:08 > 0:36:10"diplomatic and similar applications!
0:36:10 > 0:36:12"Deciding the exact measure of priority
0:36:12 > 0:36:16"to give in any particular case is far from easy but we do our best
0:36:16 > 0:36:20"to ensure that everyone gets what we feel is a fair deal."
0:36:20 > 0:36:23- Hey, team!- Yes, Bertie?- Look, this is the gun that killed Louie.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25But that's a water pistol.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27I know! He was drowned.
0:36:27 > 0:36:28LAUGHTER
0:36:28 > 0:36:31Now well established at the BBC,
0:36:31 > 0:36:33his temperament started to get the better of him.
0:36:33 > 0:36:34"Dear Pat,
0:36:34 > 0:36:37"As I have not had a holiday for the past three years
0:36:37 > 0:36:39"I feel badly in need of one
0:36:39 > 0:36:41"and would like to go to the south of France for 14 days
0:36:41 > 0:36:43"commencing the 4th May.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46"This would entail my being released from 'Ray's a Laugh'
0:36:46 > 0:36:48"for that period.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51"Right now my nerves are tuned up like an XK.120 and I feel that
0:36:51 > 0:36:55"if I do not get a holiday soon I shall have a nervous breakdown.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58"I should be much obliged if you could arrange this for me."
0:36:58 > 0:37:01"I understand that since the request to us to release him
0:37:01 > 0:37:04"so that he could have a holiday in May, he withdrew that request
0:37:04 > 0:37:08"because he had anyhow cancelled his holiday for a Palladium commitment.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11"Incidentally, we cannot help but note
0:37:11 > 0:37:14"that his urgent need of a holiday, so urgent that he seeks release
0:37:14 > 0:37:17"from his BBC contract, seems to become less pronounced
0:37:17 > 0:37:20"when there is a question of appearing at the Palladium.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23"Yours sincerely, Patrick Newman."
0:37:25 > 0:37:29"Dear Pat, I have received a phone call from my Agent, Dennis Selinger,
0:37:29 > 0:37:33"regarding the little bother I had at the 'Goon Show' last night.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35"For my part, the main cause of the upset was
0:37:35 > 0:37:38"the result of extreme mental stress throughout the previous week,
0:37:38 > 0:37:42"which is purely personal and has nothing to do with the show.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45"I do admit that I was wrong in taking the attitude I did,
0:37:45 > 0:37:48"but what one says and does in times of stress
0:37:48 > 0:37:49"is obviously not calculated.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51"As you know, we have had troubles before
0:37:51 > 0:37:53"and I have been the first to make that..."
0:37:53 > 0:37:56"Latest stop press on the above -
0:37:56 > 0:37:59"the agent of Master Peter Sellers informs me that this artist
0:37:59 > 0:38:03"now doesn't wish to be associated with the Goon Show ever again.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06"This, I presume, we take with a pinch of salt,
0:38:06 > 0:38:10"for it stems from an upheaval between Sellers and Spike Milligan,
0:38:10 > 0:38:13"something which I believe happens at fairly regular intervals."
0:38:15 > 0:38:19Newman was right not to take that particular threat too seriously,
0:38:19 > 0:38:21but as Sellers' star rose,
0:38:21 > 0:38:25so did his ambivalence towards the show that had made him famous,
0:38:25 > 0:38:30and contractual negotiations became a burden for all concerned.
0:38:30 > 0:38:31"Dear Dennis,
0:38:31 > 0:38:33"I write you not the least bit confident that
0:38:33 > 0:38:37"I shall get any sort of satisfactory answer - after all,
0:38:37 > 0:38:39"phoning you is quite pointless.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42"I had thought for one moment of writing direct to Peter Sellers,
0:38:42 > 0:38:45"but that I imagine will be equally useless.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47"Or could it be that behind the facade
0:38:47 > 0:38:51"of Peter Sellers Productions Ltd some cooperative fellow exists,
0:38:51 > 0:38:55"someone who would be simple and ordinary and normal to deal with?
0:38:55 > 0:38:58"Just think about this and let me know
0:38:58 > 0:38:59"what you think is reasonable...
0:38:59 > 0:39:02"Something reasonable... that's all we want."
0:39:04 > 0:39:08By 1959, it had become clear to everyone that Sellers
0:39:08 > 0:39:11had outgrown the BBC.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15"Sellers has returned from France almost as soon as he got there.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18"It seems this was due to the fact that he did not
0:39:18 > 0:39:19"like the people he was with,
0:39:19 > 0:39:23"though his agent feels his return was accelerated by a desire to see
0:39:23 > 0:39:26"his new £8,500 Bentley, which had suddenly been delivered!
0:39:27 > 0:39:30"Perhaps he would give us one of his old Rolls,
0:39:30 > 0:39:32"in return for the trouble he causes."
0:39:41 > 0:39:45Guy Burgess is best known as one of the Cambridge Spies,
0:39:45 > 0:39:50the most notorious British espionage ring of the 20th century.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53A group of young men at the heart of the establishment
0:39:53 > 0:39:55betrayed its secrets to Russia.
0:39:57 > 0:40:02Not so well known is the fact that Burgess worked as a Talks producer
0:40:02 > 0:40:04for BBC Radio.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07His file offers a tantalising glimpse into the working life
0:40:07 > 0:40:10of one of this country's most intriguing figures.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14Keen to sign up the best of the best
0:40:14 > 0:40:17for their prestigious Talks Department,
0:40:17 > 0:40:20the BBC often looked to the top universities
0:40:20 > 0:40:23as a source of potential production talent.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27Guy Burgess came highly recommended by one of his Cambridge dons.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34"I believe a young friend of mine, Guy Burgess,
0:40:34 > 0:40:38"late a scholar of Trinity, is applying for a post in the BBC.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41"He was in the running for the Fellowship in History,
0:40:41 > 0:40:45"but decided (correctly I think) that his bent was for the great world -
0:40:45 > 0:40:49"politics, journalism...and not academic.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52"He is a first-rate man, and I advise you if you can to try him.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55"He has passed through the Communist measles that
0:40:55 > 0:40:58"so many of our clever young men go through and is well out of it.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01"There is nothing second-rate about him,
0:41:01 > 0:41:03"and I think he will prove a great addition to your staff.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06"George Trevelyan."
0:41:06 > 0:41:10Burgess landed the job of Talks assistant, but it soon became clear
0:41:10 > 0:41:14that his free spirit didn't respond well to BBC bureaucracy.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18"You asked, when you joined in October last, to produce
0:41:18 > 0:41:20"a photograph for record purposes.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23"I understand from the Photograph Section that they have
0:41:23 > 0:41:26"already given you four reminders.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29"As the photograph is now nine months overdue
0:41:29 > 0:41:33"I shall be glad if you will take immediate steps to have one taken."
0:41:33 > 0:41:37"Sorry - I have already supplied two which have been rejected.
0:41:37 > 0:41:38"Will this one do?
0:41:38 > 0:41:40"It is not easily recognisable.
0:41:40 > 0:41:41"G Burgess."
0:41:41 > 0:41:44"It reminds me of him, anyway. DH Clarke."
0:41:44 > 0:41:46"I only had one, showing him
0:41:46 > 0:41:49"sitting on the sands at Margate or some similarly unsuitable picture.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53"Thank you for producing this one."
0:41:53 > 0:41:56It's impossible not to look beyond the surface
0:41:56 > 0:41:58while reading the Burgess collection.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01This letter, to a guest on one of his programmes,
0:42:01 > 0:42:02is interesting in itself,
0:42:02 > 0:42:07showing as it does a somewhat cavalier attitude to timings,
0:42:07 > 0:42:10but it gains a whole new dimension when we see who it's written to.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14"Dear Anthony, I think the talk in its existing form gives you
0:42:14 > 0:42:16"plenty of time for any summing up you like to do.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19"Between you and me, the talk was definitely on the short side
0:42:19 > 0:42:21"at rehearsal, but this doesn't matter.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23"I think you should sit facing the clock
0:42:23 > 0:42:25"so that you can keep an eye on it and gag a bit at the end
0:42:25 > 0:42:28"if you think the talk is too short or cut if you have taken too long.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30"Paris is going to be all right, I think.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32"See you Tuesday. Yours, GB."
0:42:33 > 0:42:37Perhaps the funniest episode is captured in a series of memos
0:42:37 > 0:42:40featuring witness accounts of an instant that occurred
0:42:40 > 0:42:43one evening in 1941.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46It involved a locked room in the Langham Hotel,
0:42:46 > 0:42:51which the BBC used as offices during the war, a lost master key
0:42:51 > 0:42:54and an inebriated Burgess.
0:42:55 > 0:43:00'Well, that's the end of broadcasting for today in the BBC Light Programme,
0:43:00 > 0:43:03'with the exception of the shipping forecast on 1,500 metres...'
0:43:03 > 0:43:06"Tonight I was in charge of BH reception
0:43:06 > 0:43:12"when a gentleman enquired for the key of room 316 Langham Hilton.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14"I gave him as much attention as possible
0:43:14 > 0:43:17"in finding the key required, but in vain.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21"He became most abusive, and raved like a madman and threatened
0:43:21 > 0:43:25"to break his room door in if I failed to produce the key shortly.
0:43:25 > 0:43:29"Finally, I referred him to the house superintendent."
0:43:29 > 0:43:32"I was called to the reception desk to interview a gentleman who was
0:43:32 > 0:43:37"complaining in a high-pitched voice of being unable to enter his room.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39"I pointed out we were doing our best to obtain the master key
0:43:39 > 0:43:42"of that room, to which he replied in a very loud voice,
0:43:42 > 0:43:46"'And a very bad best, too.'
0:43:46 > 0:43:48"He then continued to find fault with everything.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51"Fortunately, at that moment, a defence patrol officer
0:43:51 > 0:43:55"came along, and told me he was endeavouring to obtain a master key.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57"Mr Burgess then turned to the patrol officer and said,
0:43:57 > 0:44:00"'Well, go and get on with it.'"
0:44:00 > 0:44:03"I asked how dare he speak to me in such a manner -
0:44:03 > 0:44:05"I was not a dog.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08"He then calmed down a little and I took him across
0:44:08 > 0:44:11"to the Langham Hotel. However, he would not wait for the keys
0:44:11 > 0:44:14"and started to break his door down with a fire extinguisher.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17"Myself and the two patrolmen are of the firm opinion that
0:44:17 > 0:44:20"Mr Burgess had had too much to drink
0:44:20 > 0:44:23"and his behaviour was objectionable in the extreme."
0:44:24 > 0:44:27After an internal investigation,
0:44:27 > 0:44:29Burgess, somewhat grudgingly, apologised,
0:44:29 > 0:44:33and the BBC contented themselves with giving him a stern telling off,
0:44:33 > 0:44:35noting...
0:44:35 > 0:44:37"I think it would be advisable in future
0:44:37 > 0:44:41"if Burgess had to take a speaker to the duty room that he should
0:44:41 > 0:44:43"confine himself to soft drinks."
0:44:43 > 0:44:45BIG BEN CHIMES
0:44:45 > 0:44:51By 1944, Burgess was producing The Week In Westminster,
0:44:51 > 0:44:53a radio programme which is still going on today.
0:44:53 > 0:44:58His work gave him direct access to the heart of government.
0:44:58 > 0:45:02However, it was his cavalier attitude to his expenses
0:45:02 > 0:45:04that proved a concern for the BBC.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07"Mr Burgess has access to a private dining club,
0:45:07 > 0:45:10"which meets once a fortnight on Thursday, made up of members of the
0:45:10 > 0:45:14"Allied Governments, Foreign Office people, and diplomats generally.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17"Mr Burgess is willing to take along any producer who wishes to go,
0:45:17 > 0:45:20"but points out that cost per head is likely to be in the region
0:45:20 > 0:45:24"of £2 - that is 10 shillings for food and 30 for drink."
0:45:24 > 0:45:28"There would be no objection to a payment of 10 shillings
0:45:28 > 0:45:30"for food for food plus a small payment for drink.
0:45:30 > 0:45:34"The idea that drink should cost 30 shillings per person
0:45:34 > 0:45:39"can only mean that wine is taken which is surely unnecessary,
0:45:39 > 0:45:43"and I can hardly believe that members of the Allied Governments
0:45:43 > 0:45:45"and the Foreign Office are willing to spend
0:45:45 > 0:45:48"so much on drink at each of these dinners."
0:45:49 > 0:45:53Despite being described in internal reports as slipshod
0:45:53 > 0:45:58and lazy, Burgess was highly regarded in the BBC.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01He had a knack for persuading major public figures to take part
0:46:01 > 0:46:05in broadcasts, and a talent for getting the best from them -
0:46:05 > 0:46:09although not everyone was convinced by his methods.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12"I must say that I'm becoming somewhat worried about Burgess'
0:46:12 > 0:46:14"activities in general.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17"In some rather subtle way, he seems to manage to induce a relationship
0:46:17 > 0:46:20"between the Corporation and the Speakers in the series
0:46:20 > 0:46:26"he looks after which can only be described as a mutual aid society.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29"I do not know whether it is my business to say this,
0:46:29 > 0:46:32"but I feel sure someone will be asking before long whether
0:46:32 > 0:46:34"it would not be better to have a rather older producer
0:46:34 > 0:46:36"in charge of this series.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38"GJB Allport."
0:46:38 > 0:46:41By 1944, the Fates had stepped in.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43The Foreign Office asked that Burgess be
0:46:43 > 0:46:47released from his contract with the BBC.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50The Corporation were reluctant but realistic.
0:46:50 > 0:46:54"Mr Burgess is a very good producer and, although he has failings,
0:46:54 > 0:46:58"will be a serious loss to the Talks Department.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01"That, however, I'm afraid, cannot be helped.
0:47:01 > 0:47:02"Sir Richard Maconachie."
0:47:11 > 0:47:15That wasn't the last link the BBC would have with Guy Burgess.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19In September 1951, four months after he had disappeared
0:47:19 > 0:47:22with Donald Maclean, books that he'd taken out
0:47:22 > 0:47:27years previously from the BBC library were mysteriously returned.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30"The books had been issued by our library to Mr Guy Burgess
0:47:30 > 0:47:33"several years ago, and had been written off.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36"They were returned to the library on Saturday afternoon,
0:47:36 > 0:47:39"September 15th, having been handed by the Commissionaire
0:47:39 > 0:47:41"to the Reception desk about four o'clock.
0:47:41 > 0:47:42"You may wish to pursue this,
0:47:42 > 0:47:45"as I understand that the Foreign Office are anxious to ascertain
0:47:45 > 0:47:49"the whereabouts of Mr Burgess, and it might be helpful to them."
0:47:50 > 0:47:53Sadly, there's no record of what the books were
0:47:53 > 0:47:56and whether they did indeed help the Foreign Office in their search
0:47:56 > 0:47:58for the missing diplomats.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01It would take another five years before Russia officially
0:48:01 > 0:48:03acknowledged their defection.
0:48:06 > 0:48:11Another mercurial soul collided with the BBC colossus
0:48:11 > 0:48:16for the first time in 1964, when he was plain Maurice Cole.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18TAPE REWINDING
0:48:18 > 0:48:21"Maurice is 19, lives in Liverpool with his parents
0:48:21 > 0:48:24"and spends all his time playing with tape recorders.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27"I feel that he has quite exceptional ability
0:48:27 > 0:48:29"and may well prove of use to you.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31"Wilfred De'Ath."
0:48:31 > 0:48:32However, it wasn't
0:48:32 > 0:48:36until he'd already made a name for himself on pirate radio
0:48:36 > 0:48:41that the BBC really took notice, offering him a plum job on Radio 1.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43# Turn on the radio every day
0:48:43 > 0:48:45# How simply wonderful - hurray
0:48:45 > 0:48:47# 247 is where you'll see
0:48:47 > 0:48:50# Music and laughter, BBC
0:48:50 > 0:48:52# So when you're down Feeling awfully low... #
0:48:52 > 0:48:56In March 1968, Everett gave an interview
0:48:56 > 0:49:01for the Londoner magazine, heavily criticising the BBC.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03It didn't go down well at work.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06You can only talk about it in atmospheres,
0:49:06 > 0:49:09and their stations are... 20% bubblier than ours is.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12I don't know what we can do about it.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15"Everett is a brilliant disc jockey who was fired by Radio London
0:49:15 > 0:49:17"and by Radio Luxembourg
0:49:17 > 0:49:20"but who was I quite determined to persevere with
0:49:20 > 0:49:23"because he is far ahead of his fellow disc jockeys.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26"He was given the peak Sunday morning Radio 1 programme
0:49:26 > 0:49:29"in the full knowledge that he was a tricky character
0:49:29 > 0:49:31"to deal with, and this is not the first time
0:49:31 > 0:49:33"he's had to be called to order.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35"His drug stories, largely apocryphal,
0:49:35 > 0:49:40"and his stated views, are most embarrassing and highly inaccurate.
0:49:40 > 0:49:44"His ingenuousness is only matched by his apparent stupidity.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47"I've given him one last chance to mend his manners.
0:49:47 > 0:49:48"Robin Scott."
0:49:48 > 0:49:53That "last chance" included signing what amounted to a gagging order.
0:49:53 > 0:49:58"Dear Kenny, this is to record that at our meeting this afternoon,
0:49:58 > 0:50:01"you agreed that during the period of one year from the date
0:50:01 > 0:50:03"of this letter, you would:
0:50:03 > 0:50:06"A, not right for publication or speak in public
0:50:06 > 0:50:09"(including the giving of interviews to the press)
0:50:09 > 0:50:12"about the BBC or its affairs
0:50:12 > 0:50:17"or about Radio or Television without first obtaining the BBC's permission.
0:50:17 > 0:50:22"B, not include in any performance for the BBC remarks or
0:50:22 > 0:50:26"interjections of a type which the BBC had told you to avoid.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30"That if you were in breach of the agreements in A and B,
0:50:30 > 0:50:33"the BBC would have the right to cancel your contract
0:50:33 > 0:50:36"which the BBC might then have with you.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39"Yours sincerely, Frankie Gillard, director of radio."
0:50:39 > 0:50:42PLAYING Because by The Beatles
0:50:42 > 0:50:46This acquiescence didn't last long, and in December
0:50:46 > 0:50:50the following year, he was at it again, this time in the Sun.
0:50:50 > 0:50:56He described Radio 1 as dull and criticised his fellow DJs.
0:50:57 > 0:51:02Once again, the memos flew, and in a masterclass of vacillation,
0:51:02 > 0:51:06Kenny was given a last last chance.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10"I think we have to be careful here and decide now
0:51:10 > 0:51:13"whether we mean this to be final or not
0:51:13 > 0:51:17"and also what action we take if he transgresses again.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21"If we really mean to terminate his services, then we should say so
0:51:21 > 0:51:25"without any ambiguity and be prepared to act on it.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27"At least this is how it seems to me.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30"I cannot quite recall whether we have done this before, but
0:51:30 > 0:51:35"I rather think we have given such a final warning in the past.
0:51:35 > 0:51:39"If so, it is all the more important to my mind to make it quite clear
0:51:39 > 0:51:43"that we mean business this time - if we do.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46"Could I be told what kind of warning he was in fact given
0:51:46 > 0:51:49"before as a matter of interest?
0:51:49 > 0:51:52"JH Arkell, director of administration."
0:51:52 > 0:51:57The final straw for the BBC came on 18th July 1970,
0:51:57 > 0:52:01when Everett suggested on air that the wife of the transport minister
0:52:01 > 0:52:04had cheated in her driving test.
0:52:04 > 0:52:08On the same day, Melody Maker published an interview
0:52:08 > 0:52:13in which he described Radio 1 as "awful, really revolting".
0:52:13 > 0:52:16He was sacked, and banned from the BBC.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18What about Radio 1, Kenny?
0:52:18 > 0:52:21Yeah, what about Radio 1?
0:52:21 > 0:52:22Fwoargh...
0:52:22 > 0:52:27Isn't it strange that I'm being filmed by one end of the BBC
0:52:27 > 0:52:29about being sacked by the other?
0:52:32 > 0:52:37Bizarrely, in radio, popular music came under the banner
0:52:37 > 0:52:41of the Variety Department, so Variety booking manager
0:52:41 > 0:52:45Pat Newman, who we met previously in the company of Peter Sellers
0:52:45 > 0:52:47and who had cut his teeth in the 1940s
0:52:47 > 0:52:50booking George Formby and Ted Ray,
0:52:50 > 0:52:54was now having to content with a whole new breed of performer.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57HE SCREAMS TO THE MUSIC
0:52:57 > 0:52:59Whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo!
0:53:05 > 0:53:08That sight, those sounds, were made by the Pink Floyd,
0:53:08 > 0:53:11a pop group who took over Queen Elizabeth Hall on Friday night
0:53:11 > 0:53:14for the entertainment they called Games for May.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16Of them, more hereafter.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19"With reference to the engagement of the above group
0:53:19 > 0:53:23"for Saturday Club, the producer gives me to understand
0:53:23 > 0:53:26"that one member of the group left our Studio without
0:53:26 > 0:53:29"explanation during the recording of the first number.
0:53:29 > 0:53:31"Despite attempts by the remainder of the group to find him,
0:53:31 > 0:53:34"he did not return for the rest of the session, and it became
0:53:34 > 0:53:37"impossible for the producer to continue with the recording.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40"I have given instructions for this particular contract to be
0:53:40 > 0:53:43"cancelled but wonder (perhaps with an eye to the future)
0:53:43 > 0:53:46"whether you'd be good enough to let me know
0:53:46 > 0:53:47"which gentleman 'freaked out'
0:53:47 > 0:53:51"(this strange expression was being banded about the Studio)
0:53:51 > 0:53:54"together with any explanatory comments which may come
0:53:54 > 0:53:55"to your mind. Patrick Newman."
0:53:55 > 0:54:00"Group officially 'resting' due to 'nervous breakdown' of lead singer."
0:54:00 > 0:54:06This week in Rehearsal Room, we present the Animals!
0:54:06 > 0:54:09# Baby, can I take you home?
0:54:09 > 0:54:12# Baby, let me take you home
0:54:12 > 0:54:14# I'll love you all my life
0:54:14 > 0:54:15# You can bet I'll treat you right
0:54:15 > 0:54:18# If you just let me take you home... #
0:54:18 > 0:54:23Newman's nadir came in 1961, when dealing with the Animals,
0:54:23 > 0:54:27who had failed to turn up for a radio programme he'd booked them on.
0:54:27 > 0:54:32This time, it seemed the Fates conspired against him at every turn.
0:54:32 > 0:54:37# There is house in New Orleans
0:54:37 > 0:54:44# They call the Rising Sun
0:54:44 > 0:54:50# And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy
0:54:50 > 0:54:54# And God, I know I'm one... #
0:54:54 > 0:54:58"Whilst realising there might be certain weak links in our chain,
0:54:58 > 0:55:00"eg, no actual signature to the contract
0:55:00 > 0:55:04"and maybe our not being able to remember the precise date
0:55:04 > 0:55:07"of the telephone office and acceptances, I should like to think
0:55:07 > 0:55:10"this is a case where we shall take some positive action.
0:55:10 > 0:55:14"Not to do so would in my opinion show the Corporation in a poor light
0:55:14 > 0:55:16"and make a nonsense of our procedure.
0:55:16 > 0:55:20"(On the other hand, if we do act, it may well prove a salutary
0:55:20 > 0:55:24"lesson to other artists and agents of a similar way of thinking.)
0:55:24 > 0:55:27"Presumably consideration will be given to invoking Clause 22
0:55:27 > 0:55:30"and other possible action might be banning of these artists...
0:55:30 > 0:55:34"together with any artists on the books of this gimcrack agency.
0:55:34 > 0:55:38"Popular music departments are exceedingly put out by
0:55:38 > 0:55:41"the situation and would like very much to make an announcement which
0:55:41 > 0:55:43"would go beyond the standard
0:55:43 > 0:55:45"'We regret the Animals cannot be with us today,'
0:55:45 > 0:55:48"and continue with some such comment as
0:55:48 > 0:55:51"'unmindful of their agreement to appear in this programme,
0:55:51 > 0:55:54"'have without apology - let alone seeking release
0:55:54 > 0:55:58"'from their obligation - absented themselves in America.'"
0:55:58 > 0:56:01'Here they are - the Animals, Britain's hottest new
0:56:01 > 0:56:05'rock and roll export. Their New York arrival runs into
0:56:05 > 0:56:08'a ban on any tumultuous airport reception but the five lads,
0:56:08 > 0:56:12'all in their early 20s, still find the warmth of a teenage greeting
0:56:12 > 0:56:15'as they prepare to ride into Manhattan.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17'Their recording of The House Of The Rising Sun
0:56:17 > 0:56:21'swept to the number-one spot on both the US and British pop charts.'
0:56:21 > 0:56:24# ...of the Rising Sun. #
0:56:24 > 0:56:29However, not only was the suggested announcement deemed inadvisable,
0:56:29 > 0:56:32but the legal department suddenly realised that the contract
0:56:32 > 0:56:36they'd been using to book artists with for the past 25 years
0:56:36 > 0:56:37was far from watertight.
0:56:37 > 0:56:41"We could not proceed against this group or its agents under Clause 22
0:56:41 > 0:56:43"because we were recently advised by Counsel
0:56:43 > 0:56:46"that the clause is unenforceable at law.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49"Counsel has provided a new clause which will go into future agreements
0:56:49 > 0:56:52"but the Solicitor apparently has doubts whether the new clause
0:56:52 > 0:56:53"is enforceable either."
0:56:53 > 0:56:58Newman had to content himself with a stern letter to their agent
0:56:58 > 0:57:02and a threat not to bill any of their clients in the Radio Times.
0:57:02 > 0:57:06However, even this threat proved to be empty.
0:57:06 > 0:57:09"I note to my distress that the current issue of the Radio Times,
0:57:09 > 0:57:13"pages four and five, expends two pages on vastly publicising
0:57:13 > 0:57:17"this group and indeed offers glossy photographs of them
0:57:17 > 0:57:19"as a service to our readers.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22"They must indeed be laughing at us,
0:57:22 > 0:57:26"if not up their sleeves, behind their somewhat unruly hair.
0:57:26 > 0:57:27"Patrick Newman."
0:57:37 > 0:57:40What these vast rows of files and folders resound with
0:57:40 > 0:57:44is the serendipitous nature of success.
0:57:44 > 0:57:49They echo with the swell of a BBC full of its own self-importance
0:57:49 > 0:57:51yet frequently proving to be wrong -
0:57:51 > 0:57:55a vast corporate liner with processes and acronyms
0:57:55 > 0:57:58and quaint, outmoded formalities,
0:57:58 > 0:58:01which often found itself at odds with the times.
0:58:03 > 0:58:06Above all, they are a testament to the lost art
0:58:06 > 0:58:09of written communication.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12These words, straight from the hands that wrote them,
0:58:12 > 0:58:16onto the paper they once held, give us small insights into people
0:58:16 > 0:58:19who were to become threads in the fabric of our lives.