Bharatanatyam by Alarmel Valli Spirit Of Asia
"Spirit of Asia" was a documentary series narrated and presented by David Attenborough. Long known for his wildlife programmes, started exploring human culture from the early 1971 documentary film "A Blank n the Map". This long-ish clip shows aspects of India's long-established dance and thatre culture. The very elaborate theatrical dance is Kathkali, which is a dance-drama which plays out stories of the Hindu Gods Rama and Krishna.
The solo female dancer is Alarmel Valli, who specialises in the dance form of Bharatanatyam, and is India's interpretation of ballet.
Showing posts with label 1980. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1980. Show all posts
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Saturday, 6 March 2010
Great Idea! Let's have a Wife-beater Advise Kids on Strangers!
Strngr Dngr!
Gotta love the 80s, eh? "Punch", of "Punch and Judy" fame, advises the kid audience to never trust strangers, demonstrating this, by not climbing into the Crocodile's motor. The West country voiced policeman warns the children if knowing where they are, when alone, and not to take rides from strangers, otherwise your a "naughty, naughty, naughty man"! The Crocodile sounds a bit like the other puppet croc from CITV's late-80s show "Round the Bend".The PIF was made in 1980, and does, even then seems a bit dated to be using such a politically incorrect technique. But that's why we love that age!
Gotta love the 80s, eh? "Punch", of "Punch and Judy" fame, advises the kid audience to never trust strangers, demonstrating this, by not climbing into the Crocodile's motor. The West country voiced policeman warns the children if knowing where they are, when alone, and not to take rides from strangers, otherwise your a "naughty, naughty, naughty man"! The Crocodile sounds a bit like the other puppet croc from CITV's late-80s show "Round the Bend".The PIF was made in 1980, and does, even then seems a bit dated to be using such a politically incorrect technique. But that's why we love that age!
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
Wonderfully Weird Gameshow...
The Adventure Game - The main puzzle (episode 1)
A clip of the main presenters - or shape-shifting dragons- setting up the main puzzle for the celebrity and non-celebrity contestants in this wonderfully bizarre gameroom puzzle gameshow. An ingeniously, contrived and convoluted layout of this puzzle is explained by the presenters, in this masterhood of trickery, all this talk about left-handed screws, left-handed Grandfather clock, just layer upon layer of intricacy, it goes on and on. Snatch the key from the clown's face on the blue door to unlock the red door, ohhh, it's just nuts, then all three contestants have to stand in certain spots to allow ping pong balls in a tube/funnel levitate. ohhh, I'm getting a headache.
This was a pre-cursor to "The Crystal Maze", and whatever it lacked in budget compared to the latter, damn was it hard for a kid's show. Screened from the 1980-1986 on the BBC, the plot is, 2 celebrity contests and one normal person land on a spaceship on a planet called "Arg", and to travel through different rooms with different puzzles. Produced by Patrick Dowling, the show was inspired by the "Dungeons & Dragons" board game. The sci-fi element was implemented by Douglas Adam, famed for his radio series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy".
So on this planet Arg, were the shape-shifting dragon race of the Argonds. Maybe to look less ridiculous with men in suits, mostly they were in human form. In this clip we see BBC newsreader Moira Stuart, who was then an actress, playing as one of the Argonds. Argonds, by the way, was an anagram of "dragon". Moira starred as Darong, another anagram of the same word. Another famous face, or rather the face-behind-the-robot, was "Star Wars" R2D2 controller Kenny Baker controlled a talking and moving spider plant in later series, which was the ruler of the planet Arg, Rangdo. The butler in the clip was Gandor (Chris Leaver) was half-deaf and could only hear when he was earing his glasses. I'm sure the other actress is Charmian Gradwell playing Gnoard. The most famed piece of the show was the final round of cat-and-mouse-like proportions "The Vortex". This did not appear until the second series.
A clip of the main presenters - or shape-shifting dragons- setting up the main puzzle for the celebrity and non-celebrity contestants in this wonderfully bizarre gameroom puzzle gameshow. An ingeniously, contrived and convoluted layout of this puzzle is explained by the presenters, in this masterhood of trickery, all this talk about left-handed screws, left-handed Grandfather clock, just layer upon layer of intricacy, it goes on and on. Snatch the key from the clown's face on the blue door to unlock the red door, ohhh, it's just nuts, then all three contestants have to stand in certain spots to allow ping pong balls in a tube/funnel levitate. ohhh, I'm getting a headache.
This was a pre-cursor to "The Crystal Maze", and whatever it lacked in budget compared to the latter, damn was it hard for a kid's show. Screened from the 1980-1986 on the BBC, the plot is, 2 celebrity contests and one normal person land on a spaceship on a planet called "Arg", and to travel through different rooms with different puzzles. Produced by Patrick Dowling, the show was inspired by the "Dungeons & Dragons" board game. The sci-fi element was implemented by Douglas Adam, famed for his radio series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy".
So on this planet Arg, were the shape-shifting dragon race of the Argonds. Maybe to look less ridiculous with men in suits, mostly they were in human form. In this clip we see BBC newsreader Moira Stuart, who was then an actress, playing as one of the Argonds. Argonds, by the way, was an anagram of "dragon". Moira starred as Darong, another anagram of the same word. Another famous face, or rather the face-behind-the-robot, was "Star Wars" R2D2 controller Kenny Baker controlled a talking and moving spider plant in later series, which was the ruler of the planet Arg, Rangdo. The butler in the clip was Gandor (Chris Leaver) was half-deaf and could only hear when he was earing his glasses. I'm sure the other actress is Charmian Gradwell playing Gnoard. The most famed piece of the show was the final round of cat-and-mouse-like proportions "The Vortex". This did not appear until the second series.
Saturday, 27 February 2010
A Feast of Lycra and not-so Lycra Men/Women in Snow and Ice 1972-2002
Alright, we end our Winter Olympics special with this rough, but brilliant highlighting music video of recent Winter Olympics bar 2006 and 2010, of course. Some really good footage of the earlier Olympics which are hard to find on Youtube. The Sports genre will take a break, but we'll be back to good ol' football and more.
List of Winter Games shown:
1972 -Sapporo, Japan
1976 - Innsbruck, Austria
1980 - Lake Placid, USA
1984 - Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina)
1988 - Calgary, Canada
1992 - Albertville, France
1994 - Lillehammer, Norway
1998 - Nagano, Japan
2002 - Salt Lake City, USA
It's a very good highlights video with small clips of each Games opening ceremonies, and the features the most awe-inspiring and most excelled athletes of the games, so we see the likes on Torvill and Dean for '84, Alberto Tomba for '88 and so on. Also, period music of the time from each Olympics, If you want to know what the songs are, well, I'm horribly bad at naming these earlier ones. I've heard the 1972 one loads of times, I just can't put a name to it?
1972 -???
1976 -???
1980 -???
1984 - Irene Cara - What a Feeling
1988 -Erasure -Give a Little Respect
1992 - Snap - Rhythm Is A Dancer
1994 - Whigfield - Saturday Night
1998 - ???
2002 - James Williams - Call of the Champions
Saturday, 13 February 2010
"Well mate, It's either Watching this or Reaching for the Top Shelf at the Local..."
Tiswas - Phantom Flan Flinger - Legs & Co, Dennis Waterman
"Tiswas" (which stands for "Today is Saturday, Watch and Smile) was the first ever Saturday morning kids show to be shown in Britain in 1974. This pioneer was one of the best of these programme that could pull in not only kids, but with a knowing "wink,wink" to adults, and from this clip, especially for men. Unlike future Swap Shop's and Motormouth's, it was never clean-cut in presenation but a fairly unpredictable, custard-pie-laden glorified food fight, you might see at a school dinner hall.
This clip features a (fixed!) quiz section, quizzed by the face of the show, Chris Tarrant, between actor/singer Dennis Waterman and the present dance troupe of the definitive British music chart show "Top of the Pops", which was "Legs & Co.". They were a normally six-girl group who replaced "Pan's People" in 1976. Legs & Co. practically get caked in water and cream pies or "flans", from an absurdly crossdressed Phantom Flan Flinger. Waterman then finds it hard to contain himself, getting quite hyperactive, with a front seat view to the action. It was simple maths really for the show. Only 3 TV channels, the viewing audience would be kids but then some. Perhaps alot bored hot-blooded men before they go to the footie or pub to watch the footie, but at all the same time, the production staff and crew were all really having a laugh, entertaining themselves too. "Watch and Smile" you say? More like Watch and W...
Legs & Co. consisted of Lulu Cartwright, Gillian Clarke, Patti Hammond, Rosemary Hetherington, Susan Menhenick & Pauline Peters. The dance troupe lasted on TOTP from 1976-1981. One dancer replacement later, the dance troupe in it last year, recieved less attention as they were swept into the background, along with the "partying" audience in new changes for the show. They were rpelaced by another dance troupe by the name of "Zoo", but the show having a dance troupe was on it's "last legs", no pun intended.
Dennis Waterman at the time, was in his heyday, after the success of "Sweeney", he had already appeared in 2 series of Minder as, along with a his theme-tune writing prowess being showcased on again mentioned, TOTP, achieving a No.3 hit in the UK Singles Chart.
"Tiswas" (which stands for "Today is Saturday, Watch and Smile) was the first ever Saturday morning kids show to be shown in Britain in 1974. This pioneer was one of the best of these programme that could pull in not only kids, but with a knowing "wink,wink" to adults, and from this clip, especially for men. Unlike future Swap Shop's and Motormouth's, it was never clean-cut in presenation but a fairly unpredictable, custard-pie-laden glorified food fight, you might see at a school dinner hall.
This clip features a (fixed!) quiz section, quizzed by the face of the show, Chris Tarrant, between actor/singer Dennis Waterman and the present dance troupe of the definitive British music chart show "Top of the Pops", which was "Legs & Co.". They were a normally six-girl group who replaced "Pan's People" in 1976. Legs & Co. practically get caked in water and cream pies or "flans", from an absurdly crossdressed Phantom Flan Flinger. Waterman then finds it hard to contain himself, getting quite hyperactive, with a front seat view to the action. It was simple maths really for the show. Only 3 TV channels, the viewing audience would be kids but then some. Perhaps alot bored hot-blooded men before they go to the footie or pub to watch the footie, but at all the same time, the production staff and crew were all really having a laugh, entertaining themselves too. "Watch and Smile" you say? More like Watch and W...
Legs & Co. consisted of Lulu Cartwright, Gillian Clarke, Patti Hammond, Rosemary Hetherington, Susan Menhenick & Pauline Peters. The dance troupe lasted on TOTP from 1976-1981. One dancer replacement later, the dance troupe in it last year, recieved less attention as they were swept into the background, along with the "partying" audience in new changes for the show. They were rpelaced by another dance troupe by the name of "Zoo", but the show having a dance troupe was on it's "last legs", no pun intended.
Dennis Waterman at the time, was in his heyday, after the success of "Sweeney", he had already appeared in 2 series of Minder as, along with a his theme-tune writing prowess being showcased on again mentioned, TOTP, achieving a No.3 hit in the UK Singles Chart.
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
"You CANNOT Be Serious!" Vs. The Iceman
Borg McEnroe Match Points 1980
The last 5 mins of an epic 1980 Wimbledon Men Singles final between the mouthy American John McEnroe and the calm and collected Swede Björn Borg. This is the fifth and final set!
This was Borg's fifth consecutive Wimbledon title and his last Grandslam title to be won. He reached the following year's Wimbledon Final, with an almighty winning streak of 41 matches at Wimbledon, however he lost to McEnroe this time.
Tennis is Sport which can sometimes have a bizarre player shelf life. Björn Borg retired at the age of 26 in 1983, really an age where you are still at you're physical peak. It was after another defeat to McEnroe at the US Open in 1981, that seemed to take the biscuit, and he gradually became more inactive throughout 1982 with no Grandslam tournaments attended. Borg actually made a comeback in 1991, but lost every match playing in ATP tournaments from 91-93. Borg now appears on the Senior circuit, sometimes playing McEnroe, fiery as ever, which was a legendary rivalry in the late-70's and early 80's for the sport of tennis.
The last 5 mins of an epic 1980 Wimbledon Men Singles final between the mouthy American John McEnroe and the calm and collected Swede Björn Borg. This is the fifth and final set!
This was Borg's fifth consecutive Wimbledon title and his last Grandslam title to be won. He reached the following year's Wimbledon Final, with an almighty winning streak of 41 matches at Wimbledon, however he lost to McEnroe this time.
Tennis is Sport which can sometimes have a bizarre player shelf life. Björn Borg retired at the age of 26 in 1983, really an age where you are still at you're physical peak. It was after another defeat to McEnroe at the US Open in 1981, that seemed to take the biscuit, and he gradually became more inactive throughout 1982 with no Grandslam tournaments attended. Borg actually made a comeback in 1991, but lost every match playing in ATP tournaments from 91-93. Borg now appears on the Senior circuit, sometimes playing McEnroe, fiery as ever, which was a legendary rivalry in the late-70's and early 80's for the sport of tennis.
Friday, 18 December 2009
Youtube Saturday Mornings Sweepstake
Continuation of the Sweepstake series, where i will breathe the first signs of life into this blog, touching every genre of British TV from the 50's-90's.
Saturday mornings refer to the live breakfast, kid-orientated TV that evolved around the presenters and cast that didn't just link up cartoon, but provide us their own entertainment, plus interviews with big names, when Saturdays mornings were a must-see event and people would kill to be on the show. It appealed to adults too, but as ratings and interest dropped, the shows became much more kids-orientated and childish. Either that, or we live in a more fragmented society/viewership these days.
Karen Carpenter on `Swap Shop`
A gem, but not-so-gem. That's because it's a rare interview with the late Karen Carpenter, but only 38 seconds long this clip. This was 2 years before her death, the cause of which, she suffered anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder of believing that you look fat, causing extreme thiness. this resulted in a heart attack at the age of 32. Of course, the highly influential singer of the musical duo of "The Carpenters", and with such hits like "Close To You". "Multi-Coloured Swap Shop" was the first foray of live kids show on Saturday mornings, in which each episode 3 hours in length. Saturday mornings were very boring before 1976. Or should i be saying 1974?
Aha, because if you lived in the Midlands region in 1974, you would be able to enjoy ATV's(ITV regional channel) "Tiswas"!
TODD CARTY INTERVIEW on "Saturday Superstore" MARCH 1983 part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0doWDHH_1nA
At this point, future Eastenders regular Todd Carty. was best known for playing the likeable rogue Tucker, originating from the beginning of kids drama "Grange Hill". His fan base and success of the character, led him to Tucker's own spin-off show "Tucker's Luck" in 1983. The first of three series, was actually suprisingly good, mainly focusing on Tucker and friends exploits after school, and dealing with the harsh reality of making ends meet, and being on the dole. Quite good social commentary on the early 80's. A period of economic gloom.
In the clip, you have to feel sorry for co-actors Paul McCarthy (played Tommy Watson) and George Armstrong (played Alan Humphries). Although viewers are also aware of their characters from the Grange Hill days, all the incoming kids phonecalls are question for Tucker throughout.
8.15 from Manchester - "Tough at the Top" Gameshow section
More obscure fare here, from the short-lived Saturday Morning show, shown in the summer breaks of 1990 and 1991 when sat. morn. goliath "Going Live!" was off-air. Presented by smoothy Glaswegian Ross King and mousey-looking Charlotte Hindle, who was a Saturday morning favourite, fresh from presenting ITV's "Ghost Train" and previously "Get Fresh". In this clip, we have Ross King presenting this gameshow section "Tough at the Top" where 2 teams of 2 kids, 1 answers questions, while the other tries to climb the steps to the top, depending on how many steps they can climb according to the randomisation of some Blankety-Blank-looking number meter.
I remember liking this gameshow section, but that's only after seeing this clip, after forgetting about it for countless years, resting dormant in my mind. Some horribly dated musical soundbites, and just what is the themed setting. It looks sort of Aztec-jungle-country ranch thing going on.
Saturday mornings refer to the live breakfast, kid-orientated TV that evolved around the presenters and cast that didn't just link up cartoon, but provide us their own entertainment, plus interviews with big names, when Saturdays mornings were a must-see event and people would kill to be on the show. It appealed to adults too, but as ratings and interest dropped, the shows became much more kids-orientated and childish. Either that, or we live in a more fragmented society/viewership these days.
Karen Carpenter on `Swap Shop`
A gem, but not-so-gem. That's because it's a rare interview with the late Karen Carpenter, but only 38 seconds long this clip. This was 2 years before her death, the cause of which, she suffered anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder of believing that you look fat, causing extreme thiness. this resulted in a heart attack at the age of 32. Of course, the highly influential singer of the musical duo of "The Carpenters", and with such hits like "Close To You". "Multi-Coloured Swap Shop" was the first foray of live kids show on Saturday mornings, in which each episode 3 hours in length. Saturday mornings were very boring before 1976. Or should i be saying 1974?
Aha, because if you lived in the Midlands region in 1974, you would be able to enjoy ATV's(ITV regional channel) "Tiswas"!
TODD CARTY INTERVIEW on "Saturday Superstore" MARCH 1983 part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0doWDHH_1nA
At this point, future Eastenders regular Todd Carty. was best known for playing the likeable rogue Tucker, originating from the beginning of kids drama "Grange Hill". His fan base and success of the character, led him to Tucker's own spin-off show "Tucker's Luck" in 1983. The first of three series, was actually suprisingly good, mainly focusing on Tucker and friends exploits after school, and dealing with the harsh reality of making ends meet, and being on the dole. Quite good social commentary on the early 80's. A period of economic gloom.
In the clip, you have to feel sorry for co-actors Paul McCarthy (played Tommy Watson) and George Armstrong (played Alan Humphries). Although viewers are also aware of their characters from the Grange Hill days, all the incoming kids phonecalls are question for Tucker throughout.
8.15 from Manchester - "Tough at the Top" Gameshow section
More obscure fare here, from the short-lived Saturday Morning show, shown in the summer breaks of 1990 and 1991 when sat. morn. goliath "Going Live!" was off-air. Presented by smoothy Glaswegian Ross King and mousey-looking Charlotte Hindle, who was a Saturday morning favourite, fresh from presenting ITV's "Ghost Train" and previously "Get Fresh". In this clip, we have Ross King presenting this gameshow section "Tough at the Top" where 2 teams of 2 kids, 1 answers questions, while the other tries to climb the steps to the top, depending on how many steps they can climb according to the randomisation of some Blankety-Blank-looking number meter.
I remember liking this gameshow section, but that's only after seeing this clip, after forgetting about it for countless years, resting dormant in my mind. Some horribly dated musical soundbites, and just what is the themed setting. It looks sort of Aztec-jungle-country ranch thing going on.
Thursday, 17 December 2009
Youtube Documentary Sweepstake
The seventh edition and genre of my Sweepstake series.
Glasgow Transport 1980 - Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lIfubhHZDQ
This is a very interesting documentary produced by the old Strathclyde council(West of Scotland really) showing the modernisation of the underground system, which became known as "The Clockwork Orange", because of their gaudy orange colour. The Glasgow underground was one of the oldest underground systems in the world, and the Victorian-style trains and old format of lifting them off the tracks to be stationed, all came to an end in 1977. The programme, shows the sheer extent of the work involved in the city centre, demolishing old Victorian tenement slums and just giants areas of cement were carved up to extend and re-modernise the track system. Although, the finished product is nothing compared to the complexity of say, the London underground. This is still a fascinating documentary.
Jonathan Meades on J'accuse Vegetarians 1 of 3
"J'accuse" was a series of programmes made for Channel 4, in 1995, that featured on different subjects each episodes, chaired by different intellectual presenters. Johnathan Meades, although very intelligent, gives a biased right-wing account on how Vegetarians came into being. Also includes talking head bearing pro and con views, and some obscure celebrities from the time. It's rather in-depth and long-drawn for one issue, something you wouldn't see getting made today, in this suppoesedly shorter-attention spanning era, or would only be made on the backburner, for BBC4.
World In Action - Acid House Report PT.1
"World in Action" was an iconic investigative current affairs ITV programme that ran from 1963-1998. The format was taken to various countries, following it's success in the 1960s and 70s. Hard as it may seem but at it's peak it was watched by 23 million viewers. So this programme deals with the acid house culture that goes mainstream in the summer of 1988. Various teens (underage?) are interviewed, and only increased parents fears of what was going on.
Now, the coolest club venues are not seen as your typical Roxy nightclub, but in empty warehouses and open fields. Oh, and they're illegal as well. This followed with media hysteria over the drugs associated with the culture. This ran for years and years, but it was true to an extent, but the music itself wasn't the pre-dominating factor, it was based on the other people attending these parties. For the youth of the late-80s, with only yuppies having mobile phones at that time, and no internet, it was an achievement within iself to amass these unofficial conurbations, which is something the youth of today don't have. The complexity to organise in mass movements, and well, they wouldn't be seen dead in a muddy field nowadays.
Glasgow Transport 1980 - Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lIfubhHZDQ
This is a very interesting documentary produced by the old Strathclyde council(West of Scotland really) showing the modernisation of the underground system, which became known as "The Clockwork Orange", because of their gaudy orange colour. The Glasgow underground was one of the oldest underground systems in the world, and the Victorian-style trains and old format of lifting them off the tracks to be stationed, all came to an end in 1977. The programme, shows the sheer extent of the work involved in the city centre, demolishing old Victorian tenement slums and just giants areas of cement were carved up to extend and re-modernise the track system. Although, the finished product is nothing compared to the complexity of say, the London underground. This is still a fascinating documentary.
Jonathan Meades on J'accuse Vegetarians 1 of 3
"J'accuse" was a series of programmes made for Channel 4, in 1995, that featured on different subjects each episodes, chaired by different intellectual presenters. Johnathan Meades, although very intelligent, gives a biased right-wing account on how Vegetarians came into being. Also includes talking head bearing pro and con views, and some obscure celebrities from the time. It's rather in-depth and long-drawn for one issue, something you wouldn't see getting made today, in this suppoesedly shorter-attention spanning era, or would only be made on the backburner, for BBC4.
World In Action - Acid House Report PT.1
"World in Action" was an iconic investigative current affairs ITV programme that ran from 1963-1998. The format was taken to various countries, following it's success in the 1960s and 70s. Hard as it may seem but at it's peak it was watched by 23 million viewers. So this programme deals with the acid house culture that goes mainstream in the summer of 1988. Various teens (underage?) are interviewed, and only increased parents fears of what was going on.
Now, the coolest club venues are not seen as your typical Roxy nightclub, but in empty warehouses and open fields. Oh, and they're illegal as well. This followed with media hysteria over the drugs associated with the culture. This ran for years and years, but it was true to an extent, but the music itself wasn't the pre-dominating factor, it was based on the other people attending these parties. For the youth of the late-80s, with only yuppies having mobile phones at that time, and no internet, it was an achievement within iself to amass these unofficial conurbations, which is something the youth of today don't have. The complexity to organise in mass movements, and well, they wouldn't be seen dead in a muddy field nowadays.
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