[Neil Jones]

A bit like Hardwicke House, I think that show would have been a cult classic had it been post-watershed BBC2 or Channel 4. it wasn't really that shocking even compared to things that were going out around that time in those places, but it certainly shouldn't have been in a heavily promoted pre-watershed ITV slot.

Not really sure why ITV have spent the last 35 years supressing it either (apparently Network were on the verge of bringing it out on DVD, but ITV said no), it's incredibly tame compared to programmes we've had since, and anyone buying a DVD would know the show's reputation anyway.

Well since Network's now gone that puts paid to any plan of that ever being released officially.

The copies on YouTube came from somebody who worked on the show and I presume took those copies back in 1986/7 so its not a recent "sneak". They've been on YouTube for a few years now so if ITV were really that fussed they'd have logged it with a copyright bot by now

Surprising actually nobody ever bothers to reboot something that was controversial at the time on TV; you see it all the time where films get recategorised and they've been downgraded from an 18 to a 15 or whatever was cut out to get the lower rating is restored and it retains the same rating. Nobody ever says anything and you end up thinking what's gotta happen here to get an 18 these days?

I suppose it may be seen as a bit of a step too far if somebody decided to reboot Hardwicke House or Heil Honey, though whether ITV would let them reboot that, the answer is probably no (if they won't let it out on DVD probably safe to say they won't let it be rebooted either).

[i.h]

The shareholding of BSkyB was 51/49 with Sky's owners taking the bigger share, so they got to call the shots

that's a rather simplistic view of how such a merger should work, though it appears that Murdoch wasted no time to ensure that is how it was going to be

[James2001]

This is Murdoch we're talking about here though.

[WillPS]

Ironically, Marco Polo House was later home to ITV Digital, another failed Sky competitor

ITV Digital was put there by Sky, who were a founding shareholder in the consortium that went to launch ONdigital without them.

Sky also had an interest in QVC UK I believe, hence them being installed.

---

that's a rather simplistic view of how such a merger should work, though it appears that Murdoch wasted no time to ensure that is how it was going to be

Murdoch had the blessing of the majority of the shareholders of BSB to go ahead and strip the combined BSkyB to the bone. Their primary motivation was seeing a return on their investment and Murdoch had the more viable of the two models.

It absolutely became a Murdoch controlled outfit overnight.

[Stooky Bill]

that's a rather simplistic view of how such a merger should work, though it appears that Murdoch wasted no time to ensure that is how it was going to be

Rather simplistic but 51% is a controlling stake, so Murdoch's team gained control. It really is that simple. 

Yes perhaps they could have been nice and give  the outgoing management a few weeks to get used to the idea and been sympathetic to their opinions.... but this happened in the real world.

[Humphrey Hacker]

Dished (already mentioned in this thread I believe) adds more meat to the idea that the "merger" was really a takeover, with Murdoch's people instantly setting up shop at Marco Polo house, right down to taking down the no smoking signs (I suppose that was a novelty back then) and lighting up

Dished also had a section about how Sam Chisholm who was one of Murdoch's chief lieutenants was planning to go against his boss and close. Sky News down and it was a intervention from the late Bob Friend that stopped him.

[WillPS]

Rather simplistic but 51% is a controlling stake, so Murdoch's team gained control. It really is that simple. 

Yes perhaps they could have been nice and give  the outgoing management a few weeks to get used to the idea and been sympathetic to their opinions.... but this happened in the real world.

51% control doesn't mean you can totally ignore the other 49% of shareholders though, you can cause change to happen with a far smaller shareholder (this is normally described as shareholder activism).

The reality is that those 49% of shareholders wanted what happened to happen; why else would you agree to a merger.

[i.h]

51% control doesn't mean you can totally ignore the other 49% of shareholders though, you can cause change to happen with a far smaller shareholder (this is normally described as shareholder activism).

The reality is that those 49% of shareholders wanted what happened to happen; why else would you agree to a merger.

essentially what I was attempting to say - if BSB's shareholders were on board then fair enough, but it wouldn't have been right for Murdoch's mob to go "we have more shares, we call the shots"

[derek500]

There was this. Quite good I thought.

www.ukgameshows.com 

One False Move - UKGameshows
One False Move Contents 1 Host 2 Broadcast 3 Synopsis 4 Trivia 5 Videos Host And…
  Source: www.ukgameshows.com

[IndigoTucker]

Alas, both shows were the product of contracting out a huge chunk of their light entertainment output (Heil Honey, included) to Noel Gay Television, who promptly junked the lot.

Heil Honey exists - theres a YouTube channel that has posted the VT clocks for each episode and the Bewitched-style cartoon titles that were created for the unaired series. Gareth Marks also seems to have a copy as clips are in his show reel.