Posts: 1,004
Threads: 4
Likes Received: 928 in 463 posts
Likes Given: 0
Joined: Aug 2022
(02-09-2023, 11:22 AM)James2001 Wrote: 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).
Posts: 187
Threads: 0
Likes Received: 194 in 98 posts
Likes Given: 2
Joined: Jul 2022
(02-09-2023, 01:04 PM)Stooky Bill Wrote: 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
(This post was last modified: 02-09-2023, 01:13 PM by
i.h.)
Posts: 1,790
Threads: 3
Likes Received: 2,196 in 871 posts
Likes Given: 154
Joined: Jul 2022
This is Murdoch we're talking about here though.
Posts: 560
Threads: 1
Likes Received: 584 in 241 posts
Likes Given: 149
Joined: Jul 2022
(02-09-2023, 01:06 PM)VMPhil Wrote: 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.
(02-09-2023, 01:13 PM)i.h Wrote: 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.
chatps.com
(This post was last modified: 02-09-2023, 03:54 PM by
WillPS.)
Posts: 1,246
Threads: 2
Likes Received: 1,848 in 672 posts
Likes Given: 278
Joined: Jul 2022
(02-09-2023, 01:13 PM)i.h Wrote: 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.
(This post was last modified: 02-09-2023, 04:40 PM by
Stooky Bill.)
Posts: 342
Threads: 1
Likes Received: 327 in 126 posts
Likes Given: 0
Joined: Oct 2022
(02-09-2023, 12:40 PM)i.h Wrote: 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.
Posts: 560
Threads: 1
Likes Received: 584 in 241 posts
Likes Given: 149
Joined: Jul 2022
(02-09-2023, 04:39 PM)Stooky Bill Wrote: 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.
chatps.com
Posts: 187
Threads: 0
Likes Received: 194 in 98 posts
Likes Given: 2
Joined: Jul 2022
(02-09-2023, 07:39 PM)WillPS Wrote: 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"
Posts: 144
Threads: 0
Likes Received: 94 in 49 posts
Likes Given: 45
Joined: Oct 2022
There was this. Quite good I thought.
www.ukgameshows.com
Posts: 39
Threads: 0
Likes Received: 27 in 12 posts
Likes Given: 9
Joined: Nov 2022
(02-09-2023, 12:50 PM)lookoutwales Wrote: 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.