[Si-Co]

Here is something very odd. This episode of the schools programme Geography Today was first shown in January 1982 (and repeated for several years), and this appears to be a recording of its first ever TX (which may be relevant).

youtu.be 

At about 11:15 on this clip, odd graphics appear on the screen which aren’t part of the programme. You can see a “shadowy” tripod-like object overlaid on the screen, then some text like “splat”, in a comic font, a few random images and finally “Isn’t this educational?” superimposed over the picture. This goes on for about two minutes.

I do know that this episode was repeated in April, at the end of that term, due to “technical problems” with the original transmission. I doubt what we see is enough to warrant a repeat (I may be wrong), but I do know it was scheduled twice a week, so perhaps the scheduled encore the following day was cancelled altogether, hence it being reshown at the end of term instead.

If the above is correct, it implies these offending captions etc were actually on the tape itself. But I’m only speculating that the encore may have been pulled altogether and rescheduled. If they weren’t on the tape, was someone in the gallery at Granada or Central responsible? Maybe messing about not realising their terminal or whatever was live to air? [The series was networked to all from Granada VT/TK via Central who inserted the surrounding pres].

I believe this was recorded in the Anglia region but the issue seemed to affect all regions and the episode was certainly repeated in April across the network. For this reason, I doubt this could be a broadcast breakthrough/interruption which I initially considered as that would only affect one transmitter (unless someone somehow hijacked the network feed at a microwave site - but I’m sure that’s impossible?)

Anyway, I would love to hear your thoughts!