[JMT1985]

Eric Morecambe wasn't in the best of health by that point, he'd suffered a second heart attack in 1979 and was quoted as only having months to live at that time, and even when he came back, their writer Eddie Braben was pretty much out of ideas as well, rehashing old ideas as you say for that era of the TV show. The heyday was at the BBC, granted.

So you can see why LWT were not exactly thrilled to include them in their prime time Christmas Day schedules of 1981, 1982 and 1983.

I do know from Eric's son Gary that Eric and Ernie were gearing up to "regaining" Christmas Day slot in 1984, as Thames were back in charge for that Christmas, of course it was not meant to be.

I always wondered if Eric and Ernie should have maybe went to LWT - possibly LWT didn't want them, but I think LWT might have been interested, especially after looking at their 1977 Christmas show mega ratings hit for the BBC, the £££ signs were there for Thames certainly who poached them, as they felt they could rake in high ad revenue from the duo.

[Milkshake]

This is going slightly off the topic but the first 3 show the pair did for Thames were still a high standard. Eddie Braben wasn't the writer for any of them. Infact if LWT had taken them they might have kept Eddie away.

[JMT1985]

This is going slightly off the topic but the first 3 show the pair did for Thames were still a high standard. Eddie Braben wasn't the writer for any of them. Infact if LWT had taken them they might have kept Eddie away.

I also know this is off topic, and to the moderator I apologise and promise this will be the last reply to this little detour, I promise.

Yes, their first two specials in 1978 was fairly good, but everyone did feel the pacing of the specials was really bad compared to how Eddie Braben paced his content.

Their third special aired at Christmas 1979 and was really a chat show special, as Eric was unfit to make a full special due to his heart attack and heart surgery, so we can't base that third special as high standard, as it was a bog standard chat show, with special guests and just one new sketch, Sylvester and Tweety Pie.

Okay, end of detour.

[Neil Jones]

I've read somewhere they were interested in making films, which wasn't an option at the BBC at the time, but Thames could through a subsidiary they had (though it did make other things as well). The only film they made under Thames was a TV Movie, which has a 5.3 rating on IMDb and didn't even air until after Morecambe had died. That was one of the reasons of the jump to Thames in the first place.

[Steve in Pudsey]

Going back to sport, there are a bunch of clips online of LWT's Peter Lewis apologising across the network for a delay to the scheduled ice skating due to a problem at the venue. The standby programme was a Thames documentary about Torville and Dean.

[robertclark125]

One reason The Bill went out on Friday evenings post 1993, was that Thames was now an indy, and the show was commissioned by another ITV region. Something tells me possibly Yorkshire commissioned it but Thames produced it.

[Neil Jones]

Always surprised me to learn that the police uniforms used on The Bill were accurate and real (permission of Scotland Yard apparently), and that after the show ended the Met Police bought the whole wardrobe and some of it probably entered real life usage:
www.bbc.co.uk 

The Bill uniforms bought up by the Metropolitan Police - BBC News
Uniforms used on ITV's The Bill are bought by the Metropolitan Police to st…
  Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Yet I this was very unique arrangement and you probably wouldn't see such a thing happening today. State of the times I feel.

[Andrew]

Always surprised me to learn that the police uniforms used on The Bill were accurate and real (permission of Scotland Yard apparently), and that after the show ended the Met Police bought the whole wardrobe and some of it probably entered real life usage:
www.bbc.co.uk 

Yet I this was very unique arrangement and you probably wouldn't see such a thing happening today. State of the times I feel.

It was fairly rare that The Bill actually depicted the “Metropolitan Police” rather than some fictional force

DCI Vera Stanhope working for “Northumberland & City Police” for example, on Emmerdale I believe it’s “Yorkshire Police” which is also fictional.

[Stooky Bill]

I always wondered if Eric and Ernie should have maybe went to LWT - possibly LWT didn't want them, but I think LWT might have been interested, especially after looking at their 1977 Christmas show mega ratings hit for the BBC, the £££ signs were there for Thames certainly who poached them, as they felt they could rake in high ad revenue from the duo.

Thing is it was Thames' idea to poach them, it was probably the case that it either didn't occur to LWT (or any other company) to try and sign them or the opportunity just didn't arise.

But as mentioned it was a combination of lots of cash and the opportunity to make films that swungit for Thames


Mod note: Duplicated quote/text removed.

[dvboy]

It was fairly rare that The Bill actually depicted the “Metropolitan Police” rather than some fictional force

...to the point where there were Metropolitan Police logos all over the place covering up other brand names such as the manufacturer's logo on telephone handsets, the kind of stuff that wouldn't happen in real life.