Marcus Payne
@nowtro.bsky.social
Television news director; Dad; lover of old television (programmes and companies), character comedy and random bands.
I know a fair bit about archive television but I'd never heard of the show which sits at number one on this list. Obviously, I'm desperate to watch it now. But predictably, all six episodes have been wiped so I can't. Bugger. www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2026/07/1...
telegraph.co.uk
What a difference a single letter can make. With the O at the end, Alberto is a sophisticated and stylish Italian hairdresser. Without the O, he sounds like a character in Coronation Street. #AlbertoBalsam
Even the dog can’t believe that Laura Kuenssberg used this analogy with David Blunkett.
Interesting choice of image to put front and centre on a reminder to renew your TV Licence. "Remember this terrible version of Doctor Who which tanked? Renew your licence fee and we promise not to make any more of it for a good year or two!"
@transdiffusion.org Was this ever used on air or is it fictitious? I'm leaning towards the latter unless you know better... hiddenbritain.bigcartel.com/product/midl...
'MIDLANDS TV IDENT' CLOCK (PRE-ORDER // SHIPS IN JULY)
Inspired by Midland's TV idents with the colourways and wood panelling of Mid Century Modern (MCM), this fully operational clock is now available to pre-order. Handmade from stained plywood, cut vinyl...
hiddenbritain.bigcartel.com
"Richard Madeley Goes To Prison. No, hang on, Lynne. In Prison With Richard But Not Judy. Not the kind of bars she's interested in."
Another random piece of archive TV ephemera has made its way into my collection: an original commercial break caption card from Jemima Shore Investigates (Thames, 1983).
@transdiffusion.org “the woman on the left is reading a Pan edition of "The Spirit and the Flesh" by David Weiss. That gives me a terminus post quem for the photo — 1965, the year it was published.” Similarly, the car bottom right was registered between August 1964 and July 1965!
TV friends! This is a photo of ATV Elstree in 1975/76. I’m assuming the backlot on the left is the site of the original #eastenders Albert Square. So my question is, where is the new Albert Square?
@transdiffusion.org I found this cute little book in a chazzer today. He certainly knew his stuff. RIP, Andrew.
TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N@transdiffusion.org · 7mo agoWe’re just hearing reports that Andrew Emmerson, a name presentation enthusiasts of the 1990s will be very familiar with, has died. Very upsetting. We doff our caps to you, good sir. Sleep well.
Spotted in an antique shop in Kingston this weekend. Lovely but not lovely enough to make me part with £400.
From the final issue of TV Action as they try to get you to buy TV Comic next week. What a bizarre choice of photo. Where does it even come from @nothinglane.bsky.social?
Also, who would even want to look at this, let alone pin it on their wall? They’re straight out of Royston Vasey.
The past - in this case 1973 - truly is a foreign country.
This remake of The Saint from 1980 was rubbish. Simon Templar drove an Austin Maxi and had a hub cap for a halo.
Some more Thames stuff I’ve acquired recently. I’m guessing the logo plate would have been on the wall at Teddington or Euston. Does anyone have any photos of it in situ at the time?
[2/2] How do I know? Because I’ve now acquired that very paintbox and here it is. It’s very big and very lovely. Now I just need to work out what I’m going to do with it! @transdiffusion.org @tvark.bsky.social
[1/2] Back in 1988 when this promo was made, computer graphics were in their infancy. There was still a need for physical props and rostrum cameras. The paintbox seen here, for example, was a real, specially made object.
Picked this up in a charity shop for £30. I thought why not because I very much enjoyed the series, it’s a nice piece of art and the signatures are genuine. It’ll go up in value, I thought. So on that note, I casually looked it up on eBay and… bloody hell! #DesperateHousewives
And then there was this character. OK, so he’s a paedophile, but on the other hand, he’s a great accountant and he’s always got a smile on his face. Different times. #Crossroads
These days, soap operas have serial killers, exploding pubs, planes falling out of the sky… you name it. Back in the 1970s, though, this was Crossroads’ idea of high drama. Imagine the cliff hanger!
@jazwiseman.bsky.social Hi Jaz. I’ve just acquired a couple of ITC catalogues. The first is from 1960. Do you have these? I don’t think they’re mentioned in your book.
Happy Easter. Remember, the Easter Bunny knows if you’ve been good or not.
Director: We need to make Nigel look like the Easter bunny. Make Up Artist: OK, I’ll paint some whiskers on his cheeks. Director: They won’t look like a pair of bollocks, will they? Make Up Artist: Definitely not. #eastenders @vizcomic.bsky.social
