April Fools Gags
Doctor TOC
commentator Frank Bough was into leather, lace and cocaine, a news
magazine show called NATIONWIDE was fairly popular. They had a tradition
of doing an April Fools story, usually of considerable length and often
extremely convincing.
One which the NG might find amusing to know of was an "investigative
expose'" of the activities of certain ex-military bio-chemists and
geneticists. The segment presented a bizarre web of evidence and
interviews, until revealing the "awful truth" of what these scientists
were up to. Shaky footage, complete with cameramans comments audible on
the soundtrack, showed of a pair of young T-Rex's kept contained in
isolated woodland on a private estate! The T-rex's were realised through
dense foam rubber suits, and the grainyness of the film, the
camera-shake, and the brilliant use of lighting served to make them seem
un-nervingly lifelike.
The "expose'" was presented in the raw-style much favoured by
investigative TV at the time, and the web of evidence was presented in
such a fashion that the viewer was fairly convinced it was real, despite
the date. Despite the fantastic nature of the final revelation, many
viewers were sucked in by the completely dead-pan presentation of the
material, to the point that the program had to make a statement the next
day saying it wasn't true.
The prank was played many years before JURASSIC PARK, but shared many of
the same themes, including the recovery of ancient DNA from fossil
remains.
The BBC has a history of such elaborate practical jokes, the greatest
example being the stunning GHOSTWATCH Halloween play that caught the
nation by surprise in much the same fashion as Orson Welles' historic
broadcast of THE WAR OF THE WORLDS. Probably the one most fondly
remembered is the documentary on the Italian Spagetthi Harvest :-)
Just thought you might like to know :-)
Doctor TOC
--
The Reverend Doctor "The Other Chris"
UIN # 4814586
URL: http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/wilhelm/148/
David Daugherty
"...the documentary on the Italian Spaghettti
Harvest..."
Ha Ha ...: - )
I had to laugh just at the thought of such a humorous theme to bamboozle
the ever gullible public with this witty joke....I am sure the progam
was very funny.
Jonathan Mock
> Back in the UK, in the long distant days before we discovered that
> commentator Frank Bough was into leather, lace and cocaine, a news
> magazine show called NATIONWIDE was fairly popular. They had a tradition
> of doing an April Fools story, usually of considerable length and often
> extremely convincing.
Ah, dear old Uncle Frank. Memories of Grandstand and that teleprinter
(Liverpool 5 Manchester United 0 - yay!).
I remember the Italian Spagetthi Harvest - people still thinks it's true
today. I also remember Ghostwatch, but the "cast" in that were such bad
actors I was suprised so many people were sucked in by it.
BBC Radio 1 did a rather neat WotW stunt three years back when they did a
show called UFO Watch with Nicky Cambell who was reporting live from an RAF
E-3D AWAC's when they picked up an incoming target. They cut to a traffic
helicopter that reported how the sky over London was being black out by a
huge object aboutn15 miles wide. They kept going back and forth from
various reports until the underside of the object opened up and unleashed a
beam that started to level the city. The last report was of a fireball
sweeping towards the reporter who was then cut off...
Yes, it was very ID4 - in fact it was a BBC/Centropolis co-proudction, a
spin off of ID4 telling the story from a UK perspective. The first half of
the show used real BBC reporters and celebrities to give it an air of
authenticity, the second half of the show was pure drama as the RAF mounted
a futile attack on the alien ships, before regrouping to the desert (as in
the movie).
It was great! It used music and sound effects from the movie and was
co-produced by Dean Devlin. It was later released on audio cassette as
ID4UK. I just wish that Dirk Maggs and the "audio movie" team had done a
Godzilla spin off.
Meanwhile Doc, I can't get that bloody Nationwside them out of my head...
--
Jonathan Mock
³Quick to judge, quick to anger, slow to understand
Ignorance and prejudice, and fear, walk hand in hand...²
Sigmund C. Shen
> Shaky footage, complete with cameramans comments audible on
> the soundtrack, showed of a pair of young T-Rex's kept contained in
> isolated woodland on a private estate! The T-rex's were realised through
> dense foam rubber suits, and the grainyness of the film, the
> camera-shake, and the brilliant use of lighting served to make them seem
> un-nervingly lifelike.
i'm intrigued. is this out on video anywhere?
Doctor TOC
>
> i'm intrigued. is this out on video anywhere?
Nope. It came out long before the Beeb got wise to the profitability of
video, and I'd be surprised if they actually still have a copy of it.
What I'd love to see on video is the GHOSTWATCH show they did. Despite
the admittedly poor acting by some of the performers, the faux "live
broadcast" style and the excellent camerawork lent a disturbingly real
feeling to the procedings. Actually very scary stuff.
Unfortunately, it's unlikely ever to be released, due to the contraversy
over the broadcast. The Beeb was very heavily criticised for this,
despite it being advertised as a play in all the listings magazines and
newspapers.
Doctor TOC
>
> Ah, dear old Uncle Frank. Memories of Grandstand and that teleprinter
> (Liverpool 5 Manchester United 0 - yay!).
Heh. Back when I was a ten year old kid waiting for DOCTOR WHO to come
on, that bloody teleprinter used to drive me insane.
>
> It was great! It used music and sound effects from the movie and was
> co-produced by Dean Devlin. It was later released on audio cassette as
> ID4UK. I just wish that Dirk Maggs and the "audio movie" team had done a
> Godzilla spin off.
Yeah, I managed to pick up a copy of ID4UK before I cam out to the US,
and listen to it every so often. Great script.
Memorable quote:
"Either I've got concussion, or that's Patrick Moore enagaged in
fisticuffs with an alien."
"That's not something you see everyday."
(For non-Brit's, Patrick Moore is our demented Astronomer Royal, and a
national treasure)
The "scene" of the reporter on the roof of Broadcasting House,
describing the wave of fire as it consumes London is actually pretty
powerful stuff - if you like the city. Very reminiscent of WotW.
Have to say, a "Godzilla" audio movie would seriously rock.
> Meanwhile Doc, I can't get that bloody Nationwside theme out of my head...
Got a sure fire cure for that matey.
Repeat after me - Aaaah Gaaaa Do do do, push pineapple shake the tree...
Yeah, I know, I'm evil :)
Jonathan Mock
> Jonathan Mock wrote:
> >
> > Ah, dear old Uncle Frank. Memories of Grandstand and that teleprinter
> > (Liverpool 5 Manchester United 0 - yay!).
>
> Heh. Back when I was a ten year old kid waiting for DOCTOR WHO to come
> on, that bloody teleprinter used to drive me insane.
I used to use the telepreinter as a cue to get ready to hide behind the
settee. Ah yes, Grandstand, Doctor Who, Bruse Forstyhe's Generation Game,
All Creature Great and Small - they don;t make Saturday nights like that
anymore. We have Noel's House Party instead...
> > It was great! It used music and sound effects from the movie and was
> > co-produced by Dean Devlin. It was later released on audio cassette as
> > ID4UK. I just wish that Dirk Maggs and the "audio movie" team had done a
> > Godzilla spin off.
>
> Yeah, I managed to pick up a copy of ID4UK before I cam out to the US,
> and listen to it every so often. Great script.
> Memorable quote:
> "Either I've got concussion, or that's Patrick Moore enagaged in
> fisticuffs with an alien."
> "That's not something you see everyday."
> (For non-Brit's, Patrick Moore is our demented Astronomer Royal, and a
> national treasure)
Yeah, that line did make me laugh. The talking Eurofighter was a bit crap
though, but I suspect the ID4UK tape will be a real collectors items in a
few years time.
> The "scene" of the reporter on the roof of Broadcasting House,
> describing the wave of fire as it consumes London is actually pretty
> powerful stuff - if you like the city. Very reminiscent of WotW.
Yeah, I remember having a reality check at the moment. It did sweep you along.
> Have to say, a "Godzilla" audio movie would seriously rock.
It would have been a killer. The should have gotten Dirk Maggs to write the
movie script. His Batman, Superman and Judge Dredd audio movies are cool.
> > Meanwhile Doc, I can't get that bloody Nationwside theme out of my head...
>
> Got a sure fire cure for that matey.
>
> Repeat after me - Aaaah Gaaaa Do do do, push pineapple shake the tree...
>
> Yeah, I know, I'm evil :)
>
> Doctor TOC
> --
> The Reverend Doctor "The Other Chris"
> UIN # 4814586
> URL: http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/wilhelm/148/
The only place I wanna shove that pineapple is Dean Devlins butt.
Besides, "Shud uppa your face".
How's that for evil!