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The Television and Projects Unit of the British Film Institute exists to preserve and re-assess television programming throughout the world. The B.F.I. is a sort of national museum and research centre; a registered charity that exploits the National Film Archive and borrows material from other TV companies to present seasons of programmes down at their viewing cinemas on London's South Bank. Since 1989, every Tuesday evening at the Museum of the Moving Image Cinema has been devoted to three hours of television analysis. March 1996 featured our first contribution - a fascinating insight into the production and development of the Comedy Pilot programme.

Basically, the comedy pilot is a direct descendent of the single play. Since 1960 the growth of the factory-farmed sitcom (short for situation comedy) has led to these plays being produced in shorter, easier to digest forms. Many sitcoms revolve around one or two basic ideas and the length of a play would make the narrative difficult to sustain. However, another good reason for the short length (30 minutes) of many pilots is the problem that a good format on paper may lead to an expensive harsh reality or a gifted stand-up comedian may be unimpressive in a character role... hence the ever-trusty pilot. A pilot provides critical feedback; further creative thought or a desire to wipe the tape quickly. Many pilots remain untransmitted, though as this season was designed to demonstrate, the transmitted versions can be worse than the ones that hide their heads. Through discussion, debate and screenings the four Tuesdays in March attempted to provide an insight into the production and purpose of the humble comedy pilot:

5th March 1996 7.30pm Smooth Touchdowns.

Using extracts from many pilots (over 40 clips), Chris Perry analysed the history and development of the format. This talk which featured clips from Rising Damp, Where's The Fire, Galton and Simpson Playhouse and Steptoe and Son was followed by examples of pilots that became successful series: at the last moment the BBC restricted the use of untransmitted material, so programme notes and verbal description had to suffice in describing the untransmitted Black Adder pilot. The script was partially re-used in the transmitted episode, Born to Be King, and a clip was used from a relevant section. In the untransmitted version, the historical period was different, as was the cast with Tony Robinson absent. The characterisation of Edmund Blackadder was also different and was similar to the character established from Black-Adder II onwards. The untransmitted pilot for Not the Nine O'Clock News was also replaced by the first episode. The evening was completed by a long extract from Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt (Yorkshire, tx:30/09/74). This was the very popular sitcom written by Roy Clarke originally and refined by Alan Plater who went on to the Beiderbecke serials afterwards. The lovable idiot of the title, played by Bill Maynard, spawned an irritating catchphrase - "Magic our Morris" - and a sequel series called simply Selwyn. The evening was a terrific success with a packed house enjoying the diversity of Bill Maynard and Rowan Atkinson. Afterwards, the only complaints were a desire to see all of the Selwyn Froggitt pilot and Chris Perry promised to screen the entire episode at Kaleidoscope's Main Event.

12th March 1996 7.30pm Crash Landings.

Numerous comedy pilots illustrate that a good idea can make a good play, but not always a good series: this evening underwent considerable changes after the BBC and Thames withdrew untransmitted material from the programme. Viewers were treated to Peggy Mount in Just Like Mum; A Place In the Sun (the original pilot to Don't Drink The Water) and the first episode of Rings On Their Fingers. Audience feedback was very favourable, though people did ask to see the David Troughton version of the Rings On Their Fingers pilot which could not be shown.

19th March 1996 7.30pm Grounded!

Never transmitted because they were deemed too unsubstantial or simply out-of-step with current thinking, viewed closely all of these offerings could have spawned successful series: Barbara Windsor and Pauline Quirke featured in Both Ends Meet (ATV/ITV, untx); a 1980 offering about an eastender who finds herself surrounded by new upper-class neighbours. Bob Hoskins played a Welsh convict who was On The Run (LWT/ITV, untx) but Porridge got there first and Windsor Davies cut hair in a Clipjoint (LWT/ITV, untx). A late replacement was added in the shape of Paul Nicholas in The Boys From Ipanema (ATV, untx) after the BBC withdrew permission for use of the Lucien spin-off from The Liver Birds. This evening featured the second highest attendance figures with 73 people laughing at the pilots mainly, as opposed to with them.

26th March 1996 7.30pm Please Fasten Your Seat-Belts and Prepare to Take-Off.

After the chance to view Celador's Wild Oats and the original BBC pilot for The Rag Trade, Chris Perry introduced Ronald Wolfe - successful comedy writer - and Nic Phillips, Executive Producer at Celador. Discussion ranged across the new methods of the ITV Network Centre, how to break into television, how approachable Michael Grade used to be as Head of LWT and why Wild Oats was never made into a series. Nic Phillips revealed that despite an audience of eleven million it was deemed too similar to Home To Roost and dropped by the ITV Network. The public also gained the chance to relive some clips from other Ronald Wolfe comedies including Wild Wild Women, Romany Jones and Meet The Wife. After some questions from the floor, the evening retired to the licensed bar and the chance to re-live the experiences of yesteryear.

The TV Unit of the British Film Institute were very pleased by the audience feedback and box office success of the season. Discussions in the bar afterwards centred around various ideas for seasons Kaleidoscope could provide for TV On The South Bank in the future, the most likely mooted suggestion being Espionage serials. Kaleidoscope for its part were delighted that people enjoyed the season and felt it was educational in content as well as being enjoyable.

Kaleidoscope - The Classic Television Organisation

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