Kaleidoscope Raiders of the Lost Archives list 2009 – 2010

CLASSIC TV organisation Kaleidoscope has revealed its annual Raiders of the Lost Archives list for 2009 – 2010, detailing all the missing material located in the last 12 months by the group along with the BBC, ITV, BFI and missing episode hunters.

Particularly notable on this year’s list is the Library of Congress finds, where over 60 long-lost British dramas dating beween the late fifties and early seventies were discovered sitting in an American archive. The assortment of plays and adaptations boast a who’s who of acting talent including Sean Connery, David McCallum, Charles Gray, Susannah York, Patrick Macnee, William Gaunt, Norman Rossington, Ron Moody, Derek Jacobi, Maggie Smith, Ronald Pickup, Nerys Hughes, Patricia Routledge, David Hemmings, Kevin Stoney, Hywel Bennett, Thora Hird, John Gielgud, Michael Gambon, Hugh Paddick, Robert Hardy, Peggy Ashcroft, Leonard Rossiter, John Le Mesurier, Patrick Stewart, Brian Rawlinson, Michael Gough, Bernard Horsfall, Michael Hordern, Patrick Troughton, Jeremy Brett, Patrick Wymark, Bernard Cribbins, Betty Marsden, Edward De Souza, Patsy Rowlands, Gerald Flood, Donald Wolfit, Philip Madoc, Geoffrey Bayldon, Frank Finlay, Henry McGee,  Jane Asher and Graham Crowden.

Also on the list are classic comedy shows starring Benny Hill, Dick Emery, Frankie Howerd, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, the Monty Python team, The Goodies, Marty Feldman, Bob Monkhouse, Denis Goodwin, Ronnie Barker, Willie Rushton, Frank Muir, Denis Norden, Alan Bennett and Hattie Jacques; serial dramas such as No Hiding Place and The Troubleshooters; light entertainment including The Rolf Harris Show; music from The Hollies, Cliff Richard and the Shadows, Showaddywaddy, The Arrows and Guys n Dolls; and children’s programmes by animator Oliver Postgate and the Smallfilms studio, including Ivor the Engine.

Last but not least, the list reveals some good progress in the BSB recoveries campaign of Ian Greaves, including episodes of The Happening, I Love Keith Allen and Up Yer News.

Speaking about the impressive list, Kaleidoscope’s Chris Perry said: “It’s been a great year for recoveries all round and goes to show there’s still more out there to find.”

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Arrows Find Has Pop Fans A-Quiver

MISSING episodes enthusiast Ray Langstone has found more missing TV footage, weeks after discovering a lost BBC arts film.

This time he has discovered two missing performances from Top of the Pops, both featuring ’70s pop band The Arrows.

The first clip features the American – English three-piece playing their hit single My Last Night With You (tx 13/2/75), while the second is a specially shot promo film for A Touch Too Much screened on TOTP on 13/6/74.

Ray, who recently found a missing insert from BBC programme Late Night Line-Up, discovered the clips on video-sharing website YouTube.

Classic TV organisation Kaleidoscope were notified and put in touch with the poster, who has since returned DVD copies of the footage to the BBC.

Ray said: “I have decided to try to contact posters of missing footage available on YouTube directly, asking them if they would either consider returning their footage to the archive holder, be it the BBC or whoever, send their footage to Kaleidoscope, or send any copies of films to me, and I will forward it on as they wish.

“I have contact five or six posters, and there are already tangible results from this!”

My Last Night With You peaked at No. 25 in the charts in February 1974. The returned clip comes from an insert tape screened during the 27/2/75 TOTP.

The colour footage is time-coded and features a ‘blink-and-you’ll-miss-it’ shot of DJ Dave Lee Travis introducing the song first time round.

A Touch Too Much was the first hit for The Arrows and made the Top 10 in 1974, reaching No. 8.

The promo was commissioned by record producer Mickie Most, who released the song through his label, RAK Records.

It was produced and directed by Mike Mansfield and aired (originally sans “swirling kaleidoscope” F/X) while The Arrows were on tour in Europe, therefore being unable to make the TOTP studio.

The Arrows included singer/bassist Alan Merrill, guitarist Jake Hooker and drummer Paul Varley.

Formed in London in 1974, the group released six singles (including the original version of I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll) and made two series of The Arrows Show for Granada (1976-7) before disbanding in 1977.