davidl@orca.UUCP (David Levine) (02/19/85)
There's been some discussion on both net.tv.drwho and net.news.group suggesting
a new net.tv.bbc for such esoterica as "The Prisoner."
Not that net.tv.bbc would be a bad idea for a group (although, if created,
it should probably swallow up net.tv.drwho). However, I must insist that
net.tv.bbc is completely inappropriate for "The Prisoner." "The Prisoner"
was an AMERICAN series. The only thing it has in common with England
(never mind the BBC) is that Patrick McGoohan was the creator/star, and
he's got an accent. (British? Welsh? Scottish?) The fact that "The
Prisoner" is shown on PBS may confuse certain viewers who believe that
anything that's any good on PBS (or, in fact, on any American network) must
be British.
I also think a net.tv.prisoner would be too limited, and would die a quick
death once the current spate of new "Prisoner" viewers had seen the whole
series.
Therefore I propose net.tv.pbs, for discussion of "The Prisoner," "Nova," PBS
fund drives, "The Nature of Things," "This Old House," etc. I've seen plenty
of discussion of "The Prisoner" and PBS fund drives on net.tv.drwho that would
move over to a net.tv.pbs quite nicely, although maybe not enough to justify an
entire new group.
Followup discussion (if any) in net.news.group, please.
David D. Levine (...decvax!tektronix!orca!davidl) [UUCP]
(orca!davidl.tektronix@csnet-relay.csnet) [ARPA]jiml@pesnta.UUCP (Jim Livingston) (02/23/85)
> There's been some discussion on both net.tv.drwho and net.news.group suggesting > a new net.tv.bbc for such esoterica as "The Prisoner." > > Not that net.tv.bbc would be a bad idea for a group (although, if created, > it should probably swallow up net.tv.drwho). However, I must insist that > net.tv.bbc is completely inappropriate for "The Prisoner." "The Prisoner" > was an AMERICAN series. The only thing it has in common with England > (never mind the BBC) is that Patrick McGoohan was the creator/star, and > he's got an accent. (British? Welsh? Scottish?) The fact that "The > Prisoner" is shown on PBS may confuse certain viewers who believe that > anything that's any good on PBS (or, in fact, on any American network) must > be British. > > I also think a net.tv.prisoner would be too limited, and would die a quick > death once the current spate of new "Prisoner" viewers had seen the whole > series. > > Therefore I propose net.tv.pbs, for discussion of "The Prisoner," "Nova," PBS > fund drives, "The Nature of Things," "This Old House," etc. I've seen plenty > of discussion of "The Prisoner" and PBS fund drives on net.tv.drwho that would > move over to a net.tv.pbs quite nicely, although maybe not enough to justify an > entire new group. > > Followup discussion (if any) in net.news.group, please. > > David D. Levine (...decvax!tektronix!orca!davidl) [UUCP] > (orca!davidl.tektronix@csnet-relay.csnet) [ARPA] *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** I think net.tv.pbs is an excellent idea. I watch pbs AND commercial tv but I don't subscribe to net.tv. net.tv.pbs is simply more logical than net.tv.prisoner or whatever.
msc@saber.UUCP (Mark Callow) (02/23/85)
> There's been some discussion on both net.tv.drwho and net.news.group suggesting > a new net.tv.bbc for such esoterica as "The Prisoner." > > However, I must insist that > net.tv.bbc is completely inappropriate for "The Prisoner." "The Prisoner" > was an AMERICAN series. The only thing it has in common with England > (never mind the BBC) is that Patrick McGoohan was the creator/star, and > he's got an accent. (British? Welsh? Scottish?) You're right that net.tv.bbc is inappropriate for "Prisoner" discussions. It was originally broadcast on commercial tv in England, i.e. by the ITV network. It has never been broadcast by the BBC. However it is most definitely not an American series. It was made in Britain by an independent British producer of TV series and films (ITC, I think, but my reference material is at home) and sold to ITV and also to one of the US networks. There were some differences between the versions shown in the UK and US. The first episode especially was different. Patrick McGoohan is Irish. The Prisoner followed on directly from the series Dangerman, known here as "Secret Agent". -- From the TARDIS of Mark Callow msc@saber.UUCP, saber!msc@decwrl.ARPA ...{decvax,ucbvax}!decwrl!saber!msc, ...{amd,ihnp4,ittvax}!saber!msc