BBC transmission dates of Trek!

[johnnybear]

I recently found the transmission dates of Star Trek on the BBC back in 1969 and what a mixed up bunch of episodes it was! Some second series episodes airing before finishing the first and in some cases third season shows coming on before the end of the first!
My question is this does anyone know what order the BBC screened the series in repeat viewings? I know in one case that Arena was followed by This Side of Paradise in 74 or perhaps 75. I remember most of the transmissions in order from 78 onwards(which was similar to the original broadcasts) or does anyone know where this information might be available! I have checked online and found virtually nothing up till now! Would love to know if there was a site that gave dates for Trek and other sci-fi shows of the time!
JB

 

[Andrew_Kearley]

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk

This will give you complete listings for the BBC. You'll have to do a lot of trawling through, but it'll all be there...

 

[johnnybear]

Thanks, Andy! It looks like it's gonna take forever.....
JB

 

[Sham Mountebank]

Apologies for the slightly hit-and-run nature of this first post but I've just written some articles for my blog which cover this subject. At the moment they only run up to 1976 but if there's any interest I'll carry on.

Star Trek on the BBC

 

[Kinggodzillak]

Thanks for that, really enjoyed reading your articles there. I'd love to see them continue, I find all this stuff strangely fascinating - especially when channels used to take these shows and broadcast them in "throw them up in the air and see where they land" order.

 

[Iamnotspock]

Thanks for that, really enjoyed reading your articles there. I'd love to see them continue, I find all this stuff strangely fascinating - especially when channels used to take these shows and broadcast them in "throw them up in the air and see where they land" order.

Looks like your query's been answered, but the first-run dates are here on Memory Alpha too, FWIW (or is that where you found them to begin with?).

I got into Trek with the TOS re-run on BBC2 between TNG Seasons 3 and 4, in about 1991 or '92 (encouraged by my uncle, who'd watched them the first time around on BBC1), and I recall that run being in the original US order.

 

[Harvey]

Apologies for the slightly hit-and-run nature of this first post but I've just written some articles for my blog which cover this subject. At the moment they only run up to 1976 but if there's any interest I'll carry on.

Star Trek on the BBC

Excellent work. I'll post a short link to your stuff from my blog later this week.

 

[Kinggodzillak]

Thanks for that, really enjoyed reading your articles there. I'd love to see them continue, I find all this stuff strangely fascinating - especially when channels used to take these shows and broadcast them in "throw them up in the air and see where they land" order.

Looks like your query's been answered

My query?

 

[Sham Mountebank]

I'm really pleased to hear those articles have gone down well. Thanks Harvey for the offer of a link, at the risk of sounding like a real creep I've been a fan of your blog for ages and I consider it the gold standard for factual writing about Star Trek.

I'll get Christmas out of the way and then start working on some updates.

 

[johnnybear]

It's great work, Sam! One thing I've noticed from all the research I've done is that the BBC seemed to show Trek in the same order (roughly) as their original 1969 schedule all through right up to the 78-81 repeat run! The odd episode is different but that could be because of a pre-emptive change! I know that Gallileo7 was postponed due to a special on the queen back in 1979! They reverted to the NBC schedule in 1984 and not sure if they went production order in later years or not!
JB

 

[Harvey]

I'm really pleased to hear those articles have gone down well. Thanks Harvey for the offer of a link, at the risk of sounding like a real creep I've been a fan of your blog for ages and I consider it the gold standard for factual writing about Star Trek.

Thanks! Nothing creepy at all, and of course, you're too kind.

I just posted my recommendation, which I hope will drive a few people your way (not the my audience is huge or anything; the original series is somewhat of a niche interest these days, sad to say).

Might I ask, have you done much archival research? I've read that the James Blish papers are in the UK somewhere, although the finding aids online are pretty atrocious. I'd love to know what's there, if you ever have a chance to look (assuming they're at all close by).

 

[Sham Mountebank]

It's great work, Sam! One thing I've noticed from all the research I've done is that the BBC seemed to show Trek in the same order (roughly) as their original 1969 schedule all through right up to the 78-81 repeat run! The odd episode is different but that could be because of a pre-emptive change! I know that Gallileo7 was postponed due to a special on the queen back in 1979! They reverted to the NBC schedule in 1984 and not sure if they went production order in later years or not!
JB

Thanks. I'd love to know what the BBC was thinking of with their broadcast order because it seems to defy all sense. Still the BBC was a law to itself in those days. I remember they used to edit the teaser from before titles to between the titles and the start of act one. Their logic seemed to be that as the BBC wasn't a commercial channel it didn't need to use the tactics of commercial television to hook viewers.

You're right about The Galileo 7, it was due to be broadcast on 5th September 1979 but preempted by coverage of the funeral of Lord Mountbatten when he was killed by an IRA bomb.

I did look ahead at the BBC2 repeats in the early nineties. I think they were in production order, but then the BBC switched back to NBC order for subsequent repeats.

I'm really pleased to hear those articles have gone down well. Thanks Harvey for the offer of a link, at the risk of sounding like a real creep I've been a fan of your blog for ages and I consider it the gold standard for factual writing about Star Trek.

Thanks! Nothing creepy at all, and of course, you're too kind.

I just posted my recommendation, which I hope will drive a few people your way (not the my audience is huge or anything; the original series is somewhat of a niche interest these days, sad to say).

Might I ask, have you done much archival research? I've read that the James Blish papers are in the UK somewhere, although the finding aids online are pretty atrocious. I'd love to know what's there, if you ever have a chance to look (assuming they're at all close by).

Thanks for the link. I've already seen my stats go up, so it's good to know people are reading the articles.

I haven't done much in the way of archival research before. Although I know a few people who have, including a couple who have been into the BBC's Written Archive Centre. That's somewhere I'd love to get in to, and find out what records they keep on Star Trek. It would be really interesting to find out what the BBC ratings were like, and also if there is any reason for the BBC's transmission order. Also, I'd like to try and find out the background to the banning of Miri, The Empath, Whom Gods Destroy, Plato's Stepchildren. I don't think any real detail has ever emerged about the complaints which made the BBC pull the episodes.

The James Blish papers are in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Depending on the trains that's a 1 to 2 hour journey from where I am in London. So it's a bit of a step but not too far. I've got to be honest and say it's less of a priority for me than getting into the Written Archive Centre which I think I'll try next year.

 

[Harvey]

Either way, I'd be interested in hearing what you find.

 

[Kinggodzillak]

I remember they used to edit the teaser from before titles to between the titles and the start of act one. Their logic seemed to be that as the BBC wasn't a commercial channel it didn't need to use the tactics of commercial television to hook viewers.

Which of course led to Return of the Archons committing on-air suicide in the early 80s when the sticky tape between the teaser and act one finally gave out;

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY6H3SXKw6o[/yt]

 

[johnnybear]

Strange I don't seem to remember that happening! and I was taping the soundtracks everyweek in 79 and then videoing them in 84! Could this have been much later? but that picture does look like 80s Trek advertising!
JB

 

[MacLeod]

I remember they used to edit the teaser from before titles to between the titles and the start of act one. Their logic seemed to be that as the BBC wasn't a commercial channel it didn't need to use the tactics of commercial television to hook viewers.

Which of course led to Return of the Archons committing on-air suicide in the early 80s when the sticky tape between the teaser and act one finally gave out;

More likely Blue Peter had swipped all the supplies of it.

 

[Sham Mountebank]

A new article has gone up covering 1977 to 1982.

http://space-doubt.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/star-trek-on-bbc-1977-to-1982.html

 

[Trek Survivor]

A new article has gone up covering 1977 to 1982.

http://space-doubt.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/star-trek-on-bbc-1977-to-1982.html

Great work. We're soon getting to the BBC transmissions where broadcast order begins getting a little more 'normal'....!

 

[johnnybear]

The BBC showed The Savage Curtain as an extra programme on a Saturday morning in 1982! I remember they placed it opposite the Space 1999 episode Death's Other Dominion on LWT if that helps? I missed videoing it and was annoyed for a long time about it but at least they showed it, sort of but no one knew!
JB

 

[Kinggodzillak]

According to this Space:1999 site that would make it October 16th 1982;

http://catacombs.space1999.net/main/pguide/viblwt.html

Great to see these articles back, btw!