Older British tv shows(Doctor Who is a perfect example)always shot with film outside and video inside, or at least that's how it looks. What was the reason for this? It's just something that I've always been curious about.
From what I've heard, there was 2 main reasons. 1. it was easier to edit film than it was video, so when they were on location using film would make it easier to edit back in to the show. And 2. film cameras were easily usable in the outdoors where as video cameras that were were more expensive.
TV Cameras were huge back then. Getting them out in the field wasn't really appropriate. It wasnt until season 23 that they became mainstream video right the way through.
It was being done as recently as the '90s, at least, though, if not later. I guess maybe it's just one of those differences between Britain and America, like football, boot, as well, hospital, etc.
Football was covered by TV cameras from early on. I still remember the enormous BBC TV OB cameras at footie matches (even in black and white!).
I was actually referring to the difference in the terminology. Americans call it soccer, the British call it football, Americans say in the hospital, British say in hospital, etc.
One Foot in the Grave is one of the last shows I can remember still using film only for outside shots, right up till about 1995 or so. By the time the last series aired in 2000, I *think* they had switched to all video, I'd be surprised if they hadn't anyway.
there was a Monty Python bit where a group of people were in a house (shot in the studio on video) and when one of them went out the door, they were outside on film, he went back inside (on video at the studio) and said "we're surrounded by film!"
Just one Classic Doctor Who story was done entirely on film. Pertwee's first - Spearhead from Space and that's purely a fluke. The studio workers were on strike at the time. Few BBC shows were done on film, while the commerically run stations had the more expensive looking ones - The Avengers (Emma Peel onwards), The Sweeney, The Professionals and so on, all done on film 16mm or even true filmic 35mm. Like US TV, those were partially paid for by advertising. While the BBC was/is public sector, paid for by TV licence payers only and were on a strict budget.