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Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 5h

Am I imagining it, or is this a collage? The hair looks cut out. Could just be due to the tinting, I suppose. Incidentally, that cash register behind the bar is a National model, possibly a 349 or similar.

The "Kirstie Alley" pic from the Cheers title sequence, grabbed just before the name appears, greyscaled.

Image from an auction site listing for a National Cash Register model 349.

Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 13h

Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 17h

(straying from the PIF, I know)

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Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 17h

"Charlie says, don't play with poison"

Reposted by Paul Rhodes

Graeme Swanson @swansonian.bsky.social · 18h

Yesterday my etsy shop had preciously one view. (And i think that was probably me) If you like my stuff please repost. An eccentric millionaire with lots of empty wall space could be scrolling your timeline right now. marswasrubbish.etsy.com/listing/1579...

One of my prints “And now we’ll abseil down the other side” Shows a mountain that’s actually a monster with abseilers on top of it.

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Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 18h

Collins student edition of Hamlet...

Product Safety Warning : Do not use near overhead power lines

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Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 22h

Phew!

Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 1d

(calculatora is actually the correct plural of calculator, look it up if you don't believe me)

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Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 1d

I just remembered flash cubes. Dunno why. It'll probably be deely boppers next, or programmable calculatora, or using the azimuth adjustment screw or something.

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Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 1d

And DISS 4111 of course

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Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 1d

Me+wife (various)
Parents before PhONEday
" " after PhONEday
Grandparents when it was 5 digits
" " after it gained an extra zero
" " after PhONEday
Other grandmother 01.. then 081... then 0181... then 0208...
Vicarage that had almost the same number as the station taxi firm
The station taxi firm

Eddie Robson @eddierobson.bsky.social · 1d

- Mine (mobile and landline)
- My wife's
- My parents' (and their old one)
- My hairdresser
- Lombard Direct ("free on 0800 2 15000 - 24 hours a day!")
- And Going Live/Live & Kicking obvs

Sam Whyte @samwhyte.bsky.social · 1d

- Mine
- My dead grandparents' landline
- My dead parents' landline
- My dead dad's mobile
- My best friend's mobile
- Live & Kicking

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Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 1d

Answer now in the original thread (spoiler: not even close to 18m, even for the repeat)

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Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 1d

Our TV aerial came off in the wind and we didn't even notice until a neighbour pointed it out. But we still watch quite a bit.

Thanks for the figures!

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Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 1d

Indeed! I suppose it doesn't really undermine the point in the Guardian piece that live viewing figures are much lower now (but then, iPlayer figures were much, much lower in 1977), but still a bit unfortunate it picked such a wildly inaccurate figure.

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Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 1d

(and in that particular interview quote he said 16, but perhaps he further misremembered his misremembering later!)

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Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 1d

I think he must just have got the wrong number, as the quote was about how the repeat had done much better due to strike etc etc.

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Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 1d

Ah, perhaps @dreamcargoes.bsky.social would be better placed to know!

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Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 1d

In 1977, JICTAR had Benny Hill topping the chart with 15.75m. Play for Today didn't make the top 10, placing it under 13.3m. But with average ratings for PfT about half that, seems unlikely it was even close. Probably this would help, but... www.euppublishing.com/doi/full/10....

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Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 1d

(Also it was at 10:20pm but I suppose that's not the point!)

Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 1d

And it wasn't in 1977. It was a later repeat - of a programme already hailed as brilliant - during an ITV strike - that reportedly got 16 million.

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Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 1d

Although sometimes it would seem more like Waiting for Godot.

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Paul Rhodes @parhodes.bsky.social · 1d

Easy, a standby drama ready to fire up for a few minutes as required. "I'm closing the bureau.... for as long as the next scene takes!"

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Reposted by Paul Rhodes

Alice Roberts @profaliceroberts.bsky.social · 2d

I’m sure they didn’t mean to eliminate the woman in this image.

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Reposted by Paul Rhodes

Nigel Auchterlounie @n-auchterlounie.bsky.social · 15d

It's Bluesky so I would like to now talk to you, with authority, about something I know nothing about.

TV production.
UK TV can't afford to make TV (see article) so...

Here's a still from Blake's 7 series 4 ep9 "Sand"
Isn't it terrible. So unconvincing.
TV is so much better now...

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Reposted by Paul Rhodes

Andrew Orton @andreworton.bsky.social · 2d

The death of multi-camera TV: a thread. I know most of you will know the technical parts of this (and may have read it in the other place) but bear with me. 1/ 🧵

A shot from the studio rehearsal of Doctor Who: The Daleks' Master Plan episode 'Volcano', showing several actors ont he TARDIS set, with various video cameras around the scene.

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