The Burke Special

Last updated

The Burke Special is a TV series broadcast on BBC1 in the United Kingdom from 15 June 1972 to 13 May 1976.

Contents

The host was James Burke. The show had a "circus" format, with Burke on a radio microphone walking around interacting with a studio audience that surrounded him on three sides.

The editor for all episodes was Michael Blakstad. Producers were John M. Mansfield and Martin Freeth.

Series One

15 June 1972 to 27 July 1972 (7 episodes of 30 mins each).

Series Two

8 March 1973 to 19 April 1973 (7 episodes of 30 mins each) at 8.30 pm to 9 pm on BBC1.

Thursday 8 March 1973
"Every minute of the day things are happening that will, sooner or later, change our lives. They're like parts of a jigsaw.
It's only when the picture comes together that you know if you like it or not.
It used to be you could afford to wait and see. Not anymore. Tomorrow comes too fast. That's why this programme puts the picture together ahead of time."

James Burke starred on the front cover of the Radio Times and had his futurologist cover story on page 6.

Series Three

21 June 1973 to 26 July 1973 (6 episodes of 30 mins each).

90-minute Burke Special - 3 August 1973

Series Four

21 March 1974 to 6 June 1974, excluding 2 May 1974 (10 episodes of 30 mins each).

Series Five

8 April 1976 to 13 May 1976 (6 episodes of 30 mins each) at 8.30 pm to 9 pm on BBC1.

Archive status

With the exception of Series Five, which reportedly exists complete, almost none of the programmes has been retained. [1]

Related Research Articles

James Burke (science historian) British broadcaster, science historian, author, and television producer

James Burke is a British broadcaster, science historian, author, and television producer. He was one of the main presenters of the BBC1 science series Tomorrow's World from 1965 to 1971 and created and presented the television series Connections (1978), and its more philosophical sequel The Day the Universe Changed (1985), about the history of science and technology. The Washington Post has called him "one of the most intriguing minds in the Western world".

My Music was a radio panel show which premiered on the BBC Home Service on 3 January 1967. It was a companion programme to My Word!, and like that show featured comic writers Denis Norden and Frank Muir. The show was last recorded in November 1993 and broadcast in January 1994, then rebroadcast until 2011. It was also broadcast via the BBC World Service. There was also a television version on BBC2 which ran for seven series between 1977 and 1983.

Clodagh Rodgers is a retired singer and actress from Northern Ireland, best known for her hit singles including "Come Back and Shake Me", "Goodnight Midnight", and "Jack in the Box".

Valerie Singleton is an English television and radio presenter best known as a regular presenter of the popular children's series Blue Peter from 1962 to 1972. She also presented the BBC Radio 4 PM programme for ten years as well as a series of radio and television programmes on financial and business issues including the BBC's Money Programme from 1980 to 1988.

Hello Cheeky is a comedy series starring Barry Cryer, John Junkin and Tim Brooke-Taylor, broadcast on BBC Radio 2 between 1973 and 1979, and also broadcast on television - on the ITV network - in 1976. The format was short comedy sketches, often as short as one line, with occasional longer sketches.

June Brown English actress (1927–2022)

June Muriel Brown was an English actress and author. She was best known for her role as Dot Cotton on the BBC soap opera EastEnders. In 2005, she won Best Actress at the Inside Soap Awards and received the Lifetime Achievement award at the British Soap Awards. Brown was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours for services to drama and to charity, and promoted OBE in the 2022 New Year Honours. In 2009, she was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress, making her the second performer to receive a BAFTA nomination for their work in a soap opera, after Jean Alexander. In February 2020 she announced that she had left EastEnders permanently, at the age of 93.

This is a list of British television-related events in 1976.

Springbok Radio was a South African nationwide radio station that operated from 1950 to 1986.

<i>Sez Les</i>

Sez Les is a British sketch comedy show that starred Les Dawson. It was produced by Yorkshire Television, and aired on ITV from 1969 to 1976. Les Dawson and Roy Barraclough regularly performed together as the characters Cissie and Ada. John Cleese appeared in a few sketches in series 3 and appeared regularly in series 8 and 9. Other cast members included Norman Chappell, Brian Glover, Brian Murphy, and Kathy Staff. Music for series 1-5 and 7-8 was provided by Syd Lawrence and his orchestra.

This is a list of British television related events from 1985.

This is a list of British television related events from 1978.

This is a list of British television related events from 1977.

This is a list of British television related events from 1975.

This is a list of British television related events from 1974.

This is a list of British television related events from 1973.

This is a list of British television related events from 1972.

This is a list of British television related events from 1970.

<i>The Beatles Tapes from the David Wigg Interviews</i> 1976 live album spoken word by the Beatles

The Beatles Tapes from the David Wigg Interviews is an audio album of interviews with each of the four members of the Beatles: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. British journalist David Wigg interviewed the individual Beatles at various points from December 1968 or January 1969 to December 1973, and excerpts from some of these recordings constitute the album's spoken words. Although he was a columnist for the London newspaper The Evening News, most of the interviews were recorded for the BBC Radio 1 series Scene and Heard. Interspersed among the interview excerpts are instrumental performances of Beatles songs played by other musicians. The Beatles tried to prevent the album's publication, but it was released in the United Kingdom on 30 July 1976 under the Polydor label and in the United States in 1978.

The Official Chart is a long-running United Kingdom music chart programme, airing each Friday afternoon on BBC Radio 1. It airs the UK Singles Chart compiled by the Official Charts Company, and is currently hosted by Scott Mills.

References

  1. "The Burke Special". Lost Shows. Retrieved 28 March 2019.