Underplayed Gems

Before the Fringe (1967)

Before the Fringe poster
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The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this series is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

This BBC series presented a selection of comedy sketches from British revue theater before the 1960s. It featured veteran performers known for this gentler style of variety entertainment.

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What happens

Before the Fringe was a BBC television series which ran for two series on BBC2 in 1967. The first series ran for eight episodes between 30 January and 20 March 1967. The second series of six episodes ran between 18 September and 23 October 1967. Alan Melville was the guiding light behind this series which attempted to showcase on television some of the best aspects of pre-Before the Fringe revue. Before the 1960s Cambridge Footlights graduates took it by storm, the medium had been a much more gentler, broader affair. These two series of sketches were made up by performers who had been veterans of such shows. They included: Alan Melville (all programmes) Joan Sims (seven programmes) Ronnie Barker (six programmes) Dora Bryan (five programmes) Beryl Reid (four programmes) Douglas Byng (four programmes) Hermione Baddeley (four programmes) Hugh Paddick (three programmes) Dilys Laye (three programmes) Hermione Gingold (two programmes) Cicely Courtneidge (two programmes) Betty Marsden (two programmes) Eunice Gayson (two programmes) Various guest stars were featured, including Robert Dorning, Stanley Holloway, Thora Hird, Brenda Bruce, Wilfrid Brambell, Dame Edith Evans, Bud Flanagan, Peter Jones, Patrick Cargill and Barbara Windsor. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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