Underplayed Gems

The Book Tower (1979)

The Book Tower poster
Original title
Fightland
Genre
crime, drama
Country
United Kingdom
Length
11 seasons, 87 episodes
Elsewhere
IMDb
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

A British children's series from the late 1970s and 1980s where presenters introduced books through dramatic readings and sketches. Each episode aimed to spark kids' interest in reading by bringing stories to life on screen.

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What happens

The Book Tower is a British television series for children, produced by Yorkshire Television, that ran for 11 series from 3 January 1979 to 16 May 1989. Initially presented by Doctor Who star Tom Baker (1979–81), each episode explored one or more books, using dramatic presentations, with the aim of getting children interested in reading. Later presenters included Stephen Moore (1982–83), Alun Armstrong (1984), Neil Innes (1985), Roger McGough (1986), and Bernard Bresslaw (1987). In 1988, each episode featured a different presenter, including Victoria Wood, Nick Wilton, Margi Clarke, Wincey Willis, and Timmy Mallett. The theme tune, based on Paganini's 24th Caprice, was taken from Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1978 album Variations. The opening title sequence of the original TV series showed exterior shots of Sudbury Hall in Derbyshire, with the domed central cupola featured as the titular tower. Since its original screening, the show has not been released on VHS, DVD, or any form of streaming media. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.