1970s NEW FACES custard pie

[ralph]

Did anyone else catch the custard pie hit from the 1970s New Faces clips shown on BBC2 last night in The Funny Side of...: TV Talent ? Was by a "comedy impressions band" called Yakity Yak but no idea as to who the female stooge was. Ahhh, the good old days of UK Talent shows ... when all you had to do to get to the final was a half decent impression of Elvis or Norman Wisdom and no-one cared if your Granny had just died !!!

Frame grabs below and it is currently on iPlayer (pie hit is about 13:45 into the show)

nf-all.JPG (263.02 KiB) Viewed 7085 times

[BillShipton]

Yes, I saw this. It was a terrible clip show with weak links by Clive Anderson. The ITV versions of the same idea have been much better, but it was good to see some of the older clips (though not nearly enough of them).

When I did my work experience at ATV back in 1975, I used to watch them make New Faces from the director's gallery which I loved. I even 'won' one rehearsal - ie somebody had to pretend to win and walk down the rostrum to applause to rehearse camera angles (normally the floor manager cos they couldn't allow any of the real contestants to do it in case it seemed like some sort of fix, but just once it was me!). There was a lot more swearing from the judges in rehearsals!

I didn't remember Yakkity Yak or the pie, which is odd cos I remember most 70s slapstick moments. It was a reasonable pie too which is unusual for that sort of act (usually they are small and left too long under the lights so all fluffy). Show bands like this (such as the Black Abbotts where Russ Abbott started) were everywhere then. Bring back cabaret! Two turns and chicken-in-a-basket for a tenner!

Sorry, nearly time for Matron to bring the medication round...

[ClownJulie]

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[ClownJulie]

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[Richard]

Is this the same Christine Holmes?

FROM 'The Stage'

"Holmes faces further lawsuits after court defeat
Published Tuesday 27 July 2004 at 13:05

Christine Holmes, the drama school head who has been successfully sued by an ex-student for breach of contract, is now facing a barrage of similar claims from similarly disappointed former clients.

The angry group has been spurred into action by the success of one ex-student legal action against the Christine Holmes Academy of Performing and Recording Arts. Veronica Kirby, aged 22, of Waterlooville, Hampshire, sued the school in Maudes Meaburn, Cumbria, for breach of contract and was awarded £33,680, plus costs.

Kirby claimed Holmes offered her a one-year singing diploma course with international masterclasses, a recognised qualification and one-to-one tuition. However, Lancaster County Court heard the CHAPRA ‘masterclasses’ were attended by beginners, singing lessons were just group warm-ups and pupils had no sheet music.

The court heard Holmes’ professional advice included “wear more make-up” and “lose weight”, while the course was described as a “chaotic shambles”.

Some of those whose children attended the academy were present in court and are now speaking to lawyers about their chances to sue.

Speaking after the county court hearing, mother Jocelyn Sheridan of Didcot, Oxfordshire, whose 22-year-old daughter Natasha was Kirby’s classmate, said: “I am taking this further. Absolutely. My God, there will be a lot [doing the same].”

Wendy Edwards of Landford, Wiltshire, whose 23-year-old son Ross also attended the academy, said she would sue if she could get legal aid.

But it is not only parents who are in consultation with legal teams. Former student Erica Thornton, aged 22, said she had already spoken to a solicitor about taking action. She was also set to scrub out any mention of CHAPRA from her CV. Thornton attended court, as did Sheridan, where they heard the case against the would-be star-maker.

Ex-student representative Alex Watson, aged 25, of Surfleet, Lincolnshire, told the court: “I remember asking questions in class, to be asked ‘are you on your period?’.”

Watson, now a PR in London, described a culture of fear in which younger students were too intimidated to complain. She said parts of the course were “appalling” and criticised Holmes’ teaching.

“She just made it up as she went along. It was so clear. Her lessons didn’t progress - just warm-ups which were the same every day,” she said, adding that the singing standard as “below any amateur choir I’ve ever sung in”.

Dance tuition also drew flak from Watson, who said: “I learned more off the other pupils after dance lessons than I did in the lessons.” The drama lessons went downhill, Watson told the court, when the respected teacher George Roman was replaced by a local magician.

Kirby, who has since completed a course at Italia Conti, described to the court Holmes’ reaction when she told her she was leaving.

“She got very angry and called me a loser. I wanted to leave and she tried to stop me and ran after me shouting,” she said.

The court heard that the diploma Kirby hoped would open the door to a performing career was simply “the word ‘diploma’ on a piece of paper”.

In court, Holmes denied the course was badly organised, said she told all students the course was not accredited and described the course as “organic” and “unique”.

Some students have since defended Holmes. 17-year-old Christina Tomlin of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, said the course was a “bargain”. Tomlin, who is currently half-way through a two-year course at CHAPRA, added: “She’s the most generous woman I’ve ever met. I’m so grateful I went to the academy.”

Holmes, who has run the £9,750-a-year school since September 2000, was unavailable for comment."

[BillShipton]

If it is, she should be pied again as punishment.

By the way, Who Do You Do? was made by LWT not ATV, and I am glad my memory wasn't playing up (for once).

Bill

[osbaldeston]

Think this is being repeated tonight at 10.40 on BBC2 if anyone wants to capture it for posterity......

[BillShipton]

Who Do You Do? would make a great compilation DVD (if it doesn't already exist). A celebration of 70s impressionists works for me! And a wealth of Freddie Starr material from when he was at the top of his game. But that might just be me...

[Hayley]

Oh God! Don't get Bill on impressions, he'll start doing his!

I sort of remember the later series of Who Do You Do? but am keen to see more of Freddie Starr at his peak. He had that dangerous look about him that I love and I know he did a couple of messy sketches with women. Are they on Youtube?

[muckypup]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00m0s4z/The_Funny_Side_of..._TV_Talent/ if anyone can't find it on iPlayer.

[ClownJulie]

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