Random musings and general banter.

[PhædrusR]

Down the labour exchange!

"Labour Exchange"

Lol, how old are you?!

Is it still now called the Jobcentre+ or is it now a "Human resources reallocation facility"?!

 

[Jazzydrury]

"Labour Exchange"

Lol, how old are you?!

Is it still now called the Jobcentre+ or is it now a "Human resources reallocation facility"?!

they still exist, must admit I had to do a internet search

 

[SeterPimon]

Juilan Balayntyne and Debbie Greenwood also started a Craft Channel if I remember but It went under and suppliers lost a lot of money

There was The Craft Channel (from the old Price Drop studio), followed by the very short-lived Shopping Nation from the same location.

 

[merryone]

"Labour Exchange"

Lol, how old are you?!

Is it still now called the Jobcentre+ or is it now a "Human resources reallocation facility"?!

To be fair, this term is well before my time but I put it there for comic effect. It was the jobcentre in my day too!

 

[PhædrusR]

View attachment 26019

 

[PhædrusR]

Maybe it's out their league, and if no Sports Direct/House of Fraser TV resurrection, but one place the former IW watch floggers/sellers/presenters could go is V-Channel, which is on Sky, Roku & online.

V-Channel

https://www.myvchannel.com/

Roku

Roku provides the simplest way to stream entertainment to your TV. On your terms. With thousands of available channels to choose from.

channelstore.roku.com

But afaik they sell real, proper medium to higher-end watches, e.g. Seiko, Bulova, Carrera, etc. Seem to be a USA channel, but have seen UK presenters, maybe a UK/USA-based hybrid?

I occasionally watch V-Channel on my Roku box for the watch channel, (never bought anything though) and has a music video channel with lesser-known acts, but sometimes surprisingly good tracks!

V-Channel selling Citizen, Seiko, and other better watches, etc.

 

[PhædrusR]

Jobcentre then became JobCentre Plus ! +

Mention of another, TVWarehouse made me wonder if there was a list of all telly shopping channels.

Ask Wiki and ye shall find. Past & Present:

Category:Shopping networks in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

4years out of date. Any others, edit the wiki...

Can you see any IW presenters moving to any of the existing ones? Perhaps some of the jewellery channels, Gems TV, etc ?

 

[Deleted member 17635]

Does Our Bet exist or did he make her up

Dean and Joe I think will become regulars on C&C again, so that’s them with work

what do you all reckon there resident cooks will do now will they appear on other shopping channels, or will they have to train to become Chefs

Our Bet is to Peter what Slack Alice was to Larry Grayson. She is, let's say, 'an enigma'!

 

[Deleted member 17635]

Yes, agreed. Also an Alan Bennett-type talking heads monologue of a faded star remembering their glory years would be good.

Well there have been a few works like that. Of formerly big stars on hard times. And isn't Sunset Boulevard, Norma Desmond, in a similar vein?

Closer to UK has-beens, saw a film with Julian Barratt (Mighty Boosh) called Mindhorn, playing a has-been actor from 80s, with exactly the home posters, scrapbooks of his former highlights at his flat. Has to reinstate his character and associations to assist in capturing a nutter who thinks his character was real.
Check it out:

Mindhorn - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Thanks for the nod to 'Mindhorn.' I'll be investigating this!

 

[Jazzydrury]

Does anybody remember when Argos had a channel, that is one I’m surprised didnt work, as didn’t it have the full catalogue and If I remember you paid for next day, which could have been quicker than going to a store

 

[MrMarple]

Does anybody remember when Argos had a channel, that is one I’m surprised didnt work, as didn’t it have the full catalogue and If I remember you paid for next day, which could have been quicker than going to a store

Yes, I was surprised that it closed at quick as it did too.
One of the presenters (Sam I think) came second to Craig Rowe on Q's presenter competition and they did continue to use her as a guest for a footwear brand for a while IIRC, but she then left to go to Argos. I wonder if she regrets it?
I liked her, I thought she was a lot better than Craig to be honest.

 

[Muttley]

When I was catching up the hundreds of messages the other day, somebody said that there was a comedy on BBC Sounds called Buy Me Up, a send up of shopping telly, sorry can't remember who said it on here.

There's 2 episodes plus a pilot. They're not available for long, the pilot expires in 12 days. I heard the pilot and it was hilarious! Selling absolute tat and the presenters are ghastly. Will hear the rest this weeknd.

 

[PhædrusR]

Thanks for the nod to 'Mindhorn.' I'll be investigating this!

It's a relatively low-budget British comedy-adventure-romance, (Coogan & other cameos produced it) and not great or particularly funny I seem to remember seeing a few years ago originally on TV.
But it employed some of the tropes mentioned.

 

[merryone]

When I was catching up the hundreds of messages the other day, somebody said that there was a comedy on BBC Sounds called Buy Me Up, a send up of shopping telly, sorry can't remember who said it on here.

There's 2 episodes plus a pilot. They're not available for long, the pilot expires in 12 days. I heard the pilot and it was hilarious! Selling absolute tat and the presenters are ghastly. Will hear the rest this weeknd.

I actually got an email many years ago offering me free tickets to go and see this show being recorded at the bbc. We went and it was hilarious, so if you do get to hear it then some of the laughter will be mine! I remember the line "turn your vegetables into a fine mist" and that they were selling Robert Mugabe tea towels. Well worth a listen! Eamon Holmes also made an appearance on it, obviously this was a long time before his wife got involved lol! Doubt whether he'd get away with doing it now!

 

[PhædrusR]

When I was catching up the hundreds of messages the other day, somebody said that there was a comedy on BBC Sounds called Buy Me Up, a send up of shopping telly, sorry can't remember who said it on here.

There's 2 episodes plus a pilot. They're not available for long, the pilot expires in 12 days. I heard the pilot and it was hilarious! Selling absolute tat and the presenters are ghastly. Will hear the rest this weeknd.

Thanks for that, I'll see if I can download for later on Sounds before they expire.

Also didn't Radio Active, another BBC R4n comedy feature shopping segment pastiches sometimes too?

 

[Muttley]

I actually got an email many years ago offering me free tickets to go and see this show being recorded at the bbc. We went and it was hilarious, so if you do get to hear it then some of the laughter will be mine! I remember the line "turn your vegetables into a fine mist" and that they were selling Robert Mugabe tea towels. Well worth a listen! Eamon Holmes also made an appearance on it, obviously this was a long time before his wife got involved lol! Doubt whether he'd get away with doing it now!

Fantastic, lucky you! I love the 'Robert Mugabe tea towels'.

Eamon Holmes is in the next episode, as you say it wouldn't happen now! And Ruth Madoc the one after that. Only 3 episodes there.

 

[PhædrusR]

I actually got an email many years ago offering me free tickets to go and see this show being recorded at the bbc. We went and it was hilarious, so if you do get to hear it then some of the laughter will be mine! ...

Was it at the Paris studios, near Broadcasting House? Been to a few radio recordings there.

 

[PhædrusR]

Our Bet is to Peter what Slack Alice was to Larry Grayson. She is, let's say, 'an enigma'!

And what about 'Everard' ?

PS seems to have ripped-off much of Larry's act.

If nothing else, Panto beckons, surely.

 

[merryone]

Was it at the Paris studios, near Broadcasting House? Been to a few radio recordings there.

If I'm remembering right it was actually broadcasting house itself.

 

[Jazzydrury]

And what about 'Everard' ?

PS seems to have ripped-off much of Larry's act.

If nothing else, Panto beckons, surely.

If he did, we need to book a load of tickets and go as a group, to heckle him