BRITISH CALENDAR AND CALANDAR This section provides the background to these long running television series for the Overseas Information Service. The detailed information about the programs that were produced is very incomplete because of poor record keeping on the part of COI. If any viewer has any further information that can be added to this account please make contact using their our email address that can be found on the Navigation Bar . In the late 1950’s Topicthe experiment with the reporter led 13 part series had been an expensive and time consuming series to produce. The experience with the reporters had not been a totally happy one. Following some discussion between British Information Services New York (BIS) and Film Division it was decided to produce a new series of programs calledBritish Calendar in a very different format. Each program would consist of 4-6 items with a voice-over commentary. In effect they were an extended newsreel in a style familiar to audiences in the USA and elsewhere since it had its roots in cinema newsreels. Another advantage of the format was that the narrated ‘voice-over’ presentation could be in any number of languages thus providing the possibility of a world-wide distribution rather than one simply for the USA. The first editions of this new series arrived in New York late in 1959. Part of the agreement by New York for this replacement of Topic was that while finished distribution copies of British Calendar for Canada, Australia and elsewhere were produced in London, the British Calendar editionfor USA distribution was fine edited, written and voiced by Americans in New York, It is worth remembering that in 1959 spoken UK English was not easily accepted on television in the USA. Effectively BIS New York became the producer for the new British Calendar series. John Hall then Head of Television Production at BIS arranged a contract with a production company in New York run by one, Fritz Kahlenberg to provide the production facilities, including a script writer, which he supervised, thus giving BIS complete control of the finished program. Taken at a fairly fast pace, written and voiced in an American idiom,British Calendarwas easy to market, albeit that the market took time to build. BIS New York had a marketing section, headed by an energetic lady, DvoraMichelson, that operated in concert with staff in the British Consulates across the USA. Dvora Michelson also acted as liaison with any television stations who were seeking advice and assistance when shooting their own programs in the UK. She had, through this connection, become well known and was well liked by many television stations. In November 1960 John Hall after a two year spell with BIS New York joined COI Film Division as a Producer/Director to work on British Calendar. The program relied a good deal on the output of Movietone News though stories were often re-edited into different and longer versions for British Calendar. However there were a number of items that were specially shot and directed by Hall who also supervised the editing, the writing and recording. Thus the program was a mix of Movietone material and Film Division initiated items. The role of Film Division was to ensure that the content met the overall information objectives of the OIS and BIS New York while, at the same time being a lively and entertaining television program. Broadly the information objectives were to paint a picture of Britain as a lively go ahead nation with connections both to Europe and to its past colonial history. New technological innovations that might encourage overseas trade were important as was inclusion of material that reflected political issues and events. An example of a program which reflected these objectives isBritish Calendar issue no 20released in 1961 contained items on: A visit to Wales by a West Germany Panzer Brigade as part of a NATO exercise.An amphibious hovercraft “Stalwart” undergoing trials.The “Outward Bound Schools” organization in the UK .The new “Trident” passenger plane.The 10th Anniversary of the Colombo Plan and the 1961 Football Cup Final. Looked at from the perspective of the Foreign Office information objectives this program contained material which could be said to reflect Britain’s contribution to NATO; material about innovative aircraft; innovation in education: British contribution to overseas aid and our prowess in sport. At the same time the program was a mix of items that hopefully, would be of interest to a general television audience. Assuming this latter perception was shared by managers in television stations, the program stood a good chance of being transmitted. On occasion there were events which encapsulated policy objectives for which HMG wished to get maximum overseas publicity . For example policy announcements at Party conferences such as Harold Wilson’s speech about the “white hot heat ….of technology” was a statement of intent by a country embracing technology in contrast to an international image of a nation populated with thatched cottages. British Calendar covered a number of political conferences in Blackpool, Brighton and Scarborough, with camera crews sitting in the balcony following start stop cues bearing in mind the limited amount of film in an individual 35 mm camera magazine. Events such as these or other Ministerial speeches often provided the ‘peg’ around which an item could be constructed. Maintaining a regular flow of appropriate stories was largely achieved through monitoring advance information gathered by the COI Overseas Press Service Division who supplied a regular flow of printed material to all overseas Posts for distribution to local news and magazine outlets. Apart from gathering material from UK Departments, news agencies and PR sources the Division had a number of specialist correspondents on the staff. It produced a regular diary of forthcoming events which could be used in planning up-coming programs. Making lively and entertaining programs while meeting the deadlines of a scheduled series whose cost had to be justified in terms of meeting the information objectives of the sponsoring departments of the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Relations Office was not always easy. Fortunately the sponsors exercised their oversight in a very restrained way; this theme is touched on again later in this account. The finished programs were regularly screened to the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Relations Office but beyond some generalised comment about positive projection of Britain there was not a great deal in the way of guidance. The relationship between the sponsors and Film Division was, in the most part relaxed and cordial. Around 1964 the series was renamed simply as Calendar. This was a nod to an extending number of countries prepared to take the series but where the word British in the title was not well appreciated. Television stations were content to screen a program that had some interesting content produced to a standard that their audience might appreciate albeit that it was from Britain. No need to advertise the fact on the opening title.
British Calendar : Brighton Arts Festival (click here to view from BFI) a dispatch from the very first Brighton Festival with Reporter Sue Donovan - looking ever-so 60s in a figure-hugging, op-art mini-dress - presents a whirlwind survey of festival highlights, from an exhibition of concrete poetry to a 'symposium of Hogarth's England' by students from the College of Art and a 'happening' in which children enact scenes from Lord of the Flies. Plus there's interviews with violinist Yehudi Menuhin and Dame Flora Robson. A psychedelic selection of kinetic art and an immersive video 'dream machine' are reminders that the Festival arrived just weeks before the Beatles' Sgt Pepper LP kickstarted Britain's very own Summer of Love. An issue of the British Calendar series made about a year before it was discontinued after a run of some 10 years and 260 issues.The programs were discontinued following a reorganisation of the Overseas Television Services that took place as a consequence of a review by the Foreign Office, the Commonwealth Relations and the COI.
British Calendar 20 A good example of a programme which reflected the information objectives of the series with items on NATO,a visit to Wales by a West Germany Panzer Brigade as part of a NATO exercise. An amphibious hovercraft called Stalwart. The 10th Anniversary of the Colombo Plan and the 1961 football Cup Final. NFA ID NA INF 6
British Calendar 23 Tanganyika on the eve of Independence. Program has an interview with President Julius Nyerere NFA ID
1962
British Calendar 41 Jamaican Independence a program celebrating the independence of the country NFA ID 14868
British Calendar 43 Trinidad Independence a program celebrating the independence of the island. NFA ID 14867
1964
British Calendar 82 Monte Carlo Rally program included an item on the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally won by British driver, Paddy Hopkirk, in a Mini-Cooper S NFA ID 20584
NOTE CHANGE OF TITLE
Calendar 105 British Universities program had lead story about Universities in Britain NFA ID 20585
Calendar 108 program included stories about an artificial snow gun at Scottish ski resort; British peace keeping forces in; Ceporin a new British drug related to penicillin. An interview with Nobel Prize Winner Dr Dorothy Hodgkin. A story about a 300 ton windjammer being built for training British naval cadets NFA ID 764987
Calendar 111 a program with stories about fund raising in Britain for the "Freedom from hunger week"; the December bloodstock sales at Newmarket, which grossed over two million pounds; an exhibition of creations by members of the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers and the Fylingdales radar station in Northern England which can scan over 3000 miles beyond the coast. NFA ID 20582 Calendar 113 progam lead story was about the breaking of the world speed record on water by Donald Campbell NFA ID 20583
1965
Calendar 119 program included stories on the TSR-2 strike aircraft and the hyperbaric chamber used to train divers. NFA ID 20581
Calendar 124 a program mainly about Princess Margaret’s tour of Uganda NFA ID 20580
Calendar 125 a program about the annual budget and the role of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. NFA ID 20579
1966
Calendar 153 the program included an item on the Commonwealth Conference in Lagos together with a story on the Menuhin school of music. NFA ID 20578
Calendar 170 program with stories that included the Glyndebourne Festival and the annual Trooping of the Colour Ceremony. NFA ID 205786
Calendar 178 program with stories that included the Little America's Cup for sailing atPlymouth together with a story about the Liberal Party conference NFA ID 201575
Calendar 183 program around new bicycles NFA ID 20574
Calendar 184 program featuring small boats NFA ID20573
1967
Calendar 194 program included an item on the Prime Minister in Strasbourg togetherwith a story about the New Arts Theatre pantomime. NFA ID 20686
Calendar 195 program includes items on Francis Chichester sailing, a miniature radardevice was demonstrated. Item on Home Secretary James Callaghan addressing the foreign press association; a demonstration of bullet-proof glass; interview with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar. NFA ID 20685
Calendar 196 lead story about fashion NFA ID 20684
Calendar 203 program about the work of architect Sir Basil Spence. The program reviews several of his buildings, including the British Pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal, Coventry Cathedral, Sussex University, Hampstead Civic Centre and Broughton Castle, Peebleshire, Scotland. NFA ID 20683
Calendar 204 program includes item about Harold Wilson at the United Nations Association Conference and about a major Cancer Research Conference. NFA ID 20681
Calendar 206 program includes item about the Common Market together with speech by Dr. Schuman at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. NFA ID 20682
Calendar 209 Program includes items on the Brighton Arts Festival including interviews with Yehudi Menuhin and Dame Flora Robson about her role in the theatre production of A Man For All Seasons, also an item about British aircraft at the Paris AirShow. NFA ID 20679
Calendar 211 lead story about the new Cathdral in Liverpool NFA ID20678 e Calendar 214 program included items on Letraset with an interview with John Charles Davis and demonstration of Letraset. An item about the new town of Cumbernauld with an inter NFA IDview with the chief architect. An item about Camelot and the archeological explorations at South Cadbury, Somerset, to find King Arthur's Castle. NFA ID NA 20676
Calendar 218 program included item about a Dr Lewis and his catamaran NFA ID 20675
Calendar 219 included item about ICI chemicals NFA ID20674
Calendar 251 program included a story about a blind landing system for the Vickers Super VC10. Sir Thomas Lipton. NFA ID 20666
1968
Calendar 256 program included stories about the University of East Anglia together with a fashion show at the Royal College of Art. NFA ID 20665
Calendar 257 program included stories about a hyperbaric chamber used for training divers together with an item about Gyroscopic flight. NFA ID 20664
Calendar 266 program included a story about some special chairs made in the Orkney Isles together an item about Power Boat racing. NFA ID 20662
Calendar ceased production in 1968 as part of the reorganisation of the Overseas Television Services following a review of the Overseas Television Services. For details of all those programs for which information exists please go to The Films We Made on the Navigation Bar.
The list of programs for which there is information is incomplete if any has any further information about the series please write in through "Contact Us".