I think Brian Johnston heard the comment, and repeated it in a test match between England and West Indies.
I'm sure it was first said by Jim Laker in a Sunday League match between Derbyshire and Northamptonshire. At that time 'Sunday Grandstand' had started, so the cricket had to take turns with 2 or 3 other sports. Frank Bough handed over just as Holding was about to deliver the ball- which left Laker no time to say anything other than 'As you rejoin us the bowlers Holding, the batsmans Willey'
The point is Laker wasn't given to funnies- so when he said it, it was genuine. Johnston obviously thought 'I'm having that one' and used it in a test match. There are far more Johnston stories, because he set out to be funny, but I think Laker said it first.
In the first use of videotape in a Test match it was explained to the commentators that the BBC had this wonderful new piece of equipment which could rapidly replay an incident(normal speed in those days). But it took about two minutes to cue up the tape. The first wicket went down, the batsman walked, the next batsman came in and took up his position. The bowler began his run. Suddenly the replay came up and the commentator (allegedly Brian Johnston) exclaimed ''My God, he's done it again''.
I know we're way off topic now but here's one of my all-time favourite clips
In the very early days of London Weekend Television they employed a Welsh continuity announcer with a somewhat gruff voice. One evening between shows the clock appeared and the announcer began intoning "and now it's as near as.........." , the image now switched to the announcer in vision looking like a rabbit trapped in headlights as he continued " well, I was going to say near as dammit, but I suppose it is really". Needless to say he never appeared again, presumably partly because of his lack of having the wit to say something else rather than admit to what he was intending to say.
In the very early days of London Weekend Television they employed a Welsh continuity announcer with a somewhat gruff voice. One evening between shows the clock appeared and the announcer began intoning "and now it's as near as.........." , the image now switched to the announcer in vision looking like a rabbit trapped in headlights as he continued " well, I was going to say near as dammit, but I suppose it is really". Needless to say he never appeared again, presumably partly because of his lack of having the wit to say something else rather than admit to what he was intending to say.
Aren't RedBee Media (who handle BBC playout) responsible for the continuity announcers?
Indeed BBC presentation was privatised many years ago into Red Bee and therefore all of the BBC's national television presentation is done by them and they are responsible for all continuity and all sub titling. it's no use blaming the BBC anymore, just like people who complain about historical inaccuracies in period dramas made by independent producers.
There are so many, but a couple of years ago Simon McCoy closed the news on BBC1 one night with a reminder of the top story that a teaching union were going to strike "over pee", and not forgetting the classic that Mrs Thatcher died "following a strike" (Freudian slip or what?).
Jimmy Hill once closed MOTD with a reminder that Summer Time ended that night "so before you go to sleep, don't forget to put your cocks back" and as the closing music started the camera panned back to show Hill at the desk with an empty chair next to him where the co-presenter should have been (Barry Davies was on the floor under the desk convulsed with laughter and Davies recounts in his autobiography how the director was screaming into his earpiece telling him to get up and remain professional).
But my personal favourite was the female newsreader on BBC Wales Today closing the regional news one Friday when she intended to say, "Have a good weekend, thank you for watching" but instead it came out as "have a good w*nk"!! (They still show this one on Auntie's Naughty Bloomers!)
One thing which I am surprised doesn't happen more often, with continuity announcers who announce on both BBC1 and BBC2, is them mistakenly saying, for instance, something like "... and now on BBC1 ..." (when they are announcing on BBC2), and vice versa.
Here's one I found and uploaded (for no particular reason!):
I suppose one thing in continuity announcer Delroy Haines' defence is that 'Allo 'Allo! was originally aired on BBC1. Maybe he used to announce some of the eps during its original run, and it is just a force of habit
Says a lot for BBC presentation that so few errors have been posted despite it mostly being live. We could get more than this for just one day's errors in the Daily Mail and they have people checking things and time to correct before publication.
Says a lot for BBC presentation that so few errors have been posted despite it mostly being live. We could get more than this for just one day's errors in the Daily Mail and they have people checking things and time to correct before publication.
The Guardian always used to be the worst for spelling mistakes - back in the early 80s heavy rain had caused landslides in the Midlands and they reported that "tragedy was narrowly avoided in Derbyshire when 500 tons of rock crashed down onto a toad"
The Guardian always used to be the worst for spelling mistakes - back in the early 80s heavy rain had caused landslides in the Midlands and they reported that "tragedy was narrowly avoided in Derbyshire when 500 tons of rock crashed down onto a toad"
Comments
I think Brian Johnston heard the comment, and repeated it in a test match between England and West Indies.
I'm sure it was first said by Jim Laker in a Sunday League match between Derbyshire and Northamptonshire. At that time 'Sunday Grandstand' had started, so the cricket had to take turns with 2 or 3 other sports. Frank Bough handed over just as Holding was about to deliver the ball- which left Laker no time to say anything other than 'As you rejoin us the bowlers Holding, the batsmans Willey'
The point is Laker wasn't given to funnies- so when he said it, it was genuine. Johnston obviously thought 'I'm having that one' and used it in a test match. There are far more Johnston stories, because he set out to be funny, but I think Laker said it first.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsVTpX7LdZQ
I know we're way off topic now but here's one of my all-time favourite clips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckg4RsQXmqs
Talkback of Bryan ''Ginger'' Cowgill directing Grandstand, he later went on to be Controller BBC1.
Thanks to BBC VT
Cue Birmingham running a BBC One Midlands ident on BBC Two.
(But to be fair, from memory, things were swopped late in the day. Perhaps it was too late to swop the ident?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ktiJUUBLPo
What a shame theres no video of that!
Indeed BBC presentation was privatised many years ago into Red Bee and therefore all of the BBC's national television presentation is done by them and they are responsible for all continuity and all sub titling. it's no use blaming the BBC anymore, just like people who complain about historical inaccuracies in period dramas made by independent producers.
Give that man the national gig.
Peter was not slow to point out that this would be replayed many times in the future...
Brilliant.
Surprised this guy hasn't been snapped up. Ideal for introducing the soaps and what not on the main UK channels.
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/fun/news/a647428/bbc-reporter-refers-to-nigel-farages-personality-ct-live-on-air.html#~pcFHQvtdv2GVwm
Jimmy Hill once closed MOTD with a reminder that Summer Time ended that night "so before you go to sleep, don't forget to put your cocks back" and as the closing music started the camera panned back to show Hill at the desk with an empty chair next to him where the co-presenter should have been (Barry Davies was on the floor under the desk convulsed with laughter and Davies recounts in his autobiography how the director was screaming into his earpiece telling him to get up and remain professional).
But my personal favourite was the female newsreader on BBC Wales Today closing the regional news one Friday when she intended to say, "Have a good weekend, thank you for watching" but instead it came out as "have a good w*nk"!! (They still show this one on Auntie's Naughty Bloomers!)
Here's one I found and uploaded (for no particular reason!):
https://youtu.be/w6Mc7WCq9gY
Thanks for that.
I suppose one thing in continuity announcer Delroy Haines' defence is that 'Allo 'Allo! was originally aired on BBC1. Maybe he used to announce some of the eps during its original run, and it is just a force of habit
And there's quite a few of us who would 100% agree.
The Guardian always used to be the worst for spelling mistakes - back in the early 80s heavy rain had caused landslides in the Midlands and they reported that "tragedy was narrowly avoided in Derbyshire when 500 tons of rock crashed down onto a toad"
Yes, The Grauniad
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=grauniad
The Grauniad in one report referred to him as Roland Butter throughout the whole report.
The female newsreader who said Graham Gooch was ill
Only to be corrected by her male colleague who said, 'No, he made 111'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzXJfkJbrT4
It's not the most common word in the world but surely a news reader must have heard it pronounced before?