Forum:Double banking

(Discussion moved from User talk:70s Fan)

By the way, on the talk page for Episode 1564 (12th January 1976) you brought to our attention the use of double-banking of recording of episodes. We've since identified the following instances:


 * Eps 765 - 768 (1968)
 * Eps 825 - 828 (1968)
 * Eps 1066 - 1069 (1971)
 * Eps 1102 - 1105) (1971)
 * Eps 1564 - 1567 (1976)
 * Eps 1590 - 1593 (1976)
 * Eps 1776 - 1779 (1978)
 * Eps 2270 - 2273 (1983)
 * Eps 2590 - 2593 (1986)
 * Eps 2696 - 2699 (1987)

At the moment, I can't find anything in years such as 1979 or 1980 to show double-banking taking place though more in-depth investigation is required. If you could spot any instances from these years or any others, I would be grateful: you have the same information to hand as we do! It's just a matter of plodding through the episode pages and comparing casts and/or places. I think that for instances prior to 1978, they did double-banking because they wanted to move away from the programme recording being too close to transmission - for most of the 1960s, studio recording took place the week before transmission and it was only transmission strikes that gave the programme the leeway to make episodes like Episode 700 (30th August 1967). I do wonder if the first instance quoted above was a reading of the unions and their growing threats in the summer of 1968 over the ITV franchise changes? I suspect the 1976 instances are due to the fact that the 1975 ITV Strike again meant episodes from late in that year were again being recorded the week before transmission and therefore too close for comfort for everyone. The mysterious loss of Episode 1549 doesn't seem to have helped matters. Thinking aloud, I wonder if the production of Annie and Betty's Coronation Street Memories was to give the programme a bit of a breathing space as well?--Jtomlin1uk (talk) 15:58, October 6, 2014 (UTC)

John,I actually remember taking a note of those eps during the Granada Plus repeats. I'll have to try to locate it! I'm pretty sure there was at least one incidence every year. A lot of them are in January- to accomodate a week's break in production over Christmas,I presume(I think I've also noticed it in the first couple of week's in 1974 and '75)-although,off the top of my head,I think it may have been in February in 1979 and 1980. I also seem to recall one around October-November 1980. I'll have a look to see if I can find my notes,before doing any in depth look on the site. I'm pretty tied up until the middle of next week,but I'll try to confirm them for you then,if that's okay. Incidentally,I don't know if you ever read my comments on the Talk Page of ep.1587,but I have a theory that that week's could have been double banked with an earlier pair of eps. It's only speculation,but I've listed a few reasons why I think it could be the case. Nothing that we could verify,but a possiblity,70s Fan (talk) 17:16, October 6, 2014 (UTC)imo.
 * That's a very interesting theory on 1587 etc. There's a lot to it.--Jtomlin1uk (talk) 18:06, October 6, 2014 (UTC)
 * Ah, I see what you mean about the early 1975 one - 1456-1459. We don't have all of the places yet but the cast is evenly split.--Jtomlin1uk (talk) 19:20, October 6, 2014 (UTC)
 * We're on a roll! Also 1354 to 1357.--Jtomlin1uk (talk) 19:24, October 6, 2014 (UTC)
 * And 1250 to 1253. It would appear (and make sense) that they have almost the entire regular cast spread over the four eps and then have the Xmas week off (and party to follow?!)--Jtomlin1uk (talk) 19:27, October 6, 2014 (UTC)