As mentioned on Nigel Parkinson's blog, there's a TV documentary on The Dandy coming to your screens over the holidays. I understand it'll only be shown on BBC Scotland initially and will be broadcast on New Year's Eve. Hopefully those of us South of the border will get to see it sometime in 2013.
Here's the official programme notes from the BBC:
"In Just Dandy Ford Kiernan celebrates the anarchic humour of the Scottish comic that has kept children of all ages entertained. As the classic publication reaches the end of its run, Ford meets the artists and writers as well as fans including comedian Frank Skinner."
On the Caledonia TV website you can view a trailer for the show which features the presenter and some exclusive Nigel Parkinson artwork. What's more, it leads off with a TV ad from the archives advertising The Dandy No.991 (November 19th 1960). For those of you who weren't around when comics were regularly advertised on TV, this is the sort of cheap and cheerful promotion they had back then.
I don't have that issue, but I do have the preceding one, No.990. Here's the cover...
This was part of a several-week revamp of The Dandy which saw the comic increase from 12 to 16 pages, add a new logo and more colour, and introduce new characters such as Dirty Dick and Corporal Clott. Arguably this was the beginning of The Dandy's best decade, with consistently solid storytelling and artwork throughout the Sixties. (Admittedly I'm biased as these were the years I grew up reading the comic.) Here's that very first Corporal Clott story from The Dandy No.990, November 12th 1960. Art by Davey Law...
...and here's the next issue ad for that Dandy Thunderbang seen in the 1960 TV advert...
Don't forget, Just Dandy airs on BBC One Scotland on Hogmanay!
great news the doc...glad it will be shown everywhere later on in the UK..
ReplyDeleteAlso what a treat seeing the first Corporal Clott love the origin story...very funny going on holiday he thought...
came second in The Dandy top 75 so very highly regarded...
Will it be shown in England? Where did you hear that? Hope it will anyway.
ReplyDeleteIt'll be on iPlayer at the very least. We don't need to wait for it to turn up on BBC2 England or BBC4.
ReplyDeleteIn the excitement I read your blog post wrong...I meant lets hope it is shown everywhere in the UK well deserves it and as so many people bought the last Dandy as well so there could be an audience...
ReplyDeleteBBC Scotland can be picked up on SKY on channels 951 and 970.
ReplyDeleteSome viewers using Virgin Media south of the border might find BBC Scotland on channel 862. I'm in Yorkshire and we receive it.
ReplyDeleteVirgin Media viewers south of the border, might find BBC Scotland on Channel 862. I'm in Yorkshire and we can pick it up here.
ReplyDeleteFor those of you South of the border that have Virgin (and possibly other cable etc tvs ) you can get BBC 1Scotland (as well as BBC 1 England, Wales and Northern Ireland versions) on here in the 800 channel range -McS
ReplyDeleteThe Dandy Thunderbang looks very similar to the Gnasher Snapper given away free in The Beano in the late 70s/early 80s, a folded piece of printed card attached to a folded piece of brown paper, mine lasted for years and certainly outlived any kazoo, whistle or chew bar given away with the titles at the time...
ReplyDeleteThat's right, Andy. They were given away many times over the years under different names in various comics. See my older blog post for more info:
ReplyDeletehttp://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/free-inside-part-1.html