Richard Stilgoe - Portakabin TV

Stilgoe's in no way mean-spirited tribute to TVS at the late 1981 farewell dinner for Southern TV, the ITV franchise that Television South outbid.

[@stuartharris2165]

Interesting how Richard Stilgoe putting down TVS when Southern had actually been making a few programmes for TVS including there first one, In With The New!

[@revinhatol]

In 1981, Southern Television commissioned him to write a satirical song about the company that outbid them for southern England's ITV franchise, Television South; the result was "Portakabin TV," a reference to the portable buildings TVS was forced to use as studios and offices until its own purpose-built complex in Maidstone, Kent could be completed, and also until Southern's contract had expired. The song was aired as part of Southern's final broadcast on 31 December 1981, a retrospective programme titled "And It's Goodbye From Us."

[@antster1983]

​@@revinhatolThis is the full version as seen on the final Day By Day news magazine. The version broadcast on And It's Goodbye From Us removed the first halves of the second and third verses referring to the TVS board and Bryan Izzard respectively.

[@VermyScrubs]

Ladies and Gentlemen…..A fine company…..A very fine company….

[@revinhatol]

In 1981, Southern Television commissioned him to write a satirical song about the company that outbid them for southern England's ITV franchise, Television South; the result was "Portakabin TV," a reference to the portable buildings TVS was forced to use as studios and offices until its own purpose-built complex in Maidstone, Kent could be completed, and also until Southern's contract had expired. The song was aired as part of Southern's final broadcast on 31 December 1981, a retrospective programme titled "And It's Goodbye From Us."

[@BrynBuck]

It was actually broadcast on "Day by Yesterday" - as was David Wilson's scathing letter. It's on YT somewhere.

[@russty_russ]

@@BrynBuck It was seen on both programmes. (Day By Yesterday amd It's Goodbye From Us)

[@fraserkatie]

Its all in jokey banter!

[@brucedanton3669]

Interesting too of course for sure-thank you anyway too!

[@Dommer1973]

Like the Murphy’s…Im not bitter. Southern’s bid was 16 pages long, so bad, the were asked to resubmit. TVS had to work out of Portakabins because Southern wouldnt allow them into the studio complex, choosing to take out their anger at not being awarded the contract on TVS rather than the decision makers the IBA. As for Maidstone, Southern bought the land so THEY could build a studio complex there, subsequently selling the land onto TVS. Sad they had to go about things the way they did, not surprised from a prick like Stilgoe though to be honest.

[@stuartkenny7430]

Have you got the footage of Southern Television's chief David Wilson at the same dinner reading out an angry letter he'd written to the IBA regarding the decision. At least he was cross at the IBA rather than at TVS.

[@maidstone1982]

does it exist even?

[@stuartkenny7430]

@@maidstone1982Yes it does 😉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJ7Gd5-Gmsebr8k

[@maidstone1982]

@@stuartkenny7430 woah thanks mate

[@stephenemmett9753]

Tim Minchin wouldn't have gotten away with it today...

[@adultmoshifan87]

I wasn’t born yet (I was born in 1987) but had I been born early enough to be able to see this, I would’ve, had I been watching, turned over to the BBC’s new year celebrations before this shitshow ended! (Wait, did the BBC begin airing midnight new year celebrations before 1981?)

[@videonut1988]

0:42-UHHHHH, Westward was about to be TSW and ATV was about to be CENTRAL… sooooo….

[@williamfitzgerald2007]

yeah it's also quite funny that TSW had owned Westward after Peter Cadbury sold it to them in August, but they were forced to continue Westward until the new year, and that ATV ended up being 49% owned by the old company, so both of them barely changed, I mean, for the better, TSW was much better than what happened when there was an actual company change.

[@BrynBuck]

Yep, he's saying the IBA were right to take away those franchises. Not sure why Southern felt the need to also dig at Yorkshire, perhaps they felt 3-2-1 was beneath them!

[@christopherhulse8385]

Southern was very bitter at the loss of the franchise but they were the masters of their own demise by not promising fresh ideas that the 80s would need, instead they offered the same old conservative programmes from a management clearly stuck in the past.

[@leeosborne3793]

DC Thompson of Dundee was also a major shareholder, which went against them. They are, of course, notorious for being very conservative and mean-spirited. The company wouldn't employ Catholics for years and was very anti-union.

[@leeosborne3793]

This was really bitter and mean-spirited. TVS at least bowed out a bit more gracefully.