Hancock's Half Hour Page 24

Listened to the "Norwegian Hancock" tonight, fronted by Paul Merton - interesting, especially that the Scandinavian "Hancock" was, as with the Lad Himself, much like his character in real life; but when it went into 'Hancock Alone' territory they gave him a mother, who he lived with, and a long lost brother who vies for his mother's love.

A rare outing for the episode, "Twelve Angry Men", from series 5 of the TV series of Hancock's Half Hour 7pm tonight (Sunday) on BBC4, followed later at 11.40 by Galton & Simpson's follow-up, Steptoe & Son at 11.40.

Hancock: Very Nearly An Armful, hosted by Jack Dee, followed by two colourised episodes of Hancock's Half Hour: Twelve Angry Men and The Blood Donor, on. UK Gold this coming Sunday afternoon from 4pm.

Why the need to colourise them is another question of course:

https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/hancocks_half_hour/features/colouring-hancock/

I 've never noticed that they were in black and white. For some of us a lot of the best stuff was in black and white.

Saw this on the BCG email - WHY?

What an utter waste of time and money. Same with L&H and Sim's "Scrooge" - some people just won't leave things as they are.

I know lots of young people who won't even consider looking at anything in black and white.This may help show them what they are missing.

Fair enough. I'm not down with the kids these days. 😎

But if it keeps The Lad's name alive, I'm all for it.

This will attract about nine 'young' people'.
It's just a way of making it newsworthy.
Daft and ever so slightly insulting.

I'm a big fan. It looks so good and I really hope they make more.

Does it make it better, though?
Not sure I get it.

Having said that, I am interested in how the technology may have advanced.

Quote: Lazzard @ 10th January 2023, 12:34 PM

Does it make it better, though?
Not sure I get it.

It's like watching it anew, for the very first time.

The point of Hancock is the dinginess of his surroundings, the futility of his life and the hopelessness of his future. It is, in short, a monochrome existence. To colourise it would suggest a brightness and cheerfulness which shouldn't be being portrayed.

Quote: Billy Bunter @ 10th January 2023, 1:30 PM

The point of Hancock is the dinginess of his surroundings, the futility of his life and the hopelessness of his future. It is, in short, a monochrome existence. To colourise it would suggest a brightness and cheerfulness which shouldn't be being portrayed.

I do not believe Galton and Simpson would share this analysis. Hancock's existence is positively technicolour compared to Harold and Albert's, and Ray and Alan told me that the loss of colour Steptoe episodes was their one single greatest regret.

Quote: Billy Bunter @ 10th January 2023, 1:30 PM

The point of Hancock is the dinginess of his surroundings, the futility of his life and the hopelessness of his future. It is, in short, a monochrome existence. To colourise it would suggest a brightness and cheerfulness which shouldn't be being portrayed.

I think you might be able to say that was true if B&W was a creative choice.
But it wasn't - it was the only option.

Quote: Aaron @ 10th January 2023, 12:39 PM

It's like watching it anew, for the very first time.

Well - I might give it a go.

I might give it a look, but I come down on Billy's side with this - very interesting what G&S said re Steptoe, though. However, I'm not sure if I entirely agree.

I think I was put off by this colourising lark, when one of the early efforts was the Americans interfering with one of my all-time favourite films, Scrooge (1951), which was retitled, I believe, "A Christmas Carol" in the U.S.

I was horrified to find the VHS copy I'd bought at a boot sale many years ago, was the altered American version, so had to watch it with the TV set to B&W - the colour film was just not the same. The dinginess had gone imo and spoiled the film.

Furthermore, this is why I prefer Hancock's "The Punch and Judy Man" to "The Rebel". The B&W film set the mood for me. A mood a well remember, apart from it being the better film, in my view.