Books
Kaleidoscope Publishing exists to promote the appreciation of British television in general and particularly ‘classic’ television programmes that many of us remember from years gone by.
“...a very enterprising group of people in the midlands called Kaleidoscope who specialise in looking at old programmes, gettings copies that everyone thinks have long disappeared and they find them and restore them, and they do credits lists for people like me.” Alan Plater, CBE.
To this end we have published a number of guides to British television archive holdings. These guides include exhaustive information on the number of archived programmes and the format(s) that they are held in. We have created this website as a means by which visitors can get a flavour of just why our guides have been described as “invaluable resources for anyone wishing to research, or even with a general interest in, British television”.
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Colour Me... Hollies
A classic pop show, believed lost, found in the collection of its producer.
Sadly only kept in black and white, on film, now it is restored to its original colour look.
Extra:
French feature behind the scenes on the filming of the special.
Original monochrome version included.
Single disc.
In stock.
£24.99
Jango - Treacle on Three Fingers
Sole surviving episode of a 1961 ITV detective series.
Based on the Television Playhouse 'Murder Stamp'.
Single disc.
Released 5th October 2023.
£17.99
Wolfshead
A pilot for a 1969 LWT version of Robin Hood.
Discarded in favour of Catweazle, it was sold as a B-movie and never seen on UK terrestial TV.
Single disc.
Released 5th October 2023.
£17.99
Pipkins
All the episodes recorded off air by Nigel Plaskitt and other stars.
Extras:
Episodes from the collection of Gail Renard and other writers
Material recorded at Kaleidoscope events
New menus and links recorded by Hartley Hare
New insight from Hartley Hare into his career
ITV held episodes
MBW Online footage
19-disc set - probably more. Order now before the price goes up.
No release date yet while we find more lost episodes and the set expands.
The first 100 orders receive a postcard from Hartley Hare.
£88.00
Conan Doyle: Mystery and Adventure
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is best remembered for Sherlock Holmes, a character who has been portrayed on screen more than any other. But he was also a prolific author of what is today known as genre fiction. One of his greatest admirers was John Hawkesworth, the celebrated scriptwriter and producer, who would go on to develop for television Granada’s Sherlock Holmes. But their association began much earlier, in 1967, with a long-forgotten but historically significant BBC TV series, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
In 1967, a little-known scriptwriter by the name of John Hawkesworth adapted thirteen short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for BBC2. Though critically acclaimed and award winning, the series was junked in the 1970s and is largely lost to the mists of time. But it was the start of an association between dramatist and author that would last twenty-five years, reaching its pinnacle with the celebrated Granada Sherlock Holmes series starring Jeremy Brett.
Conan Doyle: Mystery and Adventure recreates the largely missing television series as never before. Drawing on the surviving scripts, production files, and the Hawkesworth archive, it provides an in-depth appreciation of a lost moment in television history, filling gaps in the story of Hawkesworth’s stellar career and the tale of Conan Doyle on screen.
In this richly illustrated new book, Mark Jones examines the clues to recreate the story of the lost series, of which only one episode survives. Drawing on production files, correspondence, and the Hawkesworth archive, Conan Doyle: Mystery and Adventure combines television history and Doylean scholarship to tell the tale of what happened when the foremost dramatist of one generation met the greatest storyteller of another.
£25.99
The Optimist
Meet The Optimist! A guy who has big dreams in life, yet creates problems and confusion wherever he goes. He means well, but in this dialogue-free comedy series he manages to leave a trail of chaos across Hollywood and London. If you like Mr Bean, you will love The Optimist. Starring Enn Reitel.
All episodes are complete and uncut.
Extras:
Sea Dreams (rough cut). The pilot that was screened to Channel 4 commissioner Cecil Korer in 1981, from which the full series was commissioned
Original music by David Spear. Music created for Sea Dreams, sourced from the original master tapes.
PDF scripts; Original scripts by series creator Richard Sparks.
The Making of The Optimist: 24-page booklet, colour illustrated with many behind the scenes photos. Features contributions from series star Enn Reitel, producer Robert Sidaway, writer Richard Sparks, and cast members Sharon Davies, Jenny Runacre, Jenifer Landor, Julie Peasgood, Annette Lynton-Mason and Karen Smith.
IN STOCK NOW
£21.00
He Who Would a Writer Be
John Finch was one of the generation of Northern writers who came to prominence in British television in the 1960s, many of them, like Jim Allen, Stan Barstow, Jack Rosenthal and Tony Warren, writing for Granada Television. Recruited by Granada in 1960, Finch was one of the first writers on Coronation Street, for which he wrote 140 episodes, helping to establish it as Britain’s most popular television drama.
Towards the end of the 1960s Finch branched out with other series and single plays, all with a strong Northern flavour, but it was the 52-episode Second World War saga A Family at War that saw him embark on a series of original and highly popular ‘telenovels’ for Granada in the 1970s.
He followed A Family at War with the semi-autobiographical Sam, for which he wrote all 39 one-hour episodes. The story of a boy, like Finch, growing up in the Yorkshire coalfields, Sam was his masterpiece, watched by 20 million viewers every week. He continued to receive letters from viewers thanking him for putting a truthful picture of Northern working-class life on the screen for the rest of his 97 years.
Though his brand of realist Northern drama fell out of favour in the 1980s, John Finch’s contribution to British television drama was enormous. His autobiography, written in the final years of his life, is a testament to a life well lived, revealing a sensitive and accomplished writer who more than fulfilled his dream.
This book is available quickest worldwide by ordering here.
£26.00
Dickie Henderson - A Life in Broadcasting
A huge star and one of early television's most popular comics, Dickie Henderson was a much-loved entertainment figure throughout the 1950s, 60s and 70s who is now almost totally forgotten.
Here we present 2 episodes of his self-titled domestic sitcom, written by Jimmy Grafton and Jeremy Lloyd, unseen in decades; and an unbroadcast sketch show pilot written by Barry Cryer, which also features comedy icon Kenneth Williams.
On DVD for the very first time, the three episodes are accompanied by a photo gallery including images from missing programmes; and a new book comprising an exhaustive list of Henderson's broadcast credits and a new, original biography-cum-career appraisal from comedy historian Graham McCann, paying tribute to this forgotten great of British comedy, just over 100 years since his birth.
IN STOCK NOW
£25.00
Dr Finlay's Casebook - Unfit to Marry
Based on the A.J. Cronin books, a lost episode of this classic medical drama series, first shown Christmas Eve 1967.
A lost classic recovered by Kaleidoscope.
Extras:
Subtitles for hard of hearing
Script
£22.99
Tennis that Counts (2 DVD set)
Learn to play your best game of tennis in this six-part Channel 4 series, presented by Adrian Stonebridge. Every player, from absolute beginner to serious enthusiast, can benefit from Adrian's unique system of tennis instruction, which aims to make tennis FUN!
All region PAL. 4.5 hours runtime.
Extras:
See and Play Tennis With Adrian Stonebridge (one-hour commercially produced video, originally released in 1985)
Don't Forget the Numbers - unscreened pilot for Tennis That Counts, made for Channel 4 commissioner Adrian Metcalfe in 1982
Roustabout - Adrian interviewed by Mick Robertson, on The Children's Channel (1990s)
Sports Special - Adrian interviewed on a Croydon cable channel (1990s)
Accompanying 16-page booklet, colour illustrated with many behind the scenes photos. . With contributions from Adrian Stonebridge, producer Christopher Toyne, and Lesley Scoble (who created the on-screen cartoons and graphics for the series)
IN STOCK NOW
£23.00
Bending the Willow
Beautiful hardback book released during the 1990s.
Now updated by the author and re-released with new photographic content.
Eagerly awaited by Sherlock Holmes fans worldwide. A stunning portrait of Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes.
Order from our store
£26.99
Dawson and Dixie
German television special with Les Dawson and George Sewell.
Never seen in the UK.
Extras: Les Dawson on The Blackpool Show, ABC 1967.
Subtitles for German language sections.
TV Brain exclusive.
£12.99
Sherlock Holmes on Radio and Television
A highly detailed book about the UK TV appearances of Sherlock Holmes.
Includes a DVD of
Sherlock Holmes – The Peter Cushing Interview
Illustrated with clips from missing episodes of the famous BBC 1968 series
Broadcast in Avroskoop, a series made by AVRO , this edition transmitted on 20th March 1971 saw Peter Cushing talk extensively about his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes for the BBC in 1968.
Extras:
Found in Belgium, various missing clips from the famous BBC 1968 series, restored to full colour.
Colour
55 minutes
£24.99
The Comedy Makers / Greatest TV Sitcoms
An exclusive DVD/Book set for TV Brain.
A 1970 Dutch Tv documentary that followed the making of BBC and LWT sitcoms.
Come behind the scenes on Steptoe and Son, Please Sir and Hark at Barker to name but three.
Combined with a new book examining the greatest sitcoms. This is a superb reference tome, a huge book with photos.
£26.99
His Lordship Entertains
Episode 1
The only surviving episode of the classic Ronnie Barker sitcom restored to its full glory!
Ronnie Barker's famous character Lord Rustless swapped channels from ITV for this short BBC sitcom set in a hotel.
Originally shown from colour videotape, those recordings were wiped. During ITV's "Raiders of the Lost Archives" campaign in 2007 (which was run by Kaleidoscope) ITV were offered episode one of His Lordship Entertains which was in New Zealand. ITV declined because it was a BBC show. Kaleidoscope accepted and the print was shipped to the BBC and transferred. Due to modern technology Jonathan Coley and his amazing colour restoration processes created a new colour master to be screened at the BFI's annual Missing Believed Wiped on 27th November 2021.
Now you can own it on DVD.
TV Brain exclusive.
£19.99