Bill Jenkin

I have seen the following post on a notice board for ex-BBC staff. I wondered if anyone had any info on this? The post appears to be from his son Colin.

” My father William (Bill) Watters (TM2 Lighting) worked for the BBC for 28 years until 1975.

I would like to ask if any members know about a program, pilot or ?? called the Scribble Experiment

I have a note of thanks to my father for his work on “this experiment” from a Vision Organiser “E. G. Dann”. This was written 17th March 1970. It mentions Pat Dowling who I believe was the producer of Vision On and other similar programs around this time.

The subject field of the letter refers to: “Scribble Experiment : 14.3.70 TC3”

From other letters I think 14.3.70 is the date it was recorded. “TC” is presumably Televison Centre as that’s where he worked. Also Lime Grove.

The letter also says “if this production comes into the schedule”… so perhaps it was just a pilot that didn’t make it or it got renamed?

Any info welcome!”

I wondered if anyone could shed any light?

David Brunt

After a bit of digging…

The Patrick Dowling connection does suggest ‘Vision On’, though that

was based in Bristol of course. The spring/summer 1970 season featured

inserts of members of the Caricature Theatre in Bristol.

‘Play School’ had a story called ‘The Scribble’ on 22 October 1970.

Which also featured the same members of the Caricature Theatre in

Bristol playing ‘Scribble Kids’. They returned as the characters at

least one a year throughout the 1970s.

Could that be the connection?  The group were being tested out for use

in ‘Vision On’ from the end of April.  Which would certainly fit the

date.

Peter Fox

I think the upside down periscope was the Shalcross periscope designed by Alan Shalcross.  Whether Alan was a lighting man or a TOM I don’t recall.

Geoff Fletcher

Do you mean Jack Shalcross who was a TM 2 in my  BBC days? I think you are correct though Peter. Which still leaves me wondering what the Watters kit looked like.

Peter Fox

Corrections accepted, thank you Dudley and Geoff, Jack Shalcross sounds much better.

Bill Jenkin

There was also a P.U.M.A. istr. I can’t remember what the difference was between that and the Shalcross Periscope. 

Actually some Vision Ons were made in London Studios. I remember working on at least two in Riverside 2. 

I think the “Scribble Kids” avenue looks promising.

Mike Giles

Further to David’s observations, Patrick Dowling did indeed take Vision On to Bristol, where I frequently acted as gram op for the programme, which I think we recorded as live, but that may not always have been the case. Clive Doig, a London vision mixer, was on attachment as director throughout the time that I worked on it and has been known to contribute to this forum. I was still a general TO at that time, so also worked on cameras – the picture gallery, to the accompaniment of Left Bank Two, was a daunting challenge for someone as new to television as I was then, but I recall very helpful direction from Clive. 

It was, in fact, a London production, but I believe that after it went to Bristol, initially because of lack of London studio space, Patrick Dowling chose to continue making it in the region, because he liked the environment and, in particular, liked the scene crew who were vital to its smooth running. 

It always seemed slightly ironic that a programme intended for the deaf paid such great attention to sound!

Patrick Dowling later produced that intriguingly entitled children’s programme, Why Don’t You Switch Off Your TV and Do Something More Interesting, or something to that effect.