Bicentennial Minute (available for viewing in the Classic TV Blog section of TVParty).

I had forgotten all about CBS’s “Bicentennial Minutes” that aired sporadically during the mid 70s, until TVParty posted this one. Jessica Tandy tells a little-known pre-revolution story of the Liberty Tree. This has historical interest both in its content and its documentation of the hoopla surrounding the Bicentennial during the 70s.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

BBC1 Schools Interval from 1975 (film #9 in the Schools section of TVArk). [Category: Educational]

A still title card announces that the next show will be starting soon, while Dixieland jazz plays in the background. This is a realistic example of what educational television stations broadcast between programs at the time, but it’s not very interesting to watch.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.

Biology (film #6 in the Schools section of TVArk). [Category: Educational]

Fairly cool opening credits for a British educational science program, featuring Pink Floyd’s “Time” as the music. I wonder if weird correlations could have been made had they replaced the entire program’s soundtrack with the rest of the album.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

BBC1 Junction Into Welsh Programme (film #2 in the Schools section of TVArk). [Category: Educational]

This starts as a boring clock graphic, with a clipped British announcer telling us the next program will be in Welsh and “only on certain transmitters.” Then, in case we’ve forgotten it’s the 70s, we get to hear the Bee Gees sing “Night Fever.” After a bit, a psychedelic graphic appears, then one of the standard mesmerizing countdown clocks, while the music switches inexplicably to the Pink Panther theme. OK. I only wish they had added a bit of the Welsh program in order to tip the scales on weirdness for this one.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.

Alive and Kicking (film #1 in the Schools section of TVArk). [Category: Educational]

Opening credits and first few minutes from a 70s British educational show. Ironically enough, this actually has more the feel of an educational film, since the soundtrack wavers a bit and we hear the clackety-clack of film going across sprockets. The show features a British mom getting her two young children up in the morning, and it’s charmingly realistic and very British. One of the more interesting TVArk Schools clips.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.

Believe It or Not #2 (film #5 in the Schools section of TVArk). [Category: Educational]

Very short clip of the opening credits of an episode concerning “Life and Death”. With such an important subject, you’d think they would have included more.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.

BBC1 Schools: Secondary (film #3 in the Schools section of TVArk). [Category: Educational]

This counter is similar to the Primary counter, but the diamonds completely disappear after awhile, and the soundtrack is blander. Mesmerizing.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

BBC1 Schools: Primary (film #2 in the Schools section of TVArk). [Category: Educational]

This counter features a mesmerizing changing diamond pattern backed with a bright, cheerful semi-classical soundtrack. I bet this held the attention of those primary kids well.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

BBC1 Schools: Announcement for Teachers (film #5 in the Schools section of TVArk). [Category: Educational]

This is a very staid promo for a new educational program about student volunteers. There’s just a title card and a properly British voice-over just like the ones that were sent up so well on Monty Python. Still, that makes me smile a little bit.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.

BBC1 Schools #5 (film #8 in the Schools section of TVArk). [Category: Educational]

This is similar to #4, but the soundtrack is now easy listening. This probably put students to sleep! I say bring back disco.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.

BBC1 Schools #4 (film #7 in the Schools section of TVArk). [Category: Educational]

This counter is like the one in #3, only the letters in the center remain stationary, and the ponderous classical music soundtrack has been replaced by a generic disco soundtrack. Can you tell this was from 1978?

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: **.

BBC1 Schools #3 (film #6 in the Schools section of TVArk). [Category: Educational]

This counter is another mesmerizing one. Dots that make up a circle slowly count down, while unintelligible symbols gradually turn into letters that spell out “SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES.” I bet this killed a lot of time for students.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

BBC1 Schools #2 (film #4 in the Schools section of TVArk). [Category: Educational]

Very brief clip of another educational television counter, this one featuring a clock, and a clipped British announcer. This one probably wasn’t very interesting to watch.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

BBC1 Schools #1 (film #1 in the Schools section of TVArk). [Category: Educational]

Remember educational television? Remember the boring counters they used to have before the programs started? Here’s the British version of that, which is actually fairly mesmerizing. It features a diamond-shaped BBC logo that gradually morphs into two diamonds. I bet this fascinated the schoolkids of the time.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.