Often the simplest ideas for programmes are best, and 'Points Of View' typifies this. Beginning in 1961, it basically consisted of a ten minute show in which viewers' letters were read out by actors ( such as Alec Bregonzi, Cass Allen, and Michael Maclaine ), interspersed with witty comments from a presenter. When I saw it first, the front man was urbane Robert Robinson.
He also appeared in the kids' spin-off: 'Junior Points Of View', which was essential viewing if you were a 'Dr.Who' fan, as many letters concerned the show. On the day before his first appearance as the Time Lord, Jon Pertwee gave an interview in which he specified how different his version would be from Patrick Troughton's. No actual clips were shown, of course. The B.B.C. were not fools in those days. Some of the letters were genuinely amusing. I remember complaints about Captain Kirk kissing girls each week on 'Star Trek', Dick Dastardly's repeated use of "Drat, Drat and Double Drat!" on 'Wacky Races', and the Clangers' penny-whistle voices.
Over on the parent show, the sci-fi drama 'Doomwatch' could be relied on to kick up a storm, particularly the 'Tomorrow, The Rat' episode which climaxed with a graphic shot of a half-eaten corpse.
'Steptoe & Son' returned that same year. You would think that viewers would be overjoyed, but a few grumbled that the sight of Harold distraught over the death of Hercules the horse was not funny.
'Till Death Us Do Part' got into hot water with the 'Up The Hammers!' episode from 1972. The scene where Rita ( Una Stubbs ) leaves a supermarket only to find baby Michael gone ( Alf had taken him to a football match ) was too harrowing for some.
Such grievances can today be regarded with quizzical amusement, but at the time were genuine concerns. A lot of people felt, rightly or wrongly, that some things were unsuitable for television.
A few comedy shows took the mickey out of 'View', such as 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' and 'Spitting Image', but probably the best-remembered parody was on 'Not The Nine O'Clock News'. By then, Barry Took had taken over, and was wonderfully impersonated by Griff Rhys Jones. "Fifty pounds for a television licence!", went one spoof letter. "Absolutely disgraceful! Its far too low. I would be willing to sell my house to help the B.B.C.".
Took was an excellent presenter, witty and likable. When the Kate O'Mara nautical soap 'Triangle' went on air, it provoked so much controversy an entire edition of 'View' was given over to comments. The funniest suggested the ship on which the show was set should hit an iceberg Titanic-style, and then it could be renamed 'Wreck-tangle' ( rectangle ). The finale of 'Blake's 7' at the end of 1981 also got up the B.B.C.'s nose. They got more letters over that than any series finale in television history.
Took was eventually retired to make way for Anne Robinson. More recently, Jeremy Vine has sat in that famous chair.
'View' is no longer as relevant as it once was. You can find programme criticism in almost any newspaper now, on Teletext, and on the internet. But it served a purpose in letting the public have its say, even if their complaints were then ignored by B.B.C. bosses. The shrinking of end credits into a small box while clips of the next programme play has outraged viewers for years, yet the practice continues still.
I will let the last words go to a viewer who thought it a strange coincidence that audiences for snooker tournaments coughed continuously during matches when the events were sponsored by tobacco firms ( this was before the ban on tobacco advertising ). He then went on to say: "Good thing it was not sponsored by Heinz Baked Beans!".
He also appeared in the kids' spin-off: 'Junior Points Of View', which was essential viewing if you were a 'Dr.Who' fan, as many letters concerned the show. On the day before his first appearance as the Time Lord, Jon Pertwee gave an interview in which he specified how different his version would be from Patrick Troughton's. No actual clips were shown, of course. The B.B.C. were not fools in those days. Some of the letters were genuinely amusing. I remember complaints about Captain Kirk kissing girls each week on 'Star Trek', Dick Dastardly's repeated use of "Drat, Drat and Double Drat!" on 'Wacky Races', and the Clangers' penny-whistle voices.
Over on the parent show, the sci-fi drama 'Doomwatch' could be relied on to kick up a storm, particularly the 'Tomorrow, The Rat' episode which climaxed with a graphic shot of a half-eaten corpse.
'Steptoe & Son' returned that same year. You would think that viewers would be overjoyed, but a few grumbled that the sight of Harold distraught over the death of Hercules the horse was not funny.
'Till Death Us Do Part' got into hot water with the 'Up The Hammers!' episode from 1972. The scene where Rita ( Una Stubbs ) leaves a supermarket only to find baby Michael gone ( Alf had taken him to a football match ) was too harrowing for some.
Such grievances can today be regarded with quizzical amusement, but at the time were genuine concerns. A lot of people felt, rightly or wrongly, that some things were unsuitable for television.
A few comedy shows took the mickey out of 'View', such as 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' and 'Spitting Image', but probably the best-remembered parody was on 'Not The Nine O'Clock News'. By then, Barry Took had taken over, and was wonderfully impersonated by Griff Rhys Jones. "Fifty pounds for a television licence!", went one spoof letter. "Absolutely disgraceful! Its far too low. I would be willing to sell my house to help the B.B.C.".
Took was an excellent presenter, witty and likable. When the Kate O'Mara nautical soap 'Triangle' went on air, it provoked so much controversy an entire edition of 'View' was given over to comments. The funniest suggested the ship on which the show was set should hit an iceberg Titanic-style, and then it could be renamed 'Wreck-tangle' ( rectangle ). The finale of 'Blake's 7' at the end of 1981 also got up the B.B.C.'s nose. They got more letters over that than any series finale in television history.
Took was eventually retired to make way for Anne Robinson. More recently, Jeremy Vine has sat in that famous chair.
'View' is no longer as relevant as it once was. You can find programme criticism in almost any newspaper now, on Teletext, and on the internet. But it served a purpose in letting the public have its say, even if their complaints were then ignored by B.B.C. bosses. The shrinking of end credits into a small box while clips of the next programme play has outraged viewers for years, yet the practice continues still.
I will let the last words go to a viewer who thought it a strange coincidence that audiences for snooker tournaments coughed continuously during matches when the events were sponsored by tobacco firms ( this was before the ban on tobacco advertising ). He then went on to say: "Good thing it was not sponsored by Heinz Baked Beans!".
