Some more Blackadder studio tape(s) turns up

[Spiny Norman]

Studio tape from The Cavalier Years:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es2wAxTW8ZM

I think this one wasn't known yet (some s2 & s4 studio tapes were known about).

[Glebe]

Great find Norm! The Kitchen set for that was obviously recycled from Blackadder the Third... Warren Clarke (Cromwell) also appeared in BtT episode 'Amy and Amiability' as Amy's bluff, Northern dad, of course.

[Autopsy Turvey]

I heard that kitchen sets all looked the same in those days, because they're designed to a romantic ideal, rather than as a true depiction of the idiosyncratic kitcheny qualities of the kitchen in question. Odd that they call this a 'Children In Need special' in the intro scroll, but I suppose now they seem pretty interchangeable. Anyway these are amazing, many thanks for sharing! Wish they did a whole series set in this period, the stakes are higher than ever for Edmund in this scenario.

[SteK]

Re: stylised kitchen sets lets not discuss Fawlty Towers;

1. The pointless up then down flight of steps on first floor

2. What's on the mystery second floor?

3. Why is the kitchen wasted at the front of hotel?

4. The mystery of the sitting room, when the door was blocked off how do people get in?

[Gurke and Hare]

I've often wondered - really - why there isn't more re-use of kitchen sets in comedy. Sketch shows that have sketches set in kitchens will always have brand new sets, when you'd think it would make sense to have a kitchen set in storage and roll it out whenever there was a sketch in a kitchen.

(It applies to other rooms as well of course, but kitchens is the example I've always thought about.)

[the]

I've often wondered - really - why there isn't more re-use of kitchen sets in comedy. Sketch shows that have sketches set in kitchens will always have brand new sets, when you'd think it would make sense to have a kitchen set in storage and roll it out whenever there was a sketch in a kitchen.

(It applies to other rooms as well of course, but kitchens is the example I've always thought about.)

Sometimes you will notice in sketch shows that a set in one sketch happens to be a re-dressed set from another sketch (perhaps appearing in a separate episode). Particularly likely in pilots or if the budget is small.

[idunnosomename]

It really costs more to keep a set assembled than to just make one when you need it.  Im sure a lot of sketches will be opportunistic pushing together of bits where available. Only the producer needs to worry about that.

[Alberon]

Talking of recycled kitchen sets, me and Mrs Alberon went to see a recording of Miranda a few years back (don't judge me!).

In the warm up to the show it was pointed out that Miranda's shop is a redress of the Absolutely Fabulous kitchen.

[Ambient Sheep]

1. The pointless up then down flight of steps on first floor

This was recently discussed on here...

https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,72541.msg3795033.html#msg3795033

...basically the director had seen the same thing in an Edinburgh hotel and decided to copy it, especially as it would help exaggerate Cleese's natural gawkiness.

The funny thing is, I'm pretty certain I stayed in that very same hotel as a child.  I remember that corridor well, because we had to navigate the up and down-y bit every time to and from the lift.

A schoolfriend's house had something similar: lots of old buildings do... I seem to remember a hotel in Glastonbury having a similar arrangement.

[Captain Z]

Cleese says pretty much the same thing in the FT commentaries.