The Complete and Utter History of Britain [merged]

[Pranet]

Anyone got Britbox or ITVX?

The Complete and Utter History of Britain has turned up on the listings, but I don't have a subscription.

Most of it was lost so far I as I knew.

https://www.itv.com/watch/the-complete-and-utter-history-of-britain/L0234/L0234a0001

[bgmnts]

That's brilliant! That sketch with William the Conquerer in the bath with the lads like post match football interview I've always found quite funny.

[Pranet]

This is bizarre. Normally there are rumours etc. For the whole thing just to turn up on a streaming platform.... Which I don't have so I can't check.

[Spudgun]

Really? Something's up here - I bought the DVD/Blu-ray set not too long ago (along with Do Not Adjust Your Set and At Last the 1948 Show, as I was on a bit of a proto-Python binge) and if I remember correctly only two original episodes of The Complete and Utter History of Britain were known to have survived at that point. Kaleidoscope, who deal with lost shows, still list the rest as missing:

https://www.tvbrain.info/tv-archive?showname=the+complete+and+utter+history&type=lostshow

(The DVDs also have filmed footage from the remaining episodes, plus somehow some early edits showed up with otherwise unique material in them. Also some newly-shot links with Jones and Palin were included, which were nothing ground-breaking but nice to see.)

So, yeah, someone who subscribes, please confirm and report back. I suspect this is some sort of auto-generated listing, but you never know...

[Maureen Brontë]

I have the DVDs as well and this is the first I've heard of it.

A poster on Roobarb's Forum confirms it's legit https://www.zetaminor.com/roobarb/showthread.php?44391-Roobarb-s-(non-DW)-Missing-Episodes-Thread/page73

[Milo]

Just episode five, Elizabeth the first.

[ajsmith2]

https://www.itv.com/watch/the-complete-and-utter-history-of-britain/L0234

For years only the first 2 episodes and a few other bits of this pre-Python Palin/Jones show were known to exist and this is what was released on DVD by Network a few years back, but now out of nowhere the whole damn dynasty seems to have appeared on the premium ITV player service. I don't have premium so I can't ensure to see if these things actually play, anyone here got it and able to check?

https://www.itv.com/watch/the-complete-and-utter-history-of-britain/L0234

[ajsmith2]

Sorry, can someone delete this? Just saw the other thread:

https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=105171.0

[madhair60]

it's on ITVX too

edit: you said this in the OP. why am i even here.

[Milo]

I've only checked britbox, I don't know if ITVX might have more.

[PinkNoise]

I've just checked BritBox and the final episode ends with "The Samuel Pepys Show" - Palin as Pepys (doing a David Frost impression) and Jones as Oliver Cromwell (in the style of a Tory politician), being heckled by the studio audience a la "Frost On Sunday"

So yeah, looks like the real deal! Incredible. Where have they been hiding all these years? LWT's basement?

[Milo]

That's weird, mine's still only showing ep 5. The sub is via Amazon Prime though, maybe they update at a different time.

[mjwilson]

Holy shit

[Registering to lurk]

That's weird, mine's still only showing ep 5. The sub is via Amazon Prime though, maybe they update at a different time.

Someone's posted the same question on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/DMcGachey/status/1708779769737728399

"Will all ITVX content continue to be available on BritBox? Only 1 episode of The Complete & Utter History of Britain is currently on BritBox via Amazon Prime, but all 6 are on ITVX Premium."

ITVX help have given the following gnomic reply.

"Hi there, all of the content available on Britbox would be available via an ITVX subscription, however you would not be able to access all of the ITVX content via Britbox."

[Shaxberd]

Looks like ITVX do free trials, 6 episodes would be easy enough to watch in a week and then cancel before the payment's due.

[neveragain]

Extraordinary surprise.

[Ignatius_S]

Someone's posted the same question on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/DMcGachey/status/1708779769737728399

"Will all ITVX content continue to be available on BritBox? Only 1 episode of The Complete & Utter History of Britain is currently on BritBox via Amazon Prime, but all 6 are on ITVX Premium."

ITVX help have given the following gnomic reply.

"Hi there, all of the content available on Britbox would be available via an ITVX subscription, however you would not be able to access all of the ITVX content via Britbox."

That is a stock response but in fairness, that information has been communicated a fair bit (and basically, if you're in the UK, you're better being on ITVX) and the  person should have contacted Britbox.

All the episodes are on Britbox but aren't showing for those who have the service via Amazon for some reason - so the question is when/if that wil be rectified.

[Ignatius_S]

I've just checked BritBox and the final episode ends with "The Samuel Pepys Show" - Palin as Pepys (doing a David Frost impression) and Jones as Oliver Cromwell (in the style of a Tory politician), being heckled by the studio audience a la "Frost On Sunday"

So yeah, looks like the real deal! Incredible. Where have they been hiding all these years? LWT's basement?

My guess is that they were but had been put in the wrong box(es). Missing shows can turn up in some odd places and if that had been the case, would have expected that there was some kind of news story and/or announcement as that usually happens.

However, it's quite odd that this should be dropped into the service so quietly and it would be interesting to learn what the story is...

In any case, this is great news!

[Milo]

Everything on Britbox is on ITVX? Assumed it was just ITV stuff on there, not unreasonably.

[kaprisky]

Maybe someone should contact Andrew Pixley, who wrote the extensive viewing notes that were included in the Network set. If anyone would know about how the missing episodes have suddenly turned up then it would probably be him.

[Ignatius_S]

Everything on Britbox is on ITVX? Assumed it was just ITV stuff on there, not unreasonably.

Yes but you need to pay a subscription to access everything - going from memory, but when ITVX was announced, it was said that all Britbox content would be available eventually. There was some older content that took a while for that to happen but I believe that's all been completed.

ITVX can be used as a free to access, ad-supported servive but there's ITVX Premium subscription (which costs the same as Britbox) that gives you access to all content, ad-free. There's also StudioCanal content, films and shows, that mostly needs a Premium sub - I don't think any of the stuff is on Britbox.

Although you can still sign up for Britbox via Amazon, on the Britbox site, you can't! (Instead it offers ITVX).

In all honesty, I'm not surprised by what you thought - there is information out there, but I don't think it's been brilliantly communicated and with the name ITVX, it does sound more like a ITV-only thing.

They have said that Britbox will continue - this makes sense as it's available in areas that ITVX isn't and the US catalogue differs from the UK one.

[Milo]

Oh thanks for all that. I'll ditch the Britbox and switch to ITVX then!

[Ignatius_S]

Oh thanks for all that. I'll ditch the Britbox and switch to ITVX then!

No problem!

Incidentally, here's the list of the StudioCanal stuff: https://www.itv.com/watch/collections/studiocanal-presents-on-itvx-premium/59OTYKiPHDmFWEJqB8iikC

[mjwilson]

ITV told British Comedy Guide today: "It was found by the ITV Archive team as part of a huge project to fully identify every archive asset ITV holds.

"The series had been sitting in the ITV vaults though mis-catalogued for decades, but through the identification programme we were able to make this remarkable find.

"We flagged it to our colleagues in streaming, had the film cleaned and restored from the 16mm telerecordings and then finally made available to our viewers for the first time since the original broadcasts."

[Milo]

No problem!

Incidentally, here's the list of the StudioCanal stuff: https://www.itv.com/watch/collections/studiocanal-presents-on-itvx-premium/59OTYKiPHDmFWEJqB8iikC

Wow, hell of a lot of stuff there! They really need to do a better job of letting people know this isn't just ITV stuff, I'd assumed that premium would just be itv catchup without ads, like the channel 4 one used to be (and maybe still is).

[lauraxsynthesis]

Looks like ITVX do free trials, 6 episodes would be easy enough to watch in a week and then cancel before the payment's due.

That's what I'll be doing. Great news

[FredNurke]

Wonderful news. Keeping my fingers crossed that there'll be a physical release at some point (for non-streaming dinosaurs like me).

[notjosh]

Oh thanks for all that. I'll ditch the Britbox and switch to ITVX then!

I did that a few months back, and when I cancelled Britbox it offered me a year of ITVX at something like £3 a month. Hands down the best value streaming service out there, absolutely loads of top stuff.

[Gurke and Hare]

part of a huge project to fully identify every archive asset ITV holds.

Bloody hell, I wonder what else they found?

Seems weird that they wouldn't be routinely telling people about it.

[Spudgun]

This is absolutely sensational news - free ITVX seven-day trial for me, too. I expect the full story will eventually come out here:

https://missingepisodes.proboards.com/thread/14366/complete-utter-history-on-britbox