Books in TV Shows

[cornershop15]

As a companion to 'Books in Films', which has gone a bit quiet at the moment, I thought I'd start

a thread for books on 'telly', beginning with Angus Wilson's Late Call in Tales of the Unexpected:





This is from the episode Poison (1980). Andrew Ray is far too worried about the snake that's wriggled it's

way into his bed to think about reading. He got what he deserved! Just look at the state of that book



Any other examples of 'Books in TV Shows'? Comedy and Drama rather than Reality and Chat if that's okay!

[Gerald Lovell]

In DOCTOR WHO "Frontier in Space" (1973), the Master is seen calmly reading H. G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds" while fomenting a war of the worlds.

In later Sylvester McCoy stories, there is a feeble running gag of his reading books with "doctor" in the title, e.g. "Doctor in the House", "The Doctor's Dilemma".

[Moor Larkin]

[Freddy]

Crossroads



Chris Hunter, son of David Hunter (Ronald Allen) turned up one day at the motel, studying at the Sorbonne he had got mixed up with a sort of Baader Meinhoff group (IIRC). In his hand was Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig.



Sadly while checking I had spelt Mr. Pirsig's name correctly I discovered this in Wiki.

In 1979, Pirsig's son Chris (aged 23) — who figured prominently in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance — was stabbed to death during a mugging outside the San Francisco Zen Center. Pirsig discusses this incident in an afterword to subsequent editions of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, writing that he and his second spouse, Kimball, decided not to abort the child she conceived in 1980, because he had come to believe that this unborn child was a continuation of the life pattern that Chris had occupied. This child's name is Nell, and she is Pirsig's daughter.

[cornershop15]

A bit of a surprise to see Crossroads and the Baader Meinhoff Gang mentioned in the same sentence ...

In The XYY Man episode Friends and Enemies (1977), the eponymous anti-hero (Stephen Yardley) goes to a library to obtain some information about an old friend. The librarian, played by Sally Gibson, is seen here putting some books in their rightful place. I just

caught sight of one of them while screencapping some scenes. No sign of the title but the author is very definitely Jerzy Kosinski,

who wrote Being There, the Peter Sellers film. Tragically, Mr. Kosinski committed suicide in 1991. His most recent book, when The

XYY Man was being filmed, would have been The Painted Bird (1976). Could this be it?:

Same picture?:

[cornershop15]

I posted another capture of this child actress earlier on at the obituary thread of George Waring, her co-star in the Armchair Thriller story Rachel in Danger (1978). This appears to have been her only screen role, unfortunately, but at least she will be remembered for something (more than I will the way things are going here). Even better, her reading of the Ronald Lockley book The Private Life of the Rabbit merits her inclusion in this thread!:

This "played an important role in the plot development of Richard Adams' Watership Down." (Wikipedia)

[cornershop15]

Armchair Thriller again! Ian is enjoying a good read in Dying Day before the cleaning lady walks in:





But what is he reading? You'll already know if you've seen my post at 'Unnoticed Actors and Actresses':



Original ITV Transmission: 12th February 1980, when The Specials were #1 with their eponymous EP



Later that year, Nancy Mitford's Love in a Cold Climate was adapted for TV by Thames. Coincidence?

[Wee Sonny MacGregor]

Lady Don't Fall Backwards??

[Tony Pendrey]

Basil Fawlty in bed reading "Jaws".

[jaycad]

in 'the green man'(1990) albert finneys character 'maurice' is reading another kinglsey amis book 'the old devils'

[theuofc]

name='Gerald Lovell'] .....In later Sylvester McCoy stories, there is a feeble running gag of his reading books with "doctor" in the title, e.g. "Doctor in the House", "The Doctor's Dilemma".

I didn't know that about the gag in the McCoy stories. I'll have to check them.

This promises to be fun.



Barbara

[Mr Sloane]

Don't forget "The Republic", by Pluto; "Crime and Punishment", by Fido Dogstoyevsky; and "Electronics for Dogs" that appaer in the Wallace and Gromit films.

[cornershop15]

Thanks for your replies, especially Hugh after tracking down that Ian St. John book. I've done something similar in the next post with a James Bond novel.



I didn't understand Wee Sonny McGregor's post until now. Lady Don't Fall Backwards is the book that frustrates Tony Hancock and Sid James in the Hancock's Half Hour episode The Missing Page (1960). I'd long forgotten the title of the book but not the episode, which I remember enjoying when it was repeated in the mid-1980s. The book's fictional author, Darcy Sarto, was dreamed up by Galton and Simpson, naming him after real-life writers D'Arcy Glinto (who wrote Lady Don't Turn Over) and Ben Sarto. But the former's name is on the cover of the spoof Lady Don't Fall Backwards :

I have the chance to see this episode on YouTube!:



[ame=http://youtube.com/watch?v=rJznbnUaRAw]YouTube - Hancock's Half Hour: The Missing Page Part 1[/ame]



I'll watch it later. Thanks ever so much to Wee Sonny MacGregor



Trivia: Joan Le Mesurier, widow of John, has an autobiography called Lady Don't Fall Backwards

(mentioning her affair with Tony), while Hancock fan Pete Doherty wrote a song with that title.

[cornershop15]

I watched the episode The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove last night. At the beginning, unfamiliar actor (and

later playwright) Peter Gill is seen reading Ian Fleming's recently-filmed novel From Russia with Love:





And here is that very version, the movie tie-in paperback published by Pan:

[Steve Crook]

name='cornershop15']I didn't understand Wee Sonny McGregor's post until now. Lady Don't Fall Backwards is the book that frustrates Tony Hancock and Sid James in the Hancock's Half Hour episode The Missing Page (1960). I'd long forgotten the title of the book but not the episode, which I remember enjoying when it was repeated in the mid-1980s. The book's fictional author, Darcy Sarto, was dreamed up by Galton and Simpson, naming him after real-life writers D'Arcy Glinto (who wrote Lady Don't Turn Over) and Ben Sarto. But the former's name is on the cover of the spoof Lady Don't Fall Backwards

The Missing Page is a great episode



Steve

[HUGHJAMPTON]

name='cornershop15']Thanks for your replies, especially Hugh after tracking down that Ian St. John book. I've done something similar in the next post with a James Bond novel.



The book's fictional author, Darcy Sarto, was dreamed up by Galton and Simpson, naming him after real-life writers D'Arcy Glinto (who wrote Lady Don't Turn Over) and Ben Sarto. But the former's name is on the cover of the spoof Lady Don't Fall Backwards :







I have the chance to see this episode on YouTube!:







I'll watch it later. Thanks ever so much to Wee Sonny MacGregor

Hi cornershop, I think you'll find that the Darcy Glinto book is in the episode called The Bedsit, which was the opener for Hancock's final series for the BBC.



See here.



[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arzovPRUNkc&feature=related]YouTube - Tony Hancock 'The Bedsit' (1)[/ame]



In The Missing Page Episode, it's a hardback version he borrows from the library, and I do believe it is credited to Darcy Sarto. I'll try and post a grab tomorrow

[cornershop15]

name='HUGHJAMPTON']Hi cornershop, I think you'll find that the Darcy Glinto book is in the episode called The Bedsit, which was the opener for Hancock's final series for the BBC.



In The Missing Page Episode, it's a hardback version he borrows from the library, and I do believe it is credited to Darcy Sarto. I'll try and post a grab tomorrow

Thanks very much, Hugh. I did indeed watch The Missing Page last night and can confirm D'Arcy Sarto is the name on the cover of that book. I look forward to your capture!



I should have given credit where it's due to the 'blogs' that assisted me with my posts yesterday. I found the James Bond novel (featured in Danger Man) at Illustrated 007 - The Art of James Bond: From Russia With Love Movie Tie-In.

Information for the Hancock's Half Hour episode was from two sources:



Bear Alley: Harold Hare meets Tony Hancock



The Thrilling Detective Web Site: Johnny Oxford

[alan french]

Hi.

In addition to THE MISSING PAGE, I believe Simpson and Galton might have also referred to LADY DON'T FALL BACKWARDS in an episode of STEPTOE & SON. I also think that when Tony Hancock and Sid James track down the man who previously had borrowed the book, he lived in, coincidentally, Oil Drum Lane. Yes. It is a great episode.



Now I am going to lower the tone. In an episode of HANCOCK'S HALF HOUR, Hancock has been watching QUATERMASS AND THE PIT. Whilst he is talking about the programme, and considers himself a great scientific mind, he observes that Sid James is more interested in DIANA DORS IN 3D. Mind you, he does tell Sid at one point, not to "turn that page over" as it is a good one.



Alan French.

[CaptainWaggett]

name='alan french']Hi.

In addition to THE MISSING PAGE, I believe Simpson and Galton might have also referred to LADY DON'T FALL BACKWARDS in an episode of STEPTOE & SON. I also think that when Tony Hancock and Sid James track down the man who previously had borrowed the book, he lived in, coincidentally, Oil Drum Lane. Yes. It is a great episode.



Now I am going to lower the tone. In an episode of HANCOCK'S HALF HOUR, Hancock has been watching QUATERMASS AND THE PIT. Whilst he is talking about the programme, and considers himself a great scientific mind, he observes that Sid James is more interested in DIANA DORS IN 3D. Mind you, he does tell Sid at one point, not to "turn that page over" as it is a good one.



Alan French.

Sid and Tony spend quite a lot of time at the local library. In The Two Murderers, Sid borrows a book on setting up a small business and the helpful librarian (Hugh Lloyd) has kept aside a juicy true crime story for hi,.

[CaptainWaggett]

A library book with a loose dust jacket? I wonder when that ended