User:Fir Tree Broadcasting Corporation
The Fir Tree Broadcasting Corporation (FTBC) was on 28th December 1977. Against the height of punk and the antidisestablismentarianistic prevailing attitudes, this conservative and trite radio station took to the airwaves with a limited schedule of mainly documentaries, the flagship programme being the 'Documentary Show' and the odd crime series, such as 'The Confessionals'. In April 1978 however, ratings soared with 'Documentary Special: The Psycholomaniacs'. This hard hitting special dealt with the subversive actions of a group of medical doctors who had, alledgedly due to long working hours, had become psychotically unstable and had formed a revolutionary group with no clear aims other than to cause havoc. Following this documentary, a full schedule was developed. Who can forget shows such as 'The Case Of...' (mystery documentaries), 'Girleybirds' (helicopter adventure series), 'The Bungley Show' (sketch), and 'Comedy Nuthouse' (sitcom).
FTBC was called into the receivers in the autumn of 1978, and then transmitted under another trading name, Amateur Broadcasting Company (ABC) for the next 18 months. Shows such as 'Johnny Stinkerman Reports', 'Air/Sea Shetland' and 'Jack McQuick's Big Night' steadily rose in the ratings. Notable was the one off 'Dirty Weekend Television' (sketch) in June 1979. Interestingly enough, the same production team followed that month by the first four 10 minute shows in the series 'Laughter Line-Up' (sketch), and thus a legend was born.
After a few months break, in December 1979, ABC starting broadcasting a full schedule, with new shows such as 'Craddock of the Yard' (crime) and 'In View' (feedback), and 'Stinko Showcase' (magazine). There were four further 10 minute 'Laughter Line-Up' shows. Audience figures rose week by week and ABC finally ended in February 1980, providing a good platform for the relaunch of FTBC.
When FTBC finally came out of the receivers in March 1980, it was to a full week on week schedule of 10 minute shows. There were 26 shows each to run for 2 or 3 seasons. There were many old favourites, and many new shows that captured the imagination. The flagship magazine 'The Fir Tree Show' was an instant success, but the runaway success was the 13 week 'Tales of the Undecided'. The first 4 part story 'Fangtastic Burgers' was a massive ratings winner, and sustained listenership in it's follow up serials the 3 part 'The Beasts of Armstrong' and 6 part 'Horror from Space'. Other notable new shows were 'Crime Doesn't Pay' (crime serial), 'Over the Hill' (pyschatric hospital drama), 'The World of Commercials' (fly on the wall documentary about advertising'), 'Family at Large' (drama about a man tracing his family roots), 'Take Three' (3 one off dramas). The Documentary Show followed up the trail of the Psycholomaniacs and the Lunetians (another cult documentary subject). The 'Documentary Special' two parter on the Psycholomaniacs and the 'M-Bomb' was a big ratings winner. Laughter Line-Up returned too, in April 1980 and incorporated 'Dirty Weekend Television' as well as it's spoof drama Bristol, about the Stewing Bean Company. With characters like Miss Welly, Spamela and BR, it developed a big following, and left listeners in suspended in the cliffhanging 'The canning of BR Stewing'.
Due to a technicians overtime and subsequent strike, FTBC's weekly schedule was suspended indefinitely in July 1980. The following month the service returned as a series of monthly specials, with extended episodes of a new chat show 'Audio', 'Craddock of the Yard', 'Crime Doesn't Pay', 'Tales of the Undecided' and 'Laughter Line-Up' (LLU). The latter show ran for 8 half hour specials. Listeners, after a long wait, finally found out that BR was shot by his sister-in-law, Kretin. The final 2 LLU shows in May 1981 saw a significant increase in quality, and were a big ratings success on previous shows. It was intended to be the last every 'Laughter Line-Up' outing.
In October 1981, the LLU production team decided to record a song 'Fly the Fag', and it's success prompted another series of LLU, this time composed of 4 hour long specials. LLU became more topical, including sketches about the collapse of Freddy Flaker's airline company, and the infamous, and subsequently banned news sketches about the 'Invasion of Canvey Island' by Kent in April 1982. LLU ended that run incorporating, for the last time 'Documentary Special featuring the Psycholomanics', and followed up in August 1982 with a half-hour complilation of the last few years. Apart from a short lived TV spin-off, there was doubt as to whether LLU would be back.
After a long break and development work, LLU finally returned in April 1984 with 5 new hour long shows, running over 3 months. These include the spoof 'Mole Bedbugs - Throw Up Your Breakfast Show' and numerous partakes of British politics, Mary Snatcher, the pit ponies strike and TV shows such as 'Points of Vous'. LLU was even more popular than in previous series, promoting the production team to set their sights much higher.
In July 1984 there were two 45 minute compilations, setting the scene for discussions that resulted in the production of six 25 minute shows for worldwide hospital radio syndication. These new shows, which aired from September 1984, included previously transmitted material and new material in equal proportion. Unfortunately, sketches featuring Doctors beating up patients, nurses beating up passers by on picket lines and drunken Australian male midwives in the delivery room caused much distress amongst elderly patients and thus the planned six new 25 minute shows for January 1985 were cancelled. However, a new recording facility enabled a final audio show and second TV spin-off to be made in the first few months of 1985.
In September 1985, attempts were made to bring back LLU, but it was apparent that it had shut its doors for the very, final time. In the summer of 1986 there was a new show, 'Like It or Lump It' with some of the same production team, with the same theme music as LLU, for the worlwide Universities Radio Network, but late into production the network were unable to confirm slots, and the project was pulled. Selected sketches appeared in psychiatric hospital radio stations in 1991, and in university radio stations in 1996, but to date there has been no return of FTBC or LLU.
RIP.