From Python: "Now here is a reminder about leaving your radio on during the night: leave your radio on during the night."
Now was this a real thing that they reminded people about in the UK in the 70s? (Or perhaps before the 70s?) If so, why? Or did they remind them to NOT leave their radios on (which would make more sense)? But then, why would you need a reminder? The sound of the radio would interrupt your sleeping. Or was there no such thing as reminders about leaving your radio on or not, and the Pythons just made that up from nowhere?
Edited with more from the same episode:
When the timer shows 1:55 (embedded youtubes count backwards for some reason), Eric is wearing a Gryffindor scarf!
I may have blogged this one before, but since I'm here anyway, the conversation at 5:35 reminds me of people who claim they aren't opposed to same-sex marriage but don't want it to be called marriage.
6 comments:
In the days when the BBC and all Brit TV closed down for the night, the announcer used to come on and wish you all good night, and reminded you to switch off and then they played the National Anthem.
At least I think they used to remind you switch off.
My parents literally still do switch of the TV. They switch it off and then uplug it. Something to do with power saving and dodgy electrical cabling from the early years of TV in the UK.
That's interesting, thanks! Kind of nanny state though, isn't it?
And if radio stations shut down at night, what did they do if there was an emergency at night?
Send the Sexton to toll the church-bells - which was still the drill during the last war.
Heh, I had no idea what Sexton meant and had to go look it up.
But once they hear the churchbells ring, how do they know what exactly they're supposed to do?
I found your blog by typing this phrase into Google because I was curious about the exact same thing! It would have made more sense to tell people to switch their sets off during the night... I still don't know the answer.
Wait a minute... I think I get it now! It's so obvious!! The joke is that audiences at the time would have been very familiar with the announcement about switching off their TV or radio sets at night. But instead of following the announcement "about" doing this with the instruction NOT to do this as expected, instead the announcement was followed by the instruction to do exactly that, to leave it ON, effectively repeating the same announcement twice as a parody of typically stuffy, parochial BBC delivery style circa 1970! See?? That's the joke! It was the opposite of what the audience expected to hear. There, I solved it... I think.
Post a Comment