Kaleidoscope Publishing
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Latest Books
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Downloadable Books
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British Television Research Guides
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Other Kaleidoscope Books
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Other Books & Magazines
Click on an image below to view more details about the books, including sample pages, full contents lists and other information.
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Available Now
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Here’s A House – A Celebration of Play School – Reference Section
The iconic children’s programme Play School opened its doors for 24 years and importantly was the first programme to appear on the newly-launched BBC 2 channel in April 1964. This free PDF download lists archive holdings, presenters, production team members, storytellers and other reference material which we couldn’t fit into the original books.
This book is available as a free download.
More details here.
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British Television Comedy Research Guide 1936-2011
September 2011 Download editionA 2,500+ page work covering comedy series, serials and plays on British terrestrial and satellite channels. Includes archive holdings and much more.
*** Please note that this is not a paper book. It is a DOWNLOAD which comes as a PDF file. ***
Now available for £29.99.
More details here.
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BBC Television Drama Guide 1936-2011
September 2011 Download editionA 2,500+ page work covering drama series, serials, plays and soaps on BBC television. Includes archive holdings and much more.
*** Please note that this is not a paper book. It is a DOWNLOAD which comes as a PDF file. ***
Now available for £29.99.
More details here.
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Here’s A House – A Celebration of Play School vol 2
The iconic children’s programme Play School opened its doors for 24 years and importantly was the first programme to appear on the newly-launched BBC 2 channel in April 1964. The programme’s creator Joy Whitby derived its title because “play is the child’s first school” and this book concludes ’s chronicle of the history of this well-loved programme.
This volume continues the Play School story, covering the 1980s change of format, the 1990s, and the overseas countries that bought Play School kits.
A separate reference section will shortly be available as a free download for purchasers of either or both volumes.
£24.99 (UK) including postage & packing.
£29.99 (Europe) including postage & packing.
£34.99 (USA/Canada) including postage & packing.
£34.99 (Rest of the World) including postage & packing.
More details here.
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The Goodies: Super Chaps Three
In the early 1960s, three innocent youngsters – Billy, Little Timothy and the Other One – had headed for the world of academia and found themselves ensnared in the twilight world of cutting-edge comedy perpetuated by the shady, clandestine organisation known only as the Footlights. After many perilous adventures, they were to win through, save the United Kingdom from ruin, and become world famous in Australia. The Goodies: Super Chaps Three tells the story of how The Goodies came into being, their successes in various media and the legacy of their much-loved programme.
Written by acclaimed archive television historian and Goodies expert Andrew Pixley this is undoubtedly the definitive look at the production of this classic comedy series. Over ten years in the making, this whopping 600+ page book covers every single aspect of the series’ production as well as lengthy looks at Broaden Your Mind, I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue and other related programmes.
If you call yourselves a Goodies fan then you won’t want to be without this book.
Please note that for anyone outside of the UK, we’re selling this book from our Lulu store. This is because the book is heavy and could easily cost £25 or more to post from the UK. Lulu has partners in a number of countries around the world, and they arrange to have books printed in the country they’re due to be shipped to and thus orders generally incur only local / inland postage costs way below the £25 we would have to charge you. Please click here to go to our Lulu store, or here to go direct to the book’s own page on Lulu.
£24.99 (UK) including postage & packing.
More details here.
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Here’s A House – A Celebration of Play School vol 1
The iconic children’s programme Play School opened its doors for 24 years and importantly was the first programme to appear on the newly-launched BBC 2 channel in April 1964. The programme’s creator Joy Whitby derived its title because “play is the child’s first school” and this book finally chronicles the history of a well-loved programme as well as featuring many household names.
, keeper of the Play School archives, covers the 1960s and 1970s chronologically within volume one and includes entries on every presenter, major milestones like the first colour programme in 1968, and various anniversary editions. There are contributions from hundreds of presenters, directors, musicians, designers and graphic designers and within the 450 pages are included many previously unseen photos, many in colour, that will evoke fond memories of your childhood watching.
Volume Two will be published in spring 2011 and will continue the story, covering the 1980s change of format, the 1990s, overseas countries that bought Play School kits and a comprehensive reference section.
Now available from our store on Lulu.com for £24.99 plus postage and packing.
More details here.
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Ronnie Wolfe: My Life In Memoirs
There are many types of humour – sarcasm, farce, irony, risque, alternative... Over the years British television has seen examples of them all, but many of the writers and artistes responsible have found their own brand of comedy has ebbed and flowed in the ratings, and some people/series have floated down river never to be heard of again.
Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney have written many comedy series since they met and formed a great partnership. Their comedy has often been described as down to earth, practical and solid. Their biggest hits – The Rag Trade and On The Buses are released on DVD and still show on satellite channels around the world. Thirty years later, the catchphrases of Fenner, Blakey or Stan Butler remain iconic expressions of a form of comedy that is often overlooked by Oxford academics, but remains viewed by millions on a daily basis.
In his memoirs, Ronnie Wolfe creator – with Ronald Chesney – of The Rag Trade, Meet The Wife, On The Buses, Take A Letter Mr Jones, and writer for Beryl Reid, Educating Archie and many others takes us on a journey through his long and successful career as a writer.
Also includes Back On The Buses – a reproduction of the complete pilot script for a 1990s re-launch of the long-running series.
Now available from our store on Lulu.com for £14.99 plus postage and packing.
More details here.
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Many Moons and a few stars
This book takes us through the first thirty or so years of the life of Leonard White, later to become a renowned director and producer, but first a council-schoolboy, sometime newspaper-boy, bookie’s clerk, shipping agents’ penpusher, and then, against his will, involved in theatre. Remarkably, however, a very fine teacher changed all that. From then on he only wanted to be an actor...
This book will be published on Monday, 6th September 2010.
£12.99 (UK) including postage & packing.
£16.99 (Europe) including postage & packing.
£18.99 (USA/Canada) including postage & packing.
£18.99 (Rest of the World) including postage & packing.
More details here.
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British Independent Television Drama Guide 1955-2010
May 2010 Download editionA 3,300+ page work covering drama series, serials, plays and soaps on independent terrestrial and satellite channels. Includes archive holdings and much more.
*** Please note that this is not a paper book. It is a DOWNLOAD which comes as a PDF file. ***
Now available for £29.99.
More details here.
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Bob’s Full House (paperback)
A peek into the personal archive of Bob Monkhouse
Bob Monkhouse, the prolific comic, writer and performer was famous worldwide for his sharp one-liners, topical gags and charming smile. He died of prostate cancer in 2003, aged 75, leaving behind a mystery – did he own a mythical collection of films that were the sole surviving copies in the world?
Indeed a vast collection of film reels, videos, scripts, photographs and audio tapes were amassed by the performer during his lifetime and after the death of his widow were handed over to Kaleidoscope in 2008 for future generations to enjoy.
Until the early 1980s, both the BBC and ITV regularly wiped programmes after broadcast, or simply never recorded them in the first place. Thanks to his foresight, many hours of vintage comedy material featuring Bob, his writing partner Denis Goodwin, and stars such as Tony Hancock, Peter Sellers, Tommy Cooper, Frankie Howerd, Arthur Askey, Benny Hill and June Whitfield, can now be enjoyed again. More...
Now available from our store on Lulu.com for £19.99 plus postage and packing.
More details here.
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BAFTA
Behind The Mask
holds a unique position in the fabric of the Film and Television industries. Known, of course, as the society that sets the standards of excellence in both art forms by presenting awards, it is also the organisation that represents the cross-pollination of ideas and technology between the two.
The ten years or so chronicled in this book are among the most important in the life of the Academy, recording as it does the struggle from difficult early times to becoming not just a London-based society but creating branches throughout the nation and indeed into the heartland of the film world, America. Here too are honoured the names of many, for example, like Richard Cawston, but for whom the Academy would not exist in its present form.
The author says that the book does not set out to be the definitive history of the Academy but to represent a decade of its existence whilst he was its Director. He believes there are different aspects that others may be more qualified to expand. Nonetheless, the ten years in this review represent a cornerstone in the history of the Academy.
£12.99 (UK) including postage & packing.
£18.99 (Europe) including postage & packing.
£22.99 (USA/Canada) including postage & packing.
£22.99 (Rest of the World) including postage & packing.
More details here.
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Blue Peter
Inside The Archives
Blue Peter is the world’s longest running children’s programme. The ‘Blue Peter’ is actually the name of a flag, traditionally lowered 24 hours before a ship sets sail on a new voyage. The show’s creator, John Hunter Blair, chose the name because he thought that each edition should be like setting off on a new voyage. He had no idea how far his ship would sail or that it would become a cultural phenomenon in its own right. Since that first transmission on 16 October 1958 there have been over 4400 editions, thirty-four presenters and a whole menagerie of pets.
Among its many impressive statistics, Blue Peter has one of the finest and most eclectic archives in broadcasting history, its producers hoarding and retaining material at a time when the usual practice was to junk and destroy – assuming, of course, that you recorded your output in the first place. Many of the live programmes were recorded ‘off air’ and so today provide a priceless legacy of continuity and trails from the golden age of TV.
In this book, you will find a fully comprehensive guide, not only to that fabulous archive, but also to the wide range of spin-off programmes which came out of the Blue Peter stable – from Blue Peter Special Assignments and Val Meets The VIPS to Treasure Houses and Duncan Dares. There is also a section on much of the relevant and existing related material, from radio and television – interviews, behind-the-scenes reports and documentaries.
This detailed chronicle covering the fifty year life span of one of British Television’s most iconic series provides readers and researchers with a treasure trove of information – reflecting the social history, changing styles and famous faces of each decade – over 400 pages taking you back in time for a unique slice of British childhood.
This book will be published on Monday 27th October 2008. From that time the price will be £19.99 plus p&p – a total of £24.99 in the U.K., and more in other other parts of the world. Until that time it may be ordered at the pre-order prices below.
£24.99 (UK) including postage & packing.
£29.99 (Europe) including postage & packing.
£39.99 (USA/Canada) including postage & packing.
£39.99 (Rest of the World) including postage & packing.
More details here.
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“Prime Minister, You Wanted To See Me?”
A History Of Week Ending
In the spring of 1970, BBC Radio 4 premiered a new late-night topical sketch show. Initially an unassuming antidote to the week’s events, grew to become the nerve-centre of new writing in British comedy. It existed in part as a place for scriptwriters to learn the ropes, before graduating to Not The Nine O’Clock News, Spitting Image and beyond. It also provided an early platform for Britain’s best-loved performers, amongst them Steve Coogan, David Jason and Tracey Ullman. However, by its eventual demise in 1998, had become a neglected and much-maligned programme. What caused it to lose ground as the respected entry point, and how did it sustain itself for so long?
In – the substantial opening article – researchers & unpack the series’ long and convoluted history with the assistance of more than fifty contributors, including Sally Grace, Andy Hamilton, Armando Iannucci, Nigel Rees, David Renwick, Sheila Steafel, Bill Wallis and series co-creator Simon Brett. This background story reveals a constantly evolving programme, often rocked and ravaged by the ambitions of an apparently endless parade of new producers, not to mention a Radio Light Entertainment department in varying states of health.
What follows is a comprehensive guide to all 1132 regular editions of , as well as compilations, specials and merchandise. The archives of the BBC have been raided for an exhaustive account of who wrote what and when, and under which producer. Fully cross-referenced, the early work of major writers and performers – Douglas Adams, David Baddiel, Jeremy Hardy, Harry Hill – is given in-depth treatment for the very first time. provides a window on a major ‘lost history’, and finally casts light on many artists’ early days in what Stewart Lee dubbed ‘the saltmines of comedy’.
This book will be published on Monday 27th October 2008. From that time the price will be £24.99 plus p&p – a total of £29.99 in the U.K., and more in other other parts of the world. Until that time it may be ordered at the pre-order prices below.
£24.99 (UK) including postage & packing.
£29.99 (Europe) including postage & packing.
£39.99 (USA/Canada) including postage & packing.
£39.99 (Rest of the World) including postage & packing.
More details here.
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Forsyte and Hindsight
(or Screen Directing for Pleasure and Profit)
James Cellan Jones is one of Britain’s foremost directors of classic plays, series and serials. For the first time, James reveals the inside story of his days at the BBC and in independent production. Includes full credits section and index. Available in softback.
£25.00 (UK) including postage & packing.
£27.00 (Europe) including postage & packing.
£31.50 (Rest of the World) including postage & packing.
More details here.
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Out Of The Unknown
This 496-page softback history of the series is contains detailed text based on BBC records and the memories of production personnel, and is augmented by over 2000 photographs from the series including thousands of telesnaps. These priceless records of lost stories, taken by John Cura, have been loaned to Kaleidoscope by Irene Shubik, the series’ creator, who has also written the introduction. This book is a Limited Edition charity book, with a donation from the sale of each book going to the R.N.L.I.
Price currently reduced from £51 to £17.99 including UK p&p.
More details here.
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The British Television Children’s
Research Guide 1950-1997Provides a comprehensive catalogue of programmes commissioned by the Children’s departments of BBC and ITV companies in the UK. Includes Crackerjack, Jackanory, Blue Peter and much, much more.
Now available from our store on Lulu.com for £34.99 plus postage and packing.
More details here.
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The British Television Music & Variety
Research Guide 1950-1997Overview of British television music and variety shows commissioned by the light entertainment departments of the BBC and ITV companies, such as Wogan and The Old Grey Whistle Test... with full archive holdings.
Now available from our store on Lulu.com for £29.99 plus postage and packing.
More details here.
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The British Independent Television Drama Research Guide 1955-2005
A five-volume reference work covering drama series, serials, plays and soaps on independent terrestrial and satellite channels. Includes archive holdings and much more.
Now available from our store on Lulu.com for £26.99 per volume plus postage and packing.
More details here.
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The BBC Television Drama Research Guide 1936-2006
A five-volume reference work covering drama series, serials, plays and soaps on BBC terrestrial and satellite channels. Includes archive holdings and much more.
Now available from our store on Lulu.com for £26.99 per volume plus postage and packing.
More details here.
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Tapestries Of Colour
The Studio Glass of Jonathan Harris
This book celebrates and illustrates the work on Jonathan Harris, the UK’s leading exponent of gold and silver leaf in the process of cameo production. Illustrated throughout with full colour photographs, which highlight the delicacy and finesse of Jonathan’s work.
£22.50 (UK) including postage & packing.
£23.50 (Europe) including postage & packing.
£27.50 (Rest of the World) including postage & packing.
More details here.
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Inside Updown
As a child, Richard Marson was fascinated by and fell in love with Upstairs, Downstairs. Years later, when he was himself working in the television industry, he produced and directed the 25th anniversary documentary about the series. This led him to research and write what he hoped would be the ultimate book about the making of a major TV drama, from first idea to final frame.
For this special edition of that book, he has revisited the original text to fully revise and update it, unearthing a plethora of new information and tracking down some important new contributors. The book is packed with rare photographs and illustrations, many in colour, from the archives of those who worked on the production. It also includes the first publication of Rosemary Anne Sisson’s long lost screenplay for the proposed Upstairs, Downstairs film, as well as the original document which first sold the idea for the programme and a charming short story, written by producer John Hawkesworth, in which Christmas comes to 165 Eaton Place.
£32.99 (UK) including postage & packing.
£44.99 (Europe) including postage & packing.
£59.99 (USA/Canada) including postage & packing.
£59.99 (Rest of the World) including postage & packing.
More details here.
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