Kaleidoscope Publishing

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1. Available Soon

   1. 

      Many Moons and a few stars

      By Leonard White

      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.

      
      

2. Available Now

   1. 

      British Independent Television Drama Guide 1955-2010
      May 2010 Download edition

      By Simon Coward, Richard Down and Christopher Perry

      A 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.

      
      
   2. 

      Bob’s Full House (paperback)

      A peek into the personal archive of Bob Monkhouse

      Edited by Simon Coward and Christopher Perry

      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.

      
      
   3. 

      BAFTA

      Behind The Mask

      By Reginald Collin

      The British Academy of Film and Television Arts 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.

      
      
   4. 

      “Prime Minister, You Wanted To See Me?”

      A History Of Week Ending

      By Ian Greaves and Justin Lewis

      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, Week Ending 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, Week Ending 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 “Prime Minister, You Wanted To See Me?” – the substantial opening article – researchers Ian Greaves & Justin Lewis 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 Week Ending, 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. A History of Week Ending 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.

      
      
   5. 

      Blue Peter

      Inside The Archives

      By Richard Marson

      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.

      
      
   6. 

      Forsyte and Hindsight

      (or Screen Directing for Pleasure and Profit)

      By James Cellan Jones

      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.

      
      
   7. 

      Out Of The Unknown

      By Mark Ward

      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 £22.99 including UK p&p.
      
      More details here.

      
      
   8. 

      Tapestries Of Colour

      The Studio Glass of Jonathan Harris

      By Christopher Woodall Perry

      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.

      
      
   9. 

      The BBC Television Drama Research Guide 1936-2006

      By Simon Coward, Richard Down and Christopher Perry

      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.

      
      
   10. 

       The British Independent Television Drama Research Guide 1955-2005

       By Simon Coward, Richard Down and Christopher Perry

       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.

       
       
   11. 

       The British Television Music & Variety
       Research Guide 1950-1997

       By Richard Down and Christopher Perry

       Overview 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 £31.21 plus postage and packing.
       
       More details here.

       
       
   12. 

       The British Television Children’s
       Research Guide 1950-1997

       By Richard Down, Richard Marson and Christopher Perry

       Provides 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 £36.38 plus postage and packing.
       
       More details here.