Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.

[m0cemdave]

Ah, a BC610 for space communications...

[MurphyNut]

Being into old things we love period dramas especially ones set in 1920's-1970's and in general they are very good, they get the cars almost spot on for a particular period. But as for Radios, they are constantly out and often way out!
I forget the Drama but it was set in 1939 at the outbreak of war and sitting on the mantelpiece was a 1950's Ultra Coronation Twin!
I bet I'm not the only that notices this kind of thing!

[hannahs radios]

In relation to the Dad's Army film, I mean the original one not the new one. Captain. Mainwaring passes the butcher's shop and it's lit with several 1970's vintage twin flourescent lights.

[Phil G4SPZ]

My wife drew my attention to this relevant report in the Daily Mail.

[gary_crutchley]

This is slightly off topic as it's not TV/Film, but I am a member of the National Trust and have visited many properties. I was at Upton House in Oxfordshire a few weeks ago, currently it is dressed to show how it was in the Second World War. There are a number of radios on display, the first room I walked in to had a DAC90A and a later model at that!

[gary_crutchley]

Originally Posted by Phil G4SPZ

My wife drew my attention to this relevant report in the Daily Mail.

Brilliant!

[camtechman]

Between 21:05 & 21:10 on tonight's (BBC1) Christmas Special of "Call The Midwife" (Set In 1962) I'm sure I saw a satellite dish on the chimney stack of a farmhouse !!

I was watching it on Channel 101 (BBC 1) in HD and it seemed clear enough to me. Unfortunately my screen capture (as a Jpeg) doesn't show it that well.

Did anyone else spot it or was technology that advanced in 1962 ??

[paulsherwin]

I didn't see this, but it's not unusual for bloopers like this to get through. In the old days production companies would spend a lot of money removing anachronisms from locations. Nowadays they remove them digitally in post production, but sometimes things are missed, particularly if the budget is a bit tight. Downton Abbey has received criticism for missing things like this.

It even happens with period feature films, though the bigger budgets mean that the errors are less frequent and less obvious.

[Herald1360]

It's an odd place for a dish, up above a chimney stack- maybe that's why it was missed. Given where it's pointing, the right hand gable wall would be a more usual location.

[richrussell]

I've just looked at the episode again on iPlayer, and in the bit when the farmhouse is first shown it looks far more like a metal cowling on the chimney.

I guess at around latitude 33S any dish would need to be reasonably tilted for geostationary satellites, which might limit mounting locations.

[camtechman]

I guess at around latitude 33S any dish would need to be reasonably tilted for geostationary satellites, which might limit mounting locations.

But should it have been there as the episode was set in 1962?

[ms660]

Originally Posted by camtechman

Between 21:05 & 21:10 on tonight's (BBC1) Christmas Special of "Call The Widwife" (Set In 1962) I'm sure I saw a satellite dish on the chimney stack of a farmhouse !!

I was watching it on Channel 101 (BBC 1) in HD and it seemed clear enough to me. Unfortunately my screen capture (as a Jpeg) doesn't show it that well.

Did anyone else spot it or was technology that advanced in 1962 ??

I assume that's Call The Midwife, checked 21:05 to 21:10 on Iplayer but couldn't find the shot, am I looking in the wrong place?

Lawrence.

[Restoration73]

In "The Lady in the van" a scene outside a TV shop window, where a BRC 960 portable
proudly displays a colour picture.

[crackle]

Watching 633 Squadron last night and what looked like this radio featured in it. http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/general_el_5445.html
Hear it is at 52:05 on this Youtube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTLHHXcnf5A

Mike

[MurphyNut]

Isn't 633 Squadron set in World War II? That radio came out in 1954!

[crackle]

quite right

[Orakle42]

Followers of 'Allo 'Allo... may recall seeing Herr Flick using a 19 set as a telephone...

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by MurphyNut

Isn't 633 Squadron set in World War II? That radio came out in 1954!

Ah, but the surprisingly similar BC5639 came out just pre-war, apparently: http://www.pasttimesradio.co.uk/proj...c-bc5639-1.jpg

So maybe not too bad an error.

[The Philpott]

Mosquito squadron and 633 squadron are riddled with inconsistencies, David McCallum looked embarrassed to be involved in the former, frankly. There is a famous colour slide of a Mosquito being bombed up, that is often reversed. I was intrigued to see left hand tractor Merlins before i realised what was going on. 633 is a re-hash of what was planned for 618 sqn. in real life, where the highball was due to go up against targets like Tirpitz. By then the cat was out of the bag though.

One thing they did pay attention to in the making of these 2 films was many attempts to position a mike at exactly the spot where the rubber kissed the tarmac on landing- which took considerable pilot skill! All this to get a 'squeal'.

[Nicklyons2]

I enjoy it immensely, and have seen it many times but, surely, there can be no war film more replete with howling anachronisms than Where Eagles Dare. Where do I start?

"Broadsword calling Danny Boy"