The Biggles TV Series
Apr. 26th, 2026 06:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rosanicusAs yet another method of novel work procrastination (really don't want to replan this stupid line graphs lesson, but alas...) I have spent the weekend once again scouring the internet for information about the Biggles series. And this time I have actually FOUND THINGS!!
You may already be aware that back in 2024 an episode of the show was uploaded to Youtube. At the time I left an effusive comment and was informed that the rest of the show was extant, but the uploader only had that one single episode. Said episode was pretty naff, and Biggles doesn't even show up until almost eight minutes into a twenty four minute episode. It's not helped by the fact that it's the final of three parts, so we all lack the context necessary to truly appreciate the tragedy of the sinking toy boat.
I was not deterred, however. I have been sporadically googling information about the show for the past two years, but always came up against paywalls or dead links. This time, I would accept no blockade in my quest for knowledge.
My initial attempt fizzled out because as it turns out the official ITV archive (which is probably where the episodes are actually stored physically) is only accessible by companies looking to license footage. But that did involve a fun diversion into the Manchester University pop culture archive, which apparently holds the Granada TV archive of documents and other archival material, so that could be a fun trip at some point.
I did not let this deter me, however. I found the Talking Pictures TV website (TPTV is a Freeview channel here in the UK which shows old telly and films) and sent them an email expressing my appreciation and also asking if they could pretty please look into licensing Biggles for broadcast. And they replied that they would indeed add it to their list! So we can keep our fingers crossed on that front at least.
Then I kept going, because I was in a state of extreme fixation, convinced that there was more to be found.
First, I made an account on a website dedicated to archiving the entire history of TV listings in the UK. Then I combed through every airdate from the Wikipedia page for Biggles (1960) and compiled a full list of episode summaries - interestingly, one of the summaries is duplicated because an episode was apparently delayed at the last moment, so there is still one summary missing. I had a lot of fun doing this and my wife only made fun of me a little bit. I am also planning to add individual episode titles now that I've discovered they exist!
Then I signed up for a month of membership at the Kaleidoscope website tvbrain.info, which lists additional information about episodes like cast lists and archival information. Kaleidoscope is a really excellent organisation for a number of reasons but in this instance it was very helpful in confirming that prints of every episode do indeed exist in archive somewhere - and also that they have 'materials' for four of the episodes, which was very thrilling. I screwed up my courage and typed a polite inquiry into their contact form asking for more information, which failed to send, so I had to put it in a normal email instead.
This was where I thought it would end. I went to the Kaleidoscope youtube channel and scrolled idly, in search of a different old bit of telly which I've been looking for (a horrifying sex ed video we watched in Year 7). While scrolling, I found a video called 'Kaleidovision', which promised an overview of some early children's television programmes.
Interesting, I thought. I'll watch that in the morning. And then I went to bed, little knowing what awaited me.
This is clearly a labour of love and a really thoughtful compilation of some of the holdings of Kaleidoscope. I was thoroughly enjoying it all the way, especially when the single surviving episode of a show called Garry Halliday showed up. Oh boy, I thought. A pilot adventuring show! That's just like Biggles. Man, I wish I could watch some Biggles right now.
Well you'll never guess what show came up next. Beginning at 33:59, my world was rocked.
Seeing the opening titles go past and then come up on Ginger on the radio was truly incandescent. Here was six-ish whole minutes of previously unseen Biggles content! Bertie is doing the NATO alphabet! Biggles orders alcohol at a bar! Ginger almost has a northern accent! GASKIN IS THERE! Truly I cannot imagine the thrill it must have been, being a child in 1960 watching this. Even if I also missed Algy fiercely and immediately.
This was such an improvement on the Mystery Island episode it's sort of funny, even with such a small snippet of the show. I did hope and pray they might've included a bit of EvS, but alas he didn't quite make the cut. Garry Halliday's nemesis The Voice did show up, though, and said some appropriately homoerotic nemesis statements. It scratched the itch just slightly.
That's all I have to update you on for now, but I will let you know as and when Kaleidoscope responds. Fingers crossed this is not the last new Biggles content we discover in 2026!!!
You may already be aware that back in 2024 an episode of the show was uploaded to Youtube. At the time I left an effusive comment and was informed that the rest of the show was extant, but the uploader only had that one single episode. Said episode was pretty naff, and Biggles doesn't even show up until almost eight minutes into a twenty four minute episode. It's not helped by the fact that it's the final of three parts, so we all lack the context necessary to truly appreciate the tragedy of the sinking toy boat.
I was not deterred, however. I have been sporadically googling information about the show for the past two years, but always came up against paywalls or dead links. This time, I would accept no blockade in my quest for knowledge.
My initial attempt fizzled out because as it turns out the official ITV archive (which is probably where the episodes are actually stored physically) is only accessible by companies looking to license footage. But that did involve a fun diversion into the Manchester University pop culture archive, which apparently holds the Granada TV archive of documents and other archival material, so that could be a fun trip at some point.
I did not let this deter me, however. I found the Talking Pictures TV website (TPTV is a Freeview channel here in the UK which shows old telly and films) and sent them an email expressing my appreciation and also asking if they could pretty please look into licensing Biggles for broadcast. And they replied that they would indeed add it to their list! So we can keep our fingers crossed on that front at least.
Then I kept going, because I was in a state of extreme fixation, convinced that there was more to be found.
First, I made an account on a website dedicated to archiving the entire history of TV listings in the UK. Then I combed through every airdate from the Wikipedia page for Biggles (1960) and compiled a full list of episode summaries - interestingly, one of the summaries is duplicated because an episode was apparently delayed at the last moment, so there is still one summary missing. I had a lot of fun doing this and my wife only made fun of me a little bit. I am also planning to add individual episode titles now that I've discovered they exist!
Then I signed up for a month of membership at the Kaleidoscope website tvbrain.info, which lists additional information about episodes like cast lists and archival information. Kaleidoscope is a really excellent organisation for a number of reasons but in this instance it was very helpful in confirming that prints of every episode do indeed exist in archive somewhere - and also that they have 'materials' for four of the episodes, which was very thrilling. I screwed up my courage and typed a polite inquiry into their contact form asking for more information, which failed to send, so I had to put it in a normal email instead.
This was where I thought it would end. I went to the Kaleidoscope youtube channel and scrolled idly, in search of a different old bit of telly which I've been looking for (a horrifying sex ed video we watched in Year 7). While scrolling, I found a video called 'Kaleidovision', which promised an overview of some early children's television programmes.
Interesting, I thought. I'll watch that in the morning. And then I went to bed, little knowing what awaited me.
This is clearly a labour of love and a really thoughtful compilation of some of the holdings of Kaleidoscope. I was thoroughly enjoying it all the way, especially when the single surviving episode of a show called Garry Halliday showed up. Oh boy, I thought. A pilot adventuring show! That's just like Biggles. Man, I wish I could watch some Biggles right now.
Well you'll never guess what show came up next. Beginning at 33:59, my world was rocked.
Seeing the opening titles go past and then come up on Ginger on the radio was truly incandescent. Here was six-ish whole minutes of previously unseen Biggles content! Bertie is doing the NATO alphabet! Biggles orders alcohol at a bar! Ginger almost has a northern accent! GASKIN IS THERE! Truly I cannot imagine the thrill it must have been, being a child in 1960 watching this. Even if I also missed Algy fiercely and immediately.
This was such an improvement on the Mystery Island episode it's sort of funny, even with such a small snippet of the show. I did hope and pray they might've included a bit of EvS, but alas he didn't quite make the cut. Garry Halliday's nemesis The Voice did show up, though, and said some appropriately homoerotic nemesis statements. It scratched the itch just slightly.
That's all I have to update you on for now, but I will let you know as and when Kaleidoscope responds. Fingers crossed this is not the last new Biggles content we discover in 2026!!!
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Date: 2026-04-26 09:07 pm (UTC)