Tag Archives: ITV

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The Bootleg Files: Groucho

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BOOTLEG FILES 867: “Groucho” (1965 British television series starring Groucho Marx).

LAST SEEN: One episode is on YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It was never released in the U.S.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely, considering 11 of the 13 episodes are considered lost.

One of the most popular American game shows of all time was “You Bet Your Life,” which appeared on radio from 1947 to 1960 and on television from 1950 to 1961. The program’s popularity had little to do with the game, which was a rather tame question-and-answer endeavor, but with the show’s witty host Groucho Marx. The heart of the show would involve Groucho interviewing and having fun with the contestants, punctuating the conversation with one-liners and gentle wisecracks.
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The Bootleg Files: Woody Allen

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BOOTLEG FILES 853: “Woody Allen” (1965 British television special).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: Not yet.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A performance rights clearance issue.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

On February 10, 1965, British television audiences who tuned into ITV had their first look at Woody Allen, who starred in an eponymous one-off television special. Most viewers that night probably thought “Woody Who?” – he was unknown in Britain and his fame in his own country was mostly limited to occasional appearances on television talk shows and in clubs that featured up-and-coming stand-up comics.
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