Hugely entertaining and packed with new stories, "Turned Out Nice Again" is the first single volume history of British light entertainment."Turned out Nice Again" celebrates the work of the performers and impresarios who, from the 1930s onwards, pushed the creative boundaries of radio and then television to bring ground-breaking variety shows to a new audience. He demonstrates how the performances of Britain's best-loved entertainers, including The Crazy Gang, Shirley Bassey, Tommy Cooper and The Two Ronnies, were conceived, written and then filmed, often in front of a live audience and under extreme space and time restrictions.With a cast of thousands, including Peter Cook, Ken Dodd, Dusty Springfield, Spike Milligan, Rolf Harris, Bruce Forsyth and Reeves and Mortimer, "Turned Out Nice Again" reveals a world of comedians and cavorters, dancing girls and crooners. From the early days of vaudeville, via the golden age of radio, live television spectaculars, the rise of the chat show and alternative comedy, Louis Barfe pulls back the curtain of variety to reveal the world of light entertainment in all its glory.
Turned Out Nice Again
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"'Light entertainment' is a much-abused term but in his impressively researched story of the subject, Louis Barfe makes no apologies for populism." -- Keith Watson, Metro, 4 November 2008
"...this book is not worth reading."
-- Robert Hanks, The Independent, 14 November 2008
"It is...refreshing to read a book about popular entertainment by someone who genuinely loves it, without so much as a hint of that rather purist, Anglo-Saxon sneer we so often, as a nation, display about things we do simply for pleasure." -- Peter Bazalgette, Sunday Telegraph, 9 November 2008
"Louis Barfe puts the spesh acts into historical perspective...Barfe cleverly points out that the same producers who delivered The Young Ones and Saturday Live on BBC 2 and Channel Four were simultaneously responsible for Brucie and Tarby and Bob and the PW Botha Pro-Am Classic on the mainstream channels." -- Roger Hutchinson, The Scotsman, 18 October 2008
"a fine book...an important account" -- Kit Hesketh-Harvey, The Guardian, 8 November 2008
"...this book is not worth reading."
-- Robert Hanks, The Independent, 14 November 2008
"It is...refreshing to read a book about popular entertainment by someone who genuinely loves it, without so much as a hint of that rather purist, Anglo-Saxon sneer we so often, as a nation, display about things we do simply for pleasure." -- Peter Bazalgette, Sunday Telegraph, 9 November 2008
"Louis Barfe puts the spesh acts into historical perspective...Barfe cleverly points out that the same producers who delivered The Young Ones and Saturday Live on BBC 2 and Channel Four were simultaneously responsible for Brucie and Tarby and Bob and the PW Botha Pro-Am Classic on the mainstream channels." -- Roger Hutchinson, The Scotsman, 18 October 2008
"a fine book...an important account" -- Kit Hesketh-Harvey, The Guardian, 8 November 2008
Review
"It is...refreshing to read a book about popular entertainment by someone who genuinely loves it, without so much as a hint of that rather purist, Anglo-Saxon sneer we so often, as a nation, display about things we do simply for pleasure."
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Written in a very concise style packing maximum info into each line and based on extensive research, those interviewed are a solidly represenatative of TV light entertainment in the period from its inception. An easy read for those with just a general interest and a gold mine for serious students of this and related topics.
9 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Quackser
Format:Paperback
A whistle-stop tour through fifty years of British telly, this book chooses, perhaps unwisely, to be a history of the "dry" side of light entertainment, concentrating on the devising of quiz show formats and the ins and outs of ITV franchise applications rather than the talent in front of the camera. The great names are all here, of course- Morecambe and Wise, Tommy Cooper and the rest- but they get short shrift in favour of "he said to me, then I said to him"-style anecdotes related by producers about other producers and doubtless polished in many a golf club bar and at many a Variety Club dinner over the years. I was left thinking I'd been subjected to an endless monologue by a thousand Ronnie Corbetts that never reached the point of being as fascinating as the teller assured me it was.
But this is a well-researched book and contains much that needed putting on the record, so to speak, even if the writing and the organisation of the information betray a certain dogged diligence rather than any real spark.
Definitely not a suitable Christmas gift for that uncle who likes Tony Hancock!
But this is a well-researched book and contains much that needed putting on the record, so to speak, even if the writing and the organisation of the information betray a certain dogged diligence rather than any real spark.
Definitely not a suitable Christmas gift for that uncle who likes Tony Hancock!
By Mb Davis
Format:Hardcover
The first 80 pages of this book are interesting as they focus on music hall.After that the author turns his attention to television and radio.The problem with that is that much of what he writes is not on the topic of light entertainment and is downright dull.he tends to focus on the politics of getting programmes made and the ITV franchise renewals.Who cares if TVS didnt get their franchise renewed.Who can be interested in the industrial disputes at GMTV?More to the point,how can a history of light entertainment be seriously considered when there is no mention of the creative team of Perry and Croft.David Croft gets a one sentance entry referring to his initial career as a script editor.The last 40 pages are the most boring and in the end i just raced through them to finish the book as quickly as possible.
7 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By Ms. T. Jones
Format:Hardcover
It's fair to mention that I've been a friend of the author's for over 10 years, so I may well be biased. However, light entertainment (or LE) is a subject dear to my heart, and I certainly wouldn't hesitate to complain if it hadn't been given a good treatment. Louis' book plays a blinder, being a thoroughly well-researched 354 pages (there aren't 22 pages of notes for nothing), and follows the story of the LE industry from the birth of variety in the middle of the nineteenth century, to the more recent revival in entertainment television in the shape of The X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing and Saturday Night Takeaway, to mention but a few. In essence, this is the definitive work on the genre, weaving a direct link between those early pioneers of variety to today's stars. Where else would you discover the link between Top of the Pops and Billy Cotton's Band Show? It is essential for anyone with even a passing interest in British television, and proves beyond all doubt that there really isn't anything 'light' about guaranteeing quality entertainment for a mass audience.
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By G. Webley
Format:Hardcover
Once again Louis Barfe has produced the be all and end all of an aspect of popular culture. His previous book, on the history of recorded music: WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD TIMES GONE is unassailable and this book is every bit as important. If you have an interest in British media, TURNED OUT NICE AGAIN is your one stop shop. For anyone studying the media, this title has everything to deliver you a 1st class degree. If you're in the business, it will explain how we got where we are, and why. In a world of half truths, revisionist history and spin, Louis Barfe cuts through the fog to deliver the REAL story, warts and all
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Bumblezzz
Format:Hardcover
Covers everything from early days of music hall and variety to Britain Got Talent the author really did his research for this book. Its full of everything you want to know about British light entertainment. Covers all big names and some you may have forgotten. Buy this book if you want to learn more about the entertainment industry and how the likes of sunday night at the london palladium ended. With little biographies of the likes of Eric&Ernie Brucie and Tommy Cooper to name just a few you will love this book.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Bernard Shaw
Format:Hardcover
Having just received this book I am happy to report it to be a weighty and impressive tome. No I have not yet had time to read all of its 400 pages! However, like all those who buy books on subjects of which they have 'inside' knowledge, I was delighted to find that the bits I know about were accurately chronicled. A massive ammount of research must have gone into the writing of this book. What is very interesting is that Barfe's interviews were not only with the 'stars'. There are many quotes from the lower orders such as technicians, musicians and even drummers! They provide an interesting and non glamorous counterpoint. Many of the stars were very difficult customers and all was not always sweetness and light backstage! This book is great value - page after page of solid and well crafted words. It could so easily have been filled with photos and illustrations. They are, thankfully, kept to a minimum. It looks destined to become the 'standard work' on the golden years of Light Entertainment.
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