Talk:Beyond Our Ken

Meaning

"Beyond our ken"....what does it mean? Is it an English phrase? --Hooperbloob 02:31, 21 August 2005 (UTC)

I've added the following...

The name is a pun on Kenneth Horne's name and the (now mainly Scots/Scottish English) word ken, meaning 'knowledge or perception'.

—Moilleadóir 07:04, 22 August 2005 (UTC)

humourous

This is not a typo. "Humourous" is the actual spelling and a direct quotation. The BBC uses British English. Dbromage 06:20, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

'Humourous' is actually a misspelling, not only in the US, but also in the UK and the Commonwealth.[1]

humorous

• adjective 1 causing amusement. 2 having or showing a sense of humour.

— DERIVATIVES humorously adverb humorousness noun

Swedish fusilier (talk) 13:09, 6 July 2008 (UTC)

Background section

The background section currently includes the text of several memos from the BBC archives. No source is given for these and no statement on their copyright status. I have removed them from the article and pasted them below. If someone could clarify the source and the copyright status, we can put them back, or put them somewhere more appropriate and reference them. Until then, I don't think they should be in the article.

1) Memo from Merriman regarding the programme which had a working title of Don't Look Now.

Don't Look Now Program Suggestion To Jacques Brown from Eric Merriman As you know, since I have been working Variety Playhouse for and with Kenneth Horne, I have felt that his potentialities for a solo comedy series are very strong, with particular emphasis on the style of humour we have built up on Playhouse and I see the basic pattern of the new show to be largely an extension of this. Namely that the formula is based on a week in the life of Kenneth Horne broken into three actual spots, one to vary and the other two constant. In support we would be able to remain fairly flexible, going for either character actors with a wide range of voices or revue artistes. Musically there would be two spots to break the sketches. However, I have a rough synopsis of content for discussion as follows. Suggested title Don't Look Now Opening spot Kenneth Horne to open with a brief patter routine on "My Week" and after a few gags to fade into one particular happening. These being in the vein of what we have already successfully done, such as the opening of a wine festival in Chalfont St Giles, the Kensington and District Working Man's Hunt Ball, the adjudication of a festival of amateur dramatics. Second spot This is to be the day in the week when Kenneth presides as chairman over a discussion group with a set of characters, some regular, others not, who answer questions on topics of the moment. Final spot A regular spot. A day in the week where Kenneth collates the material for his weekly documentary feature, Horne-a-rama. This is where we present, in comedy documentary technique, the facts on various subjects, either straightforward topics such as steel, transport (which are given a humourous (sic) treatment), or questions of the day such as "Wine Gum Addiction in the United Kingdom". This particular framework, I feel, does attempt to break away from the routine pattern of sketches and I think we can get a lot of fun in the Kenneth Horne manner from the apparently important trivialities which Kenneth does so well.

2) A memo dated July 8, 1957 supporting the idea and proposing a budget also exists in the BBC Archives.

From Jacques Brown To Assistant Head of Variety Further to my memorandum of June 25, I envisage as individual and distinctive in its own way as the or Eric Barker or Braden shows. Like them, it would not depend on star guests or names, apart from the principal, but employ very solid character people. A first rough breakdown would be Kenneth Horne £52 10s; Five character people, say £150; Singers £59 17s; script, say £70, total £332 7s. There could be music charges varying from nothing to £40 per program. Jacques Brown

3) The initial proposal, particularly the title, was not immediately well received as revealed in a memo dated August 22, 1957.

From Assistant Head of Variety To Head of Variety I do not think this will stand up to a successful series. As a show entitled Don't Look Now the basic idea does not emerge and it has little to say in that direction. Therefore it seems to me the title is nothing but an excuse, stringing together a couple of flimsy situations. I think it is not good enough for the following reasons. a) Weak format. b) Comedy writing not strong enough. c) Changes of scene and entries too abrubt. d) Eric Merriman could do better.

I'll have a go at rewriting the article section without the unsourced memos. Bluewave (talk) 12:20, 9 March 2011 (UTC)