READING-IS-FUN ENDEAVOUR which wasn’t set in a tower and didn’t show many books. Famous faces took turns to recite tall tales to camera a bit like JACKANORY only less po-faced. DR WHO did it for a while, before STEPHEN MOORE took over in 1982, providing a less harrowing introduction to the likes of Tom’s Midnight Garden and Not Now, Bernard. Then ALUN ARMSTRONG ascended the steps in ’84, swiftly followed the year after by NEIL INNES, capably interviewing the ageing writer of the Green Knowe books, Lucy Boston. Still, the Tom Baker era is forever associated with the programme: that unnerving kids-in-stately-home-hiding-behind-sliding-panels-and-being-spied-on-by-scary-man atmosphere. Continual references to something called the Book Tower Watcher’s Guide, which we’re pretty sure no-one ever bothered with.
Book Tower, The
1979 to 1989 on ITV (Yorkshire)
TV CREAM SAYS: THEME TUNE BY ANDREW LLOYD-WEBBER WAS THE BEST THING HE'S
10 Responses to “Book Tower, The”
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Points of View
Sunday, 15.15, BBC1A full house for your PoV bingo card last week with this series’ first suggestion of launching a BBC sport channel, yet again failing to explain why they wouldn’t then launch a BBC soap channel, comedy channel and everything else, and then just have a blank screen on BBC1 for most of the day. Now we’ve covered the bases, not sure where this run has left to go.
I used to love this programme. Unfortunatley though, the mists of time have erased any clear memories I had of it. the only thing I can remember is the theme tune (and Tom Baker, of course).
Hi, this show was produced by Anne Wood for Yorkshire Television. I might be wrong but I thought Roger McGough was a presenter at one point too. Bye.
I remember the theme tune was an excerpt from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Variation” album. It used to scare the crap out of me!
I rememeber in one series there was an ongoing serial called Starstormers. I think it was about some children who went into space. It was pretty dire.
I used to love The Book Tower – and believe it or not still have one of the watchers guides, I remember having one that had a tear off book mark too!
I adored this programme and I was convinced that Roger McGough was the presenter, I was obviously wrong!
I’ve tried all ways to see if I can get hold of a copy of footage of one particular episode of the series networked in 1982 presented by Tom Baker, The reason being that my daughter acted in a scene from a book called ‘The Mustang Machine’ Sadly Jo lost her battle with an inoperable brain tumour in 2007 aged 36. :(
Here is a link to the literary agents of the author of ‘the Mustang Machine’ – Chris Powling:
http://www.davidhigham.co.uk/clients/Powling.htm
Perhaps you could persuade them to persuade him to provide a tape/disc of the Book Tower adaptation of his work, if he has it?
Palitoy, that is a great idea, I’ll give it a try, thank you for that. I’ll let you know if I have any joy.
My daughter was in the 1985 series, recomending her book ‘Marianne Dreams’…with Neil Innes…has anyone out there have a recording, would love to see it again….