FOCAL: Innovation- FOCAL Television Quiz. A Happy Party

I thought FIAT members would be interested to hear about a really great innovation from fellow archive organization FOCAL. Here is a summary of what was a fun, entertaining evening that FOCAL recently put on for its members in London.

We challenged our members' knowledge of the media business in which they work, by organizing a FOCAL TELEVISION QUIZ.

Teams of members pitted their wits against one another over a glass or two of wine and beer, in a very friendly and social evening held in the BBC club.

The theme was - What did they know about UK Television output.

Can you recognise the logos for ATV, Grampian, Scottish Television and Rediffusion television companies? Or can you remember the theme tunes for the following television programmes - Bread, Animal Magic or Auf Wiedersehen Pet? What came first - A for Andromeda, Dr. Who or the Invisible Man?

Regulars of the BBC Club looked on with fascination as teams of enthusiasts pitted their wits against each other at the Focal Quiz Evening on Monday 18th March. Focal had taken over the club for the night thanks to the BBC's generosity. The tables were filled by teams representing companies, keenly fighting for the glory of APTN, Pathe, Getty Images, or else by individuals who joined up with others to make up a four.

The book "Missing Believed Wiped"

They were delving into their collective television memories, attempting to answer questions devised by Christine Brown of BBC I & A and the BFI's Dick Fiddy, author of Missing, Believed Wiped , researcher, writer, consultant and walking encyclopaedia on all things televisual.

Dick Fiddy, BFI

Dick, Christine and Sue Malden had organised a terrific evening's entertainment for us all, and a keen spirit of competition grew ever more acute with each round. Libraries and researchers fought for top place and there were some impressive scores.

The Film Images table was small but powerfully formed; the Huntley Archives table was considered and thoughtful. Every table had its expert who could pull something out of the proverbial thinking cap. Meanwhile, as the tension mounted, behind the scenes Christine and Melanie were frantically checking the answers and totaling the scores.

Christine Whittaker, freelancer

In the end the first prize went to the BBC I & A's Commercial Unit, but even for those of us who did not shine (and I was definitely the dunce on the researchers' table, not enough factual television for me, wrote renowned film researcher, Christine Whittacker) it was great fun.

An excellent event, which FOCAL intend to repeat in the not too distant future, possibly in November.

Many thanks to Dick, Sue and Anne for organising the Quiz Evening.

Don't miss the next one - watch this space.

Sue Malden
Sue Malden Associates
86 Ravenscourt Road
London W6OUG
UK
E-mail: sue.malden@btopenworld.com