Season 2: Summer 1995
| Show # | Airdate | Files | Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 1, 1995 | MP3 (12.5 MB) | Roll Show Intro Bernard Ayres Letter from Ish BCN Schedule Paulitorial |
| Notes: Season two starts brings us another set of firsts: the first mention of “coal-fired power”, the first “stop hounding me” from Paul (in the opening gardening bit), the first Rock Hiscock apologies and clarifications and the second appearance of Erling Biggs, Weather Watchdog. Phew! Wordworks is a treat: cookery books, mentioning two Newfoundland delicacies: Wooley Duff — a whole boiled sheep, wool and all; and Ship’s Cheese: “milk curdled in the udder of a dead cow and churned by the pitch and yaw of the ship.” There’s also Bernard Ayres and one of my favourites, the “All Scots, All Doors” concert promo.... | |||
| Show # | Airdate | Files | Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | July 8, 1995 | MP3 (12.5 MB) | Roll Stock Exchange extro What’s That Noise? Political Panel Paulitorial Stock Market Report |
| Notes: Taxes, finances, the freewheeling Newfoundland Stock Exchange (“The world’s only regulation free trading place”) dominate this episode, which features the origin of Moth Movers and Shippers (which, if you ever bought a T-shirt from The Great Eastern, you’ll know from your cheque stubs). Other highlights: the lip-smacking Morris Jesso, a knee-slapping University of the Air promo (if you're familiar with Marx’s labour theory of value), and the Jerome Granger Newfoundland tourism exposé. Favourite quote: “So, even the salad is deep fried?” | |||
| Show # | Airdate | Files | Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | July 15, 1995 | MP3 (12.5 MB) | Roll Introduction Accident Extro Ned Brocklehurst University of the Air Wearing the Wire Paulitorial |
| Notes: The last coal-fired episode. The first bit explains an 18 minute broadcast gap at the BCN due to the metal plate in Paul’s head acting up when he visits the generator. Check out the script, which contains an exchange with Erling that never made it to air. There’s a Wordworks on Lost Trails of the Avalon (“What kind of boot do you prefer, Kathleen?”), a hilarious interview with conceptual artist Ned Brocklehurst, who announces his intention to have his cerebral cortex removed. (This is dealt with in later episodes). Wearing the Wire promotes the lost erotic writings if Lucy Maud Montgomery and Blaine Hart takes Paul to the ship’s bridge simulator for a turn at the helm of the real Great Eastern. | |||
| Show # | Airdate | Files | Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | July 22, 1995 | MP3 (12.5 MB) | Roll Intro Philip Dean Interview Portuguese Gaitering Political Panel Show Trial Toime final segment Paulitorial |
| Notes: The Bay L'Argent Toime of Toimes festival is featured in this episode, a rollicking send-up of the various historical “pageants” littering our cultural landscape. The “Toime” features the traditional play “The Portuguese Gaitering and Evisceration of Merchant Wareham”. Watch for the interview with “Newfoundland's Greatest Thespian”, Philip Dean — played by Denys Ferry. Also momentous in this episode: Paul’s announcement that he's leaving the Great Eastern for a career in television, specifically to his own show on Aaron Zagner’s Townie TV. | |||
| Show # | Airdate | Files | Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | July 29, 1995 | MP3 (12.5 MB) | Roll Introduction St. John’s surrenders Early ads on the BCN Anuseltzer Emergency Broadcast Blackout ‘94 University of the Air |
| Notes: Erling Biggs takes the helm as interim host as Paul starts his TV career, and this episodes celebrates 60 years of the BCN with a retrospective look at the station and lost of tape from The Vault. Of note: Ron Gellately's cheering the announcement of St. John’s surrender to the Nazi's early in the war; early advertising of the BCN, (Anuselzter, the “effervescent suppository”). Also: a 1971 interview by then BCN host Linda Reardigan (Mary Walsh) with student radical Paul Moth, then secretary-general of the Viet MUN, and occupying the Phys Ed Building at the university. | |||
| Show # | Airdate | Files | Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | August 5, 1995 | MP3 (12.5 MB) | Roll Intro: (Paul's return) Wordworks Paul's Audition Antiques Tourism ad Linda Reardigan Political Panel Paulitorial |
| Notes: Paul is back, his television career having lasted exactly one week: “Hip, but ever more humble....” Paul’s return is marked by a tasy morsel from The Vault — Paul’s audition tape, made when he applied for a summer job back when he was secretary of the Viet MUN. Ish dishes this out with relish. Also, Wordworks on What Do Men Want? (More A.M. loving, according to Paul). Check the transcripts for an additional book review that didn’t make it to air. Linda Reardigan returns (see episode 5) for an interview on her career in Cuba and affair with Fidel, and J. Richard storms out of the Political Panel. | |||
| Show # | Airdate | Files | Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | August 12, 1995 | MP3 (12.5 MB) | Roll Intro In the Cab Dispatch 5 o'clock news Paulitorial |
| Notes: Beneath St. John’s — one of my favourite episodes. The full hour is taken up with Paul (wearing stereo nipple mikes supplied by Jerome Granger) visiting the underside of St. John’s at night. Momentous GE-universe events happen here, including the Ned Brocklehurst performance piece where he has his cerebral cortex removed. It culminates in a trip to the catacombs beneath St. John’s to a Casablanca-style cafe where you can here Steve Palmer (as Jerome Granger) sing Falling in Love Again. This is the famous “infinite loop” episode that ends exactly as it begins. Classic radio. The script for the cab portion contains a lot of material cut from the final. | |||
| Show # | Airdate | Files | Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | August 19, 1995 | MP3 (12.5 MB) | Roll Intro The Vault Paul and Morris Wearing the Wire Paul’s Pot Wordworks Iceland Special Political Panel Paulitorial Erling Biggs Look, It's |
| Notes: Not only a fine episode, but an excellent crop of scripts from the archives. Record were kept better as the show progressed, I guess. This is the final show of 1995, and for all anybody knew, the last of the Great Eastern, so there are some goodbyes and retrospectives. Morris Jesso is here — always a favourite — and there’s even a clip from Look, It's.... Check the extra material in the script for that one. The Vault features Boil Up, with former BCN host Ron Gellately having one too many at the cabin. A fitting goodbye.... | |||