The next release in the BFI’s Rediffusion range is Daniel Farson’s Guide to Britain vol 1, a collection of short films on all aspects of British culture.
One of the earliest broadcasters in commercial television, Farson looked at a Britain in transition following the Second World War and captured people, places, and attitudes.
Working at Associated-Rediffusion for almost ten years, Farson became the go-to man for thoughful cultural comment. Art, crime, music, literature and social change were all part of his great sweep of interest.
These quirky documentaries offer pocket-sized glimpses of people and places, with Farson as the persuasive and interested interviewer and presenter. A handful offer audio commentaries.
This set offers examples of various series fronted by Farson: Out of Step, Keeping in Step, This Week, People in Trouble, Success Story, Pursuit of Happiness, and Farson’s Guide to the British.
Farson is an interviewer who offers a strong personality before the camera, with his work feeling very modern and certainly accessible.
With topics from witchcraft to the Soho strip scene, and from the stock exchange to mixed marriages, his work is an absorbing window into this changing world as the 50s charged into the 60s.
Farson had his finger on the pulse of what preoccupied the post-war generations, from rock ‘n’ roll to UFOs, always delivered with a wry and approachable attitude with neat hair and suit.
Viewed at a distance of six decades, these films look and sound marvellous in restoration – although this is a Blu-Ray and DVD release, I am viewing DVD samplers.
My knowledge of Farson is quite limited, but you can see his influence on figures like Louis Theroux in his style and approach. He takes his subjects seriously, however odd they may appear.
On social issues, he is notably strong, whether featuring life on a remote island or commenting on wedding traditions. Profiles of celebrities from teenage pop star Cliff Richard to “clairvoyant to the famous” Maurice Woodruff are absorbing. Liverpool, as shown in Beat City feels as fresh as the day it was taped.
The first volume of two, this is an essential purchase for fans of early British television. Fun, frank, and fair, the documentary films of Daniel Farson are a welcome distraction from the fast-punch and run style of many of today’s broadcasters.
Daniel Farson’s Guide to Britain vol 1 is now available, published in dual-format by BFI.