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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/09/the-guardian-view-on-black-and-white-tv-a-powerful-blast-from-the-past
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| The Guardian view on black and white TV: a powerful blast from the past | The Guardian view on black and white TV: a powerful blast from the past |
| (2 months later) | |
| The year’s bestselling televisions are 55in and 70in, with ultra-high definition and 4K technology models particularly in demand. So the news that 7,161 UK households are still watching black and white sets offers an eye-opening contrast. More than 50 years after the BBC launched Europe’s first colour service in 1967, and with reports of modern viewing habits focused on competition between public service broadcasters and US streaming services, it is salutary to be reminded that half of the UK’s televisions are not connected to the internet, while thousands of people – more than 1,500 of them in London – do not own a colour set. | The year’s bestselling televisions are 55in and 70in, with ultra-high definition and 4K technology models particularly in demand. So the news that 7,161 UK households are still watching black and white sets offers an eye-opening contrast. More than 50 years after the BBC launched Europe’s first colour service in 1967, and with reports of modern viewing habits focused on competition between public service broadcasters and US streaming services, it is salutary to be reminded that half of the UK’s televisions are not connected to the internet, while thousands of people – more than 1,500 of them in London – do not own a colour set. |
| While black and white televisions can still be bought secondhand, they largely disappeared from shops in the 1980s, so most of those still in use have been around for decades. There were 212,000 monochrome licensees in 2000; a figure that by 2013 had fallen to 13,000, and has now been cut almost in half once again. Whether those who have hung on to them prefer black and white, or have not upgraded for some other reason, we don’t know. At £49, the licence costs only a third as much as a colour one, so this is likely to be one factor. Some people have held on to old sets as collectors’ items. Since checks aren’t carried out, there may also be a few cheats. | While black and white televisions can still be bought secondhand, they largely disappeared from shops in the 1980s, so most of those still in use have been around for decades. There were 212,000 monochrome licensees in 2000; a figure that by 2013 had fallen to 13,000, and has now been cut almost in half once again. Whether those who have hung on to them prefer black and white, or have not upgraded for some other reason, we don’t know. At £49, the licence costs only a third as much as a colour one, so this is likely to be one factor. Some people have held on to old sets as collectors’ items. Since checks aren’t carried out, there may also be a few cheats. |
| In the cinema, a passion for monochrome is a badge of honour for film-makers and viewers alike. Since the earliest days of Technicolor, it has been used as a visual cue to signal nostalgia. In the past few years, encouraged by Michel Hazanavicius’s stunning success – including 2012’s best picture Oscar – with The Artist, directors from Noah Baumbach (Frances Ha) to Pawel Pawlikowski (Ida and Cold War) have shot films in black and white that are rich with historical and cinematic references. | In the cinema, a passion for monochrome is a badge of honour for film-makers and viewers alike. Since the earliest days of Technicolor, it has been used as a visual cue to signal nostalgia. In the past few years, encouraged by Michel Hazanavicius’s stunning success – including 2012’s best picture Oscar – with The Artist, directors from Noah Baumbach (Frances Ha) to Pawel Pawlikowski (Ida and Cold War) have shot films in black and white that are rich with historical and cinematic references. |
| Orson Welles, in his last screen appearance, introduced an episode of the 1980s TV detective series Moonlighting that was shot in black and white as a homage to the film noir style it mimicked. Writer Debra Frank revealed that she had been pitching the idea for years, without success. More recently, Black Mirror used the same trick – to very different effect – for a post-apocalyptic episode. | Orson Welles, in his last screen appearance, introduced an episode of the 1980s TV detective series Moonlighting that was shot in black and white as a homage to the film noir style it mimicked. Writer Debra Frank revealed that she had been pitching the idea for years, without success. More recently, Black Mirror used the same trick – to very different effect – for a post-apocalyptic episode. |
| Few other TV scriptwriters or directors have been tempted, understandably. Shows such as Strictly Come Dancing would lose half their fun without the lurid spangles. If anything, the transition is more likely to be the other way: Peter Jackson’s film They Shall Not Grow Old, to be broadcast on Sunday evening and featuring black and white footage of the first world war that has been restored and coloured, is a brilliant illustration of how modern technology can deepen an audience’s experience, making archival images look fresh and relevant. | Few other TV scriptwriters or directors have been tempted, understandably. Shows such as Strictly Come Dancing would lose half their fun without the lurid spangles. If anything, the transition is more likely to be the other way: Peter Jackson’s film They Shall Not Grow Old, to be broadcast on Sunday evening and featuring black and white footage of the first world war that has been restored and coloured, is a brilliant illustration of how modern technology can deepen an audience’s experience, making archival images look fresh and relevant. |
| In time the last few thousand black and white sets will become museum pieces. But programme makers may – like film directors – find new ways to display to audiences the dramatic power of black and white, even if on shiny HD flat screens. | In time the last few thousand black and white sets will become museum pieces. But programme makers may – like film directors – find new ways to display to audiences the dramatic power of black and white, even if on shiny HD flat screens. |
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