iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Paul Hayes

Paul @rudemrlang.com · 01/10/2026

They’re doing free access at newspapers.com all this weekend if anyone has any rabbit holes they’d like to disappear down. www.newspapers.com/go/freeacces...

newspapers.com

Free Access! Through October 5th.

Limited time free access to view and search pages in our newspaper archive for obituaries, birth and marriage announcements, social pages, and much, much more.

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

@garygillatt.bsky.social Just seen one out in the wild outside of Doctor Who fandom - an actor described as a "Capable and erstwhile aspiring leading man."

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

A new blog entry, nothing insightful, basically just collating what I have been up to this month! notanovelistyet.blogspot.com/2026/09/sept...

notanovelistyet.blogspot.com

September Stuff

The blog of writer and radio producer Paul Hayes.

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I remember it well, even though I was only six-and-a-half. I remember mum and I having the preview spread open in the Radio Times introducing all the characters and noting which ones we'd 'met' as it went along.

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I fear Johannes may end up being relegated to presenting Electric Circus...

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Evening repost for this, 70 years on from Flight into Danger's BBC showing - which started at 8.19pm and 58 seconds, fact fans, following a two-minutes-or-so on-screen introduction by Michael Barry. Yes, facing the cameras again, but at least nobody had been moaning at him this time.

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

70 years ago today, the BBC showed a recording of the CBC's Flight into Danger - later remade as the film Airplane!, and one of the important steps on the way to the creation of #DoctorWho. To celebrate, here's a much longer edit of my audio documentary telling Flight into Danger's story:

youtube.com

Flight into Danger - The Story of the Original Airplane! (an audio documentary)

YouTube video by Paul Hayes

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

This evening in 1956, at 7.55pm, BBC TV ran a trail for a drama they'd be showing the next day - a recording of the CBC play Flight into Danger. So it seems appropriate, exactly 70 years on, to trail that tomorrow I'll be putting out an extended edit of my audio doc on Flight - now 66 minutes long!

A partial screen capture from a computer screen, showing an Adobe Audition audio editing session, with many dozens of clips split over four different tracks.

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

Trap One🎙Podcast @trapone.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Another recommended Doctor Who event! Paul Hayes (who wrote those great non-fiction books) and Steve Cole (who wrote those great fiction books) talking about Doctor Who, at the BFI on Doctor Who's birthday. 🎂🎉

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

This time, my blood has been issued at... the N&N. Just down the road from where it was given. Which makes it feel a bit odd that it had to go all the way to North-West London and back first, but I guess that's just the way these things work.

A Google Maps image showing a 4 hour 41 minute journey from Norwich to London and back again the same way.

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

The University of East Anglia and the British Film Institute think you might want to pay actual cash money to come and see me (and Steve Cole, which let's face it is far likelier!) talk about #DoctorWho... whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/defau...

whatson.bfi.org.uk

Buy cinema tickets for UEA Film50: The Legacies and Futures of Doctor Who | BFI Southbank

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

Ten Acre Books @tenacrebooks.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

63 years ago this week, Doctor Who was in studio, recording for the first time. Read about the show's journey from concept to first broadcast in Pull to Open, the definitive account of those early days by @paul-hayes.bsky.social. Available now from tenacrebooks.co.uk

Pull to Open: The Inside Story of How the BBC Created and Launched Doctor Who.

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

whatson.bfi.org.uk

Buy cinema tickets for UEA Film50: The Legacies and Futures of Doctor Who | BFI Southbank

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

Michael Seely @mpseely.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

First post in a while (wot a bleedin' year) and this one is about how a debate about the role of BBC story editors in 1965 encouraged a disgruntled writer to write in to Huw Wheldon to illustrate it. michaelseely.substack.com/p/scrap-the-...

michaelseely.substack.com

'Scrap the Drama Department!'

In March 1965, Ted Willis and the Screen Writers Guild called for the end of the BBC's Drama Department along with its phalanx of story editors! One writer tells Huw Weldon they may have a point...

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

John J. Hoare @dirtyfeed.org · 20/09/2026

Hands up who wants some fun research into The Young Ones? Brand new on Dirty Feed: the truth about Colin Baker's appearance, or rather non-appearance, on the show. www.dirtyfeed.org/2026/09/evil...

Rick with his hands in the air, from The Young Ones, "Bambi"

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

filmisfabulous! @filmisfabulous.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

BBC Directors’ Course Films The Film is Fabulous! team recently found a host of films relating to the renowned BBC Directors’ Course within the collection of a former BBC employee. For more info, please visit: www.patreon.com/cw/FilmisFab...

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

My colleague Alice has made a nice little episode for the Secret Cambridgeshire series on BBC Sounds, all about what happened with Shada. It's always fascinating having #DoctorWho stuff made by non-fans, and I think she's done a very nice job - do have a listen!

bbc.co.uk

Secret Cambridgeshire - Doctor Who: Lost in Cambridge - BBC Sounds

The tale of the missing Doctor Who storyline filmed in Cambridge.

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

bbc.co.uk

Secret Cambridgeshire - Doctor Who: Lost in Cambridge - BBC Sounds

The tale of the missing Doctor Who storyline filmed in Cambridge.

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I consider it to be one of my greatest achievements that today I was able to help facilitate Look East finally using the HD re-scan of the 1959 film of the Norwich TV launch from the network archive, rather than the knackered old transfer they've copied from package to package down the decades.

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

70 years ago today a staff of 14 opened up the BBC's first ever East Anglian broadcasting HQ at St Catherine's Close on All Saints Green in Norwich, and what would later become known as BBC East was born.

bbc.co.uk

BBC East celebrates 70 years of broadcasting from Norwich

The BBC set up its first East of England regional service in a converted Georgian mansion in 1956.

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

Martin A W Holmes @hwam.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

An excellent duo of background reading material has turned up over the past week or so 🙂

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

Paul Kerensa @paulkerensa.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Very glad to be quoted (and @bbcentury.bsky.social podcast too) in @paul-hayes.bsky.social excellent BBC article on 70 years of Norwich broadcasting (no Alan Partridge mentions...). "TV and radio historian" - I shall wear that wear that badge with pride. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

BBC East celebrates 70 years of broadcasting from Norwich

The BBC set up its first East of England regional service in a converted Georgian mansion in 1956.

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

bbc.co.uk

BBC East celebrates 70 years of broadcasting from Norwich

The BBC set up its first East of England regional service in a converted Georgian mansion in 1956.

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Here's the piece I made for the BBC Local Radio network on the 40th anniversary of Casualty, which many stations have run over the past couple of days, looking at some of the controversies around the first series in 1986. soundcloud.com/paul-hayes-8...

soundcloud.com

Casualty 40th anniversary package for BBC Local Radio

A package I made for the BBC Local Radio network for the 40th anniversary of the BBC television drama series Casualty in September 2026.

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

John J. Hoare @dirtyfeed.org · 05/09/2026

A short piece on some group research done the other day on Bluesky, about BBC2, snooker, and Red Dwarf. www.dirtyfeed.org/2026/09/a-gi...

Coverage of the snooker, with the caption:
Red Dwarf will follow this Final

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

Ten Acre Books @tenacrebooks.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

We've just received a haul of fresh reprints: The Quatermass Experiment, Totally Tasteless, Is That You, Maureen? and Pull to Open are all back in stock. Order now from tenacrebooks.co.uk

The Quatermass Experiment: The Making of TV's First Sci-Fi Classic.

Totally Tasteless: The Life of John Nathan-Turner.

Is That You, Maureen? My Life Making Children's TV & Beyond.

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

APTS Archive @aptsarchive.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

#OTD - 1 Sep 1939. Ahead of the impending declaration of #WWII on 3 Sep 1939, the #BBCTelevisionService closed down. No closing announcement was made. Contrary to claims, the #MickeyMouse cartoon was shown in full, with the transmitters not being powered down for another 20+ minutes.

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

PermaConfused @permaconfused.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I don't ski but I have a friend who has helped train a number of British competitors. Ski Sunday was literally the only homegrown coverage they had in the UK. In tribute, here's Jeremy Lion singing the theme... youtu.be/hCIWyKey0BI?...

youtu.be

Ski Sunday!

YouTube video by TheJeremyLion

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

Steve Williams @skillagesteve.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

As Phil suggests, now we've gone through a few of these things, but at the time it was all brand new, all the BBC Television From London business was like nothing I'd ever seen. Probably the biggest impact on TV since, yes, JFK

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

New blog entry: why I spent a large chunk of August putting together a coffee table book with a print run of precisely one copy, which hardly anybody will ever read.

notanovelistyet.blogspot.com

Ten Years in Two Weeks

The blog of writer and radio producer Paul Hayes.

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

Ten Acre Books @tenacrebooks.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

We've just received @0tralala.bsky.social's manuscript for Written by Terrance Dicks, the first authorised biogrography of the longtime Doctor Who writer and script editor… and it's brilliant. Look out for updates on the book in the coming months.

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

This seems as good an excuse as any to remind people that earlier this year I made a BBC Sounds documentary about the original version, "Flight into Danger". (My book telling the full story is going well, and I should have a first draft done by the end of the year)

bbc.co.uk

Secret Bedfordshire - Flight into Danger: The Original Airplane! - BBC Sounds

How Arthur Hailey from Luton wrote a live TV drama which became the hit movie Airplane!.

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

I spent much of August working on a book with a print run of exactly one - a Lulu job to go in the waiting area at work. In the unlikely event that you are ever a guest at the BBC in Norwich, do please give it a look!

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

John J. Hoare @dirtyfeed.org · 27/08/2026

I wrote about this amazing ad here: www.dirtyfeed.org/2022/09/i-do...

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

Ten Acre Books @tenacrebooks.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

We've been doing some stocktaking and have just added some discounted damaged books to our webstore. These have minor scuffs or denting, but are affordable reading copies for anyone who fancies a bargain. Order from tenacrebooks.co.uk

Covers of The Long Game, Drama and Delight, Penda's Fen: Scene by Scene and You Are Not Alone.

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

Christopher John Ball @christopherball.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

A video I produced, for @filmisfabulous.bsky.social, showing preparation, cleaning & digital scanning of a BBC 35mm film negative, of The Beatles performance for Top of the Pops (Rec: 19th March 1964) Digital preservation was undertaken at R3Store Studios in London youtu.be/VXWEXJgny6c?...

youtu.be

Digitising The Beatles Negative

YouTube video by Film is Fabulous!

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

John J. Hoare @dirtyfeed.org · 24/08/2026

A short piece about some early Red Dwarf which went unseen for decades. www.dirtyfeed.org/2026/08/clos...

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Prof Neil Martin @thatneilmartin.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I've just started this, by @paul-hayes.bsky.social & @tenacrebooks.bsky.social, and what a thoroughly excellent chronology and history-stitching of Doctor Who's perineal period it is.

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

In July 1962, the Peterborough Evening Telegraph's television column previewed an ITV documentary which was finally tackling the most serious threat then facing the country.

An excerpt from a newspaper column, reading: "A 9.45, THE TROUBLE WITH WOMEN is an inquiry into the question of women in Britain. There are more than 27,000,000 women in Britain - and the number is increasing."

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

I'm often fascinated by inscriptions in old books I've bought. I wonder if Sue made it into television production...?

The front cover of the book "Off Camera: Conversations with the Makes of Prime-Time Television", by Richard Levinson and William Link, plain black with large off-white text and some purple flashes of design decoration.

A hand-written inscription on the inside cover of a book, black writing on a white background, reading: "3 October 1986, Dear Sue, Much luck in video and hopefully in Prime-Time! Best wishes, Roy."

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

It feels like there's a universe out there somewhere where this is a Russell T Davies / Patrick Spence / BBC Drama Series Doctor Who relaunch cover.

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Is it bad that my first reaction was to go on the iPlayer and rewind the One Show to see how they reacted? (They thought it was a fire alarm)

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Crikey, I was not expecting that.

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Reposted by Paul Hayes

Richard Latto @richardlatto.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Do you know anyone that has any studio recordings from OFAH? No matter what era or what quality. If so, please drop me a DM. Thanks!

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Warning! Triffid on the loose in Norwich!

A roadworks-type sign on a hard surface in a public park on a bright, sunny summer's day. The sign reads "Beware! Moving plant".

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Paul Hayes @paul-hayes.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Here's how the BBC's East Anglian Television News (as it was then called) covered the partial eclipse of February 15 1961, in the script for that evening's bulletin - it seems to have been rapidly subbed down as the accompanying film got shorter and shorter!

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