Talk:Sam on Boffs' Island

BBC Archive?
While Googling for "Sam on Boff's Island" (always a frustratingly unproductive task*) I stumbled across this post on a forum called www.missing-episodes.com:

SAM ON BOFFS' ISLAND, Episode 1 A television programme BBC Programme Number: ESB1065F First broadcast on 1972-09-18 Next in series: SAM ON BOFFS' ISLAND, Episode 2 Previous in series: ANIMALS IN THE ARK See more WORDS AND PICTURES programmes (309)

Further research suggested that this information came from the BBC's complete catalogue, available online experimentally around 2006? Unfortunately, further investigation was unsuccessful at the time.

Although I cannot use it as a reliable source, I have used the date for the infobox.

EdJogg (talk) 12:55, 15 September 2008 (UTC)


 * * Presumably I was mis-placing the apostrophe all this time. Using the correct name produces heaps of results! (see below...)
 * Aaargh! -- EdJogg (talk) 16:14, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

Page title
Since there were more than one Boff surely the title of this page should be Sam on Boffs' Island. Note the position of the apostrophe. The info above backs up this assertion. Since the programme was meant to improve literacy, the irony of this error will not have escaped some people. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.137.24.38 (talk • contribs) 12:32, 23 November 2009


 * That is an interesting point! I will need to check the published material I have at home. Either the article name needs changing (I find it hard to believe I didn't spot this!!) or else a note added to question the anomaly.
 * EdJogg (talk) 11:49, 23 November 2009 (UTC)


 * Thanks a bundle for making me look really stupid! Have I been googling with the wrong apostrophe all these years? (Found some online scans of the printed material which confirms you to be correct, although the annual title is all in lower case.)
 * Anyway, your nit-picking has proved extremely valuable as it has now revealed a website describing schools broadcasting, which includes stills from this programme, descriptions, etc, etc
 * Page move will follow in due course. (NB - I didn't create this page, just didn't spot that the name was wrong!)
 * Grrrrrrrrrrrr! -- EdJogg (talk) 12:08, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

Reference sources
Using the correct name, get more g-hits. The annual is even listed on Amazon (US and Japan)!
 * scan of annual cover
 * Thread on missingepisodes - including some useful info + scans of the two workbooks (which look cleaner than my copies!).
 * Search results for 'boff' on broadcastforschools.co.uk -- very useful site. There are screenshots of the programmes and from the annual, plus commentary.
 * And THIS is the article we need to plunder! -- since this is available on a CC licence, and is written in mediawiki code, may be possible to copy the page whole (and remove all the images!) Note that this website was not available at the time the article was created (appeared 6 months later).

EdJogg (talk) 16:50, 23 November 2009 (UTC)