The Jaws Thread

[Mel O'Drama]

The subject of Jaws on TV has prompted me to seek out some ITV-related Jaws stuff:

Here are the bumpers and adverts from the first screening of Jaws on ITV. If you look closely you can work out where some of the adverts were placed:

Some of the adverts are unintentionally hilarious. And as for the products... anyone for an Alpha Probe?!

That first advert would never make it onto TV today. Can you imagine?!


Speaking of less-than-politically-correct, the Thames TV continuity announcer introduced the British TV premiere of Jaws with a Bernard Manning style mother-in-law joke, as seen here:

And here's the Jaws 2 British premiere being advertised right after the premiere of Superman: The Movie. A great time to be alive:

Finally, here's a nice retrospective article about the ITV premiere of Jaws: The Day Almost Half A Country Tuned In To Watch Jaws​

 

[Sarah]

I need to announce that JAWS THE REVENGE is on on Sat night!!!!

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I need to announce that JAWS THE REVENGE is on on Sat night!!!!

The excitement with Jaws The Revenge on TV is guessing which version of the ending they'll show.

Should we start placing bets now?!

 

[Sarah]

The excitement with Jaws The Revenge on TV is guessing which version of the ending they'll show.

Should we start placing bets now?!

There’s... different.... endings?!?!?

 

[Mel O'Drama]

There’s... different.... endings?!?!?

Yes indeed.

 

[Sarah]

Before I watch this, does Bess Armstrong appear at all?

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Before I watch this, does Bess Armstrong appear at all?

Well... here's the alternative alternative ending.

 

[Sarah]

Well... here's the alternative alternative ending.

To be honest I’d rather take my chances with the Shark.

 

[DallasFanForever]

Very interesting! I never knew about the two different endings for The Revenge movie. I think I prefer the international version.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I never knew about the two different endings for The Revenge movie. I think I prefer the international version.

I love these little titbits about the changes made.

The International Cut, in which the shark explodes and Jake survives, was shot after the film was poorly received in its initial release. It was hastily done, in a tank (which you can see if you look at the skyline closely) and with the recalled actors in wigs. Some of the new shots don't hold up that well to freeze frame:

The first version I watched was the re-shot "exploding shark" ending. This was back when it was first released in UK cinemas. At the time I'd devoured everything I could find about the film, and I'd read about the changes somewhere along the way. I'd also read the book in which the shark is impaled. I can remember discussing these differences with a friend as we queued outside the cinema, and as we left the film after the shark had exploded I can clearly remember saying to my friend "I think I'd rather have watched the American ending". The International Cut was also the version released on VHS and later DVD in the UK (and I think everywhere).

I didn't see the Theatrical Version until perhaps the early Nineties when it was shown on BBC late one evening. I recorded it half hoping they'd show the original ending, but I didn't really think they would. I couldn't believe my eyes when it got to the shark impalement at the end. This original theatrical ending was finally given an official release four or five years ago when the film came out on Blu-ray (albeit the ending only appeared as a bonus feature. The film itself still has the exploding shark).

The Theatrical Ending has generally been my favourite, which I think is down to its elusiveness. All those years of thinking I'd never see it, and then suddenly, it was randomly shown on TV.

 

[Sarah]

Oh I don't like that picture. Poor Bruce. No need for that ending. I need Bess to sing a happy song to cheer me up.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

There's also this BBC version which erroneously showed the film with open matte so you could see more of the picture at the top and bottom than was supposed to be seen. This meant that in many of the scenes with the shark you can clearly see the machinery operating it and the track on which it runs. It's hilariously bad:

This is actually how it was transmitted on TV to millions of viewers!!

 

[Sarah]

"THEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"

My brother and I always used to laugh at Ellen's side profile in this shot when she makes it her business to go get the shark. We used to call her Bee Woman

 

[Alexis Colby Carrington]

Oh yes! For many years, the version of Jaws 3 I watched was recorded from ITV, and I can still remember where the adverts were placed.

Likewise, there's a moment in Jaws that always makes me think of the commercial break that was placed there in an ITV screening in the early Eighties.

I still remember being ridiculously excited when Jaws was shown on BBC1 for the first time in December 1987 (I'm fairly sure it was the 20th), because it was the first time a Jaws film aired on TV without adverts.

Those TV memories are so special. They're the way I was introduced to the series when Jaws aired in October 1981 (which had the highest viewing figures of anything on UK TV in 1981).

I remember that viewing of jaws in 1987 wasn’t it shown late afternoon ? I may be wrong!

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I remember that viewing of jaws in 1987 wasn’t it shown late afternoon ? I may be wrong!

It was a Sunday night. I was thinking it was around 7pm, but according to this website it was 7:50pm


I do seem to remember Jaws being shown in the afternoon at some point though, so you're probably on the right lines to remember a daytime screening.

 

[Sarah]

Coming at you with the news LIVE!

Jaws 2 is on ITV 4 on Wednesday night at 10pm!!!!

@Mel O'Drama #nobessarmstrong

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Jaws 2 is on ITV 4 on Wednesday night at 10pm!!!!

Wow. They're really going to town with the Jaws films on TV at the moment.


But it's only February. Don't they know that Amity Is A Summer Town?

 

[Sarah]

Wow. They're really going to town with the Jaws films on TV at the moment.


But it's only February. Don't they know that Amity Is A Summer Town?

I know!! I usually start around June or whenever NI temperatures rise. Unless it’s Jaws 3 which I save for Halloween for the obvious reason.

It’s throwing me off whack, but I will take it. I love the second one.

Sh-sh-sh-sh-arrrrrrrrrrkkkkk!

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I usually start around June or whenever NI temperatures rise.

Same here. I'll usually aim for the last week of June or the beginning of July for the first one (in the film, Chrissie was killed on the evening of 1st July and I suppose it goes through to the 7th or 8th).

Then I'll do the sequels shortly after if I watch them at all. These days I do Jaws every year, and the sequels once every three or four years)

Unless it’s Jaws 3 which I save for Halloween for the obvious reason.

Ha ha.

And don't forget that technically Jaws The Revenge is a Christmas film. I have watched it at Christmas, but it just feels weird with all that lovely sunny scenery.

 

[Sarah]

Same here. I'll usually aim for the last week of June or the beginning of July for the first one (in the film, Chrissie was killed on the evening of 1st July and I suppose it goes through to the 7th or 8th).

Then I'll do the sequels shortly after if I watch them at all. These days I do Jaws every year, and the sequels once every three or four years)




Ha ha.

And don't forget that technically Jaws The Revenge is a Christmas film. I have watched it at Christmas, but it just feels weird with all that lovely sunny scenery.

It does. If I was Ellen I’d be slapping the head clean off that limo driver. Read the room for goodness sake!