It is now a known fact that the sanctity of film and television was a concept that the pioneering generation of media creators ceased to comprehend when making content. Significant moments of both genres have been sadly lost or disregarded due to a series of primitive attitudes from the original class of television management. However, in the past twenty years, thanks to the creative and passionate minds of significant figures in the industry, this lost or wiped archive is slowly becoming rediscovered. Since 2015, celebrated writer, producer and editor Noel Cronin along with his daughter Sarah has been spearheading the development of Britain’s fastest growing satellite television station Talking Pictures TV which revels in both the best and rediscovered television from yesteryear.
Noel isn’t just the CEO of Talking Pictures but also the presenter of the archive sourcing series The Footage Detectives alongside the writer and broadcaster Mike Read. The series charts the process of the discovery and preservation of vintage footage and allows viewers to access once forgotten film and television, sometimes for the first time in a generation. This is definitely a very cherished passion project for Noel and the whole Cronin family and the excitement when they uncover a lost gem is still the same as it was when they first started. Beginning his career as a film editor, the majority of Noel’s career was during the era of analogue technology before dramatic advancements in technology which heralded a revolution in the medium. The role of a film editor has evolved over the past decade thanks largely to such technological innovations which has totally transformed the industry. Therefore Noel is very happy that his tenure as a producer came within such a primitive age for the genre.
Retirement is a concept that remains difficult to grasp in the entertainment industry with constant requests and engagements from different parts of the business. Cronin always assumed that retirement meant just that but in 2015 when many of his peers were enjoying a well earned pension, he embarked upon a new chapter of his career alongside his daughter Sarah and son in law Neil. Talking Pictures TV premiered on Sky on Tuesday 26th May 2015, originally exclusively on the Sky service but by September of that year, the channel was also available on Freeview and soon became the fastest growing satellite channel in the UK. For Noel, Talking Pictures has surpassed all expectations and has been the best retirement gift he could have ever received.
Such a specialist channel required a sprinkling of knowledgeable and respected figures to add a sense of legitimacy to the network and the legendary broadcaster Mike Read and iconic actress Caroline Munro definitely fitted the bill. In a glittering career spanning over half a century, the former model and actress carved out a successful career within the Hammer Horror franchise following being spotted on an advertising billboard for Lamb’s navy rum. Being the only actor ever to have signed an exclusive contract with the franchise, Caroline enjoyed a long and successful partnership which included iconic films including: Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. In 2021 Caroline secured her own Talking Pictures show The Cellar Club in which she speaks to fellow horror legends about their favourite movies and re-lives iconic moments.
The success of the channel has since spawned a series of annual sellout festivals where the great and good of British showbiz feature in a bumper weekend of entertainment and nostalgia hosted by the legendary Mike Read and Caroline Munro. Previous performances have featured: the late Sir Michael Parkinson, Susan Hampshire, Jeffrey Holland, Linda Regan, Jimmy Cricket and many, many more. Noel continues to be amazed by the popularity of both the channel and such events and for a man who retired over a decade ago, still remains on the cutting edge of television entertainment. It was a pleasure to welcome the legendary Noel Cronin and Caroline Munro to Beyond The Title for this special episode recorded at the Talking Pictures’ Festival of Film and I’m always touched by their generosity to independent freelancers like myself. It’s such a reassuring feeling to know that figures like Noel are still committed to the cause of future proofing the history of entertainment and it’s fascinating to see what awaits Talking Pictures in the future.
Beyond The Title