Spag bull

In this era of instant news, social media and immediate access to reference information it is impossible, you would think, to be taken in, hoaxed or bamboozled by a practical joke and especially one launched on a national scale.

Times were certainly different however in 1957 when on April Fools Day of that year the respectable BBC and its most revered broadcaster Richard Dimbleby spun a wonderful spoof documentary about the bumper harvest of spaghetti on the Swiss/Italian border.

The monday night regular programme of Panorama had run features on unrest in Cyprus and The Duke of Edinburgh before the final story, beautifully timed and professionally produced. It is now a much played TV Classic mainly because of its slickness and the fact that it was the first real hoax of its type.

It was something that would just not be permitted in the modern world of serious journalism.

The idea had come out of a meeting of BBC Editors some weeks before when it was realised that the scheduled Panorama coincided with April the 1st, the legitimate day for practical joking.

A budget of £100 was allocated for the project allowing a team to travel out to Switzerland in the area close to Lake Lugano.

Richard Dimbleby, whose reputation had become established from his correspondent work in the European theatre of war after D-Day did not hesitate to lend his credibility and weight to the item. Many in his esteemed position may have shied away for fear of having their authority undermined.

Only the production crew and four others in the BBC were aware of what was being filmed and this added to the impact of the joke.

The opening shots of the then black and white film were of a spring scene in the foothills of Switzerland with peasants in regional costume preparing to harvest the spaghetti crop as it dangled and waved in the breeze below the boughs of orchard trees festooned with bright blossom blooms.

The popular form of pasta, now commonplace on British tables was still comparatively unknown in 1957 and so many viewers were easily taken in by the thought that it grew on trees as they had not otherwise given much thought to where it came from.

It had been an effort to drape the cooked strands over and around branches and where at risk of falling there was a liberal use of sticky tape.

Dimbleby's tone was perfect in the delivery of the narrative. He reported that it had indeed been a good growing period and momentous news for the farmers following a mild winter and the non-appearance of the damaging spaghetti weevil which had decimated crops in previous years.

Furthermore, hard frosts had been absent and there were prospects for a good price to be achieved in the world markets.

Swiss production was described as being on a smaller scale than in the nearby Po Valley in Italy but nevertheless essential for the local economy.

The script cleverly worked in the metaphor of the better known wine harvest giving yet more credibility.

After collection from the trees the spaghetti was laid out to be naturally dried in the spring sun. The uniform lengths were attributed to many decades of endeavour by plant breeders.

To mark the successful bringing in of the crop the villagers held a feast with, of course, home grown spaghetti taking place of honour amongst plenty of wine and other delicacies.

At the end of the broadcast on the night Richard Dimbleby reminded viewers that it was 1st April and was seen to coyly tap the side of his nose to signify the joviality of what had seemed a serious subject.

The realisation of a hoax caused much anger and criticism although this was more than matched by the acceptance of hilarity by the British Public who generally have a mischievous and keen sense of humour.

One Director General of the BBC after watching at home was completely fooled and was said to have reached for his encyclopedia to find out more about the fascinating subject.

In order to pacify the more indignant of the viewers it was deemed necessary to broadcast a clarification within a few hours.

To illustrate the convincing nature of the spoof documentary many garden centres were, in the first weeks of April,  inundated with enquiries about the availability and cost of spaghetti bushes.