Beans on Toast Pitsmoor artists reinvent Saturday morning TV
A group of DIY musicians and filmmakers have responded to the absence of live music during lockdown with their own homemade take on Saturday morning television.
Broadcast from a self-built studio in a terraced house in Pitsmoor, Beans on Toast TV gives musicians across the country a chance to perform as part of a weekly live variety show.
The rotating line-up of presenters includes members of local leftfield bands Mr Ben & the Bens and Potpourri, with Soup Review and The Just Joans among the musical guests appearing so far.
"The whole industry has come to a halt," said director Tom Diffenthal, who usually works as a camera operator and touring musician. "With COVID-19 at the moment it's not possible to create television in a safe way."
He said that the production of a weekly show is giving the group of housemates something to focus on during lockdown.
"We're very lucky we all live together and all enjoy making things like this as a group," he said. "It's become a perfect opportunity to use a DIY approach to make live television."
The show is streamed live on YouTube every Saturday at 10am, and as well as musical performances features sketches, cartoons, a parody soap opera and video contributions from across the UK.
"The eclectic nature of the show makes it quite different," said Beans on Toast presenter Evie Garner. "We've got all sorts of segments that invite people to contribute which I think really makes people feel a part of something."
Other local venues and culture collectives have found innovative ways to hold events during quarantine. Sheffield Transformed are hosting a political film club, while musicians from DIY space Hatch were recently invited onto the Quarantunes series for a takeover session.
