Beyond Our Control Collection
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Scope and Contents
This collection consists of documents, realia, photographs, and audiovisual recordings related to the South Bend, Indiana youth-produced television show Beyond Our Control (BOC), specifically its production and media coverage it received for the years 1971-1986. Many documents come from original production binders containing weekly agendas, training manuals, student applications to the program, scripts, company bulletins, television contracts, and advertisement agreements. The collection contains hundreds of video and audio recordings, including raw and edited footage, show clips, sound effects, and a video of the 2001 BOC Alumni Reunion. Realia in the collection include a mousepad; plaques; a television-show credits board; a framed 1973 NATPE award; a foamcore board with alumni signatures; a set of wooden B-O-C letters used by the group; and a leather document case awarded for being the “Junior Achievement Company of the Year.” Collection also contains photographs, including company photos and slides from recruiting presentations.
Dates
- Creation: 1963-2001
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1971-1986
Creator
- Beyond Our Control (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsivity for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Biographical / Historical
Beyond Our Control (full title Beyond Our Control: A Very Nice TV Show) was created by Dave Williams in partnership with WJA-TV, a Junior Achievement-affiliated company in South Bend, Indiana, and was aired by WNDU-TV from 1967 to 1986. The show had 19 seasons with a total of 225 episodes, in which over 300 high school students between the ages of 14 and 18 participated in producing over its near two-decade run.
The half-hour-long show started in the early 1960s as a combination talent, game, and quiz show; however, in 1967, Williams shifted Beyond Our Control (B.O.C.) into being a "parody of television itself.” At this time, Williams also began the process of shifting B.O.C. to be exclusively written, directed, and produced by local Michiana high school students. Starting with the teens writing and performing the skits, as well as doing the technical work, by the beginning of the 1974-1975 season, the show was completely youth-run - having previously been supervised by an WNDU-TV professional - and remained so through its final season in 1986.
Extent
4.25 cubic feet (2 standard doc boxes, 2 standard letter doc cases, 1 large letter doc case)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Manuscripts are grouped by season of production, then by files that relate to multiple production seasons. Season production files are arranged chronologically, and materials within each season series retain their original order as received.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Collection materials donated to the University of Notre Dame Archives by the Beyond Our Control TV Alumni Association (BOCTVAA), as well as by James Poyser and David Simkins.
Processing Information
The manuscript portion of the collection was processed by Mairi Weber-Hess, Student Assistant. Additional processing by Tyler Davis, Archives Specialist. Finding aid completed in August 2025.
Processing Information
Large portions collection material were previously stored in binders; however, documents were disbound either prior to or at the time of accession.
Subject
- WNDU-TV (Television station : South Bend, Ind.) (Organization)
- Junior Achievement (Organization)
- Title
- Beyond Our Control Collection
- Author
- University of Notre Dame Archives
- Date
- 2017
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the University of Notre Dame Archives Repository