The world of British television off and on the screen, as it was sixty years ago.
It’s Friday, 1 July 1955 and the highlight of today’s broadcast from the Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon is the Men’s Singles Final. Readers of Radio Times are warned that “Because of the great interest in the finals… Children’s television will not be broadcast today or tomorrow” and there’s nothing but tennis until the weather at 7.25pm. (more…)
At 8pm on Thursday 30 June 1955, the BBC are entertaining us with Pier Pavilion wherein Tommy Trinder introduces artists appearing in one or other of Great Yarmouth’s summer shows. Featured are Ronnie Ronalde, The Beverley Sisters, Alice Dells, The Two Heinkes and the Leslie Roberts Girls. (more…)
Television gets blamed for all manner of things, sometimes reasonably, sometimes ridiculously. On Wednesday, 29 June 1955, the Daily Express reports that the British Transport Commission, which were then responsible for running the railways, were in the red to the tune of £11,900,000 because of “rocketing costs and fewer passengers.” Passenger journeys were down by 1.3%. Why? Because of new housing, the growth of private motoring and television.
27 June 1955. It’s Monday. On the BBC there’s more bat, ball and racquet but programmes start with the longest title in the history of this, that or the other: National Service of Intercession and Rededication to Commemorate the Tenth Anniversary of the Signing of the United Nations Charter. (more…)
Sunday 26 June 1955 is, of course, the first day to be listed in the new edition of Radio Times. (more…)
Saturday 25 June 1955 and it’s more of the same, sportswise. Interrupting the ball games during the afternoon are Percy Thrower In The Garden and a visit to The Appleyards between 4 and 4.30.
The evening highlight is What Do You Know? a television version of the well-known Light Programme… errr… programme (more…)
These won’t always be daily, but I figured I should put in an effort, early doors. So, Friday 24 June 1955…
The Times reports that in Parliament, James Callaghan (Lab, Cardiff South East) said that workers “were more ready to down tools because of the long hours being worked through overtime.” He added, “Men were working overtime to pay instalments on television sets which they had no time to look at.”
23 June 1955, a Thursday. This means that there’s a new issue of The Stage to look at. Fortunately, after months where their television coverage was usually restricted to a maximum of half-a-page, they’ve seen sense and we have a whole “TV Page” in this edition. Let’s hope it’s not a one-off. This time round it’s mainly interested in what’s happening at the new ITV companies. (more…)
It’s 22 June 1955, the longest day of the year. If you believe some newspapers, the five-week old dock strike has ended. They’re more consistent with other news: Ruth Ellis has been sentenced to death for killing David Blakely, and a schoolboy has run off with a games mistress. But we’re not here for this kind of thing, oh no. The only news we’ll be looking at here relates to what’s happening in the word of television: 1950s style. So let’s go…