The world of British television off and on the screen, as it was sixty years ago.

Crap Show

Thursday is something of a slow TV-news day in The Times with the only story being one which reports that the BBC have negotiated exclusive rights to television some of the Amateur Boxing Association’s matches with a Russian team which will be taking place on 12 October. The Guardian also carries this one, and they note that the contest has an additional caché, in that it will be the first in which the Russian boxers have competed in this country. They also suggest that it is likely that Nicky Gargano and Tommy Nicholls – both British European title holders – will take part.

The Guardian‘s Radio Correspondent (RC) reports on last night’s Panorama which devoted to “the story of Hiroshima, the tenth anniversary of VJ day, and the prospects for space travel.”

The programme included excerpts from the film “Children of Hiroshima” and an interview with Ronald Searle who showed many of his drawings made in a Japanese prisoner of war camp and on the Burma railroad. RC notes that, “Mr Searle was not very fond of the Japanese.”

Malcolm Muggeridge questioned Bertrand Russell and General Sir Frank Messervy on the hydrogen bomb and their ideas for future peace or war. Apparently Lord Russell’s closing words were subject to a visual distraction when someone moved in front of the camera. No foul play is suspected.

The Guardian‘s small ads record that one of the attractions at the Manchester Hippodrome is “The T.V. Sensation Sabrina.”

The Daily Mirror is despairing of Labour’s attitude with regard to the televising of its annual conference. It is, however, somewhat economical with the truth – claiming that Labour had been offered “full television coverage of its five-day conference.” Unfortunately, this is so far from the actual truth – and the Mirror must know this – that it’s hard to see where the Mirror is coming from.

Of course the party hasn’t been promised “full television coverage of its five-day conference” but a half-hour condensed report each evening – exactly the same as the coverage of the Conservative Party conference. So why the Mirror feels the need to lie about it is something of a mystery. They suggest, perhaps rightly, that for the Tories, “nine million viewers will see extracts from EVERY DAY of their conference” and ask, “Can’t Labour see what a tremendous asset the Tories have in Sir Anthony Eden’s TV appearances.”

They say, “We want to SEE the Labour Party at work. There is no need for shyness.”

The Daily Express‘s City columnist Derek Dale writes that Jules Thorn, the man behind Thorn Electrical Industries’ “Ferguson” brand is to start making tubes for TV sets. The paper has little else to report except to note that Helga Moray, a 40-year-old South African writer, is to replace Joanna Kilmartin on next week’s Who Said That?

After recent criticism of its Thursday evening output, you might have thought the BBC would be a little more circumspect about setting up targets, barn-door size, for their critics to aim at. I’m afraid not, for at 8pm “BBC cameras are installed in the underground water-main tunnel under construction between the Thames and the Lea Valley in Essex and also in one of London’s main sewers.” The title of this half-hour extravaganza? Down the Drain.

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