On this day, 2 November 1936, the BBC launched the nation's first regular TV service from Alexandra Palace. Apart from WWII when its transmitters were used to help defend against bomb attacks by jamming signals. Alexandra Palace was the main location for the BBC’s television broadcasts until the 1950s. The single channel, regular television service continued until it was joined by another channel in 1964, then taking on the names BBC One and BBC Two. Since those days, picture quality has continually improved, programmes are now much better produced and television now reaches a global audience of millions on every continent. However, we are now in a similar period of fundamental change as when the first programmes moved from radio to television with the advent of then-new technologies. For the first time, audiences viewing programmes over the internet are starting to reach similar levels to those viewing on televisions in living rooms, while new technologies like 4k and HDR are set to revolutionise the quality and realism of programmes in homes and cinemas. We should take a note from the pioneering spirit of the BBC in 1936 and make sure we are delivering the wonder of these new innovations to the next generation of viewers around the world. The nation's first regular TV service was launched by the BBC at 3pm on 2 November 1936. Since then television in Britain has grown from one channel to more than 300. Here is the full list of the British top 20 most-watched TV shows: 1. Only Fools and Horses (BBC1, 29 December 1996): 24.35 million 2. To The Manor Born (BBC1, 11 November 1979): 23.95 million 3. The Royal Variety Performance (ITV, 29 November 1967): 22.80 million 4. Panorama (BBC1, 20 November 1995): 22.77 million 5. The Royal Variety Performance (ITV, 14 November 1965): 21.70 million 6. Dallas (BBC1, 22 November 1980): 21.60 million 7. To The Manor Born (BBC1, 9 November 1980): 21.55 million 8. The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show (BBC1, 25 December 1977): 21.40 million = Coronation Street (ITV, 2 January 1985): 21.40 million 10. Only Fools and Horses (BBC1, 25 December 2001): 21.35 million 11. Only Fools and Horses (BBC1, 27 December 1996): 21.33 million 12. Only Fools and Horses (BBC1, 25 December 1996): 21.31 million 13. The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show (BBC1, 25 December 1977): 21.30 million 14. The Royal Variety Performance (ITV, 10 November 1963): 21.20 million = The Silver Jubilee Royal Variety Gala (ITV, 4 December 1977): 21.20 million 16. Bread (BBC1, 11 December 1988): 20.95 million 17. The Benny Hill Show (ITV, 14 March 1979): 20.85 million 18. Coronation Street (ITV, 18 December 1980): 20.80 million 19. Just Good Friends (BBC1, 21 December 1986): 20.75 million 20. Sale of the Century (ITV, 19 November 1977) 20.60 million = Coronation Street (ITV, 9 January 1985): 20.60 million = Coronation Street (ITV, 16 January 1985): 20.60 million
Very interesting, thank you for sharing. Here's a link to what must have been the first big event of the new service, the coronation procession of George VI the following year. The actual ceremony was filmed and broadcast on radio, but TV had to wait for his daughter's coronation.
i've seen a few of those series but i don't see a couple of my favorite bbc reruns on local pbs. which are..Are You Being Served and Keeping Up Appearances.
My Favorite show "Last of the Summer Wine" always reminds me of the group of us who took our City and Guilds together.
To the BBC: Thank you for the "Dr Who", "Monty Python" and "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" programmes. Hate to think of growing up without those! 73
"Benny Hill" was far ahead of it's time as far as being "RISQUE", a comparable program here, STILL EVEN NOW, wouldn't make it through our "PRUDISH FCC CENSORS" though our presidential CANDIDATES DID!!! So I guess maybe America IS READY AFTER ALL!!!
Here is the question that most people don't want to answer.......Is there a GOD. So far Charles Darwin theory about evolution from a monkey to a Human being hasn't been proved. If he is right about evolution, why has man in the last 50 years evolved so much, with radio, television, cell or I phones and computers, yet there has been no change in any monkey or other animal. Monkeys still swing in trees and eat bananas and haven't changed. So may be evolution is wrong. Many top Scientists I would think don't believe in God. However scientists do not invent things, all they do occurs naturally, they just put things together and work out what works with what and what is the result. The person who walks through the Golden Gate surrounding the old city of Jerusalem will have the answer. Space is an illusion, it is like walking down a rail road track the rails seem to join about 300 yards down the track, but in fact they never join you just keep on walking. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "QUOTE : - The most expensive thing in life is experience" .......(M0XRZ ....May 2012)
They should bring back "Are you being served" and "Fawlty Towers" I'm really disapointed with the way they have started using "Doctor Who" to push the "Liberal" agenda in some of their more recent episodes...
Thank you for your comments. Yes.. The Benny Hill Show was..as you put it "Risque".but in those days in the 1970's britain it was socially acceptable viewing without any viewer complaints. There was a number of television programmes that where broadcast in the 60's and 70's that in today's standards would be catagorised as offensive and unfit for family viewing. These where... Love thy Neighbour It aint half hot mum Mind your language Till death do us part Are you been served "Carry on" a franchise of films. Most of these had racist,sexual,ethnical,homophobic overtones that will never be re-transmitted again on television.unless your looking for a lawsuit. However..all said and done..there are tv programmes today in britain that is allowed to be broadcast as F-words and sex scenes are socially acceptable?? for family viewing.as before the programme is aired "viewer discretion is advised". Best offensive programme in the United Kingdom? "Family Guy" thanks seth macfarlane.great show.hence the m0odv avatar.
Here is a PYE single channel telly. Pye television receiver, model 817, 1938. 5 inch screen. courtesy: http://www.ssplprints.com/image/84159/white-ron-pye-television-receiver-model-817-1938 And the program guide:
Grew up in Los Angeles in the 60's and 70's and we had 15 over the air channels before cable was introduced there around 1980, many of which took their turn broadcasting British TV Shows. I really enjoyed Benny Hill, Marty Feldman, Dr. Who, Space 1999, Thunderbirds, Monty Python!!!, of course the early rock music shows, while my parents watched a lot of the other programs mentioned in the top 10. I would visit my grandparents in Allentown, PA back then and they had cable much earlier due to their distance from New York so we were able to view even more British shows out east. British movies were always plentiful in the States as well. When I was later stationed at RAF Woodbridge in 1982-1984, I felt I kind of already knew the great people there. I bought my first Short Wave radio at the Tandy (Radio Shack) store in Ipswich. 73, AA1JV
M0ODV, TNX for the return comment OB about various programming that you guys had over in the UK back in the day!!! You know in MANY CULTURES of bygone eras "NUDITY/PARTIAL NUDITY" WERE socially acceptable and were NOT CONSIDERED OBSCENE, it was CONSIDERED NORMAL!!! Look what the churches and "Political Correctness" have done to OUR SOCIETIES NOW!!! AMAZING!!! Today's societies think of "ISIS" wearing apparel for our Females as appropriate according to societal norms it seems!!!
You can see "Keeping Up Appearances"."Last of The Summer Wine" and other British Comedies on You Tube,along with the flims of Norman Wisdom.
