Thames
Television
London
weekdays

Thames Television House,
306-316 Euston Road,
LONDON NW1 3BB
Tel: 01-387 9494
Teddington Studios, Teddington Lock,
TEDDINGTON, Middlesex TW11 9NT
Tel: 01-977 3232
Sales Office: Norfolk House, Smallbrook,
Queensway, BIRMINGHAM B5 4LJ
Tel: 021-643 9131

Thames Television Limited is the company which, under agreement with the Independent Broadcasting Authority, provides the television programmes in London on weekdays from Monday to 7 pm Friday.

Directors. Howard Thomas, CBE (Chairman); George A Cooper (Managing Director); Mrs Mary Baker; John T Davey, FCA; D R W Dicks; H S L Dundas, DSO, DFC; Jeremy Isaacs (Director of Programmes); John E Read; Ian M Scott, CA (Director of Finance and General Manager, Teddington); James F Shaw (Director of Sales); T H Tilling; Colin S Wills, MA, FCA (Assistant Managing Director); Lord Wolfenden, CBE, MA.

Executives. Ben E Marr, CA (Company Secretary); R G J Godfrey (Studios and Engineering Director); F J Atkinson (Controller, Studio Operations); Donald Cullimore (Controller, Public Relations); John Edwards (Controller of Current Affairs and Documentaries); John Hambley (Controller, Advertising and Publications); R J Hughes (Sales Controller); Philip Jones (Controller of Light Entertainment); Verity Lambert (Controller of Drama); Geoffrey Lugg (Controller, Programme Planning); Ian Martin (Acting Controller of Features, Education and Religion); Malcolm Morris (Controller, Programme Department); John O’Keefe (Controller, Staff Relations) ; Eric E Parry (Controller, Programme Services); C J Smeaton (Controller, Administration); Grahame Turner (Controller of Outside Broadcasts); Sue Turner (Controller of Children’s Programmes); Max Lawson, FCA (Chief Accountant); Brian G Scott, C ENG, MIEE (Chief Engineer); Douglas Thornes (Research and Marketing Services Manager). THAMES TELEVISION INTERNATIONAL LIMITED (for programme sales) – Muir Sutherland (Chief Executive).

Enquiries. Enquiries about artists and programmes should be addressed to Viewers’ Correspondence, Thames Television House, 306-316 Euston Road, London NW1 3BB.

Sales and Marketing. Thames operates a full marketing and merchandising service and offers special rates for local advertisers, holiday and travel advertisers, etc. Details are available from the Sales Controller. Programmes. From Thames Television’s two main production centres – at Euston in Central London and at Teddington on the River Thames – come well over a thousand programmes a year for the London Region and for the itv network. Many win national and international acclaim (e.g. The World At War or Jenny – Lady Randolph Churchill). Many are extremely popular. All are intended to fulfil the company’s aim to educate, inform and entertain its audience in depth and on the widest scale.

Thames’ output covers the whole range of television programmes. Most drama, light entertainment and children’s programmes are made at Teddington where there are three studios, the largest 7,500 sq. ft, all fully operational in colour. A major building programme is extending and improving to the highest possible level the studio facilities.

The widely praised and international award winning Thames documentary scries The World At War was prepared mainly at Teddington; the same team is preparing the Destination America series about the migrating races which formed the United States. But the bulk of Thames documentary. current affairs and news programmes are produced at Thames Television House, Euston, with its presentation and audience studios and extensive VTR, telecine and editing facilities. Produced here is This Week, one of ITV’s most influential and respected current affairs programmes, the 1,000th edition of which was broadcast last November. Today, London’s daily live magazine programme, Good Afternoon, one of ITV’s most important consumer-orientated programme series and People and Politics, the influential, in-depth political discussion programme, are produced at TTH. So are the critically acclaimed and often award winning documentaries, for example Beauty, Bonny, Daisy, Violet, Grace and Geoffrey Morton, which was about shire horses and which has already won several important critical awards.

From the mobile division, based at Hanworth near Teddington, the outside broadcast units with their sophisticated equipment cover the country for major sporting events, fashion shows, beauty contests and other special events plus ITV’s motoring magazine programme, Drive In.

Working from its own base at Hammersmith is the fourth important element of Thames’ production structure – Euston Films. This wholly owned Thames subsidiary, which makes film drama programmes on location mainly for television, has over recent years contributed significantly to Thames’ drama output notably with such chart-topping crime series as Special Branch and The Sweeney.

As well as contributing to the popularity and critical success of ITV’s programmes, the wide range of Thames productions is finding an increasing market among viewers in other countries. In 1974-75 Thames’ sale of programmes overseas topped £1½ million. Here is a list of some of the programmes Thames produces:

DRAMA: Armchair Theatre; Public Eye; Special Branch; Callan; Six Days of Justice; The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes; Shades of Greene; Napoleon and Love; The Way of the World; Jennie – Lady Randolph Churchill; Moody and Pegg; Rooms; The Sweeney; Rock Follies; Life and Death of Penelope; Couples; Bill Brand. CHILDREN’S: Magpie; The Sooty Show; Rainbow; The Tomorrow People; Robert’s Robots; Funny Ha Ha; Issi Noho; Rod Hull and Emu; Michael Bentine’s Potty Time; Paper Play; Magpie Specials: Like Ordinary Children; My Brother David; School for Playing; You Must Be Joking; Shadows; Rainbow Specials: Rainbow Goes to Hospital & Rainbow Starts School; Altogether Now; King Wilbour III; The Molly Wopsy. LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT: This Is Your Life; Opportunity Knocks!; Bless This House; Love Thy Neighbour; …And Mother Makes Five; Man About The House; Whodunnit?; Looks Familiar; Quick On The Draw; There Goes That Song Again; Specials from Benny Hill, Tommy Cooper, Billy Dainty, Michael Bentine, Frankie Howerd and Bruce Forsyth; My Son Reuben; Get Some In; Rule Britannia. CURRENT AFFAIRS: This Week; Today; Tuesday Documentary; Take Two; Something to Say; People and Politics; The World at War, including special presentations, e.g. The Final Solution; Specials (e.g. elections). FEATURES: Good Afternoon; The History of London. OUTSIDE BROADCASTS: Wrestling; Racing; Football; Tennis; Ice Skating; Athletics; Water-Skiing; Drive In (motoring magazine); Specials (fashion shows, beauty contests, Royal Command Performances, etc.). SCHOOLS: Seeing and Doing; Finding Out; The World Around Us; King Lear; Reflections; Song and Story; Writer’s Workshop; Le Nouvel Arrivé (French); Viewpoint; Biology. ADULT EDUCATION: Treasures of the British Museum; The Art of the Craft; A Place in the Country; A Place in History; A Place in Europe; Planting for Pleasure; Water Wise; Seven Ages of Fashion; Musical Triangles. RELIGION: Late night religious programmes through the year; Christmas Services; Kontakion; Who Is This Man?; Crisis of the Cross; Lord of the Dance; Michael Cantuar.

About the author

Eric Croston was editor of the ITA and IBA yearbooks from 1963 until 1985

1 thought on “TV & radio 1976

  1. Trying to find TODAY (ITV) an episode in July 1976 which was an outside broadcast item just after Stanley Baker died.
    It was about Staines Council (Spelthorne) regarding the closure of school buses.

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