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Here’s Thames, as always falling on to air at 0925 thanks to the ever-unstable switchover from TV-am, and going straight into news read by a man with definitive mid-1980s hair.

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Thames Television presentation stills from the 1980s

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The first networked “skyline” ident, shown just before the first edition of Magpie, on 30 July 1968.

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Thames starts the day in a slightly different way on Tuesday 23 October 1984, with management operating the equipment and a selection of “in the can” programming with nothing available from the network as the technicians walk out.

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Thames presentation schedule for Friday 13 February 1970

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From tonight until Friday 14 April, USSR’s Channel 2 TV station will transmit Thames Television programmes to over 200 million people.

In association with GOSTEL-RADIO, a two hour selection of programmes, including The Bill, The English Garden and Minder will be dubbed into Russian and broadcast at peak time to the Russian people.

In addition, up to six minutes of UK TV ads, also dubbed into Russian, will be shown in each hour.

East meets West, courtesy of Thames Television, for the next five days.

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Watching television could never be described as a particularly healthy activity.

So it’s crucial that sports-related commercials are on at the right time to catch the target market.

Saturday afternoons, for instance, are probably not the best time.

Although there’s a lot of sport on TV, the only people watching it then are those who don’t play it.

‘Midweek Sports Special’, however, is on at a time when even the keenest sports players are happy to relax.

And obviously a sports programme is the best environment in which to sell sports-related goods, or other products and services targetted at sports-mad young men. Because watching is the next best thing to playing.

If you want to be sure that your commercials are getting a healthy reception, ring Jonathan Shier, Director of Sales & Marketing, on 01-387 9494.

TALK TO THAMES AND YOU’RE TALKING TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE

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Since its formation in 1968 the name of Thames has become synonomous [sic] with quality television and commercial success.

The combined skills of Thames programme makers have created many milestones in television history, acknowledged by in excess of 190 awards the world over and resulting in programme sales to more than 120 different countries.

At home as well as producing programmes of specific appeal to its principal audience in the London area, Thames supplies more hours of programmes for the ITV network than any other company.

The broadcasting industry is now heading into a challenging period of change and development. Sound, but enterprising, management, continued investment in the latest technology, and proven creative talents and professional skills in programme making mean that Thames Television is not only more than capable of rising to that challenge but also confident that it will remain in the vanguard of the television industry throughout the next fifty years.

306-316 Euston Road, London NW1 3BB. Telephone 01-387 9494.

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WE would like to thank everyone who wrote, directed, starred in, supported, produced, edited, mixed, twiddled the knobs, floor managed, made the tea on, shot, cut, was up for, budgeted, scripted, adapted, approved, promoted, booked, managed, had the idea, bought the original, designed, constructed and put up the sets for, swept up afterwards, picked up the awards for, answered the phone, took all the credit for, and most of all bought and transmitted all the programmes that have been sold in 127 different countries around the World, bringing us the honour of receiving The Queen’s Award for Export Achievement, 1984.

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There’s no better way to spend this cold, dreary winter than Watching Thames Television’s terrific line-up of programmes.

For a start, on our light entertainment side is Let There Be Love. Paul Eddington stars as a confirmed bachelor, who to the bewilderment of his best friend Henry McGee, decides to marry the beautiful and intriguing Nanette Newman appearing in her first ever comedy role.

There are plenty more laughs in store with Don’t Rock The Boat. Nigel Davenport succeeds in disrupting his well-ordered all male family boat-building business when he brings home a showgirls, the vivacious Sheila White and proposes marriage.

And of course old favourites Benny Hill, Jim Davidson and Shelley return to keep you laughing. While Eric and Ernie take a revealing look at some of the great comedy duos of all time in a one hour special with Alan Whicker.

When the laughter dies down, relax and enjoy our first rate drama season. Laurence Olivier and Alan Bates star in Voyage Round My Father. It’s the true inspiring life story of the author, John Mortimer’s relationship with his tragically blinded father.

Something else you’ll be sure not to miss is that devilish double-act Dennis Waterman and George Cole back in an all new action-packed series of Minder.

Of course, no Thames winter would be complete without a fabulous selection of films. The season starts with a brand new Best seller, The Star Maker, starring Rock Hudson and Suzanne Pleshette. The compelling drama of a Hollywood Director with a unique style for turning beautiful faces into overnight sensations.

Amongst the great feature films to look forward to is Ryan’s Daughter. Set in rural southern Ireland, Sarah Miles, Sir John Mills, Robert Mitchum and Trevor Howard star in David Lean’s Academy Award-winning motion picture.

And two of Hollywood’s biggest names Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford star as the ill-matched lovers in the British Television Film Première of The Way We Were.

This is just the start of a great entertainment season ahead. So cheer up! Isn’t it good to know that there is a bright side this winter?

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From its beginning only nine years ago, Thames Television has become one of the world’s biggest exporters of television programmes. There are several reasons.

First, we attempt the impossible. That’s how we took over a New York TV station for a week. That’s how we’ve managed to turn our British success Man About the House into a new American network show called Three’s Company, joining ABC TV in the production and retaining world sales rights. It’s also how we managed to sell a British gardening series on the somewhat unpromising soil of Kuwait.

Secondly, we offer a service, not just a sale. When we sold the format of our award-winning children’s series Rainbow to Iran, for example, we had producer Pam Lonsdale fly out to act as production advisor.

Thirdly, we think our market is bigger than the TV entertainment stations of the world. Universities are among our most regular international customers; The World at War, now seen in 64 countries, was acquired by the US Army and Navy for their education divisions; and our factual documentary on the French DC10 disaster found buyers amongst the top world airlines.

Those are three reasons. But the underlaying fact is one that should lie behind all successful exporting: we make products of unrivalled quality that the world wants to buy.

Thames Television International:
British programmes for the world

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Time was when the countries watching Thames Television didn’t even run from A to B, let alone Z. But now Zanzibar has become the hundredth country to by Thames programmes for its own television service.

In four short years, under Managing Director Muir Sutherland, Thames Television International has brought export sale up above the £3,000,000 mark. They’ve done it by creative, aggressive selling in world markets of the programmes we make for audiences here in the UK.

The World at War to 64 countries, including Germany, Italy and Japan. Jennie, Lady Randolph Churchill to 41 countries, and The Sweeney to 34. Father, Dear Father to 29 countries, and children’s series like The Tomorrow People, so far seen in 32 countries.

Thames Television is a British company that makes only one product: TV programmes on film and videotape. Where we diversify is in the language of our audience.

Thames Television International:
British programmes for the world

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For us it’s a wedding anniversary.
Here are some pictures of the kids.

For some ITV companies this is a 21st birthday. For us it’s the eighth year of the partnership between Rediffusion Television and ABC TV (two great pioneers who would have been twenty-one today) that created Thames Television.

In our short career, our programme makers have won the Prix Italia, the Prix Jeunesse, two Emmys and dozens of other national and international awards. We’ve produced more of Britain’s favourite programmes than any other company, including the BBC. We’ve exported programmes to no fewer than 93 countries. And we’ve given birth to some of the outstanding ITV programmes of the last decade.

Who says marriages aren’t made in heaven?

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Today, from the television mast on the Empire State Building, a British television service begins transmitting to the 17 million people of New York. To celebrate the US Bicentennial and the 21st anniversary of ITV in Britain, Thames Television is making broadcasting history with a week on New York’s Channel 9.

Thames Television New York is a completely British television service in programmes, news, announcers and presentation, together with British-style commercial breaks in which leading UK companies are advertising to America.

This unique event has been created for Britain thanks to Thames’ enterprise, and to the international reputation of British television. The objective is to increase still further the company’s programme exports, which have already won the distinction of American Emmy awards for The World at War and Jennie, Lady Randolph Churchill. We hope also to promote effectively those companies who have joined us in the venture, and to help consolidate Britain’s business reputation in America.

We would like to thank WOR-TV New York, the American Federal Communications Commission, the British Overseas Trade Board London, The British Trade Development Office New York and Thames’ staff in London and New York for the enthusiastic support which made possible Thames Television New York.

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Raymond Aron

Sir Isaiah Berlin

Anthony Crosland

Paul Foot

Denis Healey

Sir Keith Joseph

Enoch Powell

Brian Abel-Smith

James Baldwin

Bishop Butler

Lord Devlin

J.K. Galbraith

Roy Jenkins

Herbert Marcuse

Shirley Williams

Talking about ITV2

“All the people named above have spoken this year in a single Thames Television series. The series, which brings important intellectual debate to a wide public, was the first on British television to give its participants proper time to develop their arguments and ideas. Hence the eminent authorities it has attracted and continues to attract.

Some people may be surprised to find that such series are made by an ITV company. And perhaps they are right to be surprised. For the imagination and professionalism of Thames’ programme staff has far too few outlets on the present single channel. Their many ideas for serious minority programmes cannot possibly receive sufficient screen time, especially as ITV is always opposed by the combined forces of BBC1 and BBC2.

Nevertheless, towards the day when additional channels provide further opportunities, Thames will go on devoting the largest possible proportion of its output to serious and informative television.”

HOWARD THOMAS, Managing Director

THAMES

today • this week • good afternoon •  something to say • treasures of the british museum
the second world war (in production) • documentaries including we was all one (winner 1972 Prix Italia)
my brother david (winner 1972 UNICEF award) • adult education and schools programmes

Thames Television, 306-316 Euston Road, London NW1 3BB

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It’s 10 months since Thames Television came to London.

What difference has it made?

To the London ITV audience?

It’s grown. Grown, for Thames’ evening programmes, by an average of 200,000 homes. That’s more than 14% up on last year.

The facts: Thames transmits to the London ITV area from Monday to 7.00 pm on Friday. In Spring last year before Thames began, audiences between 6.30 and 10.30 on those days averaged 1,309,280 homes*. This year, Thames has boosted the average to 1,497,600 homes.

Outside those peak viewing hours, the average audience for the same period in 1968 was 818,300 homes. This year the average Thames audience was 873,600 homes: and increase of over 6%.

So after less than a year, and despite a difficult start, Thames is consistently attracting more viewers than the Spring 1968 average:

*Comparisons over eight weeks ending 3 May 1968/2 May 1969

To London ITV programmes?

They’ve changed. To help win these bigger audiences, Thames has introduced new programmes to London in all three major fields: drama, light entertainment and features.

The Life and Times of Lord Mountbatten has been the most successful documentary series ever to appear on the screen. Three new light entertainment programmes – Max, Two in Clover and Father, Dear Father – have regularly appeared in the London Top Ten list of most popular shows. (Max, starring Max Bygraves, topped the list three times.) Of the dramatic series, Callan has been exceptionally successful; Frontier was described by a leading critic as “the most promising of all efforts by the new ITV companies”; and The Mind of Mr J.G. Reeder has already become one of London’s favourite programmes. Among the new plays produced by Thames to date have been the Premiere series of live “first nights” and the widely-praised productions of Noël Coward’s “Star Quality” and Sheridan Le Fanu’s “Uncle Silas”.

Report, the new one-hour current affairs series, has already had three programmes chosen for the National Film Archive. And Today, first ever local programme for the London ITV area, is watched in more than a million homes five nights a week.

To children?

They’re beginning to like us. Last year they mostly watched the BBC, but not any more. For example Magpie, Thames’ magazine programme for London children, quickly became so popular that it went national, twice weekly. After only ten months on the air it’s watched by more families than the BBC’s excellent Blue Peter.

Mothers like us too (ask them) because we make a really wide range of children’s entertainment, from Sooty and Once Upon a Time to Do Not Adjust Your Set and The Tingaree Affair. That’s why all Thames’ programmes for children are more popular than last year’s counterparts.

To viewers all over Britain?

There’s a new name for good television. Since Thames began, its productions have won more places in the National Top Twenty than any other company. These nationally popular Thames programmes have included This Week, Opportunity Knocks, Callan, Max, Life With Cooper, The Avengers, Mike and Bernie’s Show, Two in Clover, Armchair Theatre and many others. More than a quarter of Thames’ places in the list have been filled by entirely new programmes.

To the BBC?

It comes second. From Monday to 7.00 on Friday, London viewers can choose between Thames, BBC1 and BBC2. The programmes they like best come from Thames. Each week we make a private check on the ten most popular programmes in London during our transmission time. The latest figures, for eight weeks ended 2 May, show that Thames had 78% of London’s ten weekday favourites against the BBC’s 22%.

We don’t usually publish our weekday top ten. But that’s how it looks.

To advertisers?

They’re getting more for their money. In terms of cost per thousand homes viewing, the latest available figures for eight weeks ending 2 May show that Thames’ peaktime rate gave an average cost of 19/1d [rounds to just under 95½p in decimal, £15.75 in 2018 allowing for inflation] per thousand homes – compared to 21/10d [rounds to about £1.09, £18 in 2018 allowing for inflation] in peaktime for the same period last year. The difference: 12½% cheaper on Thames.

(Because Thames’ peaktime rate covers an hour more than last year’s, the chart shows how the Thames cost compares with 1968’s 7.00 to 10.00 and 6.30 to 10.30. Thames is cheaper either way.)

To London’s skyline?

It’s altering. Thames’ new headquarter and colour studios are nearing completion close to the Post Office tower at Euston, ready for the start of colour broadcasting in November. From this new central complex, and from the riverside studios at Teddington, Thames will continue to produce outstanding programmes for London, for Britain and for the world.

That’s the promise we made ten months ago, and it’s one thing we haven’t changed.

THAMES

Television House, Kingsway, London WC2.

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Noël Coward used to turn pale at the sight of a television set.
If there was anything worse than putting
your daughter on the stage, Mrs. Worthington,
it was putting her on the box.
Because TV had done some terrible things in the name of Coward.

Then he met us. And now we’re going to
screen three Coward plays in the space of three weeks.
What’s our secret?

Success, mainly. A little while ago our drama team produced
one of this short stories, adapted by William Marchant.
It was called ‘Pretty Polly’, eight million people watched it
and it shot into the Top Twenty.
Noël Coward watched it too – and it was love at first viewing.
He let the same team work on another story
called ‘Mrs. Capper’s Birthday’. Result: more than nine million people
watched that one, and the critics sang a rare chorus of praise.

So we’ve had both his blessing and his active help on the
three adaptations which start off our new ‘Playhouse’ series
on Monday nights. The first one, on August 5 with Glynis Johns and
Robert Hardy, is called ‘Star Quality’.
Which is very appropriate.

Because that’s something Noël Coward has possessed since he
began his career in London’d theatre.
And it’s nice he thinks we’ve got it too, since
we’re just beginning ours as London’s television.

THAMES
Serving London from 30th July
Television House Kingsway London WC2

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Given the right conditions, they breed.

These little darlings are called Emmies.

They come from the United States, and they’re very rare.

The National Academy of Television and Sciences awards one per year to the best entertainment programme produced outside the U.S.A.

In this category, a programme competes against the popular programmes from all over the world.

Last year, Rediffusion won the one on the left for their production of ‘The Caretaker’ by Harold Pinter.

This year, ABC Television won the other one for ‘Call me Daddy’, a comedy written by Ernie Gebler.

Now, the two companies have joined forces to form Thames Television, the new company that will be responsible for London’s week-day programming from 30 July onwards.

And if the last couple of years are anything to go by, we may soon have a family of Emmies about the place.

Thames Television

Serving London from 30 July.

‘Call me Daddy’ will be repeated on ITV tonight in London and in most other ITV areas on Saturday.

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