Keeping one eye on the sky, another underground and both feet planted on the floor is a good trick if you can do it. And that is exactly how Thames Television International is exploiting the rich income promised by new television technology.

The sky eye is on the lookout for broadcast satellites, the underground eye for cable connections, and the firmly-planted feet are vital for anyone who wants to understand and explore the coming revolution in the way viewers use their television sets.

There are three potential rivals to the TV companies who at present dominate the airwaves. The first, video, is with us right now. Nearly a million British homes already possess a videotape recorder which gives them access not only to off-air programmes but a large and growing catalogue of pre-recorded films, music shows, look-and-learn cassettes and golden oldie television material.

The second threat comes from Direct Broadcast Satellites (hereafter called DBS). In America, satellites are already beaming programmes to local cable operators who pipe pictures to subscribers. And if the cash and the political consensus can be found, there could be a DBS perched above every country in Europe by 1990.

Cable itself is the third strand. Once again America leads the way, mainly because the cable was needed to improve signal quality. But now, many entrepreneurs provide viewers with an alternative service to the major networks, and American subscribers can buy anything from month-old movies to ‘live’ sex-shows from companies offering up to 50 different channels at the touch of a button.

Britain, of course, is a long way off that stage, and the initial demand for cable might be rather limited. But if the forthcoming experiments in a number of areas already cabled up are successful, fibre optic ‘narrow-casters’ could soon be spreading their tentacles under every street in the land.

If that happens, the search for programming to fill the new hours will be on, and indeed in America, the hue and cry is already at fever pitch.

So instead of fighting the alternative invaders, TTI has concluded that it is healthier to join them, and Thames material is already finding its way into the new markets.

Mike Phillips, who is TTI’s Controller of Commercial Development explains. ‘We’re already deeply involved in video, partly through the High Street outlets of our parent companies, Thorn-EMI and Rediffusion. There are now nine Thames titles in the EMI Video list, and they include Botanic Man, Swan Lake, The World At War and Kenny Everett. There’s a Benny Hill compilation, the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Shows from 1978 and 1980, some marvellous gymnastics, and the first of Alan Ayckbourn’s Norman Conquests plays trilogy, which Thames screened a while back. There’s obviously a great deal more in the pipeline, now that ITV has reached agreement over royalty payments with the talent unions.’

Much of this material will also find itself spinning profits at the rate of 700 revs per minute, when the video disc joins the battle next autumn.

Discs can be stamped in bulk much more cheaply than tape (which has to be run off in ‘real time’). They can provide stereo sound, and their 54,000 picture frames per disc can store vast amounts of information. On the other hand, they can’t record, and two, (possibly three) incompatible systems are already vying for market share.

Two systems – Philips’ Laser Vision and the VHD disc made by JVC and adopted by Thorn-EMI – use a hard-wearing groove less disc while RCA have developed a cheaper, less-sophisticated disc not unlike a conventional audio LP in appearance. All three are about the size of an ordinary record, played on machines no bigger than a music centre. The players will sell for between £350 and £5(M), and the discs for around £15.

The Thorn-EMI/Rediffusion connections will ensure Thames a prominent place in the market. When launch day comes next year, Everett, Bellamy & Co will be on show in up to 7,000 rental and retail outlets in the chain of wholly-owned or contracted Thorn-EMI and Rediffusion shops featuring the new VHD disc system. But, says Phillips, Thames material is also available to distributors using the other disc formats, so TTI hope for massive penetration of the new markets as soon as the discs hit the High Street.

As for satellites, Muir Sutherland (TTI’s Managing Director) is still fairly sceptical. ‘The DBS is still a long way off in Britain and Europe and it will take a lot of political will to persuade governments that foreign-owned satellites should be allowed to invade their broadcasting airspace.’

‘And I’m not sure how many viewers will want to spend the money for the big dish aerials; there are still many technical problems in providing a reliable service. Satellites are going to be far more valuable as a means of distributing material to cable operators, as in America.’ Joe McCann (TTI’s Controller of Television Sales) and Don Taffner (their US Representative), have created a lot of interest in these new outlets for Thames programming. They’re finalising sales of Benny Hill to Home Box Office, Napoleon and Love and Swan Lake to CBS, Warner Amex are buying The Tomorrow People for their children’s channel, and other very large deals are close to completion.

‘We think Thames has a huge stockpile of material to offer the new cable operations,’ says Joe, ‘and they are also keen to bring their projects to us as well.’

All sorts of joint-production possibilities are opened to Thames International. But says Mike Phillips, ‘We musn’t get it out of perspective. Co-financing never covers the actual cost of making a programme, but it does help offset the cost and it might help us to go ahead with projects we couldn’t afford on our own.’

In the meantime, TTI is looking at all the new American cable operations and selling appropriate programmes where it can. Thames was offered an exclusive deal with one organisation, much like the deal the BBC has just made with RCTV. one of the cable newcomers, but as TTI already earns more from the USA than the recorded BBC annual guarantee, it prefers to play the field and exploit different markets in different ways.

As Muir Sutherland says, ‘We’re delighted that the BBC have agreed to enter into an exclusive deal in the USA, if only because it means that the other channels can’t get their hands on BBC programmes, and puts us in a stronger position.’

The post The sky’s the limit appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

The photograph above is indexed as follows: 1 is a rough ground plan for our new building; 2 is the ICL block; and 3 the Euston Tower. The illustrations below are marked similarly.

This photograph shows the shell of the studio and technical areas. While work goes on with the upper floors, the interior of this area will be finished. Already the studio floors and walls are made, windows are being fitted to enclose the operational areas and the ventilation plant is being installed.

The sketch shows the full depth of the building – longer than Television House – from the Euston Road front door to the back overlooking Drummond Street. The part built extends only to the first ‘roadway’ passing through the building and only goes up to the second floor ceiling.

It is this first section with office space for some 50 people (phase 1), which will be completely ready for colour in November – the whole will not be ready for occupation until June or July of 1970.

There is still some shuffling of office areas going on and will probably go on until May 1970, but the general layout is now settled.

The second floor, starting from the Euston Road end, has wardrobe office/workroom, Telecine, VTR, Sound Maintenance, the Telephone Exchange, Technical Film Department offices, and then the Film Department, taking the major slice, right to the end of the floor.

The Film Department also have areas on the floor below and a vault in the basement, all joined by a goods/staff lift.

The third floor is entirely Programme Department, except for a cluster of Preview Theatres and viewing rooms, and overflows on to the fourth and fifth floors too. The fourth floor is mainly Sales, complete with Press, Research, Promotion and other closely-allied departments. On each of these floors the Director in charge has his office and immediate staff – thus there is no ‘executive floor’ as such.

The fifth floor does have the highest executive concentration, however, for instance the Board Room and Conference Rooms are all up there. The Restaurant and Club take up about one-third of the area and should have a good view over the whole site. A lot of thought has been applied to finding a layout for this area in which the cross-traffic is reduced to a minimum, and our architects’ experience on previous jobs like the Hilton Hotel (if not the Bunny Club – another of their designs) is proving valuable.

“Three teams of architects are working on the project and the co-ordination of all the contractors and sub-contractors is quite a major headache” says Phil Berkeley Head of Engineering Projects for Thames. “Team One is designing the building shell for the development company, Team Two is adding the internal work to make it a Television Centre, while Team Three are looking after the Technical areas where all the acoustic and other specialised problems occur.”

Philip’s job is to find out what people in Thames want (or think they will want in 1970/75) and feed this information in architectural terms to these teams. And of course to keep a co-ordinating eye on all the Engineering Department people planning technical facilities in detail. Currently we have Bob Warren looking after the Master Control, Presentation and C.A.R. areas – the heart of the system, Gunter Karn looking after Sound and Talkback – the nerves of the studio complex, while Alan Blockley looks after Telecine and VTR area – the eyes and memory if you like. The sole survivor of Engineering in Television House, Len Sutton, is looking after Film Department equipment requirements, and pretty major their changes are for colour.

Dozens of other people are involved, adds Philip, and the number will increase as the months go by.

Ken Pike is involved in the internal telephone and intercom systems, Fred Atkinson and Mike Coxhill with the GPO lines joining us to the Tower (right opposite but still needing 18 months’ notice to get the cables installed) and of course Stuart Sansom keeps an overall eye on engineering principles, policy, money, the ITA requirements and such ‘seeing the wood from the trees’ matters.

This leaves out all those at TVH who are actively helping to define the requirements, lay old ghosts and warn of new developments – have a new look at the familiar problems and try to anticipate how colour will affect all this. As Philip says, “Colour does indeed penetrate almost every aspect of our work, and we are continually using Boris Townsend and his team as a sort of talking encyclopaedia and instant idea testing station!”

Their work is beginning to show results at Teddington, where Studio One is most of the way to colour operation.

The post Euston – a bird’s eye view appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

The basic difference between the news at nine on BBC 1 and News at Ten on ITV is one of style rather than content — Dougall’s Magic Porthole against the informal mateyness of the two-man team on the other channel.

The events recorded by each may be much the same, but somehow the news seems graver on the BBC, despite the Peeping Tom effect of watching it through that spyhole, as if one were a morbid voyeur prying furtively into the world’s misfortunes.

By contrast News at Ten purveys good cheer, probably because two newscasters simle more than one. Over to Reggie. Smile. Back to Leonard. Smile. BBC newscasters have little chance to smile as they plough their lonely way through the average day’s quota of civil war, famine, motorway deaths and riots, though sometimes they are given a dreadful pun to deliver and then they smile bravely to hide the pain.

About News at Ten there is often the kind of ruthless optimism that characterized the Daily Express in Beaverbrook’s time. Things, it seems to say, are not that bad. Outer Mongolia may be on the brink of nuclear war with Inner Latvia but Reggie and Leonard (or Andrew and Sandy) have tucked their pens away and smiled at each other and life goes on. This can be most reassuring to a viewer on his way to bed and, with luck, a dreamless nights sleep; it is also, they say at ITN, the most effective way of disseminating news.

The aim there is to produce a programme rather than a bulletin, to communicate as well as to inform. “At the BBC,” Leonard Parkin once said, rather unkindly, “they produce news like the Water Board produces tap water. At ITN we feel one can be responsible without being dull.” Punting it another way, Nigel Ryan, ITN’s editor, says: “Our priorities are objectivity, clarity and humanity. They are equally important.”

Derrick Amoore, recently appointed editor of BBC Television News, might claim much the same thing himself. Certainly the BBC’s bulletins are at least as objective and clear as ITN’s. Even in the field of humanity, Mr. Amoore says stoutly, the BBC is up there with the front runners. “The News at Ten chaps are lovely,” he admits, “but our chaps are lovely, too. Robert Dougall can’t go down the street without being mobbed, and Richard Baker has the highest personal rating of any news reader in the country.”

Mr. Amoore, who has been editor since March 1, has made no great changes and claims to have none planned for the future. “New brooms are very boring and very inefficient. If I was the inheritor of a broken-down machine I might well be worried. But in fact, as far as we’re concerned, more people look at us than at them.”

This may well be true, since the B.B.C. produces nine hours’ and I.T.N. only six hours’ news a week. But the certain area of rivalry, so far as ratings are concerned, revolves round the nine o’clock news on B.B.C. 1 and News at Ten. Sadly, BBC2’s Newsroom at 7.30, which is crisp, informative and comprehensive, and perhaps the best news programme on television, hardly registers with the viewers. It has an audience of about 300,000 compared with nine million or more for the later bulletins on the other channels.

Which of these two actually has the higher viewing figure is debatable; the BBC claims approximate parity, I.T.N. a dear superiority. But since they measure their audiences in entirely different ways the statistics are virtually meaningless.

Barry Norman
The Times 1 June 1971

Comment from Thames

As most JICTAR watchers will know, there’s very little in it as far as audience ratings go. Since the beginning of this year, News at Ten has been marginally ahead of the BBC’s Nine O’clock News in the Thames area. ITN’s best nights are Monday and Thursday.

But the important things to note are, first, that News at Ten averages a London homes audience of nearly 1,500,000 homes every night; and secondly that its audience is of a very special quality.

For example, Thames recently commissioned two studies* of the News at Ten audience. First, a series of interviews with AB men revealed that:

• 79% of AB MEN in the Thames area watch NEWS AT TEN regularly – the highest percentage for any BBC or ITV programme including the 9.00 News.
• 57% of AB MEN in the Thames area watch NEWS AT TEN up to three times a week.
• 43% watch it four or five times a week.

In the second study, two hundred leading businessmen (all Chairmen or Managing Directors of companies listed in The Times 500 for 1969-70) were asked for their confidential views about News at Ten.

• 64% of these top businessmen watch News at Ten at least once a week.
• 34% watch three, four or five times a week.

The majority rated News at Ten and BBC 9.00 News equally on clarity of reporting, reliability, lack of bias and standard of news reading.

But News at Ten was the clear leader on RANGE OF COVERAGE, SUITABILITY OF TIMING, and INTEREST OF PRODUCTION.

* 1. Personal interviews with 200 AB Men in Thames area carried out by Dataplan.
2. Personal questionnaire answered by 200 leading businessmen.

The Grocer, of course, is full of ads like this. Ads that tell retailers and wholesalers about imminent television campaigns or recent TV successes. But have you counted the ads that mention imminent Press campaigns lately? Try it. You’ll find that practically nobody thinks they’re worth shouting about as far as the trade is concerned…

PS: Have you ever thought of telling your retailers about a TV campaign -on TV?

The post News at 9.00 – news at 10.00? appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

D Day help for Staff

For some people the first sign that decimalisation was with us came with the arrival of the Jictar Report for the week ending 10 January. The cost per thousands, previously expressed in shillings, were in new pence.

Sales Department and their clients are already getting used to the new type of information. Example: a 30 second commercial slotted at the end of This Is Your Life on 6 January reached 1,920,000 homes in the London ITV area at a cost per thousand of 83 new pence (previous cost per ’000 would actually have been 16/7d but rounded up in the ‘old’ reports to 17/-).

For most of us Decimalisation is still something to be grappled with.

D Day, Monday 15 February, is however only a fortnight away, and Chief Accountant Max Lawson and his department are making their final preparations in a process of changeover and indoctrination that has been going on for almost two years.

Change Stations

One move will affect us all. From Monday 15 February, our restaurants, bars and trolleys will only accept the new decimal coins. This will avoid confusion and cut down delays in service. But to make purchases easier for the staff, Accounts Department is establishing a number of ‘change stations’ at crucial points. Old pence and threepenny pieces may be changed in multiples of 6d or 1/- for the new 2½p or 5p coins.

The change stations will be located at the following places:

Teddington

Chief Cashier’s office during normal working hours. Reception desk in the main hall during normal working hours. The ground floor of the Restaurant from 12 noon to 2 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

Euston

The Petty Cashier’s office (3rd Floor) during normal working hours. The Reception desk in the main hall during normal working hours. The cafeteria from 12 noon to 2 p.m. daily from Monday to Friday.

Hanworth

Mrs. Luccarini will change old pence for new during normal working hours.

Thames to screen next moon walk

Apollo 14 is due to land on the moon on the morning of Friday 5 February, and the astronauts will attempt a moon walk that afternoon. The team at ITN Moonbase will be Alastair Burnet, Peter Fairley, Paul Haney, Dr. Robert Jastrow, Head of the U.S. Institute of Space Studies, and Sqdn./Ldr. Gordon Sharp, of the Institute of Aviation Medicine at RAF Farnborough. Robert Hargreaves will be at Houston Space Centre in America.

Thames will be screening the moonlanding at 8.00 am and the moon walk at 2.30 pm and 6.30 pm. During these transmissions viewers will be able to telephone the ITN Moonbase on a special hot-line to the studio to have their questions answered on-air by experts.

Look-In off to good start

The first two issues of Look-in, the new Junior TV Times which went on sale earlier this month, were a virtual sellout. Alan Fennell, the new paper’s editor, reports preliminary figures of 470,000 and 435,000 for numbers one and two respectively. Both issues were supported with strong Magpie give-aways (cardboard models of the studio and production team). Each issue will feature Magpie, and Wreckers at Deadeye is being serialised during the first six weeks.

Thames on SFTA short-list

Magpie, The Benny Hill Show, Writer’s Workshop and producer Reg Collin have all reached the short-list of nominations for the 1970 Society of Film and Television Arts Awards.

Benny Hill has been short-listed for the Light Entertainment award; Magpie and Writer’s Workshop as two of four official ITV entries for the Rediffusion Star Award for children’s programmes, and Callan producer Reg Collin for the Producer/Director Production Award. This is the second year running that both Magpie and Reg Collin have reached the finals in their respective categories. The awards will remain a secret until 4 March when the winners will be announced at an Awards Ball at the Royal Albert Hall.

Top Ten and Twenty

The JICTAR figures for the first two weeks of the new year (ending 17 January) show that Granada jumped ahead of Thames into second place – a position which we occupied throughout the last 9 weeks of 1970. Top Twenty positions to date are: BBC with 11 programmes, Granada 9, Thames 7, ITN 6, Yorkshire 5 and LWT 3.

In London we maintained our lead in the list of the Top Ten programmes screened in the area (Thames 13, LWT and BBC 7 each), but lost our lead to the BBC in the table of the top ten originated programmes. Figures for this chart were: BBC with 7 places, LWT 6 and Thames 5.

In the Top Twenty chart for week ending 17 January, This Is Your Life was the highest Thames entry (equal third with 7-85 million network homes). Man At The Top leapt up 9 places from the previous week to 9 with 7.35 million homes and Shadows Of Fear entered the chart for the first time at 12 with 7.10 million homes.

Emergency measures for GPO strike

Special arrangements during the postal strike have been made by Teddington and Hanworth Manager Ken Pike. They include special delivery to all ITA premises and stations, all ITV companies and the Independent Television Companies Association, all advertising agencies, Post Office Telecommunications HQ and the Post Office Tower, Rediffusion Television and EMI. Urgent mail for overseas is also being accepted.

The company’s despatch riders are continuing to carry out their normal duties and in addition are also delivering important letters which would normally go by post.

All other post is being held by the secretaries in each department, to avoid a pile-up in the Post Room.

Postal Supervisor Bert Short and Travel Officer Don Heaven report “no panic and no problems to date.”

Previews at NFT2

After almost two years of research and filming, Till I End My Song will be seen on the network at 9.00 pm on Tuesday 16 February. It will be previewed at the National Film Theatre’s No. 2 cinema on 11 February. Written and produced by Jeremy Isaacs and directed by David Gill, this documentary records the sights and sounds of the Thames. It looks at the varied activities of the people whose lives centre around the river – from swan-upping to garbage disposal. It is the first Thames programme to be shown in the new peak time documentary slot of 9.00 pm.

Early in March the exciting Thames documentary exclusive on the ascent of Annapurna’s south face will also be previewed at NFT2. The programme, The Hardest Way Up, will be seen on the network on 16 March at 9.00 pm.

New officers sought for Club Committee

The Annual General Meeting and Elections of the Club will be held on Monday 1 February at 6.30 pm in the Teddington restaurant. Neither Club Chairman Ron Walsby nor Secretary Bernard Burke are standing for re-election. Urgent nominations are required for these posts and the rest of the committee.

The Club Committee is responsible for the Club bars (opening hours, service, prices, catering, etc.) and various social activities during the year. It is important therefore that as many as possible vote at Monday’s AGM.

The post Newsletter – 29 January 1971 appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

Designers get together

One of those joint conferences between ourselves and the BBC in which rivalry is forgotten for a while has recently taken place at Teddington. Members of the Guild of Heads of Television Design accepted the invitation of Patrick Downing to a meeting at Teddington on 7 October to discuss points of interest and mutual problems within the industry and to exchange ideas.

(Patrick is founding chairman of the Guild which came into being at the beginning of this year).

Those present were: Michael Yates, Head of Design, London Weekend; Peter Alexander, Head of Design, Scottish Television; Richard Levin, Head of Design Services, BBC; John Dilly, Head of Design, Southern; Eric Briers, Head of Design, Tyne Tees; Geoffrey Martin, Head of Design, Yorkshire; Richard Greenough, Head of Visual Services, ATV; Peter Roden, Head of Scenic Design, ATV; Alpho O’Reilly, Head of Design, Radio Telefis Eireann; Malcolm Beatson, Head of Design, ITN; Peter Ash, Head of Design, Granada; Clifford Hatts, Head of Scenic Design, BBC.

An added reason for the meeting was that it was the last opportunity all the members had for a meeting with Richard Levin, before his retirement. After the meeting Patrick on behalf of Thames, entertained members of the Guild to dinner on the MV Iris.

No floods

The time of extreme flood danger from the Thames early this month has now come and gone without the river bursting its banks – though some newspaper reports just before the danger time talked of “the gravest threat of floods in one hundred years”. Sighs of relief everywhere – including Thames studios at Teddington where the Admin Department had taken precautions.

Inevitably there is a sense of anticlimax and some people have wondered: was there unnecessary panic? As far as Thames was concerned there certainly was not. Flooding on a serious scale could have occurred. That it did not was due to a combination of three lucky factors: little rain to swell the rivers; very high barometric pressure; and a wind blowing against the tide.

Report — Munich

Director Jolyon Wimhurst, reporter John Morgan and a Report film team have just returned from Munich where they were completing the new dramatised documentary on Munich which will be screened in the Spring of 1972. Munich, the Bavarian capital, has always had a weakness for extravagance and a reputation for laissez-faire. This attitude gave birth to artistic and political excesses – from its Baroque architecture to revolutionary ideas, culminated by the rise of Adolf Hitler. In the year of the Munich Olympics Report tells the story of the city from the beginning of the 18th century to the present day.

EMI contract

EMI Electronics has won a major television equipment contract worth almost £200,000 to re-equip a Belgian television studio for colour broadcasting. The contract, which includes the first export order for the company’s new ‘2005’ three-tube colour cameras, is for the replacement of existing EMI monochrome equipment at the Brussels studio of Belgium Radio Television’s Flemish Service.

Still winning

As already reported in the Newsletter, the Thames Vauxhall Firenza at its very first appearance at a race meeting scored two out-right wins and broke the class record twice. The car continued its winning ways on its second outing at Inglistone on 10 October. It won the first saloon car race of the day, after Gerry Marshall had clocked the fastest lap in practice. Incidently the win was achieved despite the fact that the opposition was “formidable” to quote Bill Blydenstein. Before the final saloon car race (in which the Firenza was entered) the organisers gave each of the previous race winners a lap of honour. The unfortunate result of this was that the Firenza’s engine oiled up its plugs and although the plugs were changed the car went on three cylinders again during the race and finished seventh overall. But for the lap of honour it might well have come away with a double victory again.

U.S. Rivals

“Variety”, the U.S.-published, international show business magazine has a unique vocabulary. For those of us who don’t see it regularly, the following review of Rivals of Sherlock Holmes may be amusing:

Thames TV, the London independent, has whipped up a promising ITV network series meant to redress at least some of the balance with regard to the great detectives of Edwardian fiction. Hence the overall intriguing handle for this series of 13 hour long colorfilm mellers which has already sold in a number of off-shore markets.

The initialer featured John Neville as a smoothie forsenic scientist – a bit too smooth, in fact, since Philip Mackie’s script (from an Austin Freeman story) portrayed the hero as a man of immaculate gee-whiz intellect as well as urbanity. It was, in short, no contest from the start in this tale of a brothel murder. Never mind the plot cliches – the producers couldn’t be faulted for being faithful to the original text in that respect. And include among the cliches a compliment to the Baker St. hot-shot, in that Neville, too, trailed a Watson-type sidekick.

The seg was, however, nicely paced and sharply cast, and the Edwardian flavor came across effectively if economically. In notable support of Neville were James Cossins as his acolyte, Terence Rigby, Bernard Archard, Paul Darrow and, in particular, Eve Pearce as the madame-cum-innocent-landlady.

Fast Workers

Records were broken at Euston on 29 September to get a Daily Express ad on screen in the shortest possible time. The story began at 8.45 pm, when advertising duty officer Tony Clemens received a call from the Express asking if we had a spot available that night. We hadn’t, but one was cleared at 9.58 pm. By 9.45 pm, the script and artwork were ready and cleared, and were taken to Presentation for taping, and the commercial duly went out one hour and ten minutes after receipt of the first enquiry. John Robertson, the Publicity Manager of the Express, came to see the transmission, and expressed his gratitude for the co-operation we had given his organisation at such short notice.

Armchair for Armchair

There’s a neat compliment for the Armchair Theatre series in a glossy magazine campaign by Parker-Knoll at the moment for their Buccaneer suite of chairs. The ad shows three photographs of a man watching telly while sitting on a Buccaneer armchair. The captions read: “It’s an armchair for ‘Armchair Theatre’”…, “A knees-up for ‘Come Dancing'”…, “And an escape from the fifth repeat of the ‘Wooden Horse’”… Fortunately for our reputation the man is sitting up keen, alert and vigilant for “Armchair Theatre”; very relaxed for “Come Dancing” and sound asleep for the “Wooden Horse”.

Out in front

At the end of the first 39 weeks of 1971, Thames has established a clear lead over the BBC and all other ITV programme companies in numbers of programmes in both the Network Top Twenty, and the London Top Ten. Up to 3 October, we had had 169 programmes in the Top Twenty (21-5 per cent) compared to Granada’s 153 programmes (19 4 per cent) and the BBC’s 149 programmes (19 0 per cent). In the London Top Ten we had screened 244 programmes (55-8 per cent) and originated 127 programmes (29 1 per cent). Full tables:

Network Top Twenty

TOTAL	785	100
THAMES	169	21.5
GRANADA	153	19.4
BBC	149	19.0
ITN	126	16.1
YORKSHIRE	80	10.2
ATV	53	6.8
LWT	51	6.5
OTHER ITV	4	0.5

London Top Ten Screened

TOTAL	437	100
THAMES	244	55.8
BBC	112	25.6
LWT	81	18.6

London Top Ten Originated

TOTAL	437	100
THAMES	127	29.1
BBC	112	25.6
GRANADA	66	15.1
LWT	57	13.0
ITN	42	9.6
YORKSHIRE	21	4.8
ATV	11	2.5
OTHER ITV	1	0.2

Booked?

No, not quite! Ciss Stapleton, lady cleaner with Thames, gets a big smile from the local traffic warden, Ciss had just collected her new trolley from Bob Hurley, so she decided to invest in ‘L’ plates until she feels ‘qualified’. Ciss, by the way, has been with Rediffusion and Thames for 15 years.

The post Newsletter – 22 October 1971 appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

Thames Television is London’s major ITV station, with headquarters and studios in the heart of the city on the Euston Road, with the main multi-studio complex sited fifteen miles away, on a bend of the river Thames at Teddington.

Our programmes cover the whole range of modern television, from Botanic Man to Edward and Mrs Simpson, Hazell and the Kenny Everett Video Show.

Our success as a medium for advertising is directly linked to the quality of our programmes. Thames’ plans for the future include a four-part film series of Quatermass, starring Sir John Mills as the famous professor; Love in a Cold Climate, a dramatisation of Nancy Mitford’s best-selling novel; Hollywood our celebration of the silent film; and new programmes from top-class entertainers like Max Bygraves and Morecambe and Wise.

Filming entirely on location, our subsidiary Euston Films produces taut drama series like The Sweeney and the six-part serial Out, starring Tom Bell.

Thames has an unrivalled reputation for documentary films like Palestine, our three-part history of the birth of Israel, while each week TV Eye brings back film of a major news story from all over the world. We’re proud to say that our programmes equal the best in the world, having won all the major international prizes, including America’s coveted Emmy award. Thames is the only company to have won the Prix Italia four times, including victories in all three categories.

As London’s weekday station, Thames has a special responsibility to viewers in the London area. Since September 1978 we have seen the establishment of a comprehensive local news service for London. Andrew Gardner, Rita Carter and Robert Southgate introduce the main daily local news programme at six o’clock, which is supported by bulletins at lunch-time and late in the evening. In addition, the weekly half-hour Thames Report, looks in depth at the most important story of the week in London. A considerable investment in personnel and equipment has made it possible to cover stories as they happen, right up until transmission – if necessary, through a live outside broadcast.

Sports coverage is also expanding with Thames Sport Roger Allison’s Friday round-up. And we’ll be providing exclusive coverage of major events in international gymnastics, while Thames will be powerfully represented in the hundred-strong ITV team for the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.

As well as being shown across the country through the ITV network, Thames programmes made for the London viewer have conquered the world.

Thames is the largest exporter of programmes to Australia, where Benny Hill, The World at War and George and Mildred have topped the ratings. In the USA, Three’s Company, which was derived from Thames’ Man about the House, was the most successful new programme in 1977/78. In Europe The Naked Civil Servant has been shown in sixteen countries and Father, Dear Father topped the ratings in Italy. Thames is making an impact with quality programmes, in more than a hundred countries all over the world.

Our chief source of revenue is the screen-time we sell to advertisers. We take no cash from the government television licence fee. Instead we provide the most influential platform for advertising in the London area.

The Thames area covers London and most of South East England, stretching from Brighton to Buckingham and Braintree, from Thanet to Oxfordshire. That area contains more than a quarter of the British people in eleven counties around London.

Thames Television Limited
306 Euston Road – London – NW1 3BB – 01-387 9494

The post This is Thames appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

The ITA have recently announced that advertising revenue for all companies during June 1969 is down on June 1968 by £886,504 even before the present government levy of varying rates up to 47½% is deducted. Current Company policy is to conserve and not waste money. The sales functions at Teddington in no way contradict this policy. They fall into three main categories. (1) Advertisers or agents using our premises for Sales Conferences. (2) Entertaining people who may be of use to the Company. (3) Promoting Thames to advertising agencies by using slides and other visual aids accompanied by a commentary persuading them that the most profitable way of advertising is to spend money with Thames. These functions include an escorted tour of the Studios, which seems commonplace to us but is of immense interest to people outside Television.

The first example mentioned involves Thames in the provision of facilities and organising the function. The second requires organising and costs the Company a small amount of expenditure on refreshments but the possible return of attracting future clients completely justifies this. The third function is obviously more expensive and financed by our promotion budgets.

Our dealings with Qantas Airways is an excellent illustration of how we profit from these occasions. They held a reception for all the leading travel agencies on MV ‘Iris’ to celebrate the opening of their television advertising campaign with commercials featuring Warren (Alf Garnett) Mitchell. Organising this function resulted in us gaining the exclusive advertising contract, which is worth approximately £100,000 between July 1969 and February 1970.

On 30 July fourteen women connected with advertising in London and belonging to a club called Adwomen were entertained at Teddington. In the future any one of them could be in a position to influence advertising with Thames.

In conclusion it should be emphasized that our major source of income is commercials and anything which we can do to increase that revenue benefits us all.

The post Sales talk appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

We were well prepared. Each car carried a survival heater, “A must”, said the locals, stressing the point with tales of motorists stranded on the prairies and frozen to death. We also had insulated underwear, gloves and socks.

Two hundred miles south of Rapid City we crossed the border of the Reservation. It was not typified by the tepees and feathered Indians depicted in Hollywood films. Pine Ridge is a shanty town of shacks, unpaved roads, garbage dumps, wrecked cars and the occasional dead, frozen dog. Inside a typical log shack one finds the walls crudely lined with newspaper or cardboard in an attempt to stop freezing winds whistling through the gaps between the logs. It is an exceptional home that has electricity to provide heat and light.

The inactivity of the town is striking. Most of the Indians are unemployed. They stroll around the reservation aimlessly, with blank expressions on their faces, or lounge in the corridors of the local government office, where they draw their welfare cheques. One thing they have in common with the whites is the American addiction to jeans, T-shirts and chewing gum. The buckskins, beads and feathers have long since been stored away in family treasure chests to be brought out as a tourist attraction in the summer.

The Indians have given up hope of getting a fair deal from the white man and it was hardly suprising that at first we were treated with great caution and suspicion. Each member of the unit had his share of public relations work to do.

It was not unusual to arrive at an Indian home ready for a day’s filming to find a note on the door: “Had to go to visit my mother today”, or to drive fifty miles to film a Pow Wow only to find the hall in darkness and to be told by a lone Indian to “try Monday, maybe we have Pow Wow then.”

We experienced a kickback of the commercially exploited Sioux on our second Reservation – the Rosebud. Henry Crowdog, a revered elder of the tribe eventually agreed to arrange a Ghost dance for us to film. After much haggling over price, a date was set. In their own time the dancers arrived announcing a “rehearsal day” for which they required “rehearsal fees”. Marshalling their forces took most of the day and the rehearsal lasted half-an-hour.

We presented ourselves hopefully early on the second day. The Indians arrived an hour later and spent two gleeful hours making each other up in the lurid colours of the Ghost Dance. After 20 minutes filming they announced a lunch break. Hadn’t they danced long enough? After all it was a 2 minute film sequence and they’d danced for more than 2 minutes! Ross assumed the title “Big Thundercloud” when he discovered that during, lunch they had washed off their make-up and couldn’t remember who had worn w hat colours…!

During this location we lived off the reservation, just over the border in Rushville, Nebraska – the heart of the Bible Belt of the Mid-West. The town is populated with the sleek, well-fed citizens of the American Dream who looked up from their malted milks only long enough to wrinkle their Conservative noses at the mention of the “tragic” Indians 20 miles away. They preferred not to discuss the problem. “We give them social security don’t we – and all they do is get drunk on it!” However, having revised their original opinion that we were hippies from California, the people of Rushville welcomed us with open arms. Some of them assumed that we constituted the whole of THAMES’ staff and were a local station. We explained that THAMES Television broadcast “coast-to-coast” in Britain and has a cast of hundreds… This, together with coming from London, England, put us in the celebrity bracket and they rallied round to give us any help we needed.

Our VIP status was somewhat shattered, however, by one of the Indians, who, at the end of the trip said: “Where is England anyway?”

The post Now that the Buffalo’s gone appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

The Entertainments Committee are organising a ‘MISS THAMES 1970’ Competition to find a woman with sufficient poise, personality and figure to satisfy a panel of judges. Contestants must be employees of THAMES and can be nominated by any other member of staff. With a First prize of £50, a Second prize of £25 and a Third prize of £10, the competition is well worth entering.

Contestants will be asked to appear before the Judges in cocktail dresses.

There will be an eliminating round at a dance to be held at Teddington on Saturday, 6 December with music provided by the New Era Jazz Band.

Finalists go forward to the crowning ceremony, which will be held during THAMES Staff Party at the Lyceum on 9 January. The Evening Press will cover this event.

Nomination forms are available from Peter Goodwin at Teddington and Hazel Warburton at Television House.

The post Miss Thames 1970 appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

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.

The post Revolutionary entertainment appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

THAMES TELEVISION

LONDON WEEKDAYS

London: Thames Television House 306-316 Euston Road, London NW13BB
Tel: 01-387 9494
149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 9LL
Tel: 01-388 5199
Teddington: Teddington Lock, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 9NT
Tel: 01-977 3252
Regional Sales: Norfolk House, Smallbrook Queensway, Birmingham B5 4LJ
Tel: 021-643 9151
Mobile Division: Twickenham Road, Hanworth, Middlesex
Tel: 01-898 0011

Directors Sir Ian Trethowan (Chairman); Sir John Read (Deputy Chairman); Richard Dunn (Managing Director); Mrs Mary Baker; Timothy Gold Blyth; The Lord Brabourne; John T. Davey; Ronald Denny; Peter Hayman; Harold Mourgue; Colin S. Wills; Derek Hunt (Director of Finance); Ben E. Marr (Company Secretary and Director of Personnel); Jonathan Shier (Director of Sales and Marketing); David Elstein (Director of Programmes).

Executives Roy Addison (Press and Publicity Director); Ronald Allison (Director of Corporate Affairs); Fred Atkinson (Director of Production); Derek Baker (Assistant Company Secretary); Bob Burrows (Controller, Sport and OBs); Paul Cheffins, MBE (Controller, Sales Administration); James Corsan (Controller, Programme Administration); Dave Cottrell (Technical Controller Euston); Mike Coxill (Technical Controller; John Howard Davies (Controller of Light Entertainment from March 1988); Patrick Downing (Controller, Visual Services); Catherine Freeman (Controller, Features); James Gilbert (Head of Comedy Programmes); William Goddard (Head of Presentation); Mike Harvey (Controller, Press and Publicity); Alan Horrox (Controller, Children’s and Education Dept); Ian Howard (Controller of Contracts); Philip Jones, OBE (Controller of Light Entertainment until March 1988); Peter Kew (Head of Central Planning); Bob Louis (Assistant Controller, Light Entertainment); Geoffrey Lugg (Head of Programme Liaison); David Mansfield (Controller, Marketing); Jim MacDonald (Controller, Technical Operations); Ian Martin (Head of Documentaries); Ewart Needham (Head of Film), Anthony Parkinson (Controller, Administration); Tim Riordan (Controller, Programme Planning and Presentation); Barrie Sales (Controller, News, Current Affairs and Documentaries); Brian Scott (Chief Engineer); Lloyd Shirley (Controller of Drama); Mark Stephens (Director of Staff Relations); Douglas Thornes (Controller, Research and Marketing Services); Brian Walcroft (Assistant Controller, Drama); John White Jones (Production Director, Teddington);

Thames Television International Richard Dunn (Chairman); Mike Phillips (Managing Director); Derek Hunt; Philip Jones, OBE; Ben E. Marr, Roger Miron (Sales Controller).

Cosgrove Hall Productions Albany House, 5 Albany Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 1BL. Richard Dunn (Chairman); Brian Cosgrove (Executive Director); John Hambley (Chief Executive); Mark Hall (Executive Director); Ben E. Marr; Mike Robinson (General Manager).

Euston Films Ltd 365 Euston Road, London NW1 3AR. Richard Dunn (Chairman); John Hambley (Chief Executive); Lord Brabourne; Derek Hunt; Mike Phillips; Lloyd Shirley; Colin Wills.

Programmes From Monday to Friday each week, Thames Television transmits to more than 10 million people in and around the London area.

Since 1968 Thames has produced thousands upon thousands of hours of programming for its viewers in London, as well as for millions of others around the ITV network, and its substantial audiences throughout the world.

Thames contributes to every programme category offered by ITV. From its studios on the Euston Road in Central London, and on the River Thames at Teddington, Middlesex, ITV’s largest company produces major drama, entertainment documentary, news and current affairs programmes. It also contributes a substantial amount of religious, children’s and educational programmes. With its large outside broadcast units, Thames also masterminds much of ITV’s coverage of sport as well as special events, such as Royal Weddings and Fanfare for Elizabeth which celebrated the Queen’s 60th birthday.

Two subsidiary companies – Euston Films making filmed drama and Manchester-based Cosgrove Hall making model and drawn animation – complete Thames’ programme team. A third subsidiary, Thames Television International, sells Thames’ programmes around the world.

Earlier this year, Thames was saluted in New York by the American television industry, to mark the quality and range of its programmes. But the company’s main commitment remains – as it has done for 18 years – to its programmes and its viewers at home.

DRAMA: Minder, The Bill; The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾; The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole; Rumpole of the Bailey; Paradise Postponed; King and Castle; The London Embassy; Gems.

CHILDRENS: Sooty; Button Moon; Wind in the Willows; Cockleshell Bay; The Gemini Factor; The Finding; Rainbow; Splash.

EDUCATION: A Woman’s World; Catherine; Brief Lives.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: Thames News; Reporting London; This Week; The City Programme.

SPORTS AND OUTSIDE BROADCASTS: London Sports Personality of the Year; ice skating; gymnastics; Midweek Sport Special; football; snooker; darts; boxing; athletics; Cockney Classics, Sports World Extra.

SPECIALS: Miss UK; Miss England; Miss World; Royal Film Premières; Wish You Were Here…?; Standard Drama Awards.

LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT: Eric Sykes; Benny Hill; Mike Yarwood; Des O’Connor; Jim Davidson; Michael Barrymore; TVTimes Top 10 Awards; This Is Your Life; Give Us A Clue; Strike It Lucky; Looks Familiar; Name That Tune; Whose Baby?; What’s My Line?

SITUATION COMEDIES: Andy Capp; Never The Twain; All In Good Faith; Slinger’s Day; Executive Stress; All at No: 20; Ffizz; Home James; After Henry; Fresh Fields; Full House.

DOCUMENTARIES: Attack On The Liberty; Earth; Murder At The Farm; Witness: On The Margin; The Grand Tour, Another Side of London; Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow; Smith’s Dock; Luddites; Korea; The Theatre of Rex Harrison.

MUSIC: A Source of Innocent Merriment; The Mikado; Jessye Norman’s Christmas Symphony.

FEATURES: Daytime; Help!; Centrebreak; In the Same Boat; Understanding Families; Compulsion; Kids Work Out; Beginners Please!; Single In London.

CHANNEL 4: Mavis on 4, 4 What It’s Worth; Take Six Cooks; Citizen 2000; Alternatives to Prison.

RELIGION: The Jews In London; Friday Morning; Two Cathedrals.

The post Television & Radio 1988 appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

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

The post How do you get all-round sportsmen all round the TV? appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

LONDON WEEKDAYS

THAMES TELEVISION

London: Thames Television House, 306-316 Euston Road., London NW1 3BB
Tel: 01-387 9494
149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 9LL
Tel: 01-388 5199
Teddington: Teddington Lock, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 9NT
Tel: 01-977 3252
Regional Sales: Norfolk House, Smallbrook Queensway, Birmingham B5 4LJ
Tel: 021-643 9151
Mobile Division: Twickenham Road, Hanworth, Middlesex
Tel: 01-898 0011

Directors. H.S.L Dundas, CBE, DSO, DFC, DL (Chairman); Sir John Read (Deputy Chairman); Richard Dunn (Managing Director); Mrs Mary Baker; The Lord Brabourne; John T Davey; Ronald Denny; Peter Hayman; Harold Mourgue; Sir Ian Trethowan; Colin S Wills; Derek Hunt (Director of Finance); Ben E. Marr (Company Secretary and Director of Personnel; Jonathan Shier (Director of Sales and Marketing); David Elstein (Director of Programmes)

Executives. Roy Addison (Press and Publicity Director); Ronald Allison (Director of Corporate Affairs); Fred Atkinson (Director of Production); Derek Baker (Assistant Company Secretary); Bob Burrows (Controller, Sport and OBs); Paul Cheffins, MBE (Controller, Sales Administration); James Corsan (Controller, Programme Administration); Dave Cottrell (Technical Controller, Euston). Mike Coxill (Technical Controller); Patrick Downing (Controller, Visual Services); Catherine Freeman (Controller, Features); James Gilbert (Head of Comedy Programmes); William Goddard (Head of Presentation); Johnny Goodman (Executive Director of Production, Euston Films); Mike Harvey (Controller Press and Publicity); Allan Horrox (Controller, Children’s and Education Dept); Ian Howard (Controller of Contracts); Philip Jones, OBE (Controller of Light Entertainment); Peter Kew (Head of Central Planning); Max Lawson (Assistant Director of Finance); Bob Louis (Assistant Controller, Light Entertainment); Geoffrey Lugg (Head of Programme Liaison); David Mansfield (Controller, Marketing). Jim MacDonald (Controller, Technical Operations); Ian Martin (Head of Documentaries); Ewart Needham (Head of Film); Anthony Parkinson (Controller, Administration); Tim Riordan (Controller, Programme Planning and Presentation); Barrie Sales (Controller, News, Current Affairs and Documentaries); Brian Scott (Chief Engineer); Lloyd Shirley (Controller of Drama); Mark Stephens (Labour Relations Adviser); Douglas Thornes (Controller, Sales Research and Development); Brian Walcroft (Assistant Controller, Drama); John White (Production Development Executive); John White Jones (Production Director, Teddington).

Thames Television International. Richard Dunn (Chairman); Mike Phillips (Managing Director); Derek Hunt; Philip Jones, OBE; Ben E Marr; Roger Miron (Sales Controller)

Cosgrove Hall Productions. Richard Dunn (Chairman); Brian Cosgrove (Executive Director); John Hambley (Chief Executive); Mark Hall (Executive Director); Ben E Marr; Mike Robinson (General Manager)

Euston Films Ltd. 365 Euston Road, London NW1 3AR. Richard Dunn (Chairman); lohn Hambley (Chief Executive); Johnny Goodman (Executive Director of Production); Lord Brabourne; Derek Hunt; Mike Phillips; Lloyd Shirley; Colin Wills

Programmes. From Monday to Friday each week, Thames Television transmits to more than 10 million people in and around the London area.

Since 1968 Thames has produced thousands upon thousands of hours of programming for its viewers in London, as well as for millions of others around the ITV network, and its substantial audiences throughout the world.

Thames contributes to every programme category offered by ITV. From its studios on the Euston Road in Central London, and on the River Thames at Teddington, Middlesex, ITV’s largest company produces major drama, entertainment, documentary, news and current affairs programmes. It also contributes a substantial amount of religious, children’s and educational programmes. With its large outside broadcast units, Thames also masterminds much of ITV s coverage of sport as well as special events, such as the Royal Wedding and Fanfare for Elizabeth, which celebrated the Queen’s 60th Birthday

Two subsidiary companies – Euston Films making filmed drama, and Manchester-based Cosgrove Hall making model and drawn animation – complete Thames’ programme team. A third subsidiary, Thames Television International, sells Thames programmes around the world.

Earlier this year, Thames was able to persuade investors of its values, with a highly successful stock market flotation which broadened its shareholding to include many of the viewers in its London area.

But the company’s main commitment remains – as it has done for 18 years – to its programmes and its viewers.
DRAMA: Minder; The Bill; The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾; The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole; Rumpole of the Bailey; Paradise Postponed; King & Castle; Lytton’s Diary; The Fourth Floor. CHILDREN’S: T-Bag Strides Again; Flicks; Rainbow; Sooty; Button Moon; The Creepy Crawlies; Dangermouse; Wind in the Willows; Alias The Jester; Splash; Chocky’s Challenge; C.A.B. LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT: Give Us A Clue; Jim Davidson; This Is Your Life; The Benny Hill Show; Looks Familiar; The TVTimes Top Ten Awards; Never The Twain; Mike Yarwood; Whose Baby?; Carry On Laughing; Chance In A Million; Mann’s Best Friend; Whats My Line?; The Kit Curran Show; Fresh Fields; Freddie Starr Special; All In Good Faith; Slinger’s Day; Executive Stress; We’ll Think Of Something; Full House; All At No 20; Pass The Buck; Julia & Company. CURRENT AFFAIRS Thames News; Reporting London; This Week. SPORTS AND OUTSIDE BROADCASTS: Ice Skating; Gymnastics; Midweek & Bank Holiday Sport Special; Football; Racing; Snooker; Darts; Boxing; Athletics. SPECIALS Miss UK; Miss England; Royal Film Premières; Wish You Were Here…?; Miss World; The Royal Wedding; Fanfare For Elizabeth; Standard Drama Awards. DOCUMENTARIES, FEATURES, EDUCATION: A People’s War; Broken Hearts; No One Speaks for the Dead; The Big Bang; British Cinema; Personal View; The Queen and the Commonwealth; To Us A Child; Buster Keaton; Daytime; A Plus 4; Cooking for Celebrations; Massage; The English House; Understanding Adolescents; Burning the Phoenix; Spin-offs; Help!; Someone To Talk To; How to Survive The 9 to 5; 4 What It‘s Worth. RELIGION: Night Thoughts; The Road to Damascus; Healing Power.

The post Television & Radio 1987 appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

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.

The post Synonymous with quality television appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

THAMES TELEVISION

London: Thames Television House, 306-316 Euston Road, LONDON NW1 3BB Tel: 01-387 9494
149 Tottenham Court Road, LONDON W1P 9LL Tel: 01-388 5199
Teddington: Teddington Lock, TEDDINGTON, Middlesex, TW11 9NT Tel: 01-977 3252
Regional Sales: Norfolk House, Smallbrook Queensway, BIRMINGHAM B5 4LJ Tel: 021-643 9151
Mobile Division: Twickenham Road, HANWORTH, Middlesex Tel: 01-898 0011

Directors. H. S. L. Dundas, CBE, DSO, DFC, DL (Chairman). Sir John Read (Deputy Chairman), Richard Dunn (Managing Director). Mrs Mary Baker; The Lord Brabourne; John T. Davey; Jonathan Shier (Director of Sales and Marketing); A. Sibley; Muir Sutherland (Director of Programmes); Colin S. Wills; Ben E. Marr (Company Secretary & Director of Personnel): Derek Hunt (Director of Finance); Ronald Denny; Gary Dartnall.

Executives. Fred Atkinson (Production Director). Donald Cullimore (Public Relations Director). Philip Jones, OBE (Director of Light Entertainment): Tony Kenber (Programme Business Director); Eric Parry (Production Director, Teddington); Barrie Sales (Director of News & Current Affairs & Deputy to the Director of Programmes); Lloyd Shirley (Director of Drama). Roy Addison (Chief Press & Public Relations Officer); Ronald Allison (Controller, Sports & Outside Broadcasts): James Corsan (Controller, Programme Administration); Dave Cottrell (Technical Controller, Euston): Derek Baker (Assistant Company Secretary); Paul Cheffins, MBE (Controller, Sales Administration); Mike Coxhill (Technical Controller): Patrick Downing (Controller, Visual Services); Catherine Freeman (Controller, Documentaries & Features), James Gilbert (Head of Comedy Programmes); William Goddard (Head of Presentation): Johnny Goodman (Executive Director of Productions, Euston Films), Mike Harvey (Controller, Publicity); Ian Howard (Controller of Contracts); Peter Kew (Head of Central Planning). Max Lawson (Assistant Director of Finance): Bob Louis (Assistant Controller, Light Entertainment): Geoffrey Lugg (Head of Programme Liaison). Pat Mahoney (Head of Purchased Programmes); David Mansfield (Controller, Marketing); Ian Martin (Controller, Educational Programmes): Jim McDonald (Controller, Technical Operations, Teddington); Marjorie Sigley (Controller of Children’s Programmes); Ewart Needham (Head of Film); Mark Stevens (Labour Relations Adviser); A. C. Parkinson (Controller, Administration); Tim Riordan (Controller, Programme Planning and Presentation); Brian G. Scott (Chief Engineer); Ken Smallwood (Controller of Personnel); Douglas Thornes (Controller, Sales Research and Development); Brian Walcroft (Assistant Controller, Drama).

Thames International (for programme sales). Richard Dunn (Chairman); Muir Sutherland (Deputy Chairman); Mike Phillips (Managing Director); Roger Miron (Sales Controller). Ben E. Marr; Philip Jones, OBE; Derek Hunt.

Cosgrove Hall Productions. Albany House. 2 Albany Road. MANCHESTER M21 1BL. Richard Dunn (Chairman); Brian Cosgrove (Executive Director); Mark Hall (Executive Director), John Hambley (Chief Executive); Max Lawson (Director).

Programmes. Thames Television’s area covers more than 10 million people in and around London from Monday morning to 5.15 p.m. on Friday. The company makes a vast range of programmes to entertain, amuse and educate ITV and Channel 4 viewers of all classes and tastes, but Thames’ fame extends throughout the world. Thames Television International received the 1984 Queen’s Award for Export Achievement, and the company has sold its product to nearly 130 of the 134 countries that have television transmitters.

In the 17 years since Thames took up its contract, its programmes have won over 170 national and international awards, including the Prix Italia five times, eight Emmys. and the Montreux Comedy Prize three times. Technological advances in cable TV, satellite and video mean that there are growing new markets for Thames’ programmes and the company continues to develop its interest and potential in such areas. Most of Thames programmes are made in the riverside studios at Teddington, while others come from the company’s headquarters at Euston. The outside broadcast units, from their base at Hanworth, near Teddington, cover many major events. Working from its own independent base is Euston Films which produces major film dramas and drama series like Minder, on location. Just outside Manchester is Cosgrove Hall Productions, Thames’ animation subsidiary for such series as Dangermouse and The Wind in the Willows.

All Thames’ international success is achieved with programmes made here in Britain – specifically with the aim of pleasing British viewers.

DOCUMENTARIES, FEATURES AND ARTS: Letters From a Bomber Pilot; Hooligan; Good Enough to Eat; Passing Clouds; British Cinema; The Queen And The Commonwealth; Citizen 2000; Quoth The Raven; The Childhood Of Christ; For Valour; Daytime; A Plus 4; Take Six More Looks; Hair; The People’s War.
ADULT EDUCATION: 4 What It’s Worth; Help!; Database; 4 Computer Buffs; The English House; Jobs Limited; How To Survive At Work; Adultery; Streets Of London.
RELIGION: Night Thoughts; Belief In Action.
LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT: Give Us A Clue; Jim Davidson; This Is Your Life; The Benny Hill Show; Name That Tune; The Des O’Connor Show; Looks Familiar; The TVTimes Top Ten Awards; Never The Twain; Keep lt In The Family; Mike Yarwood; Whose Baby?; Carry On Laughing; Chance In A Million; Tripper’s Day; Mann’s Best Friend; What’s My Line?; The Kit Curran Radio Show; Fresh Fields; Freddie Star Special; All In Good Faith;
CHILDREN’S: T-Bag Strikes Again; Flicks; Rainbow; Sooty; Button Moon; The Creepy Crawlies; Dangermouse; Wind In the Willows; Alias The Jester; Splash; and The Wall Game.
DRAMA: Minder; The Bill; The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾; A Better Class Of Person; Monsignor Quixote; Storyboard; Lytton’s Diary; London Embassy; The Set Up; Prospects; Minder On The Orient Express; Mr Palfrey Of Westminster.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: TV Eye; Thames News; Reporting London; Talking Personally.
SPORTS AND OUTSIDE BROADCASTS: Ice Skating; Golf; Speedway; Ice Hockey; Midweek & Bank Holiday Sport Special; Thames Sport; Football; Racing; Snooker; Darts; Swimming; Boxing.
SPECIALS: Miss UK; Miss England; Miss Scotland; Miss Wales; Royal Film Premières; Wish You Were Here…?; Miss World; Stunt Challenge.

The post Television & Radio 1986 appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

London: Thames Television House, 306-316 Euston Road, LONDON NW1 3BB Tel: 01-387 9494
149 Tottenham Court Road, LONDON W1P 9LL Tel: 01-388 5199
Teddington: Teddington Lock, TEDDINGTON, Middlesex, TW11 9NT Tel: 01-977 3252
Regional Sales: Norfolk House, Smallbrook Queensway, BIRMINGHAM B5 4LJ Tel: 021-643 9151
Mobile Division: Twickenham Road, HANWORTH, Middlesex Tel: 01-898 0011

Directors. H. S. L. Dundas, CBE, DSO, DFC, DL (Chairman); Sir John Read (Deputy Chairman); Bryan Cowgill (Managing Director); Mrs Mary Baker; The Lord Brabourne; Sir Richard Cave; The Rt. Hon. the Viscount Colville of Culross, QC; John T. Davey; Richard Dunn (Director of Production); Tony Logie (Director of Sales & Marketing); Ian Scott (Director of Finance); J. A. Sibley; Muir Sutherland (Director of Programmes); Colin S. Wills.

Executives. Ben E. Marr (Company Secretary & Director of Personnel), Fred Atkinson (Production Director Euston/Hanworth); Donald Cullimore (Public Relations Director); Philip Jones, OBE (Director of Light Entertainment): Tony Kenber (Programme Business Director); Eric Parry (Production Director, Teddington); Barrie Sales (Director of News & Current Affairs and Deputy to the Director of Programmes); Roy Addison (Chief Press & Public Relations Officer); Ronald Allison (Controller of Sports & Outside Broadcasts); James Corsan (Controller, Programme Administration); Derek Baker (Assistant Company Secretary); Paul Cheffins, MBE (Controller, Sales Administration); Mike Coxill (Technical Controller); Patrick Downing (Controller, Visual Services); Catherine Freeman (Controller, Documentaries & Features); James Gilbert (Head of Comedy Programmes); William Goddard (Head of Presentation); Johnny Goodman (Executive Director of Production, Euston Films); Mike Harvey (Controller of Publicity); Ian Howard (Controller of Contracts); Derek Hunt (Deputy Director of Finance); Peter Kew (Head of Central Planning); Max Lawson (Assistant Director of Finance); Bob Louis (Assistant Controller of Light Entertainment); Geoffrey Lugg (Head of Programme Liaison); Pat Mahoney (Head of Purchased Programmes); Ian Martin (Controller, Educational Programmes); Jim McDonald (Controller, Technical Operations, Teddington); Marjorie Sigley (Controller of Children’s Programmes); Ewart Needham (Head of Film); Vic O’Brien (Technical Controller, Euston); A. C. Parkinson (Controller, Administration); Tim Riordan (Controller, Programme Planning & Presentation); Lloyd Shirley (Controller, Programme Drama Division); Brian G. Scott (Chief Engineer); Ken Smallwood (Head of Staff Relations); Barry Spencer (Controller, Sales); Douglas Thornes (Controller, Sales Research & Development); Brian Walcroft (Assistant Controller, Drama); Mark Stephens (Industrial Relations Adviser).

Programmes. Thames Television’s area covers about 10½ million people in and around London from Monday morning to 5.15 p.m. on Friday. The company makes a vast range of programmes to entertain, amuse and educate ITV viewers of all classes and tastes, but Thames’ fame extends throughout the world. Thames Television International received the 1984 Queen’s Award for Export Achievement, and the company has sold its product to 127 of the 134 countries that have television transmitters.

In the 16 years since Thames took up its contract, its programmes have won over 170 national and international awards, including the Prix Italia five times, six American Emmys, and for each of the last two years, the Montreux Comedy Prize. Technological advances in cable TV, satellites and video mean that there are growing new markets for Thames’ programmes and the company continues to develop its interests and potential in such areas. Most of Thames’ programmes are made in the riverside studios at Teddington, while others come from the company’s headquarters at Euston. The outside broadcast units, from their base at Hanworth, near Teddington, cover many major events. Working from its own independent base is Euston Films which produces major film dramas and drama series, on location. Just outside Manchester is Cosgrove Hall Productions, Thames’ animation subsidiary for such series as Danger Mouse and The Wind in the Willows.

So all Thames’ international success is achieved with programmes made here in Britain – specifically with the aim of pleasing ITV viewers. DRAMA: The Bill; Mr Palfrey of Westminster; Minder; Rumpole of the Bailey; Widows. CHILDREN’S: Dramarama; Mr Stabs; Dodger, Bonzo & The Rest; CBTV; Free time; Flicks; Letters in Wonderland; Words, Words, Words; The Wall Game; Illusions; Rainbow; Sooty; Rod, Jane and Freddy; Button Moon; Chorlton and the Wheelies; Pied Piper of Hamelin. LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT: Give Us A Clue; Jim Davidson; This Is Your Life; The Benny Hill Show; Name That Tune; The Des 0‘Connor Show; Looks Familiar; The TVTimes Top Ten Awards; Never The Twain; Keep It In The Family; Mike Yarwood; Whose Baby; Carry On Laughing; It Takes A Worried Man; Password; Jeopardy; Bruce Forsyth; Chance In A Million; Tripper’s Day; The Lonelyhearts Kid; Mann’s Best Friend; What’s My Line?; Moving; The Kit Curran Radio Show; Fresh Fields; ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ – a tribute to Eric Morecambe. CURRENT AFFAIRS: TV Eye; Thames News;: Reporting London; Safe From The Sea; Talking Personally. DOCUMENTARIES AND FEATURES: A Shred of Evidence; Bomber Pilot; Good Companions; The British Connection; Crime Inc.; Thank You Jesus; The Sitting Lifer; Lifers; Human Rights; Summerstown; Whatever Happened to Bill Brunskill?; Citizen 2000; Treasure Trove. SPORTS AND OUTSIDE BROADCASTS: Ice Skating; Golf Motor Racing; Speedway; Ice Hockey;: Midweek & Bank Holiday Sport Special; Thames Sport; Football; Racing; Snooker; Darts; Show Jumping; Swimming; Boxing. SPECIALS: Perry; A Golden Hour; Fatima Whitbread; Miss UK; British Beauty Championships; Royal Film Premieres; Torvill and Dean: The Path to Perfection; Torvill and Dean Ice Gala; Wish You Were Here…?; Miss World; Stunt Challenge. EDUCATION: For What It’s Worth; Help!; Database; All In The Mind; Under Fives; Composers on Composing; The Setbacks; The English House; Jobs Limited; Divorce. RELIGION My Brother’s Keeper; Night Thoughts.

The post Television & Radio 1985 appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

LONDON WEEKDAYS

London: Thames Television House, 306-316 Euston Road, LONDON NW1 3BB Tel: 01-387 9494
149 Tottenham Court Road, LONDON W1P 9LL Tel: 01-388 5199 Teddington: Teddington Lock, TEDDINGTON. Middlesex, TW11 9NT Tel: 01-977 3252
Regional Sales: Norfolk House, Smallbrook Queensway, BIRMINGHAM B5 4LJ Tel: 021-643 9151
Mobile Division: Twickenham Road, HANWORTH, Middlesex Tel: 01-898 0011

Directors. H.S.L. Dundas, CBE, DSO, DFC, DL (Chairman); Sir John Read (Deputy Chairman)’; Bryan Cowgill (Managing Director), Mrs Mary Baker; The Lord Brabourne; Sir Richard Cave; The Rt. Hon. the Viscount Colville of Culross, QC; John T. Davey; Richard Dunn (Director of Production); Verity Lambert; Tony Logic (Director of Sales and Marketing); Ian M. Scott (Director of Finance); J. A. Sibley; Muir Sutherland (Director of Programmes); Colin S. Wills.

Executives. Ben E. Marr (Company Secretary & Director of Personnel); Fred Atkinson (Production Director (Euston/Hanworth)); Donald Cullimore (Public Relations Director); Philip Jones, OBE (Director, Light Entertainment); Tony Kenber (Programme Business Director); Eric Parry (Production Director (Teddington)); Barrie Sales (Director of News & Current Affairs and Deputy to the Director of Programmes); Roy Addison (Chief Press & Public Relations Officer); Ronald Allison (Controller, Sports & Outside Broadcasts); Jack Andrews (Controller, Programme Administration); Derek Baker (Assistant Company Secretary); Paul Cheffins, MBE (Controller, Sales Administration); Mike Coxhill (Technical Controller); Patrick Downing (Controller, Visual Services); Catherine Freeman (Controller, Documentaries & Features); James Gilbert (Head of Comedy Programmes); William Goddard (Head of Presentation); Johnny Goodman (Executive Director of Production, Euston Films); Mike Harvey (Controller, Publicity); Ian Howard (Controller of Contracts); Derek Hunt (Deputy Director of Finance); Peter Kew (Head of Central Planning); Max Lawson (Assistant Director of Finance); Bob Louis (Assistant Controller (Light Entertainment)); Geoffrey Lugg (Head of Programme Liaison); Pat Mahoney (Head of Purchased Programmes); Ian Martin (Controller, Educational Programmes); Jim McDonald (Controller, Technical Operations, Teddington); Julian Mounter (Controller of Children’s Programmes); Ewart Needham (Head of Film); Vic O’Brien (Technical Controller, Euston); A. C. Parkinson (Controller, Administration); Tim Riordan (Controller, Programme Planning and Presentation); Lloyd Shirley (Controller, Programme Drama Division); Brian G. Scott (Chief Engineer); Ken Smallwood (Head of Staff Relations); Barry Spencer (Controller, Sales); Douglas Thornes (Controller, Sales Research and Development); Brian Walcroft (Assistant Controller, Drama).

Thames Television International (for Programme Sales). Bryan Cowgill (Chairman); Muir Sutherland (Deputy Chairman); Mike Phillips (Managing Director); Roger Miron (Sales Controller); Ben E. Marr; Ian Scott; Philip Jones, OBE.

Programmes. Thames Television’s area covers around 10½ million people in and around London from Monday morning to 5.15 p.m. on Friday. But the company’s fame extends throughout the world. Since it took up its contract in 1968, the company’s programmes have consistently won top national and international awards, including the Prix Italia (five overall and three in documentary) and six American Emmys. Each individual programme department has won awards for Thames in that time.

International prizes like these have also been reflected in Thames’ success in selling programmes overseas, with its shows now being seen in over 100 countries around the world. Technological advances in such areas as cable TV, satellites and video mean that there are growing new markets for Thames’s programmes and nowhere more than on Channel 4 and in Britain’s home video trade. Most of Thames’ programmes are made in the riverside studios at Teddington, while others come from the company’s headquarters at Euston. The outside broadcast units, from their base at Hanworth, near Teddington, cover many major events. Working from its own independent base is Euston Films which produces major film dramas and drama series, on location. Just outside Manchester is Cosgrove Hall Productions, Thames’ animation subsidiary for such successes as Danger Mouse and The Wind in the Willows. So all Thames’ international success is achieved with programmes made here in Britain – specifically with the aim of pleasing ITV viewers. DRAMA: Reilly – Ace of Spies; Saigon; Rumpole of the Bailey; The Nation’s Health; Minder; Edward and Mrs Simpson; Widows; Jemima Shore Investigates; Anyone for Denis?. CHILDREN’S: Rainbow; The Sooty Show; We’ll Tell You A Story; Danger Mouse; Cockleshell Bay; Button Moon; Rod, Jane and Freddy; CBTV – Channel 14; S.W.A.L.K.; The Wind in the Willows; Freetime; Dramarama ‘Spooky’; Family Trees; The All Electric Amusement Arcade; Challenge; Children’s Documentaries; Flicks; Jamie and the Magic Torch; Danger – Marmalade At Work; Danger Mouse and Friends; The Talking Parcel. LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Let There Be Love; Give Us A Clue; Jim Davidson; Don’t Rock The Boat; This Is Your Life; The Benny Hill Show; London Night Out; Does The Team Think; Shelley; Name That Tune; The Happy Apple; The Des O’Connor Show; Looks Familiar; Sorry, I’m A Stranger Here Myself; The Morecambe & Wise Show; The TVTimes Top Ten Awards; Never The Twain; Tom, Dick & Harriet; Sheena Easton; Keep It In The Family, Mike Yarwood; Whose Baby?; Carry on Laughing; It Takes A Worried Man; Michael Barrymore; Password; Jeopardy; Bruce Forsyth; Shirley Bassey. CURRENT AFFAIRS TV Eye; Thames News; Reporting London. DOCUMENTARIES AND FEATURES: Schindler; Class of ’62; Crime Inc.; I’m Gaynor, I’m Me; Thank You, Jesus; The Sitting; Lifer; Lifers; Human Rights; Unknown Chaplin; Summerstown; Whatever Happened to Bill Brunskill?; Citizen 2000; Treasure Trove; A Plus. SPORTS AND OUTSIDE BROADCASTS: Football; Racing; Snooker; Darts; Show Jumping; Gymnastics; Swimming; Boxing, specials Wish You Were Here…?; Big Top Variety Show; Miss World; Stunt Challenge; The Champions. EDUCATION For What It’s Worth; Help!; Six Centuries of Verse; Database; All In The Mind; Under Fives; Composers on Composing, religion Night Thoughts; City Priest; Crisis.

The post Television & Radio 1984 appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

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.

The post Thames Television International appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

THAMES TELEVISION

London: Thames Television House, 306-316 Euston Road, LONDON NW1 3BB Tel: 01-387 9494
Teddington: Teddington Lock, TEDDINGTON Middlesex, TW11 9NT Tel: 01-977 3252
Regional Sales: Norfolk House, Smallbrook Oueensway, BIRMINGHAM B5 4LJ Tel: 021-643 9151
Mobile Division: Twickenham Road, HANWORTH. Middlesex Tel: 01-898 0011

Directors. H. S. L. Dundas, CBE, DSO, DFC, DL (Chairman): Sir John Read (Deputy Chairman); Bryan Cowgill (Managing Director); Mrs Mary Baker; The Lord Brabourne; Sir Richard Cave; The Rt. Hon. The Viscount Colville of Culross, QC; John T. Davey; Richard Dunn (Director of Production): Verity Lambert; Ian M. Scott (Director of Finance): James F. Shaw (Director of Sales & Marketing): J. A. Sibley; Muir Sutherland (Director of Programmes); ColinS. Wills.

Executives. Ben E. Marr (Company Secretary & Director of Personnel); Fred Atkinson (Production Director, Euston & Hanworth); Donald Cullimore (Public Relations Director); Philip Jones, OBE (Director, Light Entertainment); Tony Kenber (Programme Business Director); Eric Parry (Production Director (Teddington)); Barrie Sales (Director, News & Current Affairs); Roy Addison (Chief Press & Public Relations Officer); Ronald Allison (Controller, Sport & OB’s); Jack Andrews (Controller, Programme Administration); Derek Baker (Assistant Company Secretary); Paul Cheffins, MBE (Controller, Sales Administration); Mike Coxill (Technical Controller, Teddington); Catherine Freeman (Controller, Documentaries & Features); James Gilbert (Head of Comedy Programmes); William Goddard (Head of Presentation); Mike Harvey (Controller, Publicity): Ian Howard (Controller of Contracts); Derek Hunt (Deputy Director of Finance); Tony Jones (Controller, Business Development Sales); Peter Kew (Head of Central Planning); Max Lawson (Assistant Director of Finance): Bob Louis (Assistant Controller (Light Ent.)); Geoffrey Lugg (Head of Programme Liaison); Pat Mahoney (Head of Purchased Programmes); Ian Martin (Controller, Educational Programmes); Jim McDonald (Technical Controller, Hanworth); Julian Mounter (Controller of Children’s Programmes); Ewart Needham (Head of Film); Vic O’Brien (Technical Controller, Euston); A. C. Parkinson (Controller, Administration); Tim Riordan (Controller, Programme Planning and Presentation); Lloyd Shirley (Controller, Drama); Brian G. Scott (Chief Engineer); Ken Smallwood (Head of Staff Relations); Barry Spencer (Controller, Sales); Douglas Thornes (Controller, Sales Research & Development); Brian Walcroft (Assistant Controller, Drama).

Thames Television International (for Programme Sales). Bryan Cowgill (Chairman): Muir Sutherland (Deputy Chairman): Mike Phillips (General Manager and Deputy Managing Director): Ben E. Marr; Ian Scott; Philip Jones, OBE.

Programmes. Thames Television’s area covers over 10½ million people in and around London from Monday morning to 5.15 p.m. on Friday. But the company’s fame extends throughout the world. Since it took up its contract in 1968, the company’s programmes have consistently won top national and international awards, including the Prix Italia (five overall and three in documentary) and five American Emmys. Each individual programme department has won awards for Thames in that time.

International prizes like these have also been reflected in Thames’ success in selling programmes overseas, with its shows now being seen in over 100 countries around the world, with particular success in America. Notoriously the most difficult market for British TV, the USA now widely recognises Thames’ name, and associates it with products as widely diverse as The Benny Hill Show, Rumpole of the Bailey and the documentary series Hollywood.

Technological advances in such areas as cable TV, satellites and video mean that there are growing new markets for Thames’ programmes and nowhere more than on Channel 4 and in Britain’s home video trade. A large number of Thames’ programmes have been scheduled by Channel 4, and after eighteen months in business, Thames Video has already made a marked impact on the home video market with cassettes such as The Royal Wedding, The Benny Hill Show, Kenny Everett, The World at War and The Naked Civil Servant.

Most of Thames’ programmes are made in the riverside studios at Teddington, while others come from the company’s headquarters at Euston. The outside broadcast units, from their base at Hanworth, near Teddington, cover many major events. Working from its own independent base is Euston Films which produces major film dramas and drama series, on location. Just outside Manchester is Cosgrove Hall Productions, Thames’ growing animation subsidiary. So all Thames’ international success is achieved with programmes made here in Britain – specifically with the aim of pleasing ITV viewers. DRAMA: Rumpole of the Bailey; Edward and Mrs Simpson; Minder; The Three Sisters; Single Plays: The Flame Trees of Thika; Something in Disguise; The Agatha Christie Hours; Brack Report. CHILDREN’S: Rainbow; Fanfare for Young Musicians; The Sooty Show; We’II Tell You A Story; Dangermouse; Cockleshell Bay; Button Moon; Crying Out Loud; Rod, Jane and Freddy; CBTV – Channel 14; Educating Marmalade; Nobody’s Hero; Spooky; S.W.A.L.K.; The Wind in the Willows; Beauty and the Beast; Freetime. LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT: Let There Be Love; Give Us A Clue; Jim Davidson; Don’t Rock the Boat; This Is Your Life; The Benny Hill Show; Top of the World; London Night Out; Does The Team Think; Two of a Kind; Max Rolls On; Shelley; Side by Side; Looks Familiar; Janet and Company; A Royal Variety Gala; Sorry, I’m A Stranger Here Myself; The Morecambe & Wise Show; The Eric Sykes 1990 Show; The TVTimes Top Ten Awards; Never The Twain; A. J. Wentworth, BA.; Tom Dick & Harriet; Sheena Easton; Eric Sykes Special; Keep It In The Family; Mike Yarwood; Whose Baby; Carry on Laughing; It Takes A Worried Man; Michael Barrymore; London Night Out; Password; Jeopardy; Qwert; Bruce Forsyth; Shirley Bassey. CURRENT AFFAIRS: TV Eye; Thames News; Reporting London. DOCUMENTARIES: SS 1923-1945; Victoria Park; The Shape I’m In; Prostitute I am, Common I’m Not; The Deafened. SPORTS AND OUTSIDE BROADCASTS: Football; Racing; Snooker; Darts; Show Jumping; Gymnastics; Swimming; Boxing. SPECIALS: The World Disco Dancing Championships; Wish You Were Here…?; Big Top Variety Show; Miss World; Stuntmen Challenge; The Champions. FEATURES & ADULT EDUCATION After Noon Plus; The Evolution of Darwin; A Taste of China; Thirty Minutes Worth (for Channel 4); Computer Club; Help!; Citizen 2000 (for Channel 4); I Simply Can’t See; Money Talk; Social Concern series – ‘100% Responsibility’, ‘Second Chance’, ‘Someone To Talk To’, ‘Artsline’, ‘Inner City Living’, ‘Creating Jobs in London’, ‘Stress’. RELIGION: Sit Up and Listen; One Man’s Easter; God and the Artists; I am The Great Sun; For Christ’s Sake!; I am a Muslim; Xmas Special with Monica Furlong.

The post Television & Radio 1983 appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

Every weekday in the London area, Thames Television’s distinctive skyline symbol tells viewers that Independent Television is on the air.

But Thames is more than a transmitter of ITV programmes to London. The Company is also one of the world’s biggest independent programme producers, with a host of international awards to its credit.

This means that a large proportion ofThames programmes are seen not only in London, but across the nation on the ITV network, and in more than a hundred countries around the world.

As television technology develops, Thames maintains its position with continuing advances not just in programme making, but in TV engineering, studio design, electronic news gathering (ENG), advertising, publishing, home video and other fast-growing allied fields.

Thames Television is a community of over two thousand people who work together to bring a wide range of talents to the wide range of activities, needed in a busy television programme-making company.

This section is about their work: as local broadcasters, as international programme makers, and as major contributors to the national cultural institution known as Independent Television, ITV.

The post London’s Weekday ITV appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

Fifteen are responsible for providing programmes in particular regions. The sixteenth, Independent Television News (ITN), supplies news programmes for viewers in all the regions.

Because the ITV network operates federally the companies benefit from national unity while retaining a substantial measure of regional autonomy. The companies agree to show some programmes simultaneously across the network, and these provide the basis of ITV programme schedules. But the system still leaves plenty of room for each company to serve its region’s individual needs through local programmes made expressly for local audiences.

Like all ITV companies, Thames operates under the eye of the Independent Broadcasting Authority, set up by Parliament to administer independent television and radio. The IBA owns and operates all the ITV transmitters, and is responsible for the overall standard of programmes, as well as the acceptability of the advertisements that accompany them.

The IBA is also responsible for the recently established Channel 4, which operates as a television service quite separately from ITV and commissions its programmes from a wide range of sources, including Thames. However, its programme policy is entirely its own. Like all other ITV companies, Thames is responsible for Channel 4 airtime sales in its own area, and pays a subscription towards the Channel’s programme costs and upkeep.

Another new service that the IBA will oversee is breakfast television, which will bring regular early morning programmes to ITV viewers. The contract to provide the service was awarded to the TV AM company and transmissions are expected to begin during 1983.

The post Thames and the ITV Network appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

What’s more, the company gives them a wide range of the very latest facilities, based on both film and videotape. Thames operates six studios: three in the main production complex by the river Thames at Teddington, and three more including the specially designed Thames News studio at the company’s headquarters in Euston Road, London. The Teddington studios are used mainly for drama and entertainment programmes, while the Euston facilities are devoted almost exclusively to news, current affairs and feature programmes.

For location work outside the studios, Thames maintains a large Film Department and a Mobile Division with six outside broadcast (OB) vehicles equipped to bring superb studio standards to ‘outside programmes’ like Wish You Were Here…? and London Night Out. In constant touch with Thames’ main facilities through microwave radio links, the OB units can record programme material on videotape for later transmission or insertion into other programmes. And, of course, they also provide live coverage of sporting events, state and other major occasions.

Many studio programmes, too, are transmitted live. Reporting London and Thames News are examples. But most are pre-recorded in sequences which can be edited together later, which allows time for corrections to be made, and therefore ensures the highest possible quality.

The post The heart of Thames: making programmes appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

The post Top programmes of all kinds appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

The post The biggest programme producer in ITV appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

The Prix Italia Presented by RAI, Italy’s public broadcasting organization, the Prix Italia has been described by The Times as ‘the most honoured prize a programme can receive. Awarded in three categories, drama, documentary and music, the Prix Italia generates fierce competition among the world’s programme producers. Thames is the only ITV company to have won the Prix Italia in all three categories.

• 1972 We Was All One Best Documentary
• 1976 The Naked Civil Servant Best Drama
• 1976 Beauty, Bonnie, Daisy, Violet, Grace and Geoffrey Morton Best Documentary
• 1977 St. Nicolas Cantata Best Music Programme
• 1980 Creggan Best Documentary

The Prix Jeunesse Equal in stature to the Prix Italia, the Prix Jeunesse is awarded solely to children’s programmes.

• 1972 Magpie – My Brother David UNICEF Prize
• 1974 Magpie – Like Ordinary Children
• 1982 The Pied Piper of Hamelin

The Emmy Award The Emmy is America’s top television award. It is given in two categories: the national Emmy (for programmes transmitted in that year on American television); and the international Emmy, awarded to programmes made outside the United States of America.

• 1974 The World at War National Emmy for ‘outstanding documentary achievements in programmes dealing with artistic, historic or cultural subjects.’
• 1976 Jennie, Lady Randolph Churchill National Emmy for ‘outstanding achievement in costume design for a drama series.’
• 1976 The Naked Civil Servant International Emmy for ‘outstanding achievement in entertainment programming.’
• 1979 Palestine National Emmy for ‘outstanding programme achievement.’
• 1980 Edward and Mrs. Simpson National Emmy for ‘outstanding limited series’

BAFTA Awards The British Association of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) are Britain’s answer to the American Oscars for outstanding achievements in film and television production.

• 1972 The Benny Hill Show Best light entertainment programme
• 1975 Beauty, Bonnie, Daisy, Violet, Grace and Geoffrey Morton Best factual programme
• 1977 Rock Follies Best drama series/serial
• 1979 Edward & Mrs. Simpson Best drama series/serial
• 1979 The Kenny Everett Video Show Best light entertainment programme
• 1982 The Pied Piper of Hamelin Best children’s programme

The post Programmes that win awards appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

Thames has developed a computerised airtime booking system, Enterprise, that places the Thames Sales Department at the forefront of the industry, and has led other ITV Companies to follow suit. By cutting out the massive amount of paperwork that used to complicate airtime selling, the computer gives Thames sales executives instant access to the detailed information they need to service their advertising clients. A recent development called Adnet enables advertising agencies and their clients with computer terminals to benefit from direct access to much of the information contained in the Enterprise database, eliminating time consuming telephone calls and personal contact.

In addition to the services available for mainstream advertisers, a special unit, the Thames Task Force, helps smaller businesses to use television as an advertising medium in the London area.

Thames has also been instrumental in bringing direct response advertising to the television screen, so that viewers can make immediate mail order purchases of goods advertised in commercials.

Since its inception in 1955, ITV has been a commercial broadcasting system, regulated by the IBA. For example, the law limits television advertising to an average of six minutes an hour, and the IBA defines and enforces advertising standards.

All television commercials presented for transmission on Thames are checked by Thames and the Independent Television Companies Association (ITCA), to ensure they comply with the rules laid down by the IBA. There are very strict rules, for example, governing the promotion of goods and services in the medical, legal and financial fields. There are many safeguards against misleading advertising of any kind, and children, especially, are protected against undue or adverse influence by commercials.

A leaflet giving advice on how and where to make comments or complaints about any broadcast material can be obtained from Thames Television, Broadcasting Complaints, 306-316 Euston Road, London NW1 3BB.

The post Paying for programmes appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

The post The client loved it appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

Thames Television International, the company’s subsidiary for overseas distribution, maintains a network of agents across the globe. It participates in all the important international television festivals, and even runs one of its own, The London Screenings, which regularly draws nearly two hundred delegates to London from countries as far apart as Rumania and Hong Kong.

Thames International is also a major distributor of programmes from other producers, and has achieved further successes with versions of British programmes for the American market. For example, Thames International re-edited Benny Hill’s shows into half hours specifically for the American market with the result that he has become a cult for viewers from coast to coast. Similarly the situation comedies Man About The House and Keep It In The Family have been developed in new US versions achieving top ratings such as ‘Three’s Company’ and ‘Too Close For Comfort.’

Technological advance, bringing new media like cable TV, video discs and cassettes, means that there is always a new market for programmes from Thames, and nowhere more than in Britain’s growing home video market. Since March 1981, when Thames Video began operations, videocassettes including The Royal Wedding, The Benny Hill Show, Kenny Everett, The World at War and The Naked Civil Servant have made a considerable impact. And worldwide, Thames videocassettes are securing the high reputation for quality that is already associated with Thames programmes.

Thames also has a considerable interest in publishing, largely but not entirely as a follow-up and reinforcement of Thames on-air output. Books like The World at War and The Troubles make the information presented in the series available to the interested viewer in more detail; in the same way, Thames published Rainbow stories and Theatre Box plays for children.

The post Selling the programmes appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

Thames also contributes to the ILEA careers advisory service, by making expert advice available at the regular Open Days. Thames also has one of the few training centres in the industry situated at the Teddington Studios.

But Thames’ interest in the life of London goes beyond the television business. In Jubilee year, the company mounted a conference London Looks Forward, which brought together planners, politicians and people from all walks of life to consider the future of the nation’s capital. The conference was opened by HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who subsequently asked Thames to look further into the question of London’s derelict land. The resulting research was published as Wasteland, and this was the title of a follow-up conference in 1980, again opened by Prince Philip, which considered the options open to planners, developers, people and politicians in dealing with derelict ground.

A close relationship with the British Film Institute following the success of Thames’ Hollywood series led to the rediscovery and first full-scale presentation of Abel Gance’s monumental silent masterpiece Napoleon. Complete with a musical score by Carl Davis and performed live by the Wren Orchestra, the 1927 film was a central feature of the 1980 London Film Festival. Indeed, so successful was the presentation that another silent classic, King Vidor’s The Crowd, was shown the following year, again with the Wren Orchestra playing a Carl Davis score. 1982 sees the presentation of Clarence Brown’s masterpiece Flesh And The Devil, the film that created the Garbo-Gilbert legend, together with another King Vidor classic from 1928, Showpeople. It is planned to continue these silent film performances every year as a regular part of the London Film Festival.

In 1980, Thames produced Britain’s first-ever Telethon, a marathon fund-raising programme broadcast over two days. It raised more than a million pounds for charities in the London area.

…and into the future

With so many advances being made in home entertainment, and information technology, Thames will continue to play its part, by taking an interest in life beyond the screen as well as striving for excellence in what appears on it.

The post Beyond the programmes appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

THAMES TELEVISION

Thames Television House, 306-316 Euston Road, LONDON NW1 3BB Tel: 01-387 9494
Teddington Lock, Teddington, MIDDLESEX TW11 9NT Tel: 01-977 3232
Regional Sales Office: Norfolk House, Smallbrook Queensway. Birmingham B5 4LJ Tel: 021-643 9151
Mobile Division: Twickenham Road, Hanworth, MIDDLESEX Tel: 01-898 0011

Directors. H S L Dundas, CBE, DSO, DFC, DL (Chairman); Sir John Read (Deputy Chairman); Bryan Cowgill (Managing Director); Mrs Mary Baker; The Lord Braboume; Sir Richard Cave; The Rt Hon The Viscount Colville of Culross, QC; John T Davey; J M Kuipers; Nigel Ryan, CBE (Director of Programmes); Ian M Scott (Director of Finance); James F Shaw (Director of Sales and Marketing); J A Sibley; Colin S Wills.

Executives. Ben E Marr (Company Secretary and Director of Personnel); Fred Atkinson (Production Director (Teddington & Hanworth)); Donald Cullimore (Public Relations Director); Richard Dunn (Director of Production); R G J Godfrey (Engineering and Technical Director); John Hambley (Director of Programme Development); Philip Jones, OBE (Director, Light Entertainment); Verity Lambert (Director of Drama); John O’Keefe (Production Director (London)); Roy Addison (Chief Press and Public Relations Officer); Ronald Allison (Controller, Sport and OBs); Jack Andrews (Programme Management Controller); Paul Cheffins, MBE (Controller, Sales Administration); William Goddard (Head of Presentation); Mike Harvey (Controller, Publicity); Ian Howard (Controller of Contracts); Derek Hunt (Deputy Director of Finance); Tony Jones (Controller, Business Development Sales); Max Lawson (Assistant Director of Finance); Geoffrey Lugg (Head of Programme Liaison); Pat Mahoney (Head of Purchased Programmes); Ian Martin (Controller, Features, Education and Religion); Julian Mounter (Controller of Children’s Programmes Department); A C Parkinson (Controller, Administration); Eric E Parry (Controller, Programme Services); Tim Riordan (Controller, Programme Planning and Presentation); Antony Rouse (Controller of Documentaries); Barrie Sales (Director of News and Current Affairs); Brian G Scott (Chief Engineer); Ken Smallwood (Head of Staff Relations); Derek Stevenson (Controller, Sales); Douglas Thornes (Controller, Sales Research and Development).

Thames Television International (for Programme Sales). Howard Thomas, CBE (Chairman); Muir Sutherland (Managing Director); Joe McCann (Controller, Television Sales); Mike Phillips (Controller, Business Affairs).

Programmes. Thames Television’s area covers thirteen million people in and around London from Monday morning to 7 p.m. on Friday (5.15 p.m. from 1st January 1982). But the company’s fame reaches throughout the world. In 1980 Thames won an American Emmy for its drama series Edward and Mrs Simpson; the Press Jury Prize Award at the world’s top light entertainment festival in Montreux with Eric Sykes’ comedy The Plank; the Prix Italia (the company’s fifth overall, and its third for documentary) with Creggan, a documentary observation of life in the Roman Catholic district of Londonderry. In recent years, Thames has twice bought weeks on American TV stations once in New York, once in Los Angeles to showcase its productions to American viewers.

Comedy stars like Benny Hill and Kenny Everett, dramas like Edward and Mrs Simpson and Danger UXB, and documentaries like Hollywood have all helped to bring recognition of Thames’ name in the USA, notoriously the most difficult market for British TV, as well as in other countries; and all this international fame and success was achieved with programmes made specifically for British viewers.

Most of Thames’ programmes are made in the riverside studios at Teddington, while others come from the company’s headquarters at Euston. The outside broadcast units, from their base at Hanworth, near Teddington, cover many major events. Working from its own independent base at Euston is Euston Films, the fourth important element of Thames’ production structure. As well as pleasing viewers abroad, and winning major overseas awards, Thames has regularly won top British prizes including awards in recent years from the Broadcasting Press Guild, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the Royal Television Society. But the main aim remains to please British viewers.

DRAMA: Rumpole of the Bailey; Edward and Mrs Simpson; Love In A Cold Climate; Minder; The Three Sisters; Cover; Single Plays; The Flame Trees of Thika; Something in Disguise. CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMES: Rainbow; Fanfare for Young Musicians; The Sooty Show; Paperplay; We’ll Tell You A Story; The Squad; Free Time; White Light; Ace Reports; Dangermouse; Stig Of The Dump; Theatre Boy; Chorlton And The Wheelies; Cockleshell Bay; Spectrum; Button Moon; Jamie and the Magic Torch; Five Magic Minutes; The Quiz Machine. LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT-COMEDY: Shelley; A J Wentworth, BA; Kenny Everett Video Show; Robin’s Nest; Cowboys; Jim Davidson; Don’t Rock the Boat; It Takes A Worried Man; Keep It In The Family; Never the Twain; One Hundred Thousand Welcomes; Sorry, I’m A Stranger Here Myself; Tom, Dick & Harriet; Let There Be Love; Eric Sykes Comedies. VARIETY AND SPECIALS: Bruce Forsyth Specials; Quincy’s Quest; Janet Brown Show; This Is Your Life; Morecambe and Wise; The Benny Hill Show; London Night Out. QUIZ AND GAME SHOWS: Give Us A Clue; Looks Familiar; Top of the World; Sounds Like London. CURRENT AFFAIRS: TV Eye: Thames News; Thames Debate. DOCUMENTARIES: SS 1923-1945; China Women; Westminster Man; The Kilnsey Show, Miami Drugs War. SPORTS AND OUTSIDE BROADCASTS: Football; Racing; Snooker; Darts; Show Jumping; Gymnastics; Swimming; Boxing. SPECIALS: The World Disco Dancing Championships; Wish You Were Here…?: Big Top Variety Show; Britain’s Strongest Man; Miss World. FEATURES: After Noon Plus: Money Go Round; Help!; I Really Want To Dance; The Human Race; Telethon Report Back. SCHOOLS: Middle English; The English Programme; The French Programme; The German Programme; Seeing and Doing; Finding Out. ADULT EDUCATION: Social Concern Programmes (new series). RELIGION: Christmas Special with Roger McGough; Sit Up and Listen; Easter Meditation; Christians Under Fire.

The post Television & Radio 1982 appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

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?

The post These days, you’ve just got to look at the bright side appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

Thames Television House,
306-316 Euston Road, LONDON NW1 3BB
Tel: 01-387 9494
International House,
149 Tottenham Court Road,
LONDON W1P 9LL
Tel: 01-388 5199
Teddington Studios, Teddington Lock,
TEDDINGTON, Middlesex, TW11 9NT
Tel: 01-977 3252
Sales Office: Norfolk House,
Smallbrook Queensway,
BIRMINGHAM B5 4LJ Tel: 021-643 9151

Directors. The Rt Hon Lord Barnetson (Chairman); Bryan Cowgill (Managing Director); Mrs Mary Baker; The Lord Brabourne; John T Davey; Ronald M Denny; H S L Dundas, CBE; J M Kuipers; Sir John Read; Nigel Ryan, CBE (Director of Programmes); Ian M Scott (Deputy Managing Director & Director of Finance); James F Shaw (Director of Sales & Marketing); Colin S Wills.

Executives. Ben Marr (Company Secretary and Director of Administration); Donald Cullimore (Public Relations Director); Richard Dunn (Production Resources Director); R G Godfrey (Engineering and Technical Director); Philip Jones (Director, Light Entertainment); John O’Keefe (Industrial Relations Director); Peter Pagnamenta (Development Director); Roy Addison (Chief Press and Public Relations Officer); Ronald Allison (Controller, Sports and OBs); F Atkinson (Technical Controller); Paul Cheffins (Controller, Sales Administration); John Frankau (Controller of Drama); John Hambley (Controller, Children’s Programmes, and Chief Executive Cosgrove Hall Productions); Mike Harvey (Controller, Publicity); Ian Howard (Controller of Contracts); Derek Hunt (Assistant Director of Finance); Tony Jones (Controller, Business Development Sales); Verity Lambert (Chief Executive, Euston Films Ltd); Max Lawson (Assistant Director of Finance); Geoffrey Lugg (Head of Programme Liaison); Pat Mahoney (Head of Purchased Programmes); Ian Martin (Controller, Features, Education and Religion); Malcolm Morris (Controller, Programme Administration); A C Parkinson (Controller, Administration); Eric E Parry (Controller, Programme Services); Tim Riordan (Controller, Planning and Presentation); Barrie Sales (Director of News and Current Affairs); Brian G Scott (Chief Engineer); Ken Smallwood (Head of Staff Relations); Derek Stevenson (Controller, Sales); Douglas Thornes (Controller, Sales Research and Development); Mike Wooler (Head of Documentaries); Jack Andrews (Controller, Programme Administration); William Goddard (Head of Presentation).

Thames Television International (for Programme Sales). Howard Thomas, CBE (Chairman); Muir Sutherland (Managing Director); Joe McCann (Controller Television Sales); Mike Phillips (Controller, Business Affairs).

Programmes. Thames Television’s area covers thirteen million people in and around London from Monday morning to 7p.m. on Friday. But the company’s fame reaches throughout the world. In 1980 Thames won an American Emmy for its drama series Edward and Mrs Simpson; the Press Jury Prize Award at the world’s top light entertainment festival in Montreux with Eric Sykes’ comedy The Plank; the Prix Italia (the company’s fifth overall, and its third for documentary) with Creggan, a documentary observation of life in the Roman Catholic district of Londonderry. In recent years, Thames has twice bought weeks on American TV stations – once in New York, once in Los Angeles – to showcase its productions to American viewers.

Comedy stars like Benny Hill and Kenny Everett, dramas like Edward and Mrs Simpson and Danger UXB, and documentaries like Hollywood have all helped to bring recognition of Thames’ name in the USA, notoriously the most difficult market for British TV, as well as in other countries; and all this international fame and success was achieved with programmes made specifically for British viewers.

Most of Thames’ programmes are made in the riverside studios at Teddington, while others come from the company’s headquarters at Euston. The outside broadcast units, from their base at Hanworth, near Teddington, cover many major events. Working from its own independent base at Euston is Euston Films, the fourth important element of Thames’ production structure. As well as pleasing viewers abroad, and winning major overseas awards, Thames has regularly won top British prizes – including awards in recent years from the Broadcasting Press Guild, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the Royal Television Society. But the main aim remains to please British viewers.

DRAMA: Armchair Thriller; Danger UXB; Rumpole of the Bailey; Edward and Mrs Simpson; Minder; Macbeth; Love in a Cold Climate; Born and Bred; Fox; The Knowledge. CHILDREN’S: Rainbow; Fanfare for Young Musicians; Sooty; Paperplay; We’ll Tell You A Story; Just So Stories; Smith and Goody; The Squad; Free Time; White Light; The Pied Piper of Hamelin. LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT-COMEDY: The Kenny Everett Video Show; Robin’s Nest; George and Mildred; Shelley; The Plank; Rhubarb; Grundy; Cowboys; Just Liz; Jim Davidson; Tommy Cooper. VARIETY AND SPECIALS: Quincy’s Quest; The Janet Brown Show; This is Your Life; Morecambe and Wise; The Benny Hill Show; London Night Out; Bernie; Lingalongamax. PANEL SHOWS: Give us a Clue; Looks Familiar. CURRENT AFFAIRS: TV Eye; Thames News; Inside Business; Thames Report; Thames Debate. DOCUMENTARIES: Hollywood; Sport of Kings; Murphy’s Stroke; Only in America. SPORTS AND OUTSIDE BROADCASTS: Football; Racing; Snooker; Darts; Showjumping; Gymnastics; Swimming; Boxing. SPECIALS: The World Disco Dancing Championships; Wish You Were Here…?; Star Games; Star Gardens; Big Top Variety Show; Britain’s Strongest Man; Miss World. FEATURES: After Noon Plus; Money Go Round; Help!; Song and Dance; The Hands of Katherine Stott; Thames Arts; The Telethon; Swan Lake; Rudolf Nureyev. SCHOOLS: Seeing and Doing; Finding Out; Writer’s Workshop; About Books; The English Programme; The French Programme; The German Programme; Music Round; Botanic Man; History of the Future. ADULT EDUCATION: Our People; The English Garden; An Exceptional Child; The John Smith Show. RELIGION: Christmas Pie; 1980 The Cross; Journey’s End; Close; Christians Under Fire; Young Messiah; Cardinal Hume; The Guinea Pig Club.

The post Television & Radio 1981 appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

Thames Television House,
306-316 Euston Road, LONDON NW1 3BB
Tel: 01-387 9494
International House,
149 Tottenham Court Road,
LONDON WIP9LL
Tel: 01-388 5199
Teddington Studios, Teddington Lock,
TEDDINGTON, Middlesex TW11 19NT
Tel: 01-977 3252
Sales Office: Norfolk House,
Smallbrook Queensway,
BIRMINGHAM B5 4LJ Tel: 021 -643 9151

Directors. The Rt Hon Lord Bametson (Chairman); Bryan Cowgill (Managing Director); Mrs Mary Baker; The Lord Braboume; John T Davey; D R W Dicks; H S L Dundas, CBE; J M Kuipers; Sir John Read; Ian M Scott (Deputy Managing Director & Director of Finance); James F Shaw (Director of Sales & Marketing); Colin S Wills.

Executives. Ben Marr (Director of Administration and Company Secretary); Richard Dunn (Director of Production Resources); R G J Godfrey (Engineering & Technical Director); John O’Keefe (Industrial Relations Director); F J Atkinson (Technical Controller); Donald Cullimore (Controller Public Relations); John Frankau (Controller of Drama); John Hambley (Controller Children’s Programmes); R J Hughes (Sales Controller); Philip Jones, OBE (Controller Light Entertainment); Max Lawson & Derek Hunt (Assistant Directors of Finance); Sam Leitch (Controller Sport & Outside Broadcasts); Geoffrey Lugg (Head of Programme Liaison); Pat Mahoney (Head of Purchased Programmes); Ian Martin (Controller of Features, Education & Religion); Malcolm Morris (Controller Programme Administration); Peter Pagnamenta (Head of Current Affairs); A C Parkinson (Controller Administration); Eric E Parry (Controller Programme Services); Mike Phillips (Controller Advertising & Publications); Tim Riordan (Head of Programme Planning & Presentation); Brian G Scott (Chief Engineer); Douglas Thornes (Sales Principal of Research & Marketing); Mike Wooller (Head of Documentaries).

Thames Television International (for Programme Sales) Howard Thomas, CBE (Chairman); Muir Sutherland (Managing Director).

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. Thames Television’s area covers over twelve million people in and around London from Monday morning to 7 p.m. on Friday. But the company’s fame reaches throughout the world. In 1976 Thames programmes won two of the three prizes awarded in the prestigious Prix Italia – the Documentary prize for Beauty, Bonny, Daisy, Violet, Grace and Geoffrey Morton, and the Drama prize for The Naked Civil Servant. Then in 1977 a Thames programme, an outside broadcast recording of Benjamin Britten’s St. Nicolas Cantata won the third Prix Italia, the Music prize. Also in 1976 Thames bought a week on WOR-TV, New York’s Channel 9, and showed New Yorkers nothing but Thames programmes. That project was repeated with equal success in Los Angeles last summer when Thames bought time on KHJ-TV and showed a little British enterprise to the home of show-business.

All this international fame was achieved with programmes made specifically for British viewers. Thames’ contract covers the whole range of television, and most of its programmes are made in the riverside studios at Teddington, while others come from the company’s headquarters at Euston. The outside broadcast units, from their base at Hanworth, near Teddington, cover many major events.

Working from its own independent base at Hammersmith is Euston Films, the fourth important element of Thames’ production structure. As well as pleasing viewers abroad, and winning major overseas awards, Thames has also regularly won the top British prizes – winning awards in recent years from the Broadcasting Press Guild, and from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the Royal Television Society. But the main aim is still to please British viewers, and, in terms of ratings, Thames remain dominant.

DRAMA: Drama series: The Sweeney; Hazell; Armchair Thriller; Danger UXB; Rumpole of the Bailey; Edward and Mrs Simpson; Quatermass; Minder; Macbeth. CHILDREN’S: Magpie; Rainbow; Fanfare for Musicians; The Boy Merlin; Jukes of Piccadilly; Horse in the House; Sooty; Paperplay; We’ll Tell You a Story; The Great ChiIdren’s Party; Cinderella; Chorlton and the Wheelies; Jamie and the Magic Torch; Just So Stories. LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT – COMEDY: The Kenny Everett Video Show; Robin’s Nest; George and Mildred; Shelley; The Plank; Chalk and Cheese. VARIETY AND SPECIALS -This Is Your Life; Morecambe and Wise; The Benny Hill Show; London Night Out; Bornie; Lingalongamax; Quincy. PANEL SHOWS: Give Us A Clue; Looks Familiar. CURRENT AFFAIRS: TV Eye; Thames At Six; Inside Business; Thames Report; Thames Debate. DOCUMENTARIES: Hollywood; Mickey Duff: Matchmaker; Elkie & Co; Sport of Kings. SPORT AND OUTSIDE BROADCASTS: Football; Racing; Snooker; Darts; Show Jumping; Gymnastics; Swimming; Boxing; Specials; The World Disco Dancing Championship; Wish You Were Here…?; Star Games; Star Gardens; Big Top Variety Show; Britain’s Strongest Man; Miss Thames TV. FEATURES After Noon Plus; Money Go Round; Help; Childhood; Song and Dance; The Hands of Katherine Stott; Crits. SCHOOLS: Seeing & Doing; Finding Out; It’s More Life; Writer’s Workshop; The English Programme; French Studies; Music Round; It’s Your Future; Teacher Training; Botanic Man; History the Future. ADULT EDUCATION: Our People; The English Garden; The National Gallery. RELIGION: Christmas Pie; The First Christmas Crisis; The Cross on the Donkey’s Back; The Guinea Pig Club; The Journey of the Magi; Cardinal Hume.

The post Television & Radio 1980 appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

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 3252
Sales Office: Norfolk House, Smallbrook Queensway, BIRMINGHAM B5 4LJ
Tel: 021-643 9151

Directors. Howard Thomas, CBE (Chairman); Bryan Cowgill (Managing Director); Mrs Mary Baker; The Lord Brabourne; John T Davey; D R W Dicks; H S L Dundas, CBE, DSO, DFC, DL; J M Kuipers; Sir John Read; Ian M Scott (Director of Administration and Finance); James F Shaw (Director of Sales and Marketing); Colin S Wills.

Executives. Ben E Marr (Company Secretary); R G J Godfrey (Studios Engineering and Technical Director); John Hambley (Planning and Development Director); John O’Keefe (Industrial Relations Director); F J Atkinson (Studios Technical Controller); Donald Cullimore (Controller, Public Relations); R J Hughes (Sales Controller); Philip Jones (Controller of Light Entertainment); Verity Lambert (Controller of Drama) ; Max Lawson (Financial Controller); Ian Martin (Controller of Features, Education and Religion); Malcolm Morris (Controller, Programme Department (Administration)); Eric E Parry (Controller, Programme Services); A C Parkinson (Controller, Administration); Sue Turner (Controller of Children’s Programmes); Peter Pagnamenta (Head of Current Affairs); Mike Wooller (Head of Documentaries); Geoffrey Lugg (Head of Programme Liaison); Tim Riordan (Head of Programme Planning and Presentation); Pat Mahoney (Head of Purchased Programmes); Sam Leitch (Head of Sport); Brian G Scott (Chief Engineer); Douglas Thornes (Sales Principal of Research and Marketing Services).

Thames Television International Limited (for programme sales) – Muir Sutherland (Managing Director).

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. Thames Television’s area covers over twelve million people in and around London from Monday morning to 7p.m. on Friday. But the company’s fame reaches throughout the world. In 1976 and 1977 for instance Thames achieved a series of international honours which may never be repeated. In 1976 Thames programmes won two of the three prizes awarded in the prestigious Prix Italia – the Documentary prize for Beauty, Bonny, Daisy, Violet, Grace and Geoffrey Morton, and the Drama prize for The Naked Civil Servant. Then in 1977 a Thames programme, an outside broadcast recording of Benjamin Britten’s St. Nicolas Cantata won the third Prix Italia, the Music prize (incidentally this was the first time that any British programme had ever won the Music prize at the Prix Italia). Also in 1976 Thames bought a week on WOR-TV, New York’s Channel 9, and showed New Yorkers nothing but Thames programmes – a project that captured that city’s imagination and resulted in the opening of important new markets for Thames programmes.

All this international fame was achieved with programmes made specifically for British viewers. Thames’ contract covers the whole range of television, and most of its drama, light entertainment and children’s programmes arc made in the riverside studios at Teddington, while the documentary and current affairs programmes come from the company’s headquarters at Euston. The outside broadcast units, from their base at Hanworth, near Teddington, cover many major events – from Royal occasions to sport, from beauty contests to motor exhibitions – as well as servicing productions that need video cameras on location.

Working from its own independent base at Hammersmith is Euston Films, the fourth important element of Thames’ production structure which uses locations to make successful film drama programmes like The Sweeney, Out and Danger UXB. As well as pleasing viewers abroad, and winning major overseas awards, Thames has also regularly won the top British prizes – winning awards in recent years from the Broadcasting Press Guild, and from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the Royal Television Society. But the main aim is still to please British viewers, and in terms of ratings, Thames Television programmes remain dominant. DRAMA: Single plays – ITV Playhouse; The Sweeney; Rock Follies 78; The Norman Conquests; Hazell; Armchair Thriller; The Naked Civil Servant; Jenny, Lady Randolph Churchill; Bill Brand; Out; Danger UXB; Rumpole of the Bailey; Quatermass; Edward and Mrs Simpson; Born and Bred. CHILDREN’S: Magpie; Rainbow; Michael Bentine’s Potty Time; Fanfare; Horse in the House; The Tomorrow People; Shadows; You Can’t Be Serious; Sooty; Issi Noho; Paperplay. LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT – COMEDY: The Kenny Everett Video Show; Robin’s Nest; George and Mildred; Get Some In; What’s on Next; The Upchat Connection; Room Service. VARIETY AND SPECIALS: This Is Your Life; Morecambe and Wise; The Benny Hill Show; London Night Out; The Bernie Winters Show; The Ken Dodd Show; The Tommy Cooper Show; Relatively Secombe; Lingalongamax; Side by Side; Must Wear Tights; Tommy Steele and a Show. PANEL SHOWS: Whodunnit: Looks Familiar; Quick on the Draw: Give us a Clue. CURRENT AFFAIRS: This Week; Thames at Six; Time for Business; Take Six. FEATURES: After Noon; Money Go Round; Help!; Mavis; Glad Day (a celebration of William Blake); Superman and the Bride; Our School and Hard Times. OUTSIDE BROADCASTS: Football; Racing: Gymnastics: Swimming: Boxing; Specials (Royal Events, Royal Command Performances, Drama and Film Awards; Beauty Contests; Circuses); Wish You Were Here…?; A Town Called…. SCHOOLS: Seeing and Doing; Finding Out; Romeo and Juliet; It’s More Life with David Bellamy; Writer’s Workshop; The English Programme; French Studies; Music Round; It’s Your Future. ADULT EDUCATION: Could Do Better?; What About The Workers; Botanic Man; Immigrants. RELIGION: Close (late night religious programmes through the year); Christmas Services; Christmas Special; The Fruits of the Tree; Not Just Sundays; Double Helping; The Story of Job; Get Out and Push; Matter of Morals; Christmas Pie; St Nicolas Cantata; And Is It True?; Drawing to an End.

The post Television & Radio 1979 appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

London
Weekdays

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.

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 3252
Sales Office: Norfolk House, Smallbrook Queensway, BIRMINGHAM B5 4LJ
Tel: 021-643 9151

Directors. Howard Thomas, CBE (Chairman); Bryan Cowgill (Managing Director); Mrs Mary Baker; John T Davey, FCA; D R W Dicks; H S L Dundas. DSO, DFC; Jeremy Isaacs (Director of Programmes); Sir John 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).

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 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 and Liaison); Ian Martin (Controller of Features, Education and Religion); Malcolm Morris (Controller, Programme Department); John O’Keefe (Controller, Staff Relations); Eric E Parry (Controller, Programme Services); A C Parkinson (Controller, Administration); Grahame Turner (Controller of Outside Broadcasts); Sue Turner (Controller of Children’s Programmes); Peter Pagnamenta (Head of Current Affairs); Mike Wooller (Head of Documentaries); 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 (Managing Director).

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. Thames Television’s area covers over 11 million people in and around London from Monday morning to 7.00 p.m. on Friday. But the company’s fame reaches throughout the world. In 1976 for instance, Thames achieved a double international honour by winning the prestigious Prix Italia for documentary with Beauty, Bonny, Daisy, Violet, Grace and Geoffrey Morton, and for drama, with The Naked Civil Servant. And in the same month, the company bought a week on WOR-TV, New York’s Channel 9, and showed New Yorkers nothing but Thames programmes – a project that captured that city’s imagination and resulted in the opening of important new markets for Thames programmes.

All this international fame was achieved with programmes made specifically for British viewers. Thames’ contract covers the whole range of television, and most of its drama, light entertainment and children’s programmes are made in the riverside studios at Teddington, while the documentary and current affairs programmes come from the Company’s headquarters at Euston. The outside broadcast units, from their base at Hanworth, near Teddington, cover many major events -from Royal occasions to sport, from beauty contests to motor exhibitions – as well as servicing productions that need video cameras on location.

Working from its own base at Hammersmith is Euston Films, the fourth important element of Thames’ production structure which uses locations to make successful film drama programmes like The Sweeney and Van der Valk. As well as pleasing viewers abroad, and winning major overseas awards, Thames has also regularly won the top British prizes – winning awards in recent years from the Broadcasting Press Guild, and from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the Royal Television Society. But the main aim is still to please British viewers, and in terms of ratings, Thames Television programmes remain dominant.

DRAMA: Single plays – ITV Playhouse; The Sweeney; Special Branch; Van der Valk; Rock Follies; London Belongs to Me; The Norman Conquests; Hazell; Armchair Thriller; Rooms; Romance; The Naked Civil Servant; Jennie, Lady Randolph Churchill; Shades of Greene; Bill Brand; Moody and Pegg; Public Eye; Six Days of Justice; Life and Death of Penelope. CHILDREN’S: Fanfare; Chorlton and the Wheelies; Jamie and the Magic Torch; Michael Bentine’s Potty Time; Mice and Mendelson. LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT – COMEDY: Man About the House; Robin’s Nest; George and Mildred; Get Some In; Bless This House; What’s On Next; The Fuzz; The Upchat Line; Odd Man Out; Spring and Autumn; The Howerd Confessions. VARIETY AND SPECIALS: This Is Your Life; Opportunity Knocks; The Benny Hill Show; Night Out at the London Casino; Wednesday at Eight; The Tommy Steele Show; The Tommy Cooper Show; Bring on the Girls; Bruce and More Girls; The Tom O’Connor Show. PANEL SHOWS: Whodunnit; Looks Familiar; Quick on the Draw; There Goes That Song Again, CURRENT AFFAIRS: This Week; Thames at 6; Tuesday Documentary; Mind Your Own Business; People and Politics. FEATURES: After Noon; London Scene; Mavis; Glad Day (A celebration of William Blake); Superman and the Bride; Our School and Hard Times. OUTSIDE BROADCASTS: Darts; Racing; Football; Drive-In (motoring magazine); Sportscene (weekly sports magazine programme); Specials (Royal events, Royal Command Performances, Drama and Film Awards, beauty contests, astrology, Pub Entertainer of the Year, circuses); Wish You Were Here…?; International Snooker; Kitchen Garden; A Town Called…. SCHOOLS: Seeing and Doing; Finding Out; Romeo and Juliet; It’s Life with David Bellamy; It’s More Life; Writer’s Workshop; The English Programme; French Studies; Music Round; The World Around Us. ADULT EDUCATION: Could Do Better? RELIGION: Close (late night religious programmes through the year); Christmas Services; Christmas Special; Lord of the Dance; The Fruits of the Tree; Not Just Sundays; Help!; Double Helping; The Story of Job; Get Out and Push; Matter of Morals; Faith in Place; Christmas Pie; St Nicolas Cantata; Drawing to an End.

The post Television & Radio 1978 appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

Here is Thames, a vigorous young company, producing programmes which continue to win worldwide acclaim, able to carry proudly back to Britain for a second year the most coveted award in the whole of international broadcasting. Here is Thames earning £3m annually in foreign currency for Britain, by exporting its programmes to more than a hundred countries overseas. Yet simultaneously and paradoxically here is Thames, in common with the rest of Independent Television and the BBC, under yet another scrutiny and with yet more uncertainty about its future. It is a situation which puzzles our broadcasting colleagues throughout the world. When I go to countries like Australia, where British programmes are regarded as the excellence to which their own productions must aspire, the idea of these continuing enquiries into television is regarded as a British eccentricity. Unfortunately, it is not so amusing for the people who work in broadcasting.

What is especially difficult for us in ITV is the double standard which is so often applied by those who write about, talk about, or take part in committees about us. For our part we are prepared to admit frankly that when ITV began 22 years ago, commercial necessity produced a service that was engrossed with ratings and seeking to maintain its existence. But that was very long ago. ITV has now achieved a public service of high quality, rivalling anything that broadcasting can offer in Britain or elsewhere in the world – and limited only by expansion into an additional channel. It is no accident that ITV companies have become increasingly attractive to some of the finest talents in the BBC: men and women who would not join an inferior service however rich the rewards.

Nevertheless there are still people reluctant to acknowledge how ITV has developed, from its beginnings as the brash newcomer of 1956. The BBC, for example, still refers to its monopoly of public service broadcasting’. A respected critic, writing in the Sunday Times, suggested that a BBC play about welfare state bureaucracy ‘would have had no chance’ of being screened ‘on the commercial networks’. There remains a kind of snobbism behind such blinkered attitudes.

THE ANNAN COMMITTEE mostly managed to avoid this trap, but then made some surprising conclusions. Having recognised that ITV now offers programmes quite as good as, and in some cases superior to, the BBC; having acknowledged that ‘it is difficult to make comparisons when the BBC has two channels’ and that ‘ITV output cannot be expected to have the range which BBC can provide on two channels’; and having argued for the inauguration of a fourth channel as ‘a challenge to broadcasters’ and ‘a nursery for new forms and new methods of presenting ideas’ the Committee then promptly rejected the proposal that it should be run by the ITV companies. They claimed there would then be a risk of giving the public more of what they already had, and intensified competition between ITV and BBC.

This is out of touch with reality. The best way to make a fourth channel thrive, in a world where the viewer increasingly expects free choice of what he watches, is to dovetail it with ITV’s current service. A fourth channel having to compete against BBC’s two and ITV’s one would be fighting a losing battle, which all the taxpayer subsidy in the world could not win. The result would be an elitist service for a tiny minority of viewers, subsidised at enormous public cost. Yet one of the main areas in which ITV producers can fairly claim to have established unequalled experience and success is in popularising minority subjects. That experience, coupled with complementary – not competitive – scheduling between ITVl and ITV2, is the key to providing a new and exciting service on the fourth channel.

AS TO THE ASSERTION that ITV2 would provide ‘more of the same’, there are scores of ITV programme makers who are clamouring for the chance to prove this judgement of Annan wrong, once the straitjacket of a single channel has been removed. But if we were to assume that the staff and managements of ITV companies would want to produce on ITV2 a service identical to ITV1, the machinery of the Independent Broadcasting Authority is there to prevent such a duplication. We at Thames (and most of our colleagues in ITV) would expect to provide an ITV2 service which is obliged by statute and by IBA control to fulfil requirements not yet met by ITV or BBC. One of those, for which we put forward the original proposals in 1971, is the acquisition of programmes from independent producers for showing at peak time. We would welcome these additional freelances, though I suspect that they are neither so numerous nor so devoid of opportunity as the critics of BBC and ITV suggest. The fact remains, however, that the ITV companies are already equipped to provide a service which will meet the philosophical demands of the Annan Committee and also win a sizeable audience. Alternatives to ITV2 can do the first, but not the second.

The Annan Committee reported almost a year ago. As I write, the Home Office is about to produce the results of its deliberations on that report. So once again broadcasters have halted to await their future. We wait also to hear when and how the new IBA contracts are to be advertised and awarded. At Thames we await with confidence the confirmation that our record will ensure the continuation of our contract in the future. But we wait. And while we wait, we have to go on working.

Elsewhere in this Review you can see what ‘going on working’ means. In 1977 it meant producing 300 hours of programmes for our region and a further 700 for the ITV network. It meant raising a bountiful revenue from our advertisers, establishing new records. It meant selling more programmes overseas than any ITV company has ever done before.

Those achievements are made possible by what I believe to be the most professional staff in British television. But those bare facts could imply that Thames in 1977 was identical in all respects to Thames in 1976, ploughing the same familiar furrow. Far from it.

IN 1977 we introduced Thames At 6 – a daily regional programme which replaced the former Today and brought Andrew Gardner from ITN to be its chief presenter. Already the new programme has been praised for its impact, and this is only the first stage of impressive developments in television journalism covering local news and current affairs.

In 1977 we introduced Time For Business, a weekly 45-minute programme for the London region, not only a forum for the world of business, manufacturing and the city, but emphasising to the general public the importance of business and its contribution to their life style. Presented by the unique popularising talent of Eamonn Andrews, the programme is ITV’s first in the field. It arose directly from the consultation between business and union leaders and ITV companies, promoted by the Independent Broadcasting Authority.

In 1977 our outstandingly successful Light Entertainment Department produced another string of entirely new hits. There were the situation comedies The Upchat Line and Miss Jones & Son; the sparkling variety shows Night Out At The London Casino; and a range of superbly spectacular productions, including the highly acclaimed Tommy Steele And A Show, now chosen to represent ITV at this year’s Golden Rose of Montreux.

In 1977, the year in which the Annan Committee put into ITV’s mouth the words ‘If the public prefers series, why produce one-off dramas?’, Thames’ Drama Department in fact transmitted in peak time two seven-part series and fourteen ‘one-off dramas’, or plays.

DETAILS OF THESE and other innovations are in the Managing Director’s accompanying report of the year’s programmes, together with information about other imaginative projects. But it is not only in our programmes that new developments are to be found.

In 1977 our Technical and Engineering Department, in addition to its many other technological developments, launched a new Outside Broadcast unit of its own design, which packs into a single vehicle the resources of a vast studio.

In 1977 our Sales Department launched Enterprise, its own entirely new computerised airtime sales system, which provides a faster, more comprehensive service to advertisers and also increases the efficiency of our internal operation.

In 1977, with London Looks Forward, Thames created and financed an unprecedented investigation and debate about London’s future, on which the Duke of Edinburgh commented: ‘This is the first time a television company has become so deeply involved in the organisation of a project of such great public interest. It must also be the first time that a television company has managed to establish what might be described as two-way communication with the public.’

Those are considerable achievements, but it is inevitable that hundreds of other successes go unrecorded in a formal Chairman’s statement. The award of the OBE to our brilliant Controller of Light Entertainment Philip Jones and other honours to our staff – and the programme awards, both to complete production teams and to individuals like cameraman Nick Downie (Royal Television Society News Feature Award) and designers Alex Clarke and Rod Stratfold (RTS Design Award for Rock Follies) bring pleasure and pride to all of us. In the same way, the achievements of week-by-week programmes like Help!, Money-Go-Round and Magpie (which has now raised more than half a million pounds for children’s charities), go largely unsung although they remain a crucial part of our service to the public, especially to the underprivileged. These are not the routine achievements of some shapeless thing called a company, but the creation of dedicated, imaginative people; for people are the main ingredient of a television programme company.

DURING THE YEAR we have made several changes in our structure and management, building a younger team to move Thames forward. This energetic group is now led by Mr Bryan Cowgill, the outstanding BBC programme maker and channel controller, who joined us as Managing Director in October. He took over from Mr George A. Cooper who had reached his retirement age after contributing so much to ITV as well as to our company. The first Sales Director both for ABC Television and for Thames Television, Mr Cooper succeeded me as Managing Director in 1974. His knowledge and advice continue to be available to us on a consultancy basis.

AFTER TEN SUCCESSFUL YEARS, changes in the Board were inevitable. One of our earliest directors, Mr Humphrey Tilling, formerly Company Secretary of EMI Limited, and a member of its Board, also came to retirement age. The wise and polished contributions of Mr Tilling will he missed at our Board meetings, but we shall continue to enjoy hearing his scintillating after-dinner speeches at our social events. In his place, we are fortunate to have another EMI director, Mr John M. Kuipers, particularly because of Mr Kuipers experience of electronics and his recent supervision of EMI’s interests in Australia and the Far East. Retirement age was also the reason for the resignation of one of our two independent directors, Lord Wolfenden, and we were sorry to lose his guidance on educational programmes, dating back to his pioneer work on the Schools Advisory Committee in 1957, when Rediffusion Television introduced the first television programmes for schools. Succeeding him as another non-executive independent director we are fortunate to have the services and experience of the distinguished film and television producer, Lord Brabourne.

The collaboration between Bryan Cowgill and our Director of Programmes, Jeremy Isaacs, is already producing new ideas, new programmes and new ways of extending our public service. At the time of Mr Cowgill’s appointment, the Board also made other changes to the senior management. Ian Scott became Director of Administration and Finance, with Jim Shaw continuing as Director of Sales and Marketing. A new senior management team was formed to work alongside the four executive Board members: Muir Sutherland, Managing Director of Thames Television International; Bob Godfrey, technical and Engineering Director; John Hambley, Planning and Development Director; and John O’Keefe, Industrial Relations Director, with Ben Marr continuing as Company Secretary.

All the promotions involved in these moves, and those immediately resulting from them, are internal appointments from among our existing management. At the same time, we have begun to make structural changes to our departmental system where we think them necessary. Current Affairs and Documentaries have now been split, for example, into two different departments under Mike Wooller and Peter Pagnamenta. Further changes will follow, including the establishment of the ambitious Regional News Unit about which the Managing Director writes elsewhere.

NEW POLICIES ARE EMERGING at Thames, for example, in relation to sport and to filmed programmes. When Rediffusion Television, the pioneer London weekday contractor, was merged by the Authority with ABC Television, the weekend contractor for the North and Midlands, then dominating the Saturday/Sunday afternoon audiences, LWT took over ABC’s World of Sport with outstanding success; but no longer can ITV sport be concentrated into the weekend. With such international sports specialists as Bryan Cowgill, Managing Director of Thames, and Paul Fox, Managing Director of Yorkshire, recruited into the Independent Network, there should now be vigorous competition with the BBC on weekday sports coverage and commentaries.

In terms of filmed programmes, and with all the studios of Thames Television now overflowing with both live and videotaped programmes, this company must turn increasingly to the medium of film to augment its programme output. The international success of Sweeney!, in the cinema as well as on television, has proved that British drama series of the highest quality can be filmed entirely on location, and therefore Thames’ subsidiary film company, Euston Films, will extend its production.

Benefiting by all the expertise which has been gained by this company over its busy seven years, Thames Television will now take the further step of making a series of full-length feature films for television. It is hoped to revive and refurbish the reputation of British feature films at their very best, except that these films will not be produced for the cinema, hut for today’s greater audience television.

To the makers of our past and future programmes, and to every member of the staff of Thames Television, I express thanks for a highly successful year, and look forward to another period of exciting progress.

The post Chairman’s statement appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

But even before the Eighties arrive, the next couple of years are crucial to our future. We are faced by the need to secure a new contract from the Independent Broadcasting Authority and to justify its award, before and after the event. We are faced by the prospect that the Government may provide ITV with a second channel, and we must be ready to take the opportunities it would offer. But we recognise equally that this long overdue move might be even further postponed. If it is, we shall have to find other ways to ensure that our talents and energies can range more widely, and improve our service to the public even further.

PROGRAMMES ARE THE KEY to realising these aims. Conceiving programmes, creating programmes, transmitting them, selling them, making them better, bolder and sometimes bigger. So my priority as Managing Director, now and in the future, will be to work with my colleagues to ensure the excellence, invention and effectiveness of our complete range of programme production and scheduling. That process has already begun with a new annual Programme Plan developed with Jeremy Isaacs and his Controllers. The operation of this plan will be the basis of all the company’s future activities. As a result of that plan and its varied programme aspirations, we have a busy and rewarding year in prospect.

OUR NEW STRATEGY includes the development of a stronger, more comprehensive local journalism for our region with the creation of a fully-staffed Regional News Unit. This unit will also, I hope, see the introduction of lightweight electronic newsgatherjng techniques (ENG) which are such an important part of our future broadcasting technology. It will be responsible not only for the daily Thames at 6 but also for lunchtime regional news bulletins and other programmes. We shall also be developing our weekly network current affairs programme into new areas.

We intend to enlarge and improve our range of sports programmes and look afresh at what the viewing public want from sport on television. And we plan to introduce a complete new programme for the afternoon, designed by Thames, which will encompass the current variety of programmes seen during that period on ITV.

IN ADDITION to these extensive new developments we shall continue to concentrate on those areas where we have shown such outstanding success. In light entertainment we shall be producing no less than 70 situation comedies in the year, together with the variety and spectacular shows which have given the department such an unparalleled record. And it is our aim to continue to attract the finest talents in this field, as in others. The main newcomers in light entertainment are already household names: Morecambe & Wise, the record-breaking entertainers who have joined Thames to make television programmes and a feature film; and top DJ Kenny Everett, who will have his own pop music and entertainment show starting in the summer.

THE DRAMA DEPARTMENT will be producing Edward and Mrs Simpson, the story of Edward VIIIs abdication starring Edward Fox and scripted by Simon Raven, together with John Mortimer’s Rumpole of the Bailey, ten new plays for peaktime and, I hope, a new run of daytime dramas from Teddington. Euston Films will have a new series of The Sweeney and will begin to work on the first dramatic episodes of Danger UXB, featuring the heroic work of army bomb disposal.

We will have two highly popular and informative series in Botanic Man, David Bellamy’s study of ecology shot on location around the world, and Hollywood, a riveting documentary series about the silent era that gave birth to the world film industry.

I HAVE BEEN QUOTED as saying that the primary aim of a television company is to make fine programmes and that ‘the rest is housekeeping’. I do not underestimate the importance of everything that goes to make up ‘housekeeping’. In addition to Jeremy Isaacs I count myself fortunate to have alongside me controlling these activities Ian Scott, Director of Administration and Finance, whose wide-ranging experience is proving invaluable; a Sales Department under Jim Shaw which is the most effective of its kind in the country; an extremely successful international sales operation led by Muir Sutherland which has trebled Thames’ income from overseas sales in three years; and under Bob Godfrey’s direction a Technical and Engineering Department of high accomplishment and many varied and impressive skills.

Our plans for this coming year will require the cooperation and enthusiasm of staff in all areas and the gradual expansion of our facilities together with the maximum utilisation of existing resources. I know that all will be forthcoming.

I regard it as a privilege, as well as a challenge, to lead the 1750 men and women of Thames in maintaining our standards of excellence in the interest of the public we serve.

The post A message from the Managing Director appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

Philip Jones OBE and Verity Lambert have already made their mark and achieved the recognition they deserve. This year we have added Ian Martin’s department’s Prix Italia to Sue Turner’s Prix Jeunesse.

Next year there will be Mike Wooller’s first major documentary series for Thames, Hollywood. Peter Pagnamenta will be bringing a new look to all our current affairs programmes. And Sam Leitch, who has just joined as Head of Sport, will make his contribution to an even better programme mix from Thames.

These are the people – with their production teams – who are now planning the programmes you will see in the ’80s.

The post The programme year 1977 appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

Benny Hill presented his versions of the New Avengers, Mastermind, I Claudius, Dickie Davies and even Bionic Baby, in the first of his self-penned specials for 1977. A third of Britain watched.

People & Politics continued into the New Year, with Llew Gardner mixing individual interviews Merlyn Rees, David Steel and Harold Lever were among his subjects with broader debates on topics like transport, and workers participation.

February and March again saw Hughie Green’s Opportunity Knocks! in its fifteenth series riding high in the network top ten every week.

Get Some In!, with Tony Selby starring in John Esmonde and Bob Larbeys comedy of National Service life, had two new series during 1977. Their average network audience for the year was over 15 million viewers per episode.

Not many programmes reach across the class and age spectrum to inspire much the same reaction from diverse people, but Get Some In! is one of them.

Countless National Servicemen (Retd.) – and their fathers – dredging up memories of wartime basic training – keep telling me that the show is not only funny but true to life.

A highly skilfully rationed sprinkle of nostalgia – in the first edition of the new season, references to Ruby Murray and Ronnie Ronalde – Tony Selby’s craven bully of a Corporal, and unselfish teamwork by the rest of the cast, make Get Some In! hard to resist.

Daily Mail

Two popular Outside Broadcast series returned on 23 February. James Hunt was special guest in the first Drive In, with Shaw Taylor and Tony Bastable introducing television’s only regular magazine programme for motorists.

And Keith Fordyce and Claire Rayner returned in Kitchen Garden, to show how to grow and cook your own garden produce – from growing potatoes in a bucket, to cooking your own sour Borscht.

Terry Scott, Lionel Blair and Aimi Macdonald were among the personalities joining Roy Castle, to try to guess the famous parents of young guests who appeared in the new series of Whose Baby?

Mandao, a thoroughbred stallion, was the star of Horse in the House, a six-part children’s drama series written by Rosemary Anne Sissons. Kim McDonald played Mandao’s owner, Melanie.

This Week continued their regular coverage of Ireland in ‘Derry, Time to Remember’, five years after Bloody Sunday. And in Rhodesia, Jonathan Dimbleby talked with Ian Smith and President Nyerere on the failure of the Kissinger plan; in September he would return to cover the next Anglo-American plan.

Outside Broadcasts went to Wembley twice during February to cover England’s fortunes in soccer matches with Holland, and the crucial World Cup battle with Luxembourg.

Rooms continued to occupy the afternoon drama slot each Tuesday and Wednesday, with over sixty episodes in 1977 on the people and events in a West London rooming house.

Getting something new for Robin was a long-term plan. We thought there was a lot more to say about the characters but not in the setting of ‘Man About the House’, which, after 39 episodes, had exhausted their possibilities. Robin is now living happily unmarried, with the daughter of the man whose cash pays for a restaurant business…

Johnnie Mortimer, co-writer with Brian Cooke of ‘Man About the House, top 1976 situation comedy ‘George & Mildred’; and in January, ‘Robin’s Nest’.

‘Welcome to Robin’s Nest, a most professional quick-fire comedy series by Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke, Richard O’Sullivan (Robin) lives with Tessa Wyatt (Vicky) – and a handsome pair they make – much to the disgust of Vicky’s father (Tony Britton, who has the expert timing of a comic pro). We are often labelled a permissive society, but how many years since it has been portrayed in cinema and theatre has it taken television to present a comedy series about living together?’

The Listener

The first episode of Robin’s Nest jumped into the National Top Twenty in third place. It was up to number 2 for the rest of January, kept from top position only by…

This is Your Life, presented by Eamonn Andrews, which held the top network audience for ten weeks running from January through to March. This is Your Life’s perennial audience appeal is reflected by its taking nine out of the top twenty programme viewing figures for the calendar year 1977.

ITV’s first major documentary of the year was Hazlitt in Love, a dramatised film of the famous writer’s love life, written by C P Taylor and based on Hazlitt s book ‘Liber Amoris’. Kenneth Haig played the title role with Lynne Frederick as his femme fatale.

‘Beautifully photographed sexual cliff-hanger based on the slim volume published by the essayist William Hazlitt in expiation of his obsession with his landlady’s daughter, Sarah Walker. Lynne Frederick is faun-like as the lady; Kenneth Haigh is the distressed essayist.’

Evening Standard

Wish You Were Here…? Outside Broadcasts’ midwinter preview of summer holidays, took viewers out and about in Britain with Judith Chalmers and Chris Kelly. During January they travelled from Pitlochry in Scotland and Killarney in Ireland, to Jersey, North Wales and resorts in England.

Christopher Neame and Ann Hasson starred as Romeo & Juliet in a special Schools production of Shakespeare’s play, transmitted in eight episodes.

This Week started the year with an exclusive interview by Peter Williams of Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky, just two days after his arrival in Britain. The following week saw the second part of John Fielding’s Soho gangster expose on the murder of ‘Scarface’ Smithson.

Denis Norden’s afternoon programme Looks Familiar had a rare scoop on 12 January when David Niven provided a memorable half-hour’s nostalgia about life in Hollywood during the ’30s and ’40s.

Elizabeth Shepherd, one of the heroines in Romance, described a romantic as ‘someone who does not pine for the loss of her past and has an absolute belief in the possibilities of the future.’ It was this image of the romantic heroine that was revived in six love stories based on classic romantic novels taken from a century of the British love story. Producer Peter Duguid explained his aims in bringing romance back to television:

‘Many of these novels were considered so risque by contemporary readers that they produced a storm of controversy.

‘But while today’s viewers will find little to outrage in our series, I believe we have recreated for television a genre that has been underexposed to the point where it has become, perhaps, undervalued: full-blooded, rich in romance, with a hero, a heroine, often a villain, and a story with a beginning, a middle and an end.

‘It is these easily recognisable values which made the originals so popular, and we have tried to respect them in our television adaptations. I hope that viewers will share and enjoy the magic of these marvellous love stories.’

Three Weeks by Elinor Glyn, adapted by Gerald Savory, director Waris Hussein, starring Elizabeth Shepherd, Simon MacCorkindale.

Moths by Ouida, adapted by Hugh Whitemore, director Waris Hussein, starring Cathryn Harrison, Nigel Davenport, Maria Aitken.

The Black Knight by Ethel M Dell, adapted by John Kershaw, director Peter Hammond, starring Sinead Cusack, Edward Fox, Simon Williams.

High Noon by Ruby M Ayres, adapted by Julia Jones, director Barry Davis, starring Celia Bannerman, Lynn Farleigh, John Fraser.

House of Men by Catherine Marchant, adapted by Ray Jenkins, director Piers Haggard, starring Mary Larkin, James Laurenson, Michael Kitchen.

Emily by Jilly Cooper, adapted by Eleanor Bron, director Alastair Reid, starring Gemma Craven, Ronald Pickup.

Elegance, style, wit and charm

Sunday Times

Take a dash of Wuthering Heights, add a dollop of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, stir in lashings of true romance… marvellous, good old-fashioned stuff.

Daily Express

For sheer escapism, stories with a beginning, a middle and, usually, a comforting end, it will be difficult to beat Romance.

Morning Star

Money-Go-Round, Good Afternoon’s special feature on consumer news, marked its hundredth edition in March with Joan Shenton and Tony Bastable surveying the changes in eating, shopping and life-styles over the past hundred years. Good Afternoon continued daily at 2.00 pm, featuring guests like Alan Coren (on the Silver Jubilee) and Yehudi Menuhin reflecting on his life in music.

March saw the debut of a new 13-part children’s series Jamie and the Magic Torch, from Thames’ animation subsidiary Cosgrove Hall Productions.

In March, This Week’s coverage ranged from Peter Taylor investigating the success of ‘The Hustler’, a sex magazine that is now America’s third best-selling periodical, to John Fielding’s widely-acclaimed expose of The Poisoning of Michigan a This Week Special which told a horrifying story of death and disease resulting from chemical pollution.

While Rock Follies of ’77 was in the final stages of production, the original Rock Follies series was being repeated in Britain, taking America by storm on the Public Broadcasting Network, and winning the Best Drama Series award in the British Academy awards, and two Royal Television Society awards.

The zingy highlight is sure to be Rock Follies – a five-part, five-and-a-half-hour sock-it-to-’em musical soap opera about three smashing birds, long past their teens, who set out to become England’s top group. This funky bundle from Britain, produced by Thames Television, was a rollicking hit over there and ought to score pretty high Stateside as a likeable, offbeat showbiz saga. Throughout, Rock Follies provides a unique and exhilarating change of tempo: less snob appeal, more sex appeal.

Playboy

The post Winter programmes appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

Once again, This is Your Life was the single most successful series on British television during 1977. It also achieved its own all-time biggest audience on 27 April, when Lord Mountbatten was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in the Thames foyer, and with nearly 18½ million viewers watching, spent an hour reviewing his past in the company of his family, Juliet Mills, Sir John Mills, Vera Lynn, Sir Bernard Miles, Danny Kaye, Jackie Coogan, and (on film) Bob Hope and Douglas Fairbanks Jnr. By popular request the programme was repeated on Boxing Day. By then the current series was already under way; outstanding among the present run of Lives’ was the tribute to Virginia Wade, winner of her first Wimbledon title in Jubilee Year.

Opportunity Knocks discovery Tom O’Connor established in 1976 through Wednesday at Eight and in the Royal Variety Performance, featured in his own series of six half-hours which began in March. Tom’s humour was complemented by musical entertainment from guests like Barbara Dickson Mahogany and the King’s Singers.

Two more Opportunity Knocks proteges, Syd Little and Eddie Large, topped the bill for their first major series in The Little and Large Tellyshow. With guests from the younger generation of pop music – Suzi Quatro, The Jacksons, Linda Lewis, the Four Tops, and Rock Follies’ Rula Lenska among them – the show came into the Top Twenty at number 13, stayed there for three weeks and then jumped into the top five.

And starting on the same Monday night in April, Man About the House’s Paula Wilcox went straight to number one in London, second on the Network, in the lead role of Richard Waring’s new comedy series Miss Jones and Son. It was an outstanding success from a controversial subject – that of an unmarried mother. ‘Richard Waring’s scripts look for laughs in the right places, and set the complicated life of the motherly Miss Jones in a houseful of sympathetic and lively characters,’ concluded the Evening News.

Richard O’Sullivan, who starred alongside Paula Wilcox in Man About the House, hosted the 1977 TV Times Awards, transmitted on 14 April. Among the Thames stars to whom he presented awards were John Thaw (Most Compulsive Male Character), Julie Covington (Top Female Singer), Yootha Joyce (Funniest Female Personality), and Penelope Keith and John Inman who were both at the time working on new Thames series (The Norman Conquests and Odd Man Out respectively). Top Male TV Personality was Bruce Forsyth, whose one-hour special Bruce and More Girls, with Lesley-Anne Down, Nanette Newman and Dana, topped the London and UK ratings in the same week.

‘Not only did Bruce Forsyth do well with last year’s light entertainment special – he seems to be doing even better as tonight’s show proves. It is literally bulging with talented singing, dancing and comic young women. If there’s one thing that Bruce Forsyth generates it’s pleasure’.

Evening News

Special Easter programming included The Story of Job, a new ballet choreographed to the music of Vaughan Williams by Robert Cohan, danced by the London Contemporary Dance Theatre and narrated by Andrew Cruikshank: and on Easter Monday, Outside Broadcasts went to the Big Top in Croydon for a special Chipperfield’s Circus, hosted by David Hamilton.

‘A rare delight,’ said the Sunday Times; ‘engrossing… it’s all beautiful fun’ added the Daily Mail about Terry Dixons’ two one-hour films on the life and work of Walt Disney. Having achieved rare access to the Disney empire, the story was told both through film clips (from the earliest sketches to Disney’s wartime propaganda cartoons) and in the words of the people who knew and worked with Disney – animators and directors, Walt’s daughter (who sang Snow White’s songs), and even the living voice of Donald Duck, Clarence Nash. 14 million people watched the films, placing them firmly in the Top Ten, itself a rare achievement for television documentaries.

Former CIA Director William Colby and ex-Head of US Air Force Intelligence General Keegan were among those interviewed by Peter Williams in This Week’s five-programme series on international intelligence and espionage, which revealed a worldwide network of spying and intrigue, murder and blackmail, and a new, horrifying generation of nuclear ‘superweapons’.

‘NEW YEAR! NEW SHOW!
NEW FANTASIES!
WELCOME TO THE FOLLIES OF ’77!’

Rock Follies of ’77 began in May, was interrupted by dispute halfway through its run, and finally concluded towards the end of the year, by which time plans were already under way for a Follies feature film. In this second series the Little Ladies rock group, comprising Julie Covington, Rula Lenska, Charlotte Cornwell and new member Sue Jones-Davies, had found a new extrovert manager, zestfully played by Beth Porter. Over twenty new songs by Andy Mackay were included.

‘Festooned with television awards, the Little Ladies return as good as new. Maybe better. I like it very much. I always did. What more can I say but Hot Tomales! Crazee! Yassir!’

‘The most remarkable example of imagination and skills, marrying ideas and techniques, that British television has achieved in a long while.’

Guardian

‘It has displayed techniques, innovations, variety and wit which marks it, if not unique, certainly special. It showed us fresh skills with the medium which, hopefully, will leave their mark on future television drama.’

Morning Star

‘(We) will feel its vibrations for years to come. Schuman, director Bill Hayes and producer Andrew Brown stretched television’s oblong box and made it accommodate something that wouldn’t have worked half as well in any other medium. Was it a pop show, satire, social drama, Hollywood musical spoof, blue’ish revue, or what? The only possible answer is “Yes”.’

Sunday Times

The Government’s ‘Great Education Debate’ peaked in the early summer. Shortly after Panorama’s shock report on the Faraday school, Thames’ Our School and Hard Times gave perspective to progressive teaching in comprehensives. Producer David Hodgson, whose Magpie special on young gymnasts was transmitted earlier in the year, aired the children’s thoughts on their education through their creative work, as practised in an inner London comprehensive:

Then seven half-hour reports investigated the workings of our state schools, posing the question Could Do Better? Reporter Jenny Conway visited primary and secondary schools, asking what school is for and whether it achieves its aims. In the final programme, Education Minister Shirley Williams and Shadow Spokesman Norman St John Stevas spoke about their educational ideals.

‘Education has proved surprisingly difficult to treat on television in any sustained and popular way. These programmes have shown a surer, more popular grasp of the issues than many recent contributions to the debate.’

Times Education Supplement

Barry Hanson, now producing ‘Out’ for Euston Films, was producer on six new Plays for Britain for the ITV Playhouse. This series, which has an unrivalled record for introducing new drama writers to television, used contemporary Britain as the overall backcloth for all its stories. They ranged widely, from the kidnapping of a pop star, to a witty evocation of a large company’s annual outing, to a vivid story of a car-stealing ring.

Plays for Britain:

Not Quite Cricket by Barry Keefe
The Proofing Session by E A Whitehead
Cork and Bottle by Michael Sadler
Last Summer by Peter Prince
It’s Only Rock ’n Roll by Tony Bicat
The Road Runner by Michael Abbensetts

‘A hint of the long gone Armchair Theatre era of Sydney Newman productions. There was the same vivid interest in and sympathy with pedestrian enough matters, used to highlight wider social questions.’

Daily Mail

‘ITV Playhouse scored a hit for six with “It’s Not Quite Cricket” This story of an office outing and cricket match was a joy.’

Daily Mirror

Paradise Island originated as a short play by a design engineer called Michael Haley, inspired by a holiday in the Scilly Isles. He sent it to Thames, where it was developed into a whimsical situation comedy series with a cast of two – Bill Maynard and William Franklyn as, respectively, a priest and ships entertainments officer, who have been cast away on a desert island.

As Paradise Island concluded its run, William Franklyn remained on Thames screens with a totally different kind of comedy series – What’s on Next?, a fast-moving mix of jokes and sketches in which he was joined by Pam Ayres, Barry Cryer, Bob Todd, Jim Davidson, Anna Dawson and Sandra Dickinson.

This Monday night laugh-in gets funnier and funnier wrote the Daily Mail, and the audience agreed – it entered the London and Network Top Tens in third place, and by the second week had topped the London ratings.

‘Anyone too young to remember Laugh-In must have enjoyed the pace of What’s On Next?, wondering why previous comedy programmes hadn’t cashed in on sheer momentum. We have William Franklyn devilish smooth and caddishly quizzical, presiding over a team, encouraging smiles. It’s good to see Franklyn and his urbane, faintly disapproving style of light comedy. And it’s nice to get a show with so many comediennes.

Pam Ayres, the poetess whose metres seem to owe more to the Gas Board than inspiration, was the revelation. She is a wonderfully natural and appealing person, able to work more fun from a weak gag than plastic performers can find in a good one. Its mixture of low comedy and high spirits makes me ready to watch it again.’

Daily Mail

Outside Broadcasts covered the Derby and the Epsom Summer Meeting in June, and there were more horses in The King’s Troop, a colourful portrayal of the ceremonial horse artillery unit, which was transmitted on Jubilee Thursday.

In May and June, This Week concentrated on the major overseas stories then dominating the headlines – three programmes on the Middle East, and two on the Ulster loyalist strike.

Good Afternoon, attracting special attention for its harder news interviews and coverage, increased its audience through the year. April saw Mavis Nicholson interviewing Lady Mosley on her controversial biography of Sir Oswald and in May, she interviewed R D Laing. Judith Chalmers discussed natural childbirth with Frederic Leboyer, and all four presenters (with Elaine Grand and Mary Parkinson) met Stock Exchange Chairman Nicholas Goodison in the Thames studio. Film and OB reports covered education, nuclear power, and Morris dancing in the Cotswolds.

‘We believe passionately in making programmes which respect our afternoon audience. We don’t reckon to make programmes for ghetto groups of any kind, but for any intelligent viewer who may choose to look at us. There are now three million of them, and 33⅓% are male.’

Catherine Freeman, Producer, Good Afternoon.

Eric Sykes showed his rarely-seen talents as singer, dancer and musician as well as comedian, in a self-scripted one-hour special which reunited him with many of his long-standing partners in entertainment – Hattie Jacques, Jimmy Edwards, Irene Handl and Peter Cook among them.

The post Spring programmes appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

Rainbow, the pre-school children’s programme, has received worldwide praise for its pioneering documentary films for pre-school children. The latest in this occasional series, designed to introduce the youngest viewers to traumatic aspects of growing up, showed the arrival of a new member to the family, in Rainbow Has a New Baby.

‘Rainbow produces another fascinating look at the toddlers this evening. There’s an “ooooh” in every shot as three-year-old Dominic North – a smashing cherub – learns to live with an interloper in the house, his new sister Felicity. There is a great deal of illuminating observation in Charles Warren’s production. These programmes may be aimed at under-fives, but they prove irresistible to adults, too.’

Daily Express

Straight into the London Top Ten in third position, the summer series of Get Some In! continued the success story of Tony Selby and his ‘erks’ from the RAF.

For the first time, marriage guidance counsellors and their clients were filmed in the throes of consultation, in Nick Broomfield’s often disturbing and intimate film Marriage Guidance. Subsequently, he was invited to tour American colleges, to show and talk about the film.

Ken Ashton’s Lonely Hearts portrayed the problems of loneliness in our big cities through the eyes of ten young people, all of them desperate for friendship.

The Ruth Ellis Story, by Chris Goddard, looked back two decades to one of the most controversial postwar murder trials, that of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain.

Frank Cvitanovich combined newsreel film, Japanese propaganda footage and specially-shot material to recreate The Hunting of Force Z, the story of how the Japanese hunted and finally sank the battleships ‘Repulse’ and ‘Prince of Wales’ in 1941. Sir Michael Redgrave was narrator.

Michael Aspel narrated Joan Aiken’s Mice and Mendelson, a lunchtime story series for children about a group of mice and a pony named Mendelson.

Secret experiments in a laboratory lead to a mysterious murder: Whodunnit? asked Jon Pertwee, in the first of a new series of the successful early-evening panel show. Magnus Pyke, Bill Pertwee, Tessa Wyatt, Jimmy Jewell, Connie Booth and Alfred Marks were among the guesting sleuths.

Tom O’Connor, described by The Stage as ‘the sort of compere the old masters at the Palladium would be proud of,’ took the television variety show back to a theatre setting, and straight back to the top of the National Top Twenty with Night Out at the London Casino. With audiences of up to 14¼ million, the show followed the chart-topping format of the established Wednesday at Eight, including the Name That Tune audience contest. Guests in this entertainment highlight for ITVs summer season included Tommy Cooper, Twiggy, Norman Wisdom, Mike and Bernie Winters and Frankie Howerd.

The months between the end of Today, and the start in September of its successor Thames at 6, vacated the 6.00pm slot for new series. Allan Hargreaves turned quizmaster for The London Quiz, in which teams from London schools pitted their knowledge of London, past and present, in a knock-out tournament. Monty Modlyn returned with A Town Called; among the towns he visited were Chatham, Hampstead, Guildford, and Dinard in France. Get Out and Push was a series of half-hour documentaries about ordinary people who are committed to helping others – neither famous nor rich, their only motive being that they want to help. In Mavis, Mavis Nicholson met six people, first in their home and then in the studio, to discuss topics of special interest to them – from Barbara Cartland on girls’ morals, via John Aspinall on the dignity of animals, to John Mortimer pleading for more freedom of choice. And in preparation for the coming soccer season, Brough Scott returned with Sportscene, reviewing London’s sports.

Exactly one year after a chemical cloud escaped from a factory in Seveso, Italy, John Fielding returned to make a shock This Week Special: Seveso, the Poison Cloud. He revealed a state of maladministration which had allowed the poison to continue spreading, while failing to protect the victims of the disaster.

The Miss Thames competition, and sporting events ranging from the Australia versus the Rest of the World Jubilee cricket match, and international soccer with England against Switzerland, to a series of darts matches, were covered by Thames’ Outside Broadcasts cameras in the late summer.

Rolf Harris returned with a new series of Quick on the Draw, and was also one of the guests in The David Nixon Show; others included in David’s guestlist were Ron Moody, Ray Allen and Lord Charles, Diana Dors and Anita Harris.

This Week produced disturbing evidence that 8000 pounds of MUF nuclear material unaccounted for – were potentially on the illegal world arms market. Llew Gardner, joining the programme from Today, reported on a little-aired crisis, that of Quebec nationalism, in The French Disconnection.

Early in 1977, Orient Street, London SE11 was stripped of its television aerials and double yellow lines, as producer Paul Knight transformed it into Dulcimer Street in 1938 – setting for London Belongs to Me, a drama series based on Norman Collins’ internationally best-selling novel about London and Londoners during the early years of World War II. Derek Farr, Madge Ryan, Patricia Hayes, Peter Jeffrey and Terence Budd starred.

‘Few successful novels become successful TV series. The Thames adaptation of Norman Collins’ best-selling novel London Belongs to Me looks like the exception. Collins’ wry sympathy with his characters has been skilfully transferred to the TV series by writer Hugh Leonard and producer Paul Knight. There are excellent performances by Terence Budd as Percy Boon, Peter Jeffrey as Mr Squales and Patricia Hayes as Connie Coke.’

Sunday Times

‘A long overdue recognition of sub-Dickensian literary artifact that is made for television. It has a large cast of fascinating characters – what the trade calls a “human story.”. Hugh Leonard sticks close to the novel, stressing the essential “ordinariness” of Collins’ extraordinary people, with every part a cameo and every cameo well carved in sharp relief. The design and mise-en-scene are admirable and the direction efficiently unobtrusive.’

Broadcast

‘What’s different about this telly period drama is that it’s funny – which period dramas, in general, are not. The series is as tasty, and nutty, as a fruitcake.’

Daily Mirror

Two years after it began as a five-minute insert. Help! became a daily programme in September, expanding from volunteer recruitment to include information on health, employment and welfare rights. By Christmas over 15,000 enquiries were received by the programme, many requesting specially-produced publications: ‘Help Yourself to London,’ a listing of facilities and opportunities for pensioners produced in co-operation with Age Concern (Greater London), was sent to 8,000 viewers. Gordon Honeycombe read the news in Hindustani (illustrating the language problems of home-hound Asian women), Cilia Black spoke about losing her baby, and Instant Sunshine even sang a special song on curing the Christmas hangover, as Help! used different forms of presentation to illustrate their topics. The year of Help! ended with an appeal for wool and unwanted woollens to make patchwork blankets – a mile-long strip of wool and 5,000 jumpers were the result.

This Week returned to Ireland, with a remarkable secret film made in the Maze prison, and an investigation into the RUC’s interrogation techniques; while at home, Peter Williams reported on the threat of a footballers’ strike.

Michael Robbins, Nigel Lambert, Mike Savage and Lynda Bellingham starred as the hilariously ineffective crime-fighting force of a small, outer London police station in The Fuzz, a new situation comedy by ‘Budgie’ creator Willis Hall.

Six months in the making on location in Amsterdam, Euston Films’ new production of Van der Valk went straight into the Network Top Ten, and quickly found a permanent place there with up to 14¼ million viewers. Barry Foster returned as the Dutch detective, joined by a new wife, Joanna Dunham and Nigel Stock as his police boss. Multiple car chases, dramatic effects and stunts injected Euston Films’ trademark of high action into the already familiar character and format. ‘Mike Vardy’s direction is quite exceptional’ the Daily Express reported on the first episode; ‘the series serves a very unusual place in the area of the TV sleuth. It is unorthodox and full of extremely good performances, with Barry Foster filling the bill completely’

Half a million sales of Rainbows, packs designed to reflect the Rainbow series, were topped during 1977. Sold in 23 countries, these have proved Thames’ most successful programme-related publishing venture, and in August a similar series of activity packs relating to Magpie were also launched. Other merchandise in the year ranged from jigsaws based on Cosgrove Hall’s cartoon series, to a silver disc for the Rock Follies of ’77 record.

The post Summer programmes appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

‘In the first “This Sporting Land” Wynford Vaughan Thomas gives a witty, learned and thoroughly enjoyable account of the history and current idiosyncrasies of cricket. It’s a gem of a programme and will beguile even the most fervent disliker of the game’

Sunday Times

‘The narration, by Wynford Vaughan Thomas, is a mixture of acid, irony, mockery and straight reportage. Each programme will certainly hold the attention. They are entertaining, informative and humorous!’

Times Educational Supplement

ON 12 SEPTEMBER THAMES LAUNCHED TWO MAJOR NEW DAILY PROGRAMMES,
THAMES AT 6 AND AFTER NOON

Former ITN newscaster Andrew Gardner introduced Thames at 6, a 6.00pm report on London and its day. The production was structured to bring more hard, regional news coverage, and more deeply probing investigations, to the traditional Today function. Within the first month these aims began to be realised, with interviews with Jim Slater and the Minister for Health, special investigations into the Luton murder and the drug Primados, and on the lighter side, Kenny Everett’s zany music reviews hinted at what is to come when Kenny;s own series starts on Thames during 1978.

‘The word has clearly gone out that no-one is going to be allowed to get away with anything. The brief bursts of questioning are ultra-tough. (The first week has) managed already by turns to illuminate, to irritate and to celebrate’

Times

After Noon was a recasting of its successful predecessor Good Afternoon, broadening the outlook from traditional women’s subjects’ to greater coverage of the arts, politics, education, medicine and social questions, alongside the personality interviews and magazine features.

In its first weeks, After Noon went on location with reports on the Tate Gallery’s ‘Save the Stubbs’ campaign (with an interview with Arts Minister Lord Donaldson), and on life in high rise blocks. Personality interviews included Mary Parkinson with Pierre Cardin, Judith Chalmers with James Herriot, Elaine Grand meeting Lord Shinwell, Mavis Nicholson holding the first-ever TV interview with current pop sensation Elvis Costello, followed shortly by Morecambe and Wise.

Straight into the national ratings in second place, John Alderton’s first situation comedy series for Thames, The Upchat Line, revolved around Mike Upchat, a freewheeling man about town. ‘We don’t know what he does for a living,’ Alderton explained. ‘Sometimes he says he’s a writer but at other times he claims to be anything from a psychologist to a piano tuner.’

‘The Upchat Line, written by Keith Waterhouse and featuring John Alderton, marks something of a welcome and enterprising departure from the old routine. For this is comedy refined down to a quieter, more relaxed level with some nicely polished lines doing the work of the usual mad antics, and a real star performance from one of the best light comedy actors around today. It is all done with great panache and style, with Mr Alderton giving a deceptively easy performance, casually putting together all the little bits of business, and underplaying and drawling his lines but timing everything with split second precision.

Mr Waterhouse has put together a script tailored to suit him to perfection, and also to provide Thames with a fresh and obviously rewarding range of comedy.’

Daily Telegraph

‘Hilarious new comedy series in which John Alderton proves his comic talent as a would-be writer who spends most of his life trying to find somewhere to lay his head – and his birds. Looks very promising (though not for the husbands!).’

Sunday Mirror

After a summer trip to Spain filming inserts for future programmes, Magpie returned with a new presenter to join the team of Jenny Hanley and Mick Robertson: 24-year-old ex-LBC news director Tommy Boyd, selected from 2,000 applicants. Here’s how the London Evening News welcomed the programme back:

‘The most entertaining and informative children’s programme on television is Magpie, on Thames. Jenny Hanley is extremely attractive and has a presence and authority that enthralls the children. The producers go to remarkable lengths and not a little expense in bringing strange and unusual items to the programme, and whether the kiddies realise ft or not, they are being educated as well as entertained. Magpie is an intelligent show, and also has a fine record in obtaining money for children’s charities.’

Evening News

Originally made as a schools programme, Superman and the Bride’s outspoken survey of how we are conditioned by the media (especially television and film) reached the adult audience in October. Its blend of documentary and revue was described as ‘a refreshing TV breakthrough’ by the Daily Mail.

‘Eight years of the average viewer’s life is spent in front of the box. In that time each one should be forced to spend forty-five minutes watching Superman and the Bride for it is the most intelligent and important appraisal yet produced of the images fed to us by the mass media.’

TimeOut

‘As one of the vox pop interviewees said, you’ve got to overstate a case to make it effectively, and this was the jolliest, zippiest overstatement of a case that badly needs making – energetically, and again and again. It could well prompt further pieces of televisual self-scrutiny. It was itself replete with delicious ironies, notably its unabashed use of advertising techniques as a way of attacking advertising techniques, and also its mere presence on our screens – which is living proof that the “system” can be penetrated.’

The Times

A television appearance by Tommy Steele is a rare event, and to celebrate his twenty-first year in showbusiness (Tommy’s first hit, ‘Rock With the Caveman’, coincided with the first year of ITV) he came to Thames for Tommy Steele and a Show. It was a mammoth production, with producer/director Keith Beckett pulling every trick from videotape technology, to interpret the ‘Show’ as devised by Tommy and written by Eric Merriman. For an hour of music, dance and magic effects, Tommy Steele held the spotlight, and more than 14 million people watched the programme.

‘This in one of the very best light entertainment shows I’ve seen on television. Apart from its star – the eternally appealing Tommy who celebrates his 21st year in show business – the programme uses the latest electronic devices for some stunning visual effects, has all the slick glamour and razmatazz of a Hollywood musical, and imaginative, precision, ballet routines worthy of a Busby Berkeley film’

Daily Express

‘Give ’em the old razzle-dazzle’ sang the star on ITV’s Tommy Steele and a Show, and he certainly did. During his all-singing, all-dancing special it was hard to realise that Tommy was celebrating his 21st year in show business.

With his boyish exuberance and appealing charisma, Tommy delivered a delightful hour of sheer escapism, a welcome opportunity for us to sit back and enjoy his wide-ranging talents’

Evening News

Drama Controller Verity Lambert personally produced The Norman Conquests, Alan Ayckbourn’s West End stage sensation which, according to the Daily Mail, ‘transferred superbly from stage to television’. 11 million viewers shared the disastrous weekend of family argument, which was directed by Herbert Wise as three two-hour plays.

‘The Norman Conquests was a triumph and a treat, Alan Ayckbourn’s tragi-comic trilogy being not only funny but graced by universally accomplished performances. Tom Conti was allowed to let off the fireworks, so to speak, as Norman. But he was matched by Richard Briers’ Reg, often speaking volumes with a soundless double-take; or Penelope Keith, Fiona Walker and Penelope Wilton as the women. Not forgetting David Troughton, in making a gormless bore into a believable, even fascinating person. Just as the action moved from room to room, so the focus shifted, play by play, to different characters, none of whom gave short measure.

A Rolls-Royce of a project, coachbuilt and splendidly engineered.’

Daily Mail

‘The Norman Conquests must be one of the best and funniest things on screen. It justified ITV’s bold decision to give it a total of six hours peak viewing. The plays explore the same weekend in the life of a bickering family from three different viewpoints in witty dialogue as well-honed as a surgeon’s scalpel.’

The Daily Mirror

1976 had marked a unique achievement by Thames when both the drama and documentary Prix Italia awards were won by, respectively, The Naked Civil Servant and Beauty, Bonny, Daisy, Violet, Grace and Geoffrey Morton. In 1977, a clean sweep of this international event was completed, when the third category, music, came to Thames for the St Nicolas Cantata. Benjamin Britten’s musical setting of the Father Christmas story was recorded on location at St Albans’ Cathedral and first transmitted at Christmas 1976.

Meanwhile, the Royal Television Society voted Nick Downie News Feature Cameraman of the year for his This Week programme, ‘War in the Sahara’ – the fourth consecutive year that This Week had won an RTS award.

In October Outside Broadcasts covered the Britannia Awards, the first British awards for popular music, featuring several major acts headed by the reunited Simon and Garfunkel. OBs followed a different kind of entertainment award hunt in the series of Pub Entertainer of the Year, hosted by Frank Carson, which ended in December with 14 million viewers watching the grand final. The England v Italy World Cup soccer match at Wembley was screened to 16 million viewers. Preceding Thames’ match coverage, Sportscene flew Italy’s Giorgio Chinaglia from America to preview the game prospects with Bobby Moore, Terry Venables and other experts.

Vince Powell’s situation comedy Odd Man Out introduced John Inman as fish-and-chip shop owner Neville Sutcliffe, who inherits half of a stick-rock factory in Sussex. Josephine Tewson played his step-sister and factory co-owner, Dorothy, who shared the problems, arguments and laughs of running the business.

To mark the sixtieth anniversary of the founding of the USSR, Thames transmitted Hammer and Sickle, an intensively researched history from the 1917 Revolution through the stormy decades of Lenin, Stalin and Krushchev to the present. Producer Martin Smith traced many unique pieces of film of Stalin’s terror chief Beria, of life inside a gulag, of the Czech invasion as filmed by the Russian troops. The two-hour production was written by Neal Ascherson and narrated by Paul Scofield.

Denis Norden returned for the seventh series of Looks Familiar in October. One of daytime television’s most popular programmes, guests for the new series included Tony Curtis, Charlie Drake, Annie Ross, John Junkin, Elaine Stritch and Michael Parkinson.

As ITV’s schools programming entered its third decade, Thames, the single biggest contributor to the network, launched two major new strands to the curriculum. French Studies, for 13- to 16-year-olds, began with five documentaries on aspects of French life, and a series of actuality film sequences shot in France. The English Programme presented new two-part productions of outstanding, published TV plays – Julia Jones’ ‘The Piano’, and Barry Hines’ ‘Speech Day’, followed by a film documentary on the work of Barry Hines. Both programmes were designed to run through a full year’s course, unlike the normal single-term compass of television school’s programming.

‘Ask a friend whether he watched the first Time for Business and before you can add “Pretty much like the other business programmes” he forestalls you with wildly enthusiastic praise of – say – the section on franchising, pointing out how highly original it was,’ wrote Chris Dunkley in the Financial Times. Not to be like the other comparable programmes was important in formulating Time for Business. Eamonn Andrews was a presenter for the layman, not the expert. He explained: ‘people are becoming more sophisticated about the uses of their own money and want to understand what makes the world of business tick. My job, with expert back-up, is to understand that myself, because if I do, so will the ordinary viewer.’

Broadcast live, the programmes gave an hour of film report and studio presentation of business, manufacturing, and the city. Alongside news, information and advice for the big and small investor alike, a more important, broader aim was access to the world of business – ’Allow us into your boardrooms and factories,’ producer James Butler said in a launch speech to high-ranking businessmen. ‘I would like to see us become as familiar a sight around the businesses of Britain as television is at football matches.’ Among those present was Sir Charles Forte who responded, ‘I think Eamonn Andrews will make people watch. There’s an aura of the unknown about business which I think he can break down. If the programme can show how good relationships in business generally are, that will be a great achievement.’

Time for Business was launched with a ‘development capital competition’, designed to illustrate the investment problems of small businesses. The programme offered to make available up to £250,000 for the best investment proposal submitted. The range of responses has already been enormous, from a new glass-lining process for furnaces, to a design for a racing cycle, to a methodist minister who wants to build a new church. So far, audiences have averaged ¾ million – more than the combined daily circulation of the Guardian and Times.

‘Proof positive that money programmes need not be above the heads of the ordinary viewer.’

The Times

There was a stir in the sixteenth, final series of Opportunity Knocks! when Hughie Green introduced a contestant with his face masked by a paper bag. It was explained that this was a one-time teenage idol who now preferred anonymity. He turned out to be P J Proby who was voted into second place by the viewers.

Prince Charles donned a Magpie badge when he was filmed with Mick Robertson at Dunraven Castle in Wales. He joined in the work of a group of Cardiff children, who are clearing waste land for a country park under the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Fund. The 1977 Magpie Christmas appeal for children with brittle bones ran through December and topped the record figure of £250,000.

Thames at 6‘s investigation unit discovered two identical pairs of boots in neighbouring West End shops – also they found a threefold difference in price. For three days the programme pursued the investigation. On the third day, a public apology admitted the expensive boots had been overpriced. They were finally on sale at a fifth of their original price.

Wednesday at Eight‘s winter run jumped into the charts in fifth position. With guest stars like Frankie Vaughan and Max Bygraves, the ratings steadily increased, to settle in December to a regular Network audeince of 18 million.

West German terrorism, secret film of Chile under Pinochet, and reports from Spain and Portugal were covered by This Week towards the year’s end. ‘A Miserable and Lonely Death,’ This Week’s scoop reconstruction of the Steve Biko inquest, was widely praised and has since been adapted for stage production by the Royal Shakespeare Company with Ian McKellen in the main role.

Thames made a large contribution to ITV’s post-Christmas holiday entertainment. Max’s Holiday Hour brought Max Bygraves, Lena Zavaroni and Charlie Cairoli to an audience of nearly 15 millions, and there were two innovative musical pairings when Vera Lynn joined George Shearing, and Peggy Lee shared the spotlight with Charles Aznavour. The Queen’s Racehorses, on Boxing Day, was a totally informal film portrait of H.M. the Queen, talking about and seen with the horses she so loves.

Repeats of Man About the House had regularly topped the ratings during the summer, and the programme’s first offshoot George and Mildred jumped back into the Top Five with a new series, again starring Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce. With audiences as high as 19.7 million, it was the most popular comedy series on British television in 1977.

‘The funniest and best socially observed comedy of the year’

‘As long as the stars retain their enthusiasm and the writers keep up the mixture of crisp one-liners. cross-purposes encounters and an undercurrent of mild sauciness … it could run for years.’

Daily Mail

‘With a splendidly direct approach, the series has a commendable lack of coyness,’ the Daily Mirror commented on the late-night Problems. Jenny Conway and Tony Bastable were the reporters, on adult sexual problems.

The green, furry, multi-legged Wotsit from Whizzbang made his TV debut in Rainbow, where his zany, fantastic adventures proved so popular that in November he began his own children’s series. Joe Lynch narrated Samantha Lee’s stories.

Michael Whyte, a new director to Thames’ documentary department, spent eighteen months investigating the nationwide problem of Britain’s violent and severely disordered children. The result was a disturbing, at times shocking trilogy of films. 17-year-old Billy was on trial for grievous bodily harm when the first film was made; Jimmy has been in care since the age of twelve, when he attacked his mother with a bread knife; and the third film, Aycliffe, visited a treatment centre for extremely disordered children.

‘Do you like hitting people Jimmy?’
‘If they deserve it, yeah.’
‘Do you ever hit your friends?’
‘If they shout “Chelsea!” or things like that.’
‘But why?’
‘Because there’s nothing else to do these days, is there?’

15-year-old ‘Jimmy,’ the subject of the second of three films on violent children.

John Thaw and Dennis Waterman’s first Sweeney film earned them both awards, as best actor and most promising male newcomer respectively, in the Evening News Film Awards, covered for ITV by Thames. 1978 will see the fourth, final TV series of The Sweeney, and also the second Sweeney feature film.

The post Autumn programmes appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

• Today
• This Week
• People & Politics
• Time For Business
• Thames at 6
• London Looks Forward
  • The Living City
  • The Future City
• Documentaries
  • Hazlitt in Love
  • The Gospel According To St Michael
  • Walt Disney (2 programmes)
  • Marriage Guidance
  • Lonely Hearts
  • The Ruth Ellis Story
  • The Hunting of Force Z
  • Hammer & Sickle
  • Billy
  • Jimmy
  • Aycliffe

OUTSIDE BROADCASTS

• Series
  • Drive In
  • A Town Called
  • Kitchen Garden
  • Wish You Were Here…?
  • Pub Entertainer of the Year
• Sport
  • Darts
  • Horse Racing from Sandown, Newmarket, Epsom, Lingfield
  • Football (7 matches, including 4 internationals)
  • Sportscene
  • Wrestling
• Events
  • Jubilee Flower Show
  • Miss Thames
  • Astrology
  • Model Railway Exhibition
  • Nurse of the Year
  • Variety Club Lunch
  • Evening Standard Drama Awards
  • Evening News Film Awards
  • Royal Film Performance
  • Great British Achievements
  • Chipperfield’s Circus (Easter and Christmas)
  • The Motor Show
  • Britannia Awards
  • The Loyal Address

LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

• Specials
  • The Benny Hill Show
  • TV Times Top Ten Awards
  • The Eric Sykes Show
  • Bruce and More Girls
  • The Peggy Lee Show
  • Max Bygraves’ Christmas Show
  • Vera Lynn Sings
• Series
  • David Nixon Show
  • Looks Familiar
  • Opportunity Knocks
  • This is Your Life
  • Whose Baby?
  • Whodunnit?
  • Wednesday at Eight
  • The Tom O’Connor Show
  • The Little and Large Tellyshow
  • Night Out at The London Casino
• Comedy Series
  • Odd Man Out
  • Get Some In
  • George and Mildred
  • What’s On Next?
  • Paradise Island
  • Miss Jones & Son
  • The Fuzz
  • The Upchat Line

CHILDREN’S

• Pre-School Learning
  • Rainbow
  • Rainbow Has A Baby
• General Interest
  • Magpie
  • Fanfare
  • Somersault to Moscow (Magpie Special)
  • …And I Write Music (Magpie Special)
• Drama
  • The Tomorrow People
  • Horse in The House
• Animation Series
  • Jamie and The Magic Torch
  • Chorlton and The Wheelies
• Entertainment
  • Michael Bentine’s Potty Time
  • Sooty
• Pre-School Entertainment
  • And Maisy Too
  • Mice and Mendelson
  • The Wotsit From Whizz-Bang

FEATURES, EDUCATION AND RELIGION

• Features
  • After Noon
  • Mavis
  • Money-Go-Round
  • London Scene
  • Superman & The Bride
  • The Story of Job
  • Problems
  • Help!
  • Our School and Hard Times
• Education
  • Seeing and Doing
  • Finding Out
  • The World Around Us
  • Writer’s Workshop
  • The English Programme
  • French Studies
  • It’s Life
  • It’s More Life
  • London: The Making of a City
• Adult Education
  • Could Do Better?
  • This Sporting Land
• Religion
  • Get Out and Push
  • Close
  • Christmas Pie
  • Drawing to an End
  • Faith In Place: Matt’s Place
  • Christmas Special
  • A Matter of Morals
  • St Nicolas Cantata

DRAMA

• Serial
  • Rooms – 61 episodes
• Series
  • Romance – 5 episodes
  • Rock Follies of ’77 – 7 episodes
  • London Belongs To Me – 7 episodes
  • The Norman Conquests
    • Table Manners
    • Living Together
    • Round & Round The Garden
• Film Series
  • The Sweeney
  • Van Der Valk
• Plays For Britain
  • Cork & Bottle
  • Last Summer
  • It’s Only Rock ’n Roll
  • The Proofing Session
  • Not Quite Cricket

The post The programme year 1977 appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

‘The most singular feature of this whole project is that, as far as I know at least, this is the first time a television company, Thames Television, has become so deeply involved in the organisation of a project of such great public interest. It must also be the first time that a television company has managed to establish what might be described as two-way communication with the public, through a series of programmes, articles, surveys, and a book devoted to London’s problems and the future. A real effort has been made to draw out attitudes and ideas from every possible source. And if this meeting does nothing else, it will put on record what a comprehensive cross-section of Londoners thought of their city in the late 1970’s. And I just wonder how many other capital cities could claim to have done the same? This is not just another exercise in formal democracy, with its statistical judgements expressed through the ballot box. And it’s not another conventional assessment by professionals. It is a deliberate attempt to question all sources of opinion and information, to find the explanation for such phenomena as the steady departure of people from the capital – over and above the deliberately planned exodus – and the radical, demographic and employment changes of the existing population. It is a positive response to this situation by people who care about what happens to London, who want to go on living and working and enjoying themselves in this marvellous and ancient city.’

HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in his opening address to the London Looks Forward Conference, 4 July 1977.

The post London looks forward appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

On June 22, one-and-a-half million Londoners watched a unique evening of television when Thames devoted four hours to exploring Londons present state and future prospects. This was the culmination of two months of special programmes, and prefaced a two-day conference, all part of Thames’ London Looks Forward project.

The project also included a unique research study of Londoners’ attitudes, a new book on London planning, and a series of specially-commissioned background papers.

The eight documentaries that preceded 22 June ‘evening of London’ revolved around the homes and lives of four London families, all from different areas and social groups. Made by the Today team and broadcast on consecutive Fridays from April, the films surveyed London through the families’ eyes taking planning issues to the people, and at the same time evoking the peoples’ experience for the planners. Many distinguished planners and decision-makers came to Thames’ studios on June 22, first to watch a special 90-minute documentary on London’s present and future, and then to join in live televised debate and answer the criticisms voiced in the programme. The four families were among the studio audience who heard, and questioned, the varying philosophies proposed.

The London Looks Forward unit is currently investigating two major problems which affect London’s present and future – those of derelict land, and the lack of playspace for children.

THE CONFERENCE

Howard Thomas, in his welcoming message to all attending the Conference, described the project as aiming to ‘help Londoners learn about and contribute to the future planning of their great city’, and expressed Thames’ gratitude to the many people and organisations whose enthusiastic and inspired help’ had been essential to the success of the project. HRH Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh opened the London Looks Forward Conference on Monday 4 July, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Prince Philip, who had played a formative part in pre-conference discussions, set the tone for the Conference by exhorting participants to concentrate on specific means of action, rather than general aims, and to reconcile conflicts in search of a common sense of purpose.

Conference Chairman Max Nicholson then launched the first of six working sessions which covered the project’s primary themes. The speakers, all actively involved in shaping London’s development, ranged across the planning spectrum, from trades unionists to academics, from Secretary of State for the Environment Peter Shore to Terry Harris of the Albany Community Arts Centre and Peter Large, Chairman of the Jubilee Committee on mobility for the disabled.

For two intensive days, 200 invited members joined the Conference speakers in lively uninhibited discussion. A massive number of facts and ideas were generated, as points of contention and agreement were discovered between parties and people who were often meeting for the first time.

During the Conference, the Today programme was broadcast live from the Queen Elizabeth Hall, and transmitted impromptu interviews with Conference participants. LBC also gave full coverage to the event; its ‘AM’ programme gave up-to-the-minute reports on Conference proceedings and interviews with speakers. In a special half-hour programme on the evening of July 6, Prince Philip and other leading contributors to the project discussed their views of the Conference and their ideas for future action.

THE FUTURE

London Looks Forwards initial achievement has been to bring together a wide range of views, experience and interests to seek out fresh ideas and areas of agreement; that is also the future aim of the London Looks Forward unit, now in operation under the Conference Director John Hambley.

In particular the project will focus on what Londoners want of their city, and what they can do to improve it both by their own actions and by entering the continuing debate on the capital’s future.

On the research side, the London Looks Forward unit is now investigating dereliction and playspace, two issues at the heart of Londoners’ discontent with their environment. And with reason, for in inner London alone there is estimated to be some 2,000 acres of wasteland; the capital as a whole contains over 20 million square feet of disused industrial buildings. How has this appalling situation arisen, why does it persist and what should the government and the people of London be doing about it? These are some of the questions which the research is aiming to find out.

Even with all that vacant space, there are still not enough places for the kids to play. London Looks Forward’s work on playspace will start by running a survey to find out what sort of play facilities people in London actually want and can afford; it will be asking why official targets for provision of open space set in the early 1950s are still far from being reached by many London boroughs, and how local authorities, both of their own volition and together with local residents, can improve the situation.

In addition, the unit has put forward ideas for making short programmes or programme-slots on schemes initiated by Londoners for London. The aim would be to interest viewers in what is being done at a grass roots’ level, by people like them.

The post The programmes, the conference and the future appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

In 1977 Thames Television International, already established among the world’s top ten sellers of TV programmes, achieved two major landmarks. For the first time, more than one hundred countries now see Thames programmes. And with gross sales of over £3 million, the resulting profit from overseas sales has now topped £1 million.

In other innovatory areas too, 1977 was a year of firsts for Thames International:

AMERICA. The most successful new series on the American Networks during 1977 was Three’s Company, derived from Thames’ Man About the House. ABC purchased the programme format, which was adapted for American viewers by the top writing team of Nicholl, Ross and West. The first series in March was quickly established in the Nielson Top Ten, playing opposite ‘Hawaii Five-O’, and with the second autumn series regularly placed in the nation’s top three programmes, Three’s Company promises to repeat the success of its Thames predecessor. International distribution for the American series was retained by Thames, and with sales from Canada to Australia (and Britain) already achieved, Three’s Company will be one of Thames’ biggest international properties during 1978. And in South America Thames comedy made its debut when Man About The House was sold to Brazil.

EUROPE. Thames programmes are now familiar to European televiewers (16 countries in Europe have seen The Naked Civil Servant). During 1977 sales more than doubled, to top £¾ million. Most important sale was The World at War to France, the highest-earning single sale of Thames’ most successful overseas seller. Comedy, formerly considered ‘unexportable’ made large inroads: Father Dear Father made its debut in Spain, Italy where it topped the ratings, and Germany, where with Man About The House it was dubbed into German. And Jamie and the Magic Torch proved popular in Hungary, home of the world’s experts in animation.

AUSTRALIA. 1977 saw Thames become the biggest British programme exporter (including the BBC) to the crucial Australian market. All kinds of programmes are purchased by Australia from Thames: George & Mildred (ABC), Love Thy Neighbour (7 Network), The World at War (9 Network) and Benny Hill (0/10 Network) have all been the highest-rated programmes on the respective networks, and Benny Hill achieved the year’s single highest audience with a one-hour special which he travelled to Australia to make. Other countries where Thames is the largest UK exporter range from Greece to the newly-inaugurated Swaziland television service.

BRITAIN. Since Thames acquired distribution rights of New Zealand-made programmes, Thames International has entered the business of selling programmes to British companies. Most successful is Hunter’s Gold, now sold to sixteen countries – including the BBC.

IRAN. The National Iranian Radio and Television (NIRT) studios played host to Rainbow creator Pamela Lonsdale in June.

She was in Tehran to advise on a unique project, adapting the content of over a hundred Rainbow programmes for the young Iranian audience and their culture. Original actuality film sequences, drawings and music were combined with NIRT-originated material, Farsi-language voice-overs were dubbed on, and the end product was a series of Iranian Rainbows, which still retained the aims and techniques of the Thames programmes made for the British child. This served as forerunner to a similar operation in Jordan, where producer Charles Warren is helping in the making of an Arabic version to be screened throughout the Arab world.

THAMES TELEVISION INTERNATIONAL – SELLING TO THE WORLD

During 1977 Thames Television International executives travelled nearly 150,000 air miles, visiting 37 countries and selling a record total of 5,327 hours of programming.

The post Selling to the world appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

DIGITAL TELEVISION

Among the department’s current projects is one commissioned by the Independent Television Companies Association: an investigation into the feasibility of digital television, a system which borrows computer techniques to bring mathematical constancy to the television signal.

In simple terms, the system converts the television signals into digital codes at source. From then on, until decoded for transmission, the signals remain faithful in every detail to that which was encoded. Pictures generated in this way can be bounced off satellites without the slightest visible deterioration: live coverage of the US elections, for example, would be as clear as racing from Doncaster.

If the system were adopted, many of the familiar studio controls on picture quality would no longer be necessary. Ultimately, it may be possible to transmit digitally to the domestic receiver, when the familiar and often frustrating picture control knobs could largely be eliminated.

As with many revolutionary innovations, digital television will be costly. Even by today’s standards, equipment which can scan up to 80 million numbers per second is sophisticated, and sophistication is expensive. Part of engineering department’s job is to determine how few numbers need to be used to achieve the perfect picture.

The post Tomorrow’s technology appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

1. Director
2. Vision mixer
3. Vision control
4. Sound Control
5. Production assistant
6. Crew chief
7. Lightweight IVC 7000P camera
8. Videotape machine
9. Multi-channel communications system
10. Radio telephone system
11. Air conditioning system
12. Rack-mounted electronics
13. 15-KVA generator at rear

The post Unit 6 appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

Optic fibres are made from a very high grade silica glass, so pure that a window pane 100 metres thick would let through more light than a 3mm window pane of conventional glass. When bundled and stretched into lengths, optic fibre cables are considerably more compact and efficient than the copper cables now in general use.

Being non-metallic, optic fibres do not suffer from electrical interference and are quite impervious to water, the two natural hazards that most commonly hamper outside broadcast units.

On a location such as Sandown Park racecourse, there is a permanent installation of copper cable jointly maintained by Thames and London Weekend Television. Thames’ engineers plan to solve interference problems by replacing this system with optic fibre cables carrying up to ten channels of sound, six for communication with the control room and four for transmission.

The post Fibre optic links appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.

Unlike earlier systems which simply monitored the availability of airtime and administered the bookings, ‘Enterprise’ also provides accurate and continuous evaluation of the many factors which affect campaign planning: audience composition; ratings patterns; the impact of programme changes; the current demand on the time available, which governs its price; and even the existence of bookings for competitive products. So clients can use the service to plan their campaigns before placing a firm schedule booking.

Over 300 different programs are built into the system with 60 million characters of information on bookings, breaks, programmes, ratings, products and agencies. It is run on EMI’s multi-million pound computer installation at Hayes in Middlesex, which is linked by four data lines to Thames’ Euston offices. At Euston, there are twenty ‘work stations’, operated by sales executives each with a visual display unit, keyboard and thermal printer. In addition, order confirmations and management reports are automatically printed out.

As well as being a breakthrough in time-buying, ‘Enterprise’ represents a new relationship between people and technology in the work of media evaluation. Since its inception several other ITV companies have expressed interest in how the system might be applied to selling airtime in their own areas.

The post Changing the face of time buying appeared first on THIS IS THAMES from Transdiffusion.