LONDON
WEEKDAYS

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.

Andrew Gardner, the familiar face of Thames News.

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.

About the author

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

1 thought on “Television & Radio 1982

  1. I was the DEA agent in the Thames Television documentary The Miami Drugs War. Is there a way to obtain a copy of that documentary or a link to view it?

Leave a Reply