LONDON WEEKDAYS

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.

Impressionist Mike Yarwood as Leonid Brezhnev, one of the new characters he has introduced to ITV in his own show, Yarwood in Town.

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.

About the author

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

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