Television & Radio 1979

THAMES TELEVISION LONDON WEEKDAYS

Thames Television House, 306-316 Euston Road, LONDON NW1 3BB
Tel: 01-387 9494
Teddington Studios, Teddington Lock, TEDDINGTON, Middlesex TW11 9NT
Tel: 01-977 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.