OTDs in early British television: Xmas reprise 1

25th December 2024

John Wyver writes: for a month now, I have been writing more or less daily blog posts about pre-war British television, linking each one to a programme or event that took place on the same in one of the years more

OTD in early British television: 24 December 1938

24th December 2024

John Wyver writes: for whatever reason, pre-war television on Christmas Eve was largely unremarkable, although the Baird Company's 30-line broadcast on 24 December 1931 appears to have been the first to be described in the billings as 'A Christmas programme'. Frustratingly, more

OTD in early British television: 23 December 1938

23rd December 2024

John Wyver writes: spoiled for the eve of Christmas Eve choice today, I think we might attempt a double-header, celebrating Polite Wine Drinking (above) on this day in 1937, and then The Director of Television in the Witness Box, shown more

A Sunday dozen

22nd December 2024

John Wyver writes: Welcome to a selection of articles and more that have especially engaged me over the past week and more. I hope the coming week is a good one for all - Happy Holidays! • Sleeping women: because more

OTD in early British television: 22 December 1936

22nd December 2024

John Wyver writes: the afternoon of Tuesday 22 December 1936 saw a 14-minute lecture by Yarrow Research Professor to the Royal Society G.I. Taylor (above) about the stabilisation of ships and why they roll in a rough sea. This was more

OTD in early British television: 21 December 1936

21st December 2024

John Wyver writes: On the evening of Monday 21 December 1936 extracts from from the current stage production T.S. Eliot's religious drama Murder in the Cathedral were played for a third time at Alexandra Palace. Despite having to work within more

OTD in early British television: 20 December 1938

20th December 2024

John Wyver writes: The evening line-up from Alexandra Palace on Tuesday 20 December 1938 featured a News Map talk about Poland, a concert by Eric Wild and his Band, and what was billed as Tactile Bee, in which blindfolded celebs more

OTD in early British television: 19 December 1928

19th December 2024

John Wyver writes: Wednesday 19 December 1928 saw one of the earliest documented trasnmissions from the new studio (above, from Television, December 1928) of the Baird Television Development Corporation at 133 Long Acre in London's Covent Garden. Four days after the more