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

OTD in early British television: 18 December 1938

18th December 2024

John Wyver writes: There was a sense of increasing confidence at Alexandra Palace at the end of 1938, with sales of receivers finally picking up and programmes becoming both more ambitious and more polished. This was reflected in announcements for more

OTD in early British television: 17 December 1936

17th December 2024

John Wyver writes: Thursday 17 December 1936 saw an edition of one of the first television series, London Characters. In a 7-minute broadcast shown both mid-afternoon and mid-evening, John Snuggs, 'the troubadour', demonstrated paper tearing with his partner accordionist, Van more

OTD in early British television: 16 December 1937

16th December 2024

John Wyver writes: At 21.07 on Thursday 16 December 1937 the Television service from Alexandra Palace broadcast the sixth in the series Experiments in Science. This 16-minute edition had the subtitle Reconstructing the Past, and featured Margot Eates of the more

OTD in early British television: 15 December 1928

15th December 2024

John Wyver writes: Saturday 15 December 1928, 96 years ago today, is a milestone date in the history of early television in Britain. Or at least it should be, since the day saw the transmission of the first television drama more

OTD in early British television: 13 December 1937

13th December 2024

John Wyver writes: Presented on the afternoon of Monday 13 December 1937 was the most ambitious television ballet to date, act 2 of, as it was billed, Le lac des cygnes, or Swan Lake to the rest of us. The more

OTD in early British television: 12 December 1936

12th December 2024

John Wyver writes: the afternoon and evening of Saturday 12 December 1936, just six weeks into the BBC Television service from Alexandra Palace, witnessed a spectacular demonstration on the terrace just outside the studio. Celebrated First World War pilot and more

OTD in early British television: 11 December 1937

11th December 2024

John Wyver writes: the evening of Saturday 11 December 1937 featured an ambitious half-hour broadcast of act 3 of Verdi's Aida given by the Matania Operatic Society. Opera was an important element of the transmissions from Alexandra Palace, although this more