OTD in early British television: 24 June 1939

24th June 2025

John Wyver writes: On Saturday 24 June 1939, following a day of visits to Lord's for the Test match against the West Indies, viewers could enjoy the evening's 70-minute staging of Edgar Wallace's play Smoky Cell. Producer Michael Barry was more

OTD in early British television: 22 June 1939

22nd June 2025

John Wyver writes: On the afternoon of Thursday 22 June 1939 one of the BBC's mobile control units was stationed at Waterloo while the other was by the Victoria Memorial close to Buckingham Palace. Six weeks or so before more

OTD in early British television: 21 June 1937

21st June 2025

John Wyver writes: On Monday 21 June 1937, at 3.03pm for just 15 minutes, and then again at 3.42pm for a further 10 minutes, the Television service broadcast a live OB from the Wimbledon Championships for the very first time. more

OTD in early British television: 20 June 1933

20th June 2025

John Wyver writes: On the evening of Tuesday 20 June 1933 Eustace Robb, producer of the BBC's 30-line television service, achieved a considerable coup by persauding in front of the camera for the first time the great Russian dancer more

OTD in early British television: 18 June 1937

18th June 2025

John Wyver writes: The afternoon of Friday 18 June 1937 saw television's first incarnation of Agatha Christie's detective Hercule Poirot when George More O'Farrell staged her short play The Wasp's Nest. Entrusted with the role of the Belgian sleuth was more

OTD in early British television: 17 June 1939

17th June 2025

John Wyver writes: 'Hurrah for Big Bill Campbell!', wrote Listener critic Grace Wyndham Goldie after seeing the singer host the third edition of Western Cabaret on the afternoon of Saturday 17 June 1939. 'What speed! What verve! What vivacityI What more

OTD in early British television: 16 June 1939

16th June 2025

John Wyver writes: On 16 June 1939 the Daily Telegraph ran the following news story, which I reproduce here in its entirety. This is the first reference I have found to television being used in schools, 18 years before both more