OTD in early British television: 23 March 1939

23rd March 2025

John Wyver writes: On Thursday 23rd March 1939 the 227th edition of the magazine series Picture Page was transmitted in the afternoon and, following the usual pattern, the 228th was shown that evening. In the afternoon, the show ran for more

OTD in early British television: 22 March 1938

22nd March 2025

John Wyver writes: The afternoon of Tuesday 22 March 1938 was graced with the first performance of Dallas Bower's 75-minute production of Henry IV by Luigi Pirandello. As Wikipedia says, the drama is 'a study on madness with comic and more

OTD in early British television: 21 March 1939

21st March 2025

John Wyver writes: Starting at 2.55pm on Tuesday 21 March 1939, the television service carried a 16-minute outside broadcast from Victoria Station where the King and Queen greeted His Excellency the President of the French Republic and Madame Lebrun. Michael more

OTD in early British television: 20 March 1937

20th March 2025

John Wyver writes: On the afternoon of Saturday 20 March 1937, following a display of model aircraft, producer Dallas Bower oversaw the first transmission of the 35-minute Pasquinade, claimed as the first original revue for the new medium. Conceived in more

OTDs to date in early British television: drama

18th March 2025

John Wyver writes: For whatever reason, it seems to be the case that 18 March was a somewhat unremarkable date for early television in each of the years between 1928 and 1939. Nothing jumped out at me as the subject more

OTD in early British television: 17 March 1939

17th March 2025

John Wyver writes: After a concert from Jack Hylton and his band on the evening of Friday 17 March 1939, Alexandra Palace broadcast Animals, Anatomy, Artists, a talk by John Skeaping on 'the three main types of animal art - more

OTD in early British television: 16 March 1938

16th March 2025

John Wyver writes: The afternoon of Wednesday 16 March 1938 saw a reprise of Eric Crozier's production (above), first presented the previous September, of W.B. Yeats's supernatural drama The Words Upon the Window Pane. The cast was led by Jean more

OTD in early British television: 13 March 1933

13th March 2025

John Wyver writes: At 11pm on Monday 13 March 1933, the BBC's 30-line transmission from Studio BB in the basement of Broadcasting House featured selections from 'The British Theatrical Loan Exhibition' that was currently on view at Dudley House in more

OTD in early British television: 12 March 1938

12th March 2025

The 100th original post in this series. John Wyver writes: Closing out transmissions on Saturday 12 March 1938 was An Exhibition of Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling, featuring a bout in the studio between Earl McCready, heavyweight champion of the British Empire who more

OTD in early British television: 11 March 1938

11th March 2025

John Wyver writes: Across the winter of 1937-38, the Television service broadcast Pre-view on Friday afternoons and evenings. Featuring interviews, rehearsals and test sequences from the forthcoming attractions of the following week, the strand was an attempt to encourage more more