I am delighted that this week the new issue of the Historical Journal of Film, Television and Radio has published my article 'Exploring the lost television and technique of producer Fred O’Donovan'. The article is developed more
To round off a few days devoted to the 80th anniversary of the start of the BBC television service from Alexandra Palace, here's how the BBC marked the 40th anniversary. This lavish programme, produced by Bruce Norman, includes archive material, more
Having yesterday highlighted Shakespeare on television between the wars, today's short post spotlights a Media History seminar on Tuesday when I'm sharing the spotlight with my colleague Dr Amanda Wrigley. The event is a contribution to an more
The world's first regular television service started 80 years ago today, when BBC Television began daily transmissions from Alexandra Palace (above is AP's blue plaque). To mark the date, at 9pm tonight BBC Four broadcast Television's Opening Night: How the Box more
Tonight RSC Live from Stratford-upon-Avon broadcasts Gregory Doran's production of King Lear with Antony Sher in the title role. If we can achieve something of what we got in the second camera rehearsal yesterday, then I think it will more
Among many other excellent activities, my friend and colleague Luke McKernan, who is Lead Curator, News and Moving Image at the British Library, curates the invaluable Picturegoing website. As the site succinctly explains, 'Picturegoing is an ongoing survey reproducing eyewitness more
If you're even a semi-regular reader of this blog you will know that I am fascinated by early television, and especially by television before World War Two. What a delight then to discover online an open access issue of more
Last week BBC Archive Tweeted a wonderful image (detail above, full picture below) of the mobile television van at Wimbledon in 1937, the first year that BBC Television covered the championships. Inspired by that, and driven by my more
Picking up the theme from Monday's post, here's another wonderful glimpse of early television, albeit this time in the United States. The embedded film below comes courtesy of the great and glorious Prelinger Archives which offers online some more
Among the books that I collect and cherish are early publications about television. Anything from before about 1960 qualifies as 'early', but volumes from the 1930s and 1940s are especially interesting. So I was particularly pleased on a visit to Whitstable on Sunday more