80 years of BBC television

[Busaholic]

November 4th marks the 80th anniversary of the first TV transmission from Alexandra Palace. On BBC2 'Newsnight' tonight Evan Davis interviewed 104 year old Paul Reveley, who was John Logie Baird's Personal Assistant from 1933 to 1938. His mind seems as sharp as ever, and I commend the item to you. It appears toward the end of the programme.

 

[backontrack]

Doctor Who, Sherlock, Monty Python, Yes Minister, Dad's Army, Blackadder, 'Allo 'Allo, Springwatch, Countryfile, Coast. I commend Auntie Beeb; though it has had some duds (and sometimes its news programmes leave a lot to be desired), it remains a British institution. I just hope the Tories keep their hands away from it...

 

[ExRes]

80 years of BBC television, is this thread a repeat by any chance .........

 

[Howardh]

80 years of BBC television, is this thread a repeat by any chance .........

Yes, and next year it will appear on the Dave forum

 

[AM9]

It's a shame that the BBC always seem to bring up Logie Baird whose experiments between 1929 and 1936 had very little to do with the TV service that started 80 years ago.

 

[Harbornite]

Speaking of the BBC, I think it's a shame that they've booted Martin Games Hughes off Autumnwatch. Him, Packham and Strachan worked well (almost as good as Jezza, Hamster and Captain Slow...)

 

[backontrack]

Yes, and next year it will appear on the Dave forum

*clap clap clap clap clap clap*

 

[telstarbox]

Doctor Who, Sherlock, Monty Python, Yes Minister, Dad's Army, Blackadder, 'Allo 'Allo, Springwatch, Coast, Countryfile. I commend Auntie Beeb; though it has had some duds (and sometimes its news programmes leave a lot to be desired), it remains a British institution. I just hope the Tories keep their hands away from it...

And more recently BBC Four, The Mighty Boosh, Portillo on the trains, The Railway, The Thick of It, People Just Do Nothing... great stuff.

 

[AlterEgo]

Doctor Who, Sherlock, Monty Python, Yes Minister, Dad's Army, Blackadder, 'Allo 'Allo, Springwatch, Countryfile, Coast. I commend Auntie Beeb; though it has had some duds (and sometimes its news programmes leave a lot to be desired), it remains a British institution. I just hope the Tories keep their hands away from it...

Indeed. The BBC is deeply flawed but it is still better than every other channel out there. Its contribution to the nation is immeasurable.

 

[backontrack]

And more recently BBC Four, The Mighty Boosh, Portillo on the trains, The Railway, The Thick of It, People Just Do Nothing... great stuff.

Oh yeah. Wallander, The Bridge, Borgen, Have I Got News For You, Mock the Week, a lot of their radio output (Now Show, Mark Steel's In Town, The News Quiz, Dead Ringers, I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, Just a Minute), Panorama, Horrible Histories, Planet Earth, Fawlty Towers, Torchwood, University Challenge, The Hollow Crown, The Young Ones, Alan Partridge, GBRJ...

 

[telstarbox]

Mock the Week is properly 5hit though. Harry and Paul took the panel show format to pieces in their tribute to BBC Two 'Story of the 2s'.

 

[backontrack]

Mock the Week is properly 5hit though.

Come on, you're kidding.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Come on, you're kidding.

I'll be the one who says this, but as far as I'm concerned it's the truth: it's been absolutely terrible since the superb Frankie Boyle left.

 

[Busaholic]

I'll just mention That Was The Week That Was, Not Only....But Also, Pete 'n' Dud, Steptoe and Son, Hancock's Half Hour, Alan Whicker, Ascent of Man and Civilisation plus all those David Attenborough programmes.

 

[backontrack]

I'll just mention That Was The Week That Was, Not Only....But Also, Pete 'n' Dud, Steptoe and Son, Hancock's Half Hour, Alan Whicker, Ascent of Man and Civilisation plus all those David Attenborough programmes.

True. I only did Planet Earth.

The phrase 'national treasure' is doled out far too often these days. But he is a bona fide treasure.

 

[Harbornite]

plus all those David Attenborough programmes.

Life of birds being my favourite...

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

November 4th marks the 80th anniversary of the first TV transmission from Alexandra Palace. On BBC2 'Newsnight' tonight Evan Davis interviewed 104 year old Paul Reveley, who was John Logie Baird's Personal Assistant from 1933 to 1938. His mind seems as sharp as ever, and I commend the item to you. It appears toward the end of the programme.

I watched that programme on catch up last night, I thought how bright the 104 gentleman was, especially with the technical stuff and the lady tooo was good at 92.

Feel a bit sorry for Logie-Baird who seemed to get sidelined.

(Pity that the standard of many current TV programmes are not as good as they were in the 1950s-1980s.)

 

[AM9]

... Feel a bit sorry for Logie-Baird who seemed to get sidelined.

The Logie Baird tests were a technical irrelevance and history has proven it to be just a sideshow. The real father of television, (ghlobally as well as in the UK), was Alan Blumlein. You should check up on the catalogue of his work that lasted for decades, (some to this day).

(Pity that the standard of many current TV programmes are not as good as they were in the 1950s-1980s.)

A bit of nostalgic memories there. There was some good stuff, particularly in the '60s and '70s, but there was a lot more rubbish too.

 

[ac6000cw]

The Logie Baird tests were a technical irrelevance and history has proven it to be just a sideshow.

I agree, but he was good at keeping the idea of TV in the public eye, so although technically his system was a dead end, he probably spurred the development of it as a communication medium considerably.

The real father of television, (globally as well as in the UK), was Alan Blumlein. You should check up on the catalogue of his work that lasted for decades, (some to this day).

Yes, a great loss to British engineering when he was killed in WW2 during a test flight for radar equipment. The classic 'crossed pair' stereo sound recording microphone technique was one of his other enduring inventions (very commonly used to this day).

A bit of nostalgic memories there. There was some good stuff, particularly in the '60s and '70s, but there was a lot more rubbish too.

Agreed - we tend to only remember the best stuff...

 

[Butts]

Indeed. The BBC is deeply flawed but it is still better than every other channel out there. Its contribution to the nation is immeasurable.

Well for once I find myself in total agreement with you and I thoroughly endorse the above comments.

Even if they were responsible for "The Black and White Minstrels" show
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

True. I only did Planet Earth.

The phrase 'national treasure' is doled out far too often these days. But he is a bona fide treasure.

Planet Earth 2 is fantastic - imagine what the BBC could produce with a bit more money

 

[Clip]

Im in agreement that the BBC has made some good stuff over the years both on tv and radio but I still begrudge being forced to pay for it.

 

[SS4]

The BBC is good as making good flagship shows but seems to focus on them to the detriment of the regular schedule IMO. For every Planet Earth you have 10 Pointlesses or Flog It or Bargain Hunt

 

[me123]

The BBC is good as making good flagship shows but seems to focus on them to the detriment of the regular schedule IMO. For every Planet Earth you have 10 Pointlesses or Flog It or Bargain Hunt

As true as that may be, that's what most of TV is even on the commercial channels. The BBC's morning shows (which I find to be quite a useful sedative after my night shifts) are dire; but ITV has Jeremy Kyle, Channel 4 also has property shows, Channel 5 probably broadcasts something to their viewer, ITV3 runs a daily Judge Judy marathon... the BBC's rubbish is only ever competing with rubbish from elsewhere.

At least the BBC has got quality broadcasting. I can't even remember the last time I watched ITV. The only thing on that channel that's moderately tolerable is The Chase (and even then...). The BBC put a lot of effort into their flagship shows, but I'm struggling to see where ITV's flagship shows even are.

 

[Butts]

Im in agreement that the BBC has made some good stuff over the years both on tv and radio but I still begrudge being forced to pay for it.

Well when you consider what it provides for £3 a week and compare that to the cost of any Virgin or Sky package it is still tremendous value for money.

Not just TV but Radio I-Player etc

 

[AM9]

Well when you consider what it provides for £3 a week and compare that to the cost of any Virgin or Sky package it is still tremendous value for money.

Not just TV but Radio I-Player etc

... and it looks like they are going to do something about the iPlayer freeloaders too!

 

[Butts]

With the FNL, the frequency is so low and the communities so small that even if you were to reduce fares, you'd be unlikely to induce much demand. Car ownership is pretty essential up there, so people will choose to drive in the vast majority of cases unless there was to be a significant improvement in frequency (which ain't going to happen). So there's, sadly, no incentive for Scotrail to reduce the fares.

Eh.....

Has this been posted in the wrong thread !!!

 

[me123]

Yes, it obviously has

I have no idea how I managed that

 

[Clip]

Well when you consider what it provides for £3 a week and compare that to the cost of any Virgin or Sky package it is still tremendous value for money.

Not just TV but Radio I-Player etc

You may think so but I dont - I would prefer to be given the choice what I pay for and therefore watch. And they now force you to watch iplayer on a mobile platform via their app rather than just through the website and I dont want another bloody app on my phone/tablet.