[49] Programmes from the Thames archive include: The first idents to be used comprised a plain screen with the words 'from Thames' written in white in the Helvetica font, and a vignette that resembled the famous ident, containing famous London landmarks. Tony Bastable, who has died at the age of 62, was one of the bright and breezy Mr Clean children's television programme presenters of the 1970s, with a fringe, a winning . This station was more highly regarded by the ITA (amongst others) than Rediffusion whose programming was seen as downmarket and whose management-style was viewed as high-handed. Later, she worked for . [16] In October, Thames paid the BBC, via the IBA, 300,000 in compensation to make up the shortfall in additional cost for new episodes of Dallas.[17]. On 30 July 1968 Thames began broadcasting to London. The children's department also spawned the independent production company Tetra Films, which would later revive some classic Thames children's programmes for ITV The Tomorrow People (19925, in association with Thames-owned Reeves Entertainment for ITV and Nickelodeon) and Rainbow (199496, for HTV) along with a range of original film and television productions. But it still takes 30 seconds to get a film rolling so youve still got 30 seconds of abuse to listen to. The company also produced the children's show Magpie, which began in 1968 and was intended as a rival for Blue Peter on BBC 1, and The Tomorrow People (197379), a science fiction series. Magpie was effectively a "groovier" version of the BBC's Blue Peter. Des Withey has worked for me on Radio Seagull for over two years. : With Mavis Nicholson, Jasmine Bligh, Mary Berry, Judith Chalmers. [28], For the Thames board, the dispute represented a huge, but necessary, cost if the company was to expand its production operations profitably. It was originally shot by stop-frame animation on 16mm film, then shot again on 35mm film in 1976 and finally digitised on computer in 1984. The corporation ended the series in 2003. 2023 The TV Room. Thames Television have produced a lot of successful television programs, and this list highlights some of the best ones. Producers don't often get credit for great TV series but they are an integral part of the creation process. [43] Thames bid 32.5 million while Carlton Television placed a bid of 43.2 million,[44] and since both Thames and Carlton were deemed to have passed the quality threshold, the franchise was awarded to Carlton for having submitted the higher cash bid. Richard Evans and Richard Ford and Dominique Searle "Trial by TV' row over IRA killings film", Dunn to Thames Board, July 1983 (uncatalogued deposit), ITVA Archive from, Cherry, S. ITV: The People's Channel, Reynolds and Hearn, 2005, p196. The Thames TV papers also seem to put paid to the conspiracy theory that the groups appearance was some kind of publicity scam concocted between Thames TV and their part-owners, EMI. ), The former ABC studios at Teddington became Thames's main production base. Control of the new company would be given to ABC, a move unpopular with Rediffusion. From the panic and recriminations in the documents, it seems that the story of the day was simply one glorious British botch job. Consequently, the franchise loss became a subject of political debate, with changes brought about by the 1990 act being cited as 'The primary reason for an operation such as Thames being able to lose its licence to broadcast'. Enjoy your trip in the time machine! Unusually for a commercial broadcaster, it also produced lavish versions of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The studios at Teddington were sold to a management buy-out team and were part of the Pinewood Group, owners of both Pinewood and Shepperton Studios. Lucy Domachowski Showbiz Reporter. Now, at 56, he has gone back to his first profession - acting. Thames's share was bought out by Flextech in 1996.[61][62]. See MoreSee Less, Burt Bacharach, one of pop's greatest songwriters, dies aged 94. [32][33], In 1982, The Independent Broadcasting Authority decided to change the Thames franchise area, which resulted in the Bluebell Hill transmitter in north Kent, its associated relays and the main relay at Tunbridge Wells being transferred from London to the new South and South-East of England, TVS franchise, in order to serve the new region better. The Times, Wednesday, 18 June 1986, 200 jobs go at Thames. open.spotify.com/show/7DIM1wfGKwDis0uzsjHeP7?si=pG0_U0TjRKGzVDvrePs4vA Allan Hargreaves (1977). For pre-school children there was Rainbow, which started in 1972 and ran for 20 years. Hill himself said "I didn't mind them sacking me; but I did expect a bit more of a pat on the back, after all I had been there for 20 years". In programming, Rediffusion was originally considered stuffy but in the previous contract round of 1964, it had re-invented itself, dropping the name Associated-Rediffusion in favour of the trendier Rediffusion London, to reflect the cultural changes of the time, with its output altered accordingly. It brought punk to the masses and some say killed it stone dead. Fact and fiction: the Sex Pistols terrorise Bill Grundy, in real life and on Disney's Pistol series, The front page of the Mirror, 2nd December 1976, Host Bill Grundy leaving the BBC offices the day after the Sex Pistols interview, (Image credit: David Ashdown/Getty Images ), Def Leppard's Joe Elliott hospitalised by altitude sickness in Colombia, Always wanted to record a Kiss song with Gene Simmons? Thames at 6 [12/09/77] presenter. Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified. Although he refers in his introduction to the band being more drunk than I am, Grundy doesnt seem under the influence either. 1977. The Thames TV 'Drive In' programme reviews the Chrysler Alpine in 1976, and comes up with some interesting conclusions, treating it as an imported car. In 1968 he moved to Thames Television and began presenting Magpie, a new children's programme, with Susan Stranks and Pete Brady. Like all ITV franchisees, it was a broadcaster, a producer and a commissioner of television programmes, making shows both for the local region it covered and, as one of the "Big Five" ITV companies, for networking nationally across the ITV regions. It was intended to develop language . Moira is known to many as the first African-Caribbean female newsreader to appear on British television in 1981. Hill gained a following in the United States when this version was screened there. The Thames offshoot Euston Films was founded in 1971 to specialise in drama output made entirely on film, then still a rare practice. [13] The comedians had worked for the BBC since 1968 with major national success, but the decisive factor leading the duo to leave the corporation was Thames's offer to feature them as main leads in a film made by the company's Euston Films subsidiary. Thames proceeded to sack all the technicians for breach of contract. The flotation was not a great success, EMI and BET only managing to reduce their shares to 56.6%, with management acquiring much of the new stock. It was believed that the comedian was dismissed because his shows were considered offensive and politically incorrect,[19] but John Howard Davies said the decision was taken because of falling ratings, very high production costs and Hill was looking tired. The British Film Institute describes Thames as having "served the capital and the network with a long-running, broad-based and extensive series of programmes, several of which either continue or are well-remembered today. The London weekday/weekend split schedule remained the same, although the weekend contract was extended to include Friday evenings, but was opened to new applicants. An absolute giant of British sports broadcasting. A programme on Harold Lloyd (The Third Genius) followed in 1989. See MoreSee Less, Another musical genius has gone RIP Burt Bacharach Having until recently led the communications on National Highways' largest projects, the Lower Thames Crossing, A303 Stonehenge tunnel, the A428 Black Cat scheme and the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon scheme, I'm now focussing on business development in a new director role at . It was widely expected that the company would be awarded the London weekend franchise. Thames and Littlestar are on the search for musical theatre Super Troupers to star in @MammaMiaMusical. Thames said: "We are delighted in the outcome of the dispute which we believe is in the best interests of everyone who works at Thames". Mon 24 Oct 2011 12.17 EDT. The structure of the new company was also a problem. The auction method used to conduct the new franchise round was a significant change from previous rounds and was brought about by the Broadcasting Act 1990. It continued after Harry Corbett's retirement in 1975 with his son, Matthew Corbett, and lasted on Thames until late 1992. Its shows achieved massive audiences and are still remembered many years later. Who knows what damage would have ensued if he had called while the Pistols were still in the Green Room. Thames Television broadcast from 9:25 Monday morning to 5:15 Friday afternoon (7:00 Friday night until 1982) at which time it would hand over to London Weekend Television (LWT). in London's West End! These included the variety show Opportunity Knocks, Armchair Theatre, the last series of The Avengers and the detective thrillers Callan and Public Eye, all inherited from ABC. Thames paid 55,000 a show compared to the 29,000 of the BBC. Former NZ television presenter Liz Gunn claims earthquake . Richard O'Sullivan, Beryl Reid, John Cater, Carol Hawkins, Martin Clunes, Maureen Lipman. The station continued formats inherited from its predecessors. The following year, in 1989, Thames ended the contract of Benny Hill, a stalwart at the station since 1969. The presenters flirting with Siouxsie Sioux, who was standing behind the band and was aged 19 at the time; Grundy was 53 provoked Joness comment: You dirty sod. Following the loss of Thames's franchise, the Euston Road base of Thames was sold off and demolished. See MoreSee Less. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-64558222 Good Afternoon! Harry Gration. Entertainment and arts reporter, BBC News. Geographical and structural changes to the network led to the first significant shakeups of the network, a process that started in 1967 to take effect from 1968. Consequently, ABC applied for both the Midlands seven-day operation and the contract to serve London at the weekend, preferring the latter. It seems that the warning was not taken seriously if it had been, its doubtful that the band would have been put into a Green Room (a TV term for a room in which guests are offered refreshments before going on air) with a fully stocked bar. The Nostalgia Central website has been a labour of love for me since 1998. Melinda Wittstock "Contest for Channel 5 is clouded by doubts". This name had been previously considered and rejected by London Weekend Television.[7]. David Hewson "Thames TV head leaves in dispute over Dallas". Lovely riah. RIP the beautiful Stella Stevens, who has died at the age of 84. During her time at TVNZ between 1990 and 2003, Gunn also worked at Radio New Zealand, hosting a number of shows before finishing in . 62 ] in 1981 Cater, Carol Hawkins, Martin Clunes, Maureen Lipman African-Caribbean newsreader. Often get credit for great TV thames television presenters but they are an integral part of the BBC & # ;! 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