programmes Archives - THIS IS ALPHA from Transdiffusion

ATV programmes and personalities – 1

Behind the Scenes — Thu, 01 Sep 1960 21:40:25 +0000

Godfrey Winn, who was born in Birmingham, returned to present his series of programmes “Godfrey Winn Speaking Personally”. His sincere approach to personal problems brought him a flood of letters from appreciative viewers.

Shaw Taylor {left) with the producer, John Irwin discuss a point during rehearsal of “Dotto” the popular quiz programme. Many Midland viewers have had an opportunity to join in this programme as members of the audience in the Television Theatre, Aston.

Bringing a tang of the sea to Aston, The Bosun (Gerald Cuff) appears each Monday in the childrens hour. He introduces the Popeye cartoon films and gives young viewers the answers to their queries about seafaring matters. Special films on lifeboats, the Royal Navy, Shipbuilding, the Merchant Navy and the launching of ships have been made for showing in these programmes.

One of the memorable television broadcasts was the concert given by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy. Hilde Gueden, who was the soloist, congratulates the Leader of the orchestra, Jocob Krechnalnik.

Noele Gordon seated on a Canberra bomber at the R.A.F. Station, Gaydon in Warwickshire. This was during the last of the 1959 series of Outside Broadcasts of “Lunch Box”. Noele has been the star of this mid-day television show which has now been running for three years and which pioneered the way for T.V. at this time of the day.

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ATV programmes and personalities – 2

Behind the Scenes — Thu, 01 Sep 1960 21:30:01 +0000

Noele Gordon, star of “Lunch Box”, “Tea With Noele Gordon“, “Noele Gordon Takes the Air” and other T.V. shows. She is a qualified television producer and joined A.T.V. as Advisor on Woman’s Programmes. However, her wide show business experience soon brought her before the T.V. cameras and her popularity with Midland viewers grows every day.

Ward Bond and Robert Horton who, as Major Seth Adams and Scout Flint McCullogh, thrill Midland viewers each Monday night.

“Midland Montage” produced by Kit Plant, brings interesting people to the studios each week. Here, Leslie Dunn, who introduces the items, is chatting to Peters Sellars (centre) and film producer (right) John Boulting.

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ATV programmes and personalities – 3

Behind the Scenes — Thu, 01 Sep 1960 21:20:41 +0000

One of the items for “Midland Farming” is filmed in Herefordshire. This specialist programme for the farmer has a very large non-farming following. It is introduced by Leslie Thomas, the National Farmers Union Information officer in the West Midlands, who also acts as programme adviser.

Canon Charles Crowson of Yardley, Birmingham receives the expert attention of make-up girl Felicity Leadham-Green in preparation for the opening of A.T.V.’s daily programmes. Each day begins with “A Thought For The Day” from a clergyman of one of the three main denominations and the day closes with the “Epilogue.”

Patrick Astley, A.T.V’s announcer who also contributes to “Midland Montage”. He was selected for the post from 823 applicants.

Jean Morton. A.T.V.’s popular announcer. She was the first female T.V. announcer to be appointed in the Midlands and she has taken part in other programmes such as “Rainbow Room” and “Midland News”.

Patricia Cox is seen by Midland viewers * every evening when she reads the News. She has been the Newscaster since the beginning of “Midland News”, the first regular regional T.V. news service.

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ABC programmes and personalities – 1

Behind the Scenes — Thu, 01 Sep 1960 21:10:55 +0000

The only television programme in Britain to be devoted to the literary world is “The Bookman”, A.B.C.’s weekly programme about books and the authors who write them. The first ‘Bookman programme was produced at Aston over two years ago. A recent visitor to the programme was the Russian author Vladimir Nabokov seen here discussing his controversial book ‘Lolita’ with producer Guy Verney.

John Edmunds voted recently by a Sunday newspaper as the most popular male announcer on television. John is A.B.C. Television’s resident announcer in Birmingham every weekend and apart from normal announcing duties he has taken part in many programmes seen on the national network. John’s specially tailored ‘uniform’ is of lovat green shade, with bottle green lapels and tie, and a stone coloured shirt. These colours have been specially blended to suit the critical eye of the television camera which dislikes black and white in direct contrast.

“Sunday Break” the world’s first religious television programme designed for teenagers has been acclaimed by the Church and by the world press. “Sunday Break” devised by A.B.C. was first produced at the Alpha Television Studios and this picture shows a corner of the club room set up in the studio.

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ABC programmes and personalities – 2

Behind the Scenes — Thu, 01 Sep 1960 21:00:33 +0000

The light blue vans of A.B.C’s Outside Broadcast Unit are a familiar sight in the Midlands. From the Leofric Hotel in Coventry, A.B.C. have presented several programmes. McDonald Hobley is seen introducing ‘Bid for Fame’ from the hotel ballroom.

Consistently the most popular play on television is produced each Sunday in A.B.C. Television’s Armchair Theatre Series. Anthony Quayle, Dorothy Tutin and Neil McCollum rehearse a scene from “The Scent of Fear” produced recently.

Saturday night at 6.30 is the time when “Boy Meets Girls”, and all over Britain popular music fans tune in to see Marty Wilde, The Vernons Girls and the cream of the recording stars in A.B.C’s popular programme. “Boy Meets Girls” is the successor to “Oh Boy!”, the explosion of beat music which gathered the most loyal band of followers any programme ever had. So popular was the series that newspapers all over the country organized special trains to bring fans to the studio to watch the programme in production. This has never happened to any other television programme either before or since.

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ABC programmes and personalities – 3

Behind the Scenes — Thu, 01 Sep 1960 20:50:47 +0000

“Love or Money”, A.B.C. Television’s current quiz programme is produced in Studio A.

Franklin Engelmann and the A.B.C.-TV. Outside Broadcast Unit introduce ‘The Other Man’s Farm’. ‘The Other Man’s Farm’ is the only farming programme in the world to be produced as a live outside broadcast. Here, Franklin Engelmann and Jim Hall interview Mr. Dixon who farms at Grange Farm, Mears Ashby, Northampton.

A.B.C. Television’s Outside Broadcast Unit is the biggest and most widely used in this country, presenting sometimes three or four different broadcasts in one day. One of the travelling camera units is here seen on the promenade at Llandudno televising an insert in ‘Holiday Town Parade’.

Many of the Sunday evening religious programmes are broadcast by A.B.C. from Aston. A recent series “The Least Read Best Seller” was introduced by Dr. William Neil (seated) and Professor Alan Richardson, both of Nottingham University. With director Ben Churchill (left) and religious programmes producer Tom Singleton, they go over the script before the broadcast.

Lights, scenery, cameras, microphones, the Geoff Love Orchestra, pianist Pepe Jaramillo, singer Janie Marden, compere Noel Harrison and studio technicians make up a composite picture of a modern television studio at work. The programme is ‘Sentimental Journey’ seen recently on A.B.C. Television.

“After Hours” — A.B.C.’s late night show was first produced in Studio D at the Alpha Studios. Benny Lee, Dick Emery, Michael Bentine and John Bentley play a light hearted skit on “African Patrol” one of A.B.C.’s filmed programmes.

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Recollections of past programmes

Behind the Scenes — Thu, 01 Sep 1960 20:40:20 +0000

A memorable programme presented by A.B.C. Television to the entire l.T.V. network was ‘Coventry Cathedral Festival of Arts’. Here, Dr. Cuthbert Bardsley, Bishop of Coventry, films a prologue to the programme in the ruins of the old Cathedral.

Studio A was turned into a shooting gallery for ‘Can Do’ in which Lonnie Donnegan showed his prowess as a marksman. Compere John Pertwee stands by to administer first aid!

A.B.C. Television often present a drama serial to the entire I.T.V. network from Aston. Sometimes it is necessary to couple studios to house the tremendous number of sets, cameras and artistes. When this is done, actors and technicians working in separate studios are ‘cut in’ on a cue from the director in the control room linking the two studios. This technique was often adopted when presenting the serial “All Aboard” recently.

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The Audience is part of the Show

Bill Ward — Thu, 01 Sep 1960 20:20:38 +0000

WHY do we have an audience in the television studio? The short answer is that we consider them as part of the show. Their laughter, applause and reaction is as important as the plot itself.

To emphasise my point let me tell you the story of a very ‘dull and undemonstrative’ audience I once had when producing an Arthur Askey comedy series.

For the first programme in the series we had a studio audience of about ninety people.

by
BILL WARD
Productions Controller
ATV

Immediately the show was over, Arthur came to me, a very worried man. “Why did we get no atmosphere Bill?” he said. “I don’t know” I replied “the script was funny enough — let’s ask them.” So, although nearly all of the people were on their way out, a ‘phone call to the front door stopped them and brought them back to the studio. I talked to them and asked why they hadn’t laughed — didn’t they think the show was funny — why? They had liked the show well enough, they told me, but they were so intrigued with the way a television show went together, the movement of cameras and booms, sets being changed, artists taking up their positions in other parts of the studio to where action was taking place, ready for the next part of the show, that they had no time or thought to laugh because their mind was not fully on being an audience — as it were.

A typical Lunch Box ‘Open House’ audience.

I told them that we had been disappointed and that at home the viewer also might not have liked the show as well as he might if there had been more laughter, and they understood then how much we of the show needed our audience to be a part of that show, as necessary an ingredient as a camera or an artist or a writer — or dare I say it — a producer. So I struck a bargain with them, and asked if they would be our audience for the rest of the series, and come every week for the remaining five weeks — and they did — and a wonderful audience they were.

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