please empty your brain below
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Oxford Road Show - predecessor of No Limits?
Man of Kent | 20.04.24 - 8:25 p.m. | #
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When BBC2 started being broadcast, this was solely on the new 625 line video standard, via UHF transmission. Until that point, most people were still using the grainy 405 line system on valve-run TVs, my gran even having an extra set-top box to receive ITV. Black and white, of course. So, BBC2 encouraged migration to far better quality viewing, on larger-screened TVs.
Nick K | 20.04.24 - 8:26 p.m. | #
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And don't forget 1970's 'Disco 2', the seminal precursor to The Old Grey Whistle Test.
kewman | 20.04.24 - 8:31 p.m. | #
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Our Friends In The North was absolutely superb. I've not seen a better drama series since. BBC at it's very best.
Richard | 20.04.24 - 8:32 p.m. | #
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From the start of BBC2 there was a preview and discussion programme called Line Up. This evolved into Late Night Line Up which as the name implies was broadcast towards the end of the days transmission.
It featured a variety of guests from across a broad spectrum of subjects and expertise. One of the presenters was Joan Bakewell.
In 1969 / 69 there was a spin-off called Colour Me Pop, featuring a range of pop and rock groups and solo artists. Its purpose was to introduce viewers to the then new world of Colour Television.
It was one of the few programmes broadcast at that time that showed a much broader range of artists and their music, than those usually seen on other Pop music TV shows like Top of the Pops.
IanD | 20.04.24 - 9:12 p.m. | #
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I hope you're watching the fantastic celebratory line-up of 60 archive musical performances on BBC2 this evening.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 20.04.24 - 9:14 p.m. | #
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The astonishing aspect of Late Night Line Up was that it had an open-ended running-time; as the final programme of the evening, broadcast live, it could be as long or short as it wanted and the channel would stay on-air until it ended, sometimes very late indeed. It was followed only by a brief farewell voiceover from a (possibly rather tired) continuity announcer, who’d often sign off with an orchestral number allegedly called “Love on the North Sea”. Incomprehensible that this could happen today, when every bean has to be counted. Joan Bakewell, though, has just turned 91.
Labourer | 20.04.24 - 10:54 p.m. | #
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The Dave Allen Show - 1968, his first series for the BBC.
Six English Towns - 1978, plus the two following series - Six More... 1981 & Another Six.. - 1984.
40 Minutes - 1981.
Victorian Kitchen Garden - 1987, not sure what channel the spin offs were on.
Although I also remember it as endless Cricket/Rugby/Tennis plus conferences.
Still Anon | 21.04.24 - 12:07 a.m. | #
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I echo Richards sentiments regarding Our Friends in the North. Brilliant stuff and helped launch big careers for the four lead actors.
As for Abihgails Party. Genius!
MO | 21.04.24 - 7:20 a.m. | #
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Not forgetting Twenty Twelve (in 2011).
Trevor S | 21.04.24 - 7:42 a.m. | #
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The International Cavaliers cricket feast on Sunday afternoons - the precursor of one-day cricket. Loved it.
felix | 21.04.24 - 7:47 a.m. | #
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Oops, sorry, Twenty Twelve debuted on BBC4, repeated on BBC2.
Trevor S | 21.04.24 - 7:50 a.m. | #
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Couldn’t agree more about those idents… I often watch a compilation of them of YouTube! They should have been given some kind of protected national status and never been allowed to been replaced!
Joe | 21.04.24 - 7:58 a.m. | #
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And not forgetting: 20 April 1964. BBC 2 launched, but did not get off to a good start as programmes were interrupted due to a power cut at Battersea Power Station in London. It was Play School at 11:30 AM on the following day that was the first official programme on BBC2.
Rob Gullen | 21.04.24 - 8:03 a.m. | #
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The opening of BBC2 was delayed until the next evening as there was a power failure on the official opening night.
Not many people has sets to receive BBC2 as a new aerial was needed and the TV set had to work on 625 lines. Of those who did have "dual Standard" sets (sets that could operate on 405 or 625) many found that they received nothing as the UHF tuner in the television did not work due to the 2 valves in the tuner having failed, the valves used were PC88 and PC86 and failed for being in the set for some time and not being used,"cathode poisoning"- A lot of service calls were made to replace those valves, and most as people rented their TV in those days so the service was included. Some of the PC88 and PC86 valves had gold plated pins to help prevent any losses due to poor connection!
The valve UHF tuners were not very good working at UHF frequencies and the pictures on BBC2 were often quite pale lacking contrast. Within a year or so a transistor UHF tuner became available and if fitted vastly improved the BBC2 reception and picture quality.
Some 405 line sets could be converted to BBC2 Bush and Murphy both supplied conversion kits for some of their models. The Murphy kit gave very good results, the unit fitted under the television and had a tuning dial like a radio. In London you you would tune to Channel 33 on the dial.
Many people happily carried on watching BBC1 and ITV on their 405 TVs as the programmes on BBC2 did not have wide appeal.
John | 21.04.24 - 8:22 a.m. | #
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Fortnightly on Saturday nights in 1972-3, BBC2 had 'Full House' which the 18-year old me loved for its eclectic programming. Running for roughly two hours, with a pot-pourri of theatre, non-pop music from Humble Pie to Michael Tippet, comedy sketches, avant-garde films and interviews. Lasted a year.
Here's a flavour(snipped from Radio Times: 21:05-23:00 25/11/72).
"London's Longest Picture : Sidney Nolan, the Australian painter, sees his 150-ft-long picture hung for the very first time in the Full House studio.
The London Saxophone Quartet : A group of musicians who are making a name for themselves with a repertoire and style that is unfamiliar in this country.
What Shall We Do Next? : A sketch by John Bowen
Roxy Music : Reviving the music of the 1950s and contributing some of their own - vocal and electronic.
The Mona Lisa in 3-D : The Dutch artist, Saskia de Boer, makes figures of famous people from foam rubber.
Dan Jacobson : The South African writer and critic, winner of the Llewelyn Rhys Memorial Prize and the Somerset Maugham Award: tonight he reads, and talks about, a story of his that deals with his childhood in South Africa.
Plus sketches by Eric Idle, cartoon films... and whatever or whoever else turns up."
martin'O'Holcombe | 21.04.24 - 8:36 a.m. | #
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TV gold! The list suggests that I grew up in a BB2 household.
1994 The Fast Show
2010 Digging for Britain
2017 Motherland
Rod | 21.04.24 - 8:39 a.m. | #
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1979: Monkey!! Loved it! Could remember the show but not the title - thanks!
Cornish Cockney | 21.04.24 - 12:02 p.m. | #
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The Water Margin, can't remember if it was broadcast before or after Monkey.
mclm | 21.04.24 - 2:37 p.m. | #
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