TV History

The Pilkington Report

The History of ITV - The Pilkington Report

The Pilkington Report

ITV faced its toughest test yet. A government white paper on the state of television found it wanting, while the BBC escaped any criticism. But did the government have their own agenda when they ordered the infamous Pilkington Report?

Lord Grade and David Frost

The History of ITV: The New Franchises

Lord Grade and David Frost

Had any of the existing companies felt complacent about their future they should have taken heed of Lord Hill's earlier warning that 'all bets were off' on the next franchise round.

The Queen's Funeral

The Queen's Funeral

The Queen's Funeral

In a world in which news, "reality television," and drama are blurred as they all come through the same screens, the "soap opera" that is the House of Windsor, combined with the splendour of the pageantry of an old Imperial Monarchy, continues to fascinate much of the world

Missing, Believed Wiped

Missing, Believed Wiped

Missing, Believed Wiped

British television's "lost treasures" and how they came to be so, and the continued efforts to find them.

John Cura's Tele-Snaps

John Cura's Tele-Snaps

John Cura's Tele-Snaps

Another sorry tale of how pieces of British television history might have been lost forever, had it not been for one man.

US Television's First Golden Age

US Television: The First Golden Age

US Television's First Golden Age

Television development moved faster in Europe than it did in America. Nevertheless, by the 1950s US TV had overtaken the rest of the world and was enjoying its first Golden Age. But as unlikely as it may seem, the first real star of US television was a cat...

The $64,000 Question

The Quiz Show Scandals of the 1950s

The $64,000 Question

A lack of regulations, greed, and contestants willing to take part in the 'fixing' of big money quiz shows led to US television's biggest scandal. Careers and reputations were ruined and the influence of sponsors undermined the public’s trust in the integrity of commercial broadcasting

The Golden Age of Television

Is This the Golden Age of Television?

The Golden Age of Television

If this is not the "Golden Age of Television Production," it could at least be argued that the multiplicity of platforms makes this the "Golden Age of Television Viewing"