Within 18 months he was working for ATV as a presenter of children's shows, sports magazines and schools' programmes. "[1] Thames covered a broad spectrum of commercial public-service television, with a strong mix of drama, current affairs and comedy. However, it remained one of the top ten most watched shows across the whole ITV network and was still one of the UK's top TV exports, continuing to air in 97 other countries. Our professional presenters include an array of famous faces including Clive Myrie, Phil Gayle and Helen Fospero, to some lesser . Today. So, as this was the last story on the programme, I let it go., Housego had no way of predicting the extent to which Grundy would lose it. Video / NZ Herald. David Hewson "Thames deal angers ITV network". In the early days of ITV, the company had worked hard to keep the network on-air during financial crises that threatened the collapse of other companies, particularly Granada. Carlton chose to commission the vast majority of its production content from third parties, and rent studio and broadcasting space at LWT's London Studios. Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. All rights reserved. They were flies in the amber of notoriety. EMI dropped them, gigs were cancelled, Glen Matlock left and Sid Vicious joined. Yes, all of this actually happened . Magpie was effectively a "groovier" version of the BBC's Blue Peter. RM 2HXKBTB - Mick Robertson, Douglas Rae and Jenny Hanley, the presenters of Thames Television's . A few years after The World at War, Thames broadcast Hollywood (1980), a 13-part documentary series about the era of the America silent cinema. behllare med tappkran jula. Simon is best-known for his long stint as a BBC Radio 1 DJ and radio presenter on several other 5-7am on DRIVE and 17.00 -19.00. and every Thursday lunchtime 13.00 - 15.00. After some discussion as to the name of the new companysome directors favoured ABC London, while others suggested Tower Television to reflect the Post Office Tower and the Tower of Londonit was named Thames Television, after the River Thames. That subsidiary was split into four new production companies at the start of 2012, with the new Thames producing light entertainment programming. Or so people thought. In the summer of 1984 a major strike was called, this time, over Thames's management unilaterally issuing new rostering schedules (overtime payments for transmission staff), and the use of new cameras and editing equipment. However, five years ago Classic Rock exclusively obtained internal files from Thames Television which give a unique insight into what happened on the day: memos criticising personnel, and hand-written notes by producers recording what happened in the aftermath were all inside the files. 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. When Steve Jones responded to Bill Grundys dare that he say something outrageous with the words What a fucking rotter, he fundamentally altered British broadcasting and took punk into the mainstream. The Times, Friday, 30 March 1990. Thames at 6 [12/09/77] presenter. The Thames TV papers also seem to put paid to the conspiracy theory that the group's appearance was some kind of publicity scam concocted between Thames TV and their part-owners, EMI. The programme used animation and graphics created by Cosgrove Hall, a Thames subsidiary founded in 1972, which made animated series for children. Find Thames Television stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Lorry driver Jason Holmes, 47, told the papers he was so outraged that his eight-year-old son Lee had heard the swearing that he kicked in the screen of his brand new, 380 TV. [40][41], However, by October talks had stalled, with EMI and BET still controlling Thames before heading into the 1991 franchise round.[42]. "The combination of these two companies," announced ITA Chairman Lord Hill, "seemed to the Authority to offer the possibility of a programme company of real excellence. Thames and Littlestar are on the search for musical theatre Super Troupers to star in @MammaMiaMusical. It certainly would have added to the series and astonishing coverage at the time. A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. Rest in peace Dickie Davies. Producers don't often get credit for great TV series but they are an integral part of the creation process. We have always suggested that we would make absolutely sure the company would continue to be what it is at this moment in time.' The IBA said it had nothing against Carlton owning part of an ITV company, but believed 'any' single ownership of an ITV company was undesirable.[36]. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. In many ways the careers of Grundy and the Pistols never recovered from the confrontation. The opening week was disrupted by sporadic strike action;[8] the following week, the action had spread to all of ITV[9] and resulted in the creation of a management-run ITV Emergency National Service for some two weeks. Entertainment and arts reporter, BBC News. The corporation ended the series in 2003. The Thames studio switchboard was flooded with protest calls, some also claiming that Grundy was drunk. Chris Perry. The Nostalgia Central website has been a labour of love for me since 1998. He was carpeted and suspended for two weeks for provoking the obscenities. Jack was a popular BBC TV forecaster (17th May 1969 4th May 1983) and for many years was the , Johns broadcasting career began at ILR station Radio Tees. Presenters Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire 13,017,856 [14,800,000] Beautiful commercial land of 685 toises ideally located in the heart of Highlands close to all ameni. Philip was the continuity announcer who ushered in Thames Television's first show in 1968 - and its last one just a year ago, when Carlton took its place as from 1st January 1993. He then joined BBC Newcastle , David started his television career as a continuity scriptwriter for ATV, but soon moved to the , Bob was a Granada Television continuity announcer (1961 1964) and also a regional presenter , Well known Thames Television announcer and newsreader (late-1970s 1992) and LWT continuity . L. orraine Kelly has returned to work with a full bill of health after previously being sent home with a "buglet". Melinda Wittstock. [30] A few days afterwards speculation appeared that Carlton had attempted to buy a sizable number of shares; Michael Green, chairman of Carlton, was quoted saying "I can't possibly comment" but a Thames spokesperson pointed out "It does seem quite likely, however, no one share holder can own more than 10% of our equity so it's difficult to see what they might have in mind". See MoreSee Less, RIP Raquel Welch. Melinda Wittstock "ITV franchise losers consider a joint bid for Channel 5". These included Reilly, Ace of Spies (1983), Jack the Ripper (1988), Capital City (19891990), Selling Hitler (1991), and Anglo-Saxon Attitudes (1992). By Kenneth Gosling. This ident was designed by agency Minale Tattersfield. Vivien was a Central TV announcer and newsreader (early 1980s). ThamesTelevision issued an apology, Grundy was suspended for two weeks, and theTodayprogramme was scrapped five months later. 11 September 1986 -. This list answers the questions, "What TV shows has . [citation needed]. Michael Clark. He's right. Thames's subsidiary production company Euston Films continued to produce many of Thames's highest-profile drama contributions to ITV network programming to the end of its ITV franchise. Comically, the 12-line telephone system automatically diverted any unanswered calls to the Green Room. This series, produced by Kevin Brownlow and David Gill, was followed by the company sponsoring Thames Silents, a project undertaken by Brownlow and Gill of the restoration and screenings (in a limited number of cinemas and on television) of major films from the silent era. The most controversial programme Thames broadcast was the documentary "Death on the Rock", part of the current affairs This Week series. Alford, Sally. Lulu.com, Feb 3, 2016 - Performing Arts - 624 pages. Todaywas launched on30 July 1968 when ITV switched from their ATV/Rediffusion contracts to the new Thames Television/LWT model. And thats all I remember., Matlock, however, maintains that the band had only had a couple of beers: I had a beer or two, as we all did, he told a TV interviewer in 2005. Following the loss of Thames's franchise, the Euston Road base of Thames was sold off and demolished. : With Judith Chalmers, Ruth England, Martin Roberts, John Carter. Shows. Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified. Jul 2022. nostalgiacentral.com/pop-culture/people/raquel-welch/ The Guardian; 24 October 1984; TV film editors end strike. A new ident was launched on 3 September 1990, featuring a redesigned triangle logo containing Big Ben, the British Telecom Tower, the dome of St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower Bridge. How this evaded the press at the time and how it evaded Pistol scriptwriter Craig Pearce remains a mystery. The first ident was used to signify programmes made at Rediffusion's old studios at Adastral House, the latter, shows that came from ABC's former Teddington Studios. A memo from studio producer Mike Housego (who was in charge of the programme as it went out live) to Todays overall boss Tom Steel reveals that after the show ended the group were led back down to the Green Room. 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. THE greatest composer of popular music there has ever been. on-screen participant. The Bill Grundy incident is pretty accurate visually but even tamer than the real life incident. ROYAL TELEVISION SOCIETY. "[45] The Times quoted a spokesman the day after the announcement: "We can be more profitable this way, being forced out of broadcasting will save us 32.5m a year in bid payments, 30 million a year in advertising revenue taxes and about 10m in transmitter cost. The Times, Wednesday, 18 June 1986, 200 jobs go at Thames. Itv billing may fail to attract bidders. On Wednesday 17 October, another strike was instigated, as talks failed to reach agreement. Another sitcom, Man About the House (197376), was successful enough for two spin-offs, George and Mildred (197680) and Robin's Nest (1977-81). [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. Affronted by their aggressive swagger and the fact that theyd just received a 30,000 advance from a record company, Grundy was not a sympathetichost. While they were still in the running for the seven-day service in the Midlands, it was clear this would be won by ATV, who was also a large earner of overseas revenue, having won the Queen's Award for Export in 1966. From the panic and recriminations in the documents, it seems that the story of the day was simply one glorious British botch job. Fascinatingly, they reveal that the controversy which led to the Pistols being trailed by newspaper reporters for the rest of the bands 18-month existence could have been even worse. He joined the company in the 1960s and stayed with its , Hilary was a Central Television and Thames Television announcer (1980s). Members of the group uttered obscenities during their interview with Bill Grundy. Which was when Freddie Mercury had his final encounter with the band. Maybe Steve Jones found a bottle of wine or a bottle of whisky or something but he didnt seem that kind of drunk to me., Bill Grundys late son, Tim, himself a broadcaster, later said with some bitterness that he felt the Pistols went on air with preconceived ideas of how they could set out to use the interview as a publicity stunt. 3, Guardian Friday, 11 October 1985 P20, Dennis Barker "Carlton Communications proposal ruled unaccepted"- IBA blocks sale of Thames, IBA puts off flotation talks with Thames TV. 1 Review. After Thames was acquired by FremantleMedia it was merged with another Fremantle company, Talkback, to form a new independent production company, Talkback Thames; consequently, Thames ceased to exist as a separate entity. Bona to vada your jolly old eek. The Mr. Bean pilot episode, starring Rowan Atkinson as the titular character, was first broadcast on ITV on 1 January 1990, and the eventual run lasted beyond Thames holding of its franchise. [30], During April 1988, after successfully introducing new technologies and employing more freelance staff, Thames announced the loss of 200 jobs from its permanent workforce, which followed similar action from other ITV companies in a bid to slim down their workforce and alter working practices for economic reasons. He had a , Mike is a former ATV continuity announcer. In 2003, Thames Television was merged with another FremantleMedia subsidiary, Talkback (founded by comedians Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones in 1981) to form Talkback Thames. (From 1982, the handover time was 17:15. The co-star of Elvis Presley also worked in TV on series such as Murder She Wrote and Magnum, P.I. Former NZ television presenter Liz Gunn claims earthquake . The show at its peak had 21 million viewers, while the last episode had nine million. Once TV-am concluded, when the rest of the UK received schools programmes, Thames viewers were left with a blue screen showing their upcoming emergency schedule which would normally start at around 1.30pm and conclude around midnight. A statement released on Sunday by Barratt's son Olly read: "We . Miller's career began in 1973 when he worked for BBC Radio Birmingham as a reporter. 1979. "CBTV" "CBTV," standing for "Citizens Band Television," was a subversive children's show in the early 1980s. Bryan Cowgill said: "The need for sensible change in the way we conduct our operations has been at the heart of this dispute. Thames TV/ ITV. Rainbow is a British children's television series, created by Pamela Lonsdale, which ran between five times weekly, twice weekly and once weekly at 12:10 on Tuesdays and Fridays on the ITV network, from 16 October 1972 to 6 March 1992 (with repeated episodes only continuing to be shown until December 1992). The comedy Do Not Adjust Your Set, though, originated with Rediffusion, and if nominally a children's show, was one of the forerunners of Monty Python's Flying Circus. . Brooks, Richard. This broke a gentlemen's agreement between the two sides not to poach each other's imported shows. She was the first black journalist on TV after landing job on Thames TV in 1968 Ms Hannah said her contract was not renewed after bosses showed racist letters The offensive right-wing notes ranted . Anne Gregg - reporter and presenter on Ulster Television 's Roundabout; also worked for Anglia Television; later co-presented the BBC's Holiday programme during the 1980s; died in 2006. Queen had been booked to appear on Bill Grundys Today show, but then Freddie developed toothache. 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TAKE A CHANCE ON ME! Both of the company's logos were accompanied by a fanfare called Salute to Thames, composed by Johnny Hawksworth. Bob was a Granada Television continuity announcer (1961 - 1964) and also a regional presenter for Thames TV in London (1968). Additional episodes of network productions were screened to help clear the backlog, since no outside programmes were broadcast. Harry Gration. It won an Emmy as the best series in its category, as Edward & Mrs. Simpson (1978), about the abdication crisis, did later. 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'. In Pistol, Lydon's character corrects that, saying: "It's a great matter of pride to the Irish people that the first person to say 'fuck' on TV was Brendon Behan'." [24] On Monday 22 October, a management-run service started operating; the company claimed the revised schedule was popular with the viewers. See MoreSee Less, 'Laverne & Shirley' star Cindy Williams dead at 75 | CNN. Carlton was forced to advertise on LWT to promote its new programme line up until December 1992, following an acrimonious High Court dispute between Thames and Carlton over the selling of rights of hundreds of films in Thames's library. 20 July 1978 and. . When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. 17 December 1992. It caused the biggest stink in British TV history. Granada Television won daytime service in the North, and ABC the weekends. Thames is Britain's leading producer of quality entertainment TV and is home to the UK's biggest and best entertainment programmes. 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". The BBC Breakfast weather presenter and the police officer live together in Carol's 2million home in a gated community in Berkshire, on the banks of the Thames. [2] Questioning the ITA's decision, Rediffusion attempted to slow down the merger: only the threat of giving the licence solely to ABC made it relent. Enjoy your trip in the time machine!www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5UUBNEPQQRV78 Holiday travel series. The presenter of Thames TV News, Eamonn Andrews, told her she was a natural for the job. 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. "It's awkward, it's embarrassing but everyone is on the same level - we do it in bathrobes," laugh the women behind The Naked Podcast, Jenny Eells and . Bona! This article is about the former ITV franchise holder and production company. 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's corporate base moved to its newly constructed studios and offices on Euston Road (next to Euston Tower) in 1970, when it relinquished Television House, Rediffusion's former London headquarters. Barker, Dennis The Guardian; 4 September 1984; TV strike threatens network. ATV also won the weekday service in the Midlands, while ABC Weekend TV operated the weekend service. She was also a daytime continuity announcer for Thames TV and Anglia TV at about the same time. The Pistols later twisted the knife in the lyrics to the myth-making but embarrassing No One Is Innocent (The Biggest Blow): God save television/ Keep the programmes pure/God save William Grundy/From falling in manure.. The Times, 15 July 1992. Pistol on Disney+ dramatises the Sex Pistols' appearance on the Bill Grundy Show in December 1976. The station continued formats inherited from its predecessors. The guitarist responds with: You dirty bastard You dirty fucker, adding the wonderful phrase: What a fucking rotter!. Thames produced the daily live entertainment and information programme to reflect what is going on in London. See MoreSee Less, The Nostalgia Central website has been a labour of love for me since 1998. See MoreSee Less, Stella Stevens: Nutty Professor and Poseidon Adventure star dies at 84, A very young Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison and friends. <br><br>Mark has a broadcast quality studio in Oxfordshire and can record projects for you as diverse as corporate videos, TV and radio commercials, explainer videos, e-learning, podcast intros, live show announcements, video game characters . On 16 October 1991, Thames Television lost its weekday London ITV franchise from the beginning of January 1993 as a result of losing the silent auction used to renegotiate the new franchises. Barker, Dennis The Guardian; 20 October 1984; Thames stand-in TV 'very popular' Barker, Dennis The Guardian; 24 October 1984; TV companies brace against union. See MoreSee Less, Another musical genius has gone RIP Burt Bacharach Producers don't often get credit for great TV series but they are an integral part of the creation process. And while they had featured extensively in the music press, they had limited experience of TV interviews, having been featured only on BBC current affairs programme Nationwide, and interviewed by Janet Street Porter on The London Weekend Show. ITV - Thames TV presenters (1968 - 1992). Shiulie Ghosh - journalist and reporter for ITV News from 1998 until July 2006. Great British Presenters can help! She started her BBC career as a production assistant in Radio's Talks and Documentaries department in the 1970s, before moving on to become a BBC Radio 4 . A former Thames executive, who asked not to be named, says the culture of TV in the 70s may have added to the clash: I wasnt there, but I worked at ITV in the 70s and people like Grundy were treated as Masters of the Universe. Stuart, Vivien. Now featuring the 'triangle' logo in the booth, which had come in as part of the 21st birthday celebrations for Thames just with a large XXI in place of the 'Television' wording. Tom was born in Norwich. reporter. She was a presenter on BBC Radio 2 (1980), and also an announcer there (1980 - 1982). More conventional sitcoms, all of which began in Thames's early years, included Father, Dear Father (196873), the Sid James vehicle Bless This House (197176), and Love Thy Neighbour (1972-76), with a controversial take on race relations. The deal brought condemnation from the BBC and from other ITV stations, who feared the BBC would poach their imports, pushing up prices. Whilst at HTV, in the late-1970s, Sally pr . She was also a daytime continuity , Peter was a continuity announcer in various ITV regions: Ulster TV (1967 1969); Anglia TV , Australian-born former pirate radio disc jockey (known as Jim Gordon, or Jumbo Jimmy Gordon during , Evadne is a former Central TV continuity announcer. Once Thames learned it was to lose its franchise to Carlton, the ITV-branded ident was dropped in favour of the local ident which was used at all times from 4 November 1991 until 31 December 1992.