The world's first regular television service started 80 years ago today, when BBC Television began daily transmissions from Alexandra Palace (above is AP's blue plaque). To mark the date, at 9pm tonight BBC Four broadcast Television's Opening Night: How the Box more
Among many other excellent activities, my friend and colleague Luke McKernan, who is Lead Curator, News and Moving Image at the British Library, curates the invaluable Picturegoing website. As the site succinctly explains, 'Picturegoing is an ongoing survey reproducing eyewitness more
Collective self-portraits from the BBC are always compelling. And that's exactly what the new video for BBC Music is, even as it features an all-star cast singing the 1966 Beach Boys hit 'God Only Knows'. There's already some good analysis more
British Pathé has just published a wealth of new material on its wonderful YouTube channel (there is more about this from The Drum), and among the delights (only 5 views so far) is a newsreel spot about more
In another post from the blog's archive (previously published on 17 July 2010) I take a look at the visual arts on BBC Television between 1936 and 1939. I was reminded of this because I am teaching again at the more
This seasonal post is an edited version of one that I wrote last year for the blog of the research project about theatre plays on British television, Screen Plays. I hope it is sufficiently entertaining to bear repeating here. What more
'... Shall this our lofty scene be acted over In states unborn and accents yet unknown?' There is a slate-grey sky over the Edgware Road this morning. But at least it's not raining. Inside the location the sparks have hung out to more