Matt Eastley (St Mary’s 1977 to 1982) and author of We Did Our Homework On The Bus, recently appeared on ITV Meridian in his capacity as
Cultural Historian.
Matt was approached by the channel to talk about a feature marking the 70th anniversary of ITV which launched in 1955.
Matt spoke of the somewhat high-handed ‘superior denial’ of the BBC to the launch of commercial television and how there was a general ‘moral panic’ from the establishment of the day fearing an intellectual ‘dumbing down’ of broadcasting.
Though purporting to be blasé about ITV, on launch night the BBC contrived a dramatic spoiler, killing off the much-loved Grace Archer in a stable fire, thus ensuring that the conversations across breakfast tables and in offices and factories the next day was about The Archers, not ITV.
Matthew , if you had any more strings to your bow you wouldn’t have the strength to carry your violin case! Fascinating stuff. As a kid in the late ’40s and early ’50s the wireless was brilliant – especially Sundays when there was nothing doing after Mass.
Two Way Family Favourites”(“What’s the weather like in Australia Judith?”),The Clitheroe Kid, Sing Something Simple….the good things just kept coming. The BBC also managed to get away with some stuff that modern audiences would find weird. A ventriloquist on the wireless!!(Educating Archie)…..a film programme on the wireless!! (Movie Go Round). Happy Happy Days !!!
Thanks for the memories
This is indeed a fascinating watch! My first ITV programmes were probably William Tell and Robin Hood. The reaction of the BBC to the new channel was a prelude to the ratings wars, I guess, which weirdly continue to this day despite viewers having been able to time shift programmes since the 1980’s!