The
Toddler's Truce ended in 1957. This didn't lead to some kind of conflict with children (well, not more than usual), but rather the gap in programming which had been agreed just after the second world war between 6pm and 7pm, the end of CBBC and prime time, enough time to put the little ones to bed.
Except by 1956, franchise holders in the fledgling ITA/ITV service found that it was cutting severely into their advertising profits and so their ability to continue broadcasting. They saw the BBC's ability to broadcast for as long or short as they like because of the licence fee as unfair competition.
So petitions were made by Granada, ABC, ATV and Associated-Rediffusion, and the then Postmaster General, Charles Hill agreed, suggesting "it was the responsibility of parents, not the state, to put their children to bed at the right time ..."
The BBC objected, presumably because it meant they had then to budget to fill the slot with something and refused even to a thirty minute compromise so it took a parliamentary order to force the issue, which they did on Halloween 1956. It ended on 16 February 1957.
From the off, the BBC filled the weekdays with a news programme, in that case Tonight, and it's stayed pretty much the same ever since. Saturday's brought the Six-Five Special and although it remained in abeyance on Sundays for at least three years, eventually Songs of Praise was added to the line-up.
The Sky At Night
Correspondence between Patrick Moore and TV producer Paul Johnstone reveals how the birth of The Sky at Night came about.
[Sky at Night Magazine]
Numerous archive episodes of the programme.
[BBC Archive]
"Patrick Moore: Moon-mapper, xylophonist and eccentric genius. He hates May bugs and loves cats."
[b3ta]
The Science Museum holds Sir Patrick's archive, which includes episode scripts for The Sky At Night (although nothing is digitised). The also have a number of his possessions including a monocle and pipe, photographs of which are here. [Science Museum Group]
Archive
"The famous Lancashire artist speaks informally about his life as the film camera explores his subjects and pictures. He is seen at work on a new painting in his studio. Commentary by Robert Reid"
"A star-spangled visit to the seaside. Hylda Baker, She Knows Y'know. David Whitfield, Cara mia. The Western Brothers, Jolly good show, chaps. Semprini, Old ones, new ones. Harry Bailey, A bit of blarney. The Maple Leaf Four, Singing Canadians. Your resident stars are: Reginald Dixon, Mr. Blackpool himself and the Littlewood Songsters. Introduced by Jack Watson."
"Panorama reports from Switzerland, where the combination of a mild winter and the virtual disappearance of pests like the spaghetti weevil, has resulted in a bumper spaghetti crop."
[BBC Archive]
"William Forsythe tells the story of life on his farm in Ballynure, where he lives and works with his wife Joyce, and children Wilson, Charles and Muriel. How do they live and how do they like living in the country? This is the way they see their life and their countryside, village, market town and big city in Northern Ireland."
[BBC Rewind]
People
"Queen Elizabeth went live into millions of living rooms on Christmas afternoon in 1957."
[Town & Country]
"Originally published in the Manchester Guardian on 29 May 1957: Sir Arthur fforde, who has been Headmaster of Rugby School since 1948, is to become chairman of the B.B.C. from December 1. His appointment runs until June 30, 1962."
[The Guardian]
Places
"A new television transmitting station has been constructed at Rosemarkie, near Inverness, which should greatly improve reception in the north east of Scotland. BBC reporter Basil Gibsone visits some Ross and Cromarty residents, to find out if they are planning to get a television set in the wake of this exciting development. He also speaks with the technician in charge of the new transmitter about the challenges of building and maintaining a transmitter in such a remote location. Originally broadcast 19 August, 1957."
[BBC Archive]
"An item about the BBC outside broadcast unit which will complete the television link-up that's to bring the Queen's Christmas message to the viewers."
[BBC Rewind]
"Today, a new shape in the form of a television transmitter stretches into the sky beside reminders of the past, a symbol of something undreamed of by those who wondered at the marvels of the original Crystal Palace."
[BBC Rewind]
"Today the BBC opened a new television station in Derry / Londonderry, Northern Ireland."
[BBC Rewind]
Programmes
Website dedicated to cataloguing the episodes.
[Six-Five Special]
"Interview from a series of BBC radio talks in the early 1950s, including Craig's reminiscences of the artist Mary Fedinand Jacomin and Mr. Brock followed by (00:14:45) a later broadcast of "How I played Shakespeare in Salford."
"Nicholas Kenyon explores early music at the BBC in the 1950s and 60s."
"On Christmas Day 1957, the BBC made a ground-breaking hour-long live broadcast, transmitting Christmas songs from around the British Isles. Texan folklorist and broadcaster Alan Lomax was the host."
"This is a brief chronology and history of series that presented theatrical adaptations on BBC television from 1957 to 1985, presenting examples of the institutional discourses that surrounded the making and transmission of these programmes."
[Forgotten Television Drama]
"Do any of you lolloping landlubbers want to know how Captain Pugwash was made? Well, coddling catfish! Here's the brave buccaneer himself to take you behind the scenes."
[BBC Archive]
"On the 18th February 1957 the BBC broadcast the first programme of a series that was destined to run to over a thousand episodes, although many people involved in making the programme were far from convinced that they would be able to pull off even the pilot successfully."
"Rory Bremner looks back at 50 years of BBC Radio coverage of British test match cricket."
Politics
"This article examines attempts by the centralised policy makers of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to overcome a crisis at their radio service consequent to the launch of commercial television in 1955. It looks in particular at the work – the successes, failures and frustrations – of an assistant director, a bureaucrat, who planned to regenerate music policy, especially so in terms of pop and light music, which led to the formation of the numbered station system still in use today: Radios 1 - 4."
[French Journal of British Studies]
"Mr. Kenneth Robinson (St. Pancras, North) Mr. Deputy-Speaker, my request to Mr. Speaker for an allocation of time this afternoon arose directly from a Press statement put out by the B.B.C. on 8th April. First of all, I should like very briefly to review the events which led up to that statement."
[Hansard]
"During the year 1956-57 the Corporation reviewed its policy in relation to the home sound broadcasting services."
[hathitrust]
"Broadcasting continues to develop and expand. The BBC has recently evolved a new pattern for its domestic sound broadcasting services, and its television services - the network of the nation - reaches into early every part of the country."
[World Radio History]
