NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Thames Television

Thames Television was a franchise holder of the British ITV television network, serving London on weekdays between 1968 and 1992. It was both a broadcaster and a producer of television programmes, making shows both for the local region it covered and for networking nationally across the ITV regions. The British Film Institute describes Thames as having "served the capital and the network with a long-running, broad-based and extensive series of programmes, several of which either continue or are well-remembered today."^[1] Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links Thames1992. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The classic Thames Television logo (1968 - 1988) This is a screenshot of a copyrighted website, video game graphic, computer program graphic, television broadcast, or film. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Associated-Rediffusion, later Rediffusion, London, was the British ITV contractor for London, on weekdays between 1954 (transmissions started on September 22, 1955) and July 29, 1968. ... Carlton Television is the United Kingdom Channel 3 (ITV) licensee for London and the surrounding areas from 9:25am every Monday to 5. ... British Electric Traction Company, PLC, was a leading manufacturer and operator of electric railway tram systems in England during the late 19th century and early 20th century. ... Thorn EMI logo Thorn EMI was a major British company involved in consumer electronics, music, defence and retail. ... Look up franchise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Holder may refer to several people: Frederick Holder, former Premier of South Australia Geoffrey Holder, American actor and dancer Noddy Holder, vocalist and guitarist in the band Slade Nancy Holder, American fantasy author Otto Ludwig HÃ¶lder (1859 - 1937), a German mathematician Topics named in honour of Otto HÃ¶lder... For other uses, see ITV (disambiguation). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The British Film Institute (BFI) is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to encourage the development of the arts of film, television and the moving image throughout the United Kingdom, to promote their use as a record of contemporary life and manners, to promote education about film, television and...

Thames covered a broad spectrum of commercial public-service television, with a strong mix of drama, current affairs and comedy. The company's logo remains widely recognisable and was accompanied by a fanfare called "Salute To Thames", composed by Johnny Hawksworth. For other uses, see Fanfare (disambiguation). ... Johnny Hawksworth is a British musician and composer, who has lived and worked in Australia since 1984. ...

It still operates today, although as an independent producer and on a much smaller scale. Following a merger by its owner FremantleMedia with Talkback Productions it is now known as Talkback Thames. FremantleMedia (formerly All-American Television and Pearson Television) is a division of RTL Group which holds the rights to the Goodson/Todman game show library which includes such classic game shows as The Price is Right, Match Game, Ive Got a Secret, and Family Feud, as well as non... Talkback Productions was formed in 1981 by Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. ... talkbackTHAMES is a British television production company, a division of FremantleMedia (itself part of the RTL Group). ...

Formation

From launch in 1955 to July 1968, the Independent Television Authority (ITA) contract to provide programming on the ITV network for London on weekdays had been operated by Rediffusion. Geographical and structural changes in the network created by the ITA's 1967 invitation for applicants for new contracts for the right to broadcast on ITV (running from 1968 to 1974 and sometimes referred to as a 'contract round') meant that Associated British Corporation (ABC) lost both their contracts (sometimes known as franchises), serving the Midlands and the North at weekends, as these areas were to become seven-day operations. The Independent Television Authority (ITA) was a body created by the Television Act 1954 to supervise the creation of Independent Television (ITV), the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see ITV (disambiguation). ... Associated-Rediffusion, later Rediffusion, London, was the British ITV contractor for London, on weekdays between 1954 (transmissions started on September 22, 1955) and July 29, 1968. ... Associated British Corporation (otherwise known as ABC Television or ABC Weekend TV) was one of a number of commercial television companies set up in the 1950s by cinema chains in an attempt to safeguard their business by getting involved in television which was taking away their cinema audiences. ...

Consequently ABC applied for both the Midlands seven-day operation and the contract to serve London at the weekend, preferring the latter. It was widely expected that the company would be awarded the weekend franchise. However, after an impressive application, it was allocated to the London Television Consortium, led by presenter David Frost (amongst others). LWT redirects here. ... Sir David Paradine Frost, OBE (born April 7, 1939) is an English television presenter. ...

ABC was a popular station, whose productions earned vital foreign currency. Station management and presentation style were well-admired and it could have been controversial to dismiss that as a result of administrative changes. It was equally difficult for ABC to win the Midlands seven-day contract as the existing five-days contractor ATV had also applied and was a large earner of overseas revenue, having won the Queen's Award for Export in 1966. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Queens Award for Enterprise is an award for British companies and other organizations who excel at international trade, innovation or sustainable development. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ...

The outcome proposed by the ITA was a "shotgun marriage" between ABC and Rediffusion, the resultant company being awarded the contract to serve London on weekdays. Control of the new company would be given to ABC, a move unpopular with Rediffusion ^[2]. A shotgun wedding, colloquially, is a marriage which comes about not because of the desire of the participants, but to avoid embarrassment due to an unintentional pregnancy. ...

Rediffusion had believed that their contract renewal was a 'formality' and their application reflected this complacency: The company had treated the ITA high-handedly in interviews ^[3]. 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 stations, notably Granada ^[4]. It was reported that Rediffusion's chairman Sir John Spencer Wills felt the ITA owed his company a 'debt of gratitude' for this, a comment which particularly annoyed the Authority. During the interview process several members of Rediffusion management also appeared in interviews for applicants for other regions (principally the London Television Consortium) as well as the interview for Rediffusion, leading the ITA to question the loyalty at the company ^[5]. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In programming, Rediffusion was originally considered stuffy but in the previous contract round of 1964, it had re-invented itself (dropping the name 'Associated Rediffusion' in favour of the more swinging 'Rediffusion London') to reflect the cultural changes of the time, and output altered accordingly.

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. To assist Rediffusion financially the ITA insisted that the new company have two sets of shares, voting shares which would allow ABC to have control (with 51%) and 'B' shares which were to be split equally between the two, thus sharing profits fairly. The ITA also ordered the new London Weekend Television to purchase Rediffusion's old studios at Wembley, instead of ABC's facilities at Teddington which they had wanted ^[6]. LWT redirects here. ... The Fountain Studios is an independently owned television studio located in Wembley, north-west London, close to Wembley Park underground station. ... Teddington Studios in London. ...

This assisted the new company as well: the ABC/Rediffusion marriage meant the new company had studio overcapacity. ABC still owned facilities at Teddington, Aston (co-owned with ATV), Didsbury and sales offices in central Manchester while Rediffusion owned Wembley and Television House ^[7]. The stake in the Aston studios was sold to ATV while the Didsbury site, used for a short period by Yorkshire Television until their own studios were ready, was sold to Manchester Polytechnic. The offices in Manchester were also sold. Aston is an area of the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. ... Didsbury is a suburb of Manchester, in North West England. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... Television House, on Kingsway in London was, from 1955, the London headquarters of Associated-Rediffusion, Independent Television News, the TV Times magazine, the Independent Television Companies Association and, at first, Associated TeleVision. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Manchester Metropolitan University is a new English university based in the city of Manchester. ...

The structure of the new company was also a problem. A merger between the two existing contract holders Associated British Cinemas (Television) Limited and Rediffusion Television Limited was impossible due to internal politics as was a merger between their repsective parent companies Associated British Picture Corporation and British Electric Traction. The answer was a new holding company ^[8].

After some discussion as to the name of the new company - some directors favoured 'ABC London', while others suggested 'Tower Television' to reflect the Post Office Tower and the Tower of London - it was named Thames Television, after the River Thames. This name had been considered and later rejected by London Weekend Television ^[9]. For other BT Towers, see BT Tower (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Tower of London (disambiguation) Her Majestys Royal Palace and Fortress The Tower of London, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically simply as The Tower), is an historic monument in central London, England on the north bank of the River Thames. ... This article is about the River Thames in southern England. ...

On Tuesday 30 July 1968 Thames began broadcasting to London, from the start of broadcasting on Monday until its handover to LWT at 7.00 pm on Fridays. (From 1982, the handover time was 5.15 pm). The opening week was disrupted by sporadic strike action^[10]; the following week, the action had spread to all of ITV^[11] and resulted in the creation of a management-run ITV Emergency National Service for some two weeks. is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... The ITV Emergency National Service was the management response to the near-complete Independent Television technicians strike immediately after the 1968 franchise changes. ...

Thames' corporate base was originally at Rediffusion's former headquarters Television House, Kingsway, until the opening of the newly-built Thames Television House on Euston Road in 1970. The company's main production base was at Teddington. Television House, on Kingsway in London was, from 1955, the London headquarters of Associated-Rediffusion, Independent Television News, the TV Times magazine, the Independent Television Companies Association and, at first, Associated TeleVision. ... Euston Road is an important thoroughfare in central London. ...

Presentation

Thames's station and production identification sequences (idents) provided the station with some fame. For many years these would be aired both in London, where Thames would broadcast during the week, and throughout the country, animated before, and as a static image after, programmes produced by for ITV by Thames. Image File history File links Thames1989. ... Image File history File links Thames1989. ...

The first idents to be used comprised a plain screen with the words 'From THAMES' written in white in the Helvetica font, and a vignette that resembled the famous ident, containing famous London Landmarks. Both were accompanied by the tune 'Salute to Thames' written by Johnny Hawkesworth. 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.^[12] This article is about the typeface Helvetica. ... An example of vignetting in a photograph Vignetting is a common feature of photographs produced by toy cameras such as this shot taken with a Holga In photography and optics, vignetting is a reduction in image brightness in the image periphery compared to the image center. ... Television House, on Kingsway in London was, from 1955, the London headquarters of Associated-Rediffusion, Independent Television News, the TV Times magazine, the Independent Television Companies Association and, at first, Associated TeleVision. ...

With the introduction of colour, the ident was remodelled on the vignette, this time using photographs rather than drawings. The ident was designed by agency Minale Tattersfield and used shots of famous London landmarks. The update was shot by stop-frame animation on 16 mm film, then again on 35 mm film in 1976 and was then digitized on computer in 1984. All of these animations featured the same design. Stop motion is an animation technique which makes things that are static appear to be moving. ... Digitized is a method of creating sprites to games using live video footage. ...

In 1989 the station relaunched its ident, although by then animated idents on ITV would only be seen in their respective regions, with only a static production "end-caption" of a programme's producer being seen elswhere. In the 1989 variant, The famous London skyline was tapered down to an orange triangle or v-shaped point and was now on a blue background, with three blue waves across the centre to symbolise the river (as shown above). At the same time the famous tune was dropped.

A new ident was launched in 1990, featuring the some of the landmarks of the original sky-line, Big Ben, the dome of St Paul's Cathedral and Tower Bridge and included the triangle-shape featured on the previous attempt. Big Ben redirects here. ... This article is about the cathedral church of the diocese of London. ... For the bridge of the same name in California, see Tower Bridge (California). ...

A special montage ended the station's last broadcast on New Years Eve 1992. The montage, variants of which were also aired in the last days of the station's broadcasts, comprised clips of notable Thames programmes, and included short segments of some of the station's previous idents. It was played to the song "I Only Want To Be With You" by The Tourists, and ended with a modified version of the ident used at the time and an announcer reading the line "Thames, a Talent for Television". This was followed by the sounds and an image of Big Ben, a common practise for marking the start of the New Year, which was also the time that Thames's ITV franchise would end ^[13] but not before ITN showed their news report called Into The New Year. The Tourists (1977 - 1980) were a moderately successful British pop band, but are better known for two of their members (Annie Lennox & David A. Stewart) who went on to achieve superstardom as Eurythmics. ... The Clock Tower, colloquially known as Big Ben (a name that correctly refers to the main bell) Big Ben redirects here. ...

Culture

Thames is often quoted as a prime example of a good commercial public-service broadcaster with shows covering all aspects of the spectrum and the largest producer in the network. Its shows achieved massive audiences and are still remembered many years later. This is sometimes attributed to the culture of the company, which could be claimed to be a continuation of that at ABC. This station was more highly regarded by the ITA (amongst others) than the more downmarket and somewhat arrogant Rediffusion. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ...

The ITA ordered ABC's Managing Director Howard Thomas to be appointed in a similar capacity at the new station. ABC had majority control of the new company and the make-up of its board predominantly (and eventually fully) came from ABC. The use of ABC's studios at Teddington meant the workforce was predominantly ex-ABC (although those at Kingsway were ex-Rediffusion). However, with the inherited creative talent and facilities the opportunity bequeathed to the new station was enormous. Howard Thomas (c 1909â€”6 November 1986) was a Welsh-born British radio producer and television executive. ...

Thames also benefited from benign shareholders. There were just two shareholders at the company, these being the former owners of Rediffusion, British Electric Traction, and the owners of ABC, the ABPC, later to become (via mergers) Thorn EMI. British Electric Traction Company, PLC, was a leading manufacturer and operator of electric railway tram systems in England during the late 19th century and early 20th century. ... Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), originally British International Pictures (BIP), was a British film production company active from 1927 until 1970. ... Thorn EMI logo Thorn EMI was a major British company involved in consumer electronics, music, defence and retail. ...

The two companies allowed Thames independence (although in later years there were accusations that they both treated the company as a cash cow). This allowed the station to establish separate divisions to focus on particular genres. Euston Films was established in 1971 by independent producers financed by Thames and specialised in drama output while Cosgrove Hall was created to produce children's animation. The children's department also spawned the independent production company Tetra Films, which would later revive two classic Thames children's programmes for ITV - The Tomorrow People (1992-5, in association with Thames-owned Reeves Entertainment and also for Nickelodeon) and, less successfully, Rainbow (1994/96, for HTV). In business, a cash cow is a product or a business unit that generates unusually high profit margins: so high that it is responsible for a large amount of a companys operating profit. ... Euston Films was a British film and television production company. ... Cosgrove Hall Films is an animation studio based in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester that is a major producer of childrens television programmes. ... The Tomorrow People is a childrens science fiction television series, devised by Roger Price and produced by Thames Television for Britains ITV network between 1973 and 1979. ... This article lacks information on the importance of the subject matter. ... Nickelodeon may refer to: Nickelodeon movie theater, an early 20th century form of small, neighborhood movie theaters Nickelodeon (film), a 1976 film directed by Peter Bogdanovich Nickelodeon (TV channel), a cable TV network whose demographic is primarily children and pre-teens in the United States. ... Rainbow was a childrens television series in the United Kingdom which ran twice weekly at 12. ... ITV Wales & West Ltd (formally and more commonly known as HTV) is the ITV contractor for Wales and the West of England[1]. It is owned by ITV plc. ...

Industrial disputes

Like most of ITV, Thames was beset by conflicts with trade unions, notably the Association of Cinematograph Television and Allied Technicians (ACTT) - indeed, the worst strike to hit the network originated at Thames. Failure to reach agreement on pay increases and shift allowances in the 1979 pay round, resulted in technicians switching off power to the transmission facilities at the Euston Road centre on August 6th. After management restored power, the technicians walked out. Within four days the whole of the ITV network was off-air after the ACTT asked members at other companies to walk-out in claim for a 15% pay rise. The network was off the air for ten weeks.^[14] The Association of Cinematograph Television and Allied Technicians (ACTT) was a trade union in the United Kingdom. ...

In 1984 another strike was called, this time over the use of new cameras and editing equipment along with overtime payments for transmission staff. The technicians walked out for two weeks but the station was off the air for just one day as management and administration staff took over their roles.^[15]

Controversy

Despite its stature as the network's senior company Thames did on several occasions court controversy.

In 1985 the company made a deal with international distributors for US production company Lorimar to purchase the upcoming series of the popular US drama Dallas, at that time transmitted on BBC1. This broke a gentlemen's agreement that the two networks had, in which they would not poach each others' imported shows; in this instance, Thames paid $60,000 a show compared, to the $33,000 that their rivals had been paying. The deal was announced in a blaze of publicity and immediately brought condemnation, not just from the BBC but also from other ITV stations who feared the BBC would react by poaching their imports, thus pushing up prices (imported shows being cheaper than home-made productions). Lorimar Productions was a American television production company, active from 1968-1993. ... The Southfork Ranch, home of the Ewing family The original cast of Dallas. ... BBC One (or BBC1 as it was formerly styled) is the oldest United Kingdom, and indeed, the world. ... A Gentlemens agreement is an informal agreement between two or more parties. ...

The BBC delayed transmission of the episodes of Dallas that they already had, stating they would begin broadcasting them at exactly the same time Thames broadcast their new purchases. Ultimately, pressure from other ITV companies (notably Yorkshire) forced Thames to sell them back to the distributor at an enormous loss, and the status quo was restored. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

In 1978 it pulled off a genuine coup when it secured the services of leading British entertainers Morecambe & Wise, in a deal which made front-page newspaper headlines. The stars of the BBC1 Christmas schedules, their shows attracted tens of millions of viewers and decimated ITV's own offerings. Having worked with the BBC since 1968 (when they left the ITV company ATV after they would not make their shows in colour), it was the ability to offer the pair a chance to make a film through their Euston Films subsidiary that clinched the deal. Sadly, though, the shows were not considered as good as those they made for BBC1. Their leading scriptwriter, Eddie Braben, did not initially make the journey to ITV, and combined with Eric Morecambe's failing health, the shows never repeated the audiences they once achieved. Productions were delayed while Morecambe recovered from surgery for his long-standing heart complaint; in 1984, it finally claimed his life. The film that he and Wise had so wanted to make - "Night Train To Murder" - was eventually screened on the afternoon of New Year's Day 1985. Morecambe and Wise Morecambe and Wise were a famous British comic double act comprising Eric Morecambe OBE and Ernie Wise OBE. The act lasted four decades until Morecambes retirement shortly before his death in 1984. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Eddie Braben (born Oct 31 1930 in Liverpool, England) is a comedy writer and performer who has provided material for such figures as David Frost and Ronnie Corbett, but who is most famous for having written for Ken Dodd and Morecambe and Wise. ...

In 1989, and to great surprise, Thames sacked Benny Hill, who had been a stalwart at the station since its launch in 1968. It was widely believed that he was dismissed because of the trend (started in the 1980s) of political correctness: that Hill's shows were considered, in some quarters, as sexist and outdated. Whilst this may have had some bearing, Thames' decision was also taken on financial grounds; Hill made far fewer shows than is commonly believed - he was kept in the public eye by considerable repeat showings, and re-editing of hour-long productions into a half-hour format. Although this kept costs down (and became a huge overseas money-spinner, especially in the United States), it meant that over time, viewers became aware of the repetition, and audience figures, both in the UK and abroad, began to decline. It was felt that Thames, in those circumstances, could not justify giving Hill a new contract. Alfred Hawthorn Hill (21 January 1924 â€“ 19 April 1992), better known as Benny Hill, was a prolific English comic, actor and singer, best known for his television programme, The Benny Hill Show. ... Political correctness is the alteration of language to redress real or alleged injustices and discrimination or to avoid offense. ...

In 1976, the station's local evening news programme Today made national newspaper headlines after guests, punk band The Sex Pistols, uttered obscenities on the live show; they were last minute guests when original booking, the rock band Queen, had to pull out. The Sex Pistols were being interviewed by host Bill Grundy when the verbal tirade began. Grundy made it quite clear that he didn't like the group, and started to goad them about their lifestyle. When singer Johnny Rotten uttered the word 'shit', Grundy asked him to repeat it, and proceeded to try and 'chat up' two ladies (one of whom was Siouxsie Sioux) who had accompanied the group onto the set. The situation 'escalated' and one band member Steve Jones was heard to call him a 'dirty old man' and a 'fucking rotter'. At a subsequent investigation, Grundy claimed he had allowed the bad language as he wanted people to see the Sex Pistols for who they were, although there were allegations that Grundy had been drinking; he introduced the group as '...being drunk as I am'. The transmission was not stopped, as there were only 30 seconds to the end of the show, and producers feared trouble in the studio if the show was suddenly halted. Grundy himself was suspended for a while, and when he returned, Today was axed soon afterwards; his career never recovered. The Sex Pistols in 1977. ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon joining the following year. ... William Grundy (February 20, 1923 - February 9, 1993), commonly called Bill, was a British television presenter and was the host of Thames Televisions Today show in the 1970s. ... John Lydon John Joseph Lydon (born January 31, 1956), also known as Johnny Rotten (a nickname derived from the state of his teeth) was the iconoclastic lead singer of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd (PiL) and an Irish individualist anarchist. ... Susan Janet Ballion (born May 27, 1957 in Bromley, London), better known by her stage name, Siouxsie Sioux (IPA: , pronounced the same way as Susie Sue), is the lead singer of both the influential rock band Siouxsie & the Banshees and of its splinter group The Creatures. ... Stephen Phillip Jones (b. ...

The company's most controversial act (and perhaps its bravest) was the documentary "Death On The Rock", part of the current affairs strand This Week. The programme questioned the authority of British troops who had gunned down a group of suspected Provisional IRA members who were allegedly planning a terrorist attack on a British military ceremony on Gibraltar. The documentary was regarded almost as an act of treason by many Conservative politicians, and newspapers such as The Sunday Times. The station, along with the IBA who stood by it, came in for tremendous criticism from those quarters. Death on the Rock was a controversial and BAFTA award winning episode of Thames Televisions current affairs strand This Week. ... This Week was the name of a weekly current affairs series screened on the ITV network in the United Kingdom, produced for the network by Thames Television. ... The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) is a paramilitary group which aimed, through the use of violence, to achieve three goals: (i) British withdrawal from Ireland, (ii) the political unification of Ireland through the merger of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland , and (iii) the creation of an all... Terrorist redirects here. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International which is in turn owned by News Corporation. ...

Programmes

In the early days the station continued to keep formats inherited from its parents. These included the variety show Opportunity Knocks, the last series of The Avengers and the detective thriller Callan (all ABC). One of these shows was the comedy Do Not Adjust Your Set (Rediffusion) - nominally a children's show, but actually an important forerunner of Monty Python's Flying Circus. Also The Sooty Show, which had been cancelled in 1967 by the BBC, aired on Thames's first day and despite Harry Corbett's retirement in 1975, the show continued with his son, Matthew Corbett, until November 1992, a month before Thames closed down. Similarly the company took over the entertainment show This Is Your Life after the BBC had axed it, where it ran for another 26 years (the last four as an independent production for Central). Opportunity Knocks was a UK television talent show originally hosted by Hughie Greene. ... The Avengers is a British 1960s television series featuring secret agents in a fantasy 1960s Britain. ... Template:Infobo Callan was the title of a British action-adventure television series that aired on ITV broadcasters over four seasons spread out between 1967 and 1972. ... From left to right: David Jason, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, and Eric Idle. ... This article is about the television series. ... Sooty is a British puppet character popular in the United Kingdom, Australia and other countries. ... Harry Corbett - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Presented The Sooty Show. ... This Is Your Life was a television documentary series hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards. ... Central TV logo, 1985_1998 Central Independent Television, or to give it its familiar name, Central Television or Central, is a British Independent Television company that took over from ATV on 1 January 1982. ...

Other important Thames shows included: The award-winning documentary series This Week (known as TV Eye between 1979 and 1985), the controversial drama The Naked Civil Servant, the long-running Rumpole of the Bailey, the game shows Strike It Lucky, Give Us A Clue and Name That Tune, the dramas Rock Follies and Danger UXB, and the globally-popular Benny Hill Show. This Week was the name of a current affairs series screened in the 1980s on the ITV network in the United Kingdom, produced for the network by Thames Television. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... This article is about the year. ... The cover of The Naked Civil Servant, by Quentin Crisp. ... Rumpole of the Bailey is a British television series created and written by British writer and barrister Sir John Mortimer, QC and starring Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, an aging London barrister who defends any and all clients. ... A game show is a radio or television program involving members of the public or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, playing a game, perhaps involving answering quiz questions, for points or prizes. ... Strike It Lucky was a popular British television game show of the 1980s and 1990s, produced by Thames Television for ITV, and presented by the British comedian Michael Barrymore. ... Give Us A Clue is a televised version of charades hosted at different times by Michael Aspel and Michael Parkinson, with two teams: one captained by Lionel Blair and the other by Una Stubbs. ... Name That Tune was a television game show that put two contestants against each other to test their knowledge of songs. ... Rock Follies, and its sequel, Rock Follies of 77, was an innovative and groundbreaking comedy musical drama shown on British television in the mid 1970s. ... Danger UXB was a 1979 British ITV television series about a squad of Royal Engineers with the duty of defusing unexploded ordnance in England during the Blitz in World War II. It starred Anthony Andrews as Lieutenant Brian Ash, a newly commissioned officer assigned to 347 Section of 97 Tunneling... Born Alfred Hawthorn Hill (January 21, 1924/1925 - April 20, 1992), Benny Hill was a prolific comic British actor. ...

One of its' finest productions was The World at War, an authoritative look at the Second World War using much unseen footage and interviews with those involved at the very highest level. The show, narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier, was first commissioned in 1969 but took four years to produce (such was the in-depth examination) and cost a record £4m to make (approx £32m at today's prices). The World at War is a 26-episode television documentary series on World War II, including the events leading up to it and following in its wake. ... Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM, (IPA: ; 22 May 1907 â€“ 11 July 1989) was an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and four-time Emmy winning English actor, director, and producer. ...

Thames produced a number of sitcoms including Father, Dear Father, Bless This House starring Sid James, George and Mildred, After Henry, Never the Twain, and Love Thy Neighbour, with its controversial take on racial issues. Less well-known is its adaptation of Andy Capp, starring James Bolam. It also produced the children's show Magpie, intended as a rival for Blue Peter. Thames became a significant contributor to the ITV network and its shows (most notably The World at War and The Benny Hill Show) became worldwide award-winning successes. Unusually for a commercial broadcaster it also produced lavish versions of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Father, Dear Father is a British television sitcom about a novelist Patrick Glover (played by Patrick Cargill), and his two blonde daughters, Karen Glover (played by Ann Holloway) and Anna Glover (played by Natasha Pyne) and Nanny (played by NoÃ«l Dyson). ... DVD cover Bless This House on the cover of TV Times magazine. ... Sid James Sid James (8 May 1913â€“26 April 1976) was a film and television actor. ... George and Mildred was a British sitcom produced by Thames Television that aired from 1976 to 1980. ... Windsor Davies as Oliver Smallbridge and Donald Sinden as Simon Peel Never the Twain was a British sitcom produced by Thames Television, created by Johnnie Mortimer and starring Windsor Davies as Oliver Smallbridge and Donald Sinden as Simon Peel. ... Love Thy Neighbour was a British sitcom that ran from 13 April 1972 to 22 January 1976, made by Thames Television for ITV. It starred Jack Smethurst, Rudolph Walker, Nina Baden-Semper and Kate Williams. ... Andy Capp was a short-lived British sitcom based on the cartoon Andy Capp. ... James Bolam (born June 16, 1938 in Sunderland, England) is a British actor, perhaps most associated with his portrayal of the lovable layabout Terry Collier in the hit BBC sitcoms The Likely Lads and Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?. Much like his fellow Likely Lad Rodney Bewes, Bolam was... Magpie was a childrens television programme shown on ITV from the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. ... For other uses, see Blue Peter (disambiguation). ... The Mikado, or The Town of Titipu, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations. ... For other uses, see A Midsummer Nights Dream (disambiguation). ...

In addition to its evening and peak time programming, Thames changed the face of daytime television in Britain. Afternoon Plus brought the art of intelligent interviewing to a wide and growing audience.

Thames' subsidiary production company Euston Films produced many of Thames' highest-profile contributions to ITV network programming. These included The Sweeney (1975-78), Minder (1979-94) and Quatermass (1979). Euston Films was a British film and television production company. ... This article is about the television series. ... Image:Arthur-Daley-book. ... The opening title sequence of Quatermass. ...

Ownership Changes

In 1985, Carlton Communications launched a take-over bid for Thames after Thorn-EMI and BET decided to sell. This was blocked by both Richard Dunn, Chief Executive of Thames, and by the IBA. Thames then proceeded to have a management buyout and were floated on the Stock Exchange. It is said that Carlton Chief Executive Michael Green talked to the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on the matter, which in turn may have lead to help shape the 1990 Parliamentary Act which replaced the IBA with the Independent Television Commission and the change in franchise allocation procedures. Carlton Communications plc was a former British media company, which was founded by Michael Green and listed on the London Stock Exchange from 1983 until 2 February 2004, when it merged with Granada plc, to form ITV plc. ... British Electric Traction Company, PLC, was a leading manufacturer and operator of electric railway tram systems in England during the late 19th century and early 20th century. ... â€œChief executiveâ€ redirects here. ... The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) was the regulatory body in the United Kingdom for commercial television (ITV and Channel 4 - cable and satellite television were the responsibility of the Cable Authority) and radio broadcasts. ... The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (nÃ©e Roberts; born 13 October 1925) served as British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 until 1990, being the first and only woman to hold either post. ... The ITC has been superseded as the British commercial television regulator by Ofcom (the Office of Communications). ...

Franchise Loss

In 1992, Thames lost its (by then renamed) 'Channel 3' franchise to broadcast to London during weekdays as a result of losing the silent auction used to renegotiate the expiring contracts (previous contract tenders had been based on merit alone - the record of incumbents against the potential of new applicants - with no cash element). The successful company was Carlton Television, a subsidiary of Carlton Communications and headed by Michael Green. Silent Auction Silent Auction is a Synthpop / Electronic Soul band from Rochester, NY, currently operating as a 3-piece unit. ... Carlton Television is the United Kingdom Channel 3 (ITV) licensee for London and the surrounding areas from 9:25am every Monday to 5. ...

This occurrence was seen as controversial by many and highly significant by most given Thames's history within ITV, both as a long-standing franchisee within its own right; its heritage from the start of the network, through its founding parents ABC and Rediffusion London; the fact that it was one of the major contributors of content to the network; and due to the auction method used to conduct the new 'franchise round' - a significant change from previous rounds, brought about by the 1990 Broadcasting Act. The Broadcasting Act 1990 is a law of the British parliament, often regarded by both its supporters and its critics as a quintessential example of Thatcherism. ...

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. That the then Conservative government had passed such an act, caused accusations of direct responsibility to be levelled on former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in particular, who had presided over its creation. Opinions vary on the matter of political motivations; some cite the documentary "Death On The Rock", which may have caused displeasure to the then government, whilst others link it to a more general ideological dislike of the way ITV had been run at the time, with 'excessive over-manning' and the fact that programme production was generally limited to franchise holders (sometimes critically referred to as barriers to entry) being seen as examples of why more commercial freedom and competition was needed within the network. An auction could be argued as being very much in the spirit of this style of thinking. Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (nÃ©e Roberts; born 13 October 1925) served as British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 until 1990, being the first and only woman to hold either post. ... Death on the Rock was a controversial and BAFTA award winning episode of Thames Televisions current affairs strand This Week. ... In economics and especially in the theory of competition, barriers to entry are obstacles in the path of a firm which wants to enter a given market. ...

The amount that Thames offered to pay for its franchise was significantly less than the money offered by other companies, and although a 'quality of service' threshold was a part of the auction, this was not seen as being sufficient to save Thames their franchise (though there are other examples within the network where this did occur, such as Granada Television, during the same franchise round). Some commentators consequently speculated that Thames had fallen victim to a 'government vendetta', whilst others felt that the auction had been won fairly. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In addition to Thames's departure from the network as franchise owners, it could also be argued that an equally significant part of the changeover was the fact that its replacement, Carlton Communications, broke away from the traditions of the 1968 and 1982 franchise rounds, in not acquiring and taking-over the bulk of it predecessors' studios, facilities, work-force and infrastructure (the studios at Teddington continued as independent facilities and are now part of the Pinewood Group). Instead, Carlton chose to commission the vast majority of its production content from third-parties; not only had ownership changed, but so too had the nature of a large part of ITV's operation. The 1990 act, again, could be cited as being responsible for this, with previous franchise rounds having specific stipulations preventing this from happening, whereas the latter act could be seen as encouraging this. Although Carlton initially stuck to its practice of outside-commissioning, it later acquired Midlands franchisee Central Television, and hence became one of the UK's largest commercial producers. Carlton Communications plc was a former British media company, which was founded by Michael Green and listed on the London Stock Exchange from 1983 until 2 February 2004, when it merged with Granada plc, to form ITV plc. ... Central TV logo, 1985_1998 Central Independent Television, or to give it its familiar name, Central Television or Central, is a British Independent Television company that took over from ATV on 1 January 1982. ...

Life after the franchise

After 1992, Thames continued to produce programmes for the ITV network and other UK and international broadcasters, a notable example being the long-running police drama The Bill. However the company radically changed: The offices at Euston Road were sold and subsequently demolished (the site has been re-developed as Triton Square and is now the registered headquarters of Abbey bank). The studios at Teddington were sold to a management buy-out team and are now part of the Pinewood Group, owners of both Pinewood and Shepperton Studios This article is about the British TV series. ... Abbey Head office. ... The gatehouse at Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire. ... Shepperton Studios, located in Shepperton, Middlesex, England is a film studio with a long history of film making. ...

The company itself has changed hands a number of times: it was owned by Pearson Television, which is now Fremantle Media, part of the RTL Group; Fremantle also acquired TalkBack Productions and merged the two companies under the new name talkbackTHAMES in 2003. Thames, as a separate entity, no longer exists. The FremantleMedia logo from 2001-present. ... FremantleMedia (formerly All-American Television and Pearson Television) is an independent production company that holds the rights to the Goodson/Todman game show library which includes such classic game shows as The Price is Right, Match Game, Ive Got a Secret, and Family Feud. ... RTL Group (LuxSE: RTL) is Europes largest TV, radio and production company, and is majority-owned by German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. ... Talkback Productions was formed in 1981 by Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. ... talkbackTHAMES is a British television production company, a division of FremantleMedia (part of the RTL Group). ...

References

screenonline is a website devoted to the history of British film and television, and to social history as revealed by film and television. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 115th day of the year (116th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Categories: Articles lacking sources from October 2006 | All articles lacking sources | Wikipedia articles needing style editing | ITV franchisees | Media companies of the United Kingdom | Television channels and stations established in 1968 | 1968 establishments | 1992 disestablishments For other uses, see ITV (disambiguation). ... ITV plc (LSE: ITV) is the British media company that operates 11 of the 15 regional television broadcasters that make up the ITV Network, the oldest and largest commercial terrestrial television network in the United Kingdom. ... SMG plc (formerly Scottish Media Group) is a Scottish media company. ... UTV Media plc (formerly Ulster Television plc and UTV plc) is a broadcasting and New Media company based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. ... The current Channel TV ident Channel Television (CTV) is a British television station which has served as an Independent Television (ITV), contractor to the Channel Islands since 1962. ... GMTV (Good Morning Television) is a national British breakfast television station owned by ITV plc (75%) and The Walt Disney Company (25%). It has held the license for the breakfast Channel 3 franchise since 1993, when it outbid the previous 6am-9. ... Grampian Television is the ITV franchisee for the North of Scotland, based in Aberdeen. ... Scottish Television (now legally known as STV Central Ltd and referred to on-air as STV) is Scotlands largest ITV franchisee, and has held the ITV franchise for Central Scotland since August 31, 1957. ... ITV Border Ltd (formerly and more commonly known as Border Television, or simply Border) is the ITV franchisee for the border region between England and Scotland (including the south of Scotland, much of Cumbria and, until December 2006, the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed), and also the Crown dependency of... For other uses of the UTV acronym, see UTV (disambiguation) UTV (formerly Ulster Television) is the ITV franchise for Northern Ireland. ... Tyne Tees Television is the ITV television contractor for North East England. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Associated British Corporation (otherwise known as ABC Television or ABC Weekend TV) was one of a number of commercial television companies set up in the 1950s by cinema chains in an attempt to safeguard their business by getting involved in television which was taking away their cinema audiences. ... TWW Logo Television Wales and the West (TWW) was the British Independent Television (commercial television) contractor for the South Wales and West of England franchise area 1956-1968 (franchise awarded October 26, 1956, started transmissions on January 14, 1958). ... Teledu Cymru -- Wales (West and North) Television - WWN was the British Independent Television (commercial television) contractor awarded the North and West Wales franchise area for 1962-1968 (franchise awarded June 6, 1961, started transmissions on September 14, 1962, ceased transmissions through financial failure January 26, 1964 when the franchise area... Independent Television Service for Wales and the West or ITSWW is a remarkably unusual entity. ... ITV Wales & West Ltd (formally and more commonly known as HTV) is the ITV contractor for Wales and the West of England[1]. It is owned by ITV plc. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Associated-Rediffusion, later Rediffusion, London, was the British ITV contractor for London, on weekdays between 1954 (transmissions started on September 22, 1955) and July 29, 1968. ... Carlton Television is the United Kingdom Channel 3 (ITV) licensee for London and the surrounding areas from 9:25am every Monday to 5. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... LWT redirects here. ... Southern Television was the first ITV holder for the south and south east of England from 30 August 1958 until 1 January 1982. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... ITV Meridian Ltd (formerly and more commonly known as Meridian Broadcasting) is the holder of the ITV franchise for South and South East England[1]. It has been broadcasting since 1 January 1993, when it replaced TVS. The main headquarters were situated at studios in Northam, Southampton (previously used by... Westward Television was the first ITV franchise holder for the South West of England from 29 April 1961 until 31 December 1981. ... Television South West (TSW) was the ITV franchise holder for the South West England region from 1 January 1982 until 31 December 1992, broadcasting from the former Westward Television studios in Plymouth, Devon. ... Westcountry Television is the ITV franchise holder in the South West of England, replacing its predecessor, TSW (Television South West), on 1 January 1993. ... The current Channel TV ident Channel Television (CTV) is a British television station which has served as an Independent Television (ITV), contractor to the Channel Islands since 1962. ... TV-am was a breakfast television station that broadcast in the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1992. ... GMTV (Good Morning Television) is a national British breakfast television station owned by ITV plc (75%) and The Walt Disney Company (25%). It has held the license for the breakfast Channel 3 franchise since 1993, when it outbid the previous 6am-9. ... GMTV2 is a British digital television station owned by GMTV, a consortium of ITV plc and The Walt Disney Company. ... ORACLE (Optimal Reception of Announcements by Coded Line Electronics) was a commercial teletext service first broadcast on ITV in 1974 and later on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom finally ending on both channels at the end of December 1992. ... Teletext Ltd is the provider of Teletext services for ITV, Channel 4 and Five in the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the Scottish television network. ... ITV Thames Valley is the expected name of ITVs new region covering the Thames Valley area of the United Kingdom. ... ITV London is the collective brand name and identity used by ITV plc for the ITV1 television channel in the London region. ... ITV (Independent Television) is the original British advertising television network. ... ITV2 is a free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV plc. ... ITV3 is an entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV plc. ... ITV4 is a UK television station which launched on November 1, 2005. ... The CITV Channel is a British childrens TV station from ITV plc and the Channel 3 breakfast licensee GMTV (6am-9:25am). ... Men & Motors is a mens lifestyle television channel in the UK. It is the last remaining station operated by Granada Sky Broadcasting, a joint venture set up by Granada Television (now part of ITV plc) and British Sky Broadcasting in 1996. ... ITN may refer to: Independent Television News In the news, a section on the Main Page of English Wikipedia This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... ITV News is the name of the news broadcasts on British TV network ITV. It has one of the largest television audiences for news in the UK. It is produced by Independent Television News (ITN), and was more commonly known simply as ITN until 1999. ... ITV Sport is a sport producer and brand name owned by ITV plc. ... ITV Play is the brand name used for phone-in shows on ITV1 and ITV2. ... This article is about ITVs childrens television brand. ... ITV Weather is the national forecast shown on UK terrestrial channel ITV1, and is provided by the Met Office. ... ITV Mobile is a British entertainment portal from ITV exclusive to mobile phones. ... The URL www. ... ITV Local is a broadband service provided by ITV. Established in 2005, the website provides local news, weather and features on demand, 24 hours a day. ... FriendsReunited. ... Since its origins, various ITV stations have used different idents to define each of its franchises. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... The Independent Television Authority (ITA) was a body created by the Television Act 1954 to supervise the creation of Independent Television (ITV), the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom. ... The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) was the regulatory body in the United Kingdom for commercial television (ITV and Channel 4 - cable and satellite television were the responsibility of the Cable Authority) and radio broadcasts. ... The ITC has been superseded as the British commercial television regulator by Ofcom (the Office of Communications). ... Ofcom is a regulator for communication industries in the United Kingdom. ...

Contents

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