Colour on bbc1

[Leighton]

Can any one tell me when bbc 1 started broadcasting in colour and what were the first sort of programmes we saw.
were they us shows like star trek, etc or did we have lots suddenly shown in colour
Was it late 1969 and was there an official announcement for bbc1?
What about bbc2 as they started in 1967 I believe.
Tomb of the cybermen dvd has an early arts programme in colour from 1967 on film from bbc2 about dr who so when did bbc2 start?
finally does anyone know when colour tv sets were available in tv shops. We got ours in 1971

[Laurence Piper]

Colour came to BBC-1 on 15/11/69 (same as ITV). There was a big promotion leading up to it. Even if you had a b/w set, you couldn't miss the event though as the channel brought in new on-screen globe, clock and trails on that day. Also they used to proudly declare before each programme "this is BBC-1 in colour" or "this programme is in black and white". Programmes were the regular ones suddenly in colour (such as Top Of The Pops, Softly Softly etc - although some stayed b/w for a few months, such as Z-Cars) and new ones such as Take Three Girls were made especially for the changeover.

ITV had also been making and screening shows in colour prior to this though (such as Doctor In The House, which began summer '69) although they were not seen in colour until their first repeat runs a few months later.

BBC-2 began colour transmissions officially on 1/7/67 (after running experimental tests since it's inception, although these could only be received generally by the public in b/w if they happened to catch them). The first colour programme on that day was Wimbledon coverage. At first the service was limited to a few shows (such as Late Night Line-Up and film series like Whicker's World and The Virginian).

The service was extended to about 80 per cent of programmes being shown in colour from 2/12/67. These included The Dick Emery Show, Vanity Fair, Once More With Felix and Black & White Minstrel Show. Colour sets first came on the market in 1967. They were still rare at this point though (I first saw one in summer 1968 myself).

[David Brunt]

ITV had also been making and screening shows in colour prior to this though (such as Doctor In The House, which began summer '69) although they were not seen in colour until their first repeat runs a few months later.

The Beeb were doing the same thing.

Season Three of "Dad's Army" was made in colour, although the first half was originally transmitted in b/w. First to air in colour was 'Branded' IIRC. The rest got run in colour during the following summer repeats.

First few 'Monty Python' shows originally went out in b/w too.

[john g]

just to add..

British colour TVs manufactured between 1966-69 had to be dual standard VHF/UHF and 405/625 line.. hence complicated thus expensive . The same price as a Mini Van.
The world's first production ' transistorised ' colour tv came not from Sony as you might expect but humble old Thorn (fergerson/ultra brands etc) in Enfield in 1967.

To encourage the switch to colour and 625 lines . BBC2 form its early days showed a selection of ' trade test transmissions' in the afternoon .This was a selection of high quality technicolour films which were cheap because they got them from places like Shell and BP hence they usually had a motoring theme. They showed them in no particular order and some were repeated hundreds of times between 1965 and 73..
One of the most popular was the delightful 'Guiseppina' about a remote Italian garage owner and his daughter. (If you saw a Volkswagon advert a few years ago about a mysterious squeak this where the influence came from).

here is a comprehensive list..


www.bvws.org.uk/405alive/info/prog_tradefilms.html

[Laurence Piper]

Ah, the Thorn Enfield factory - I knew it well (at that time I lived about 2 miles from it!) The last time I happened to pass that way a few years back, it had been turned into a consumer retail park (Sainsbury's / multiplex etc)! They were also involved at the very start of ITV in the '50s.

Trade test films? I spent many a misspent day in my youth watching these (on our dual standard 405/625 b/w set). The summer hols were a great time for this particularly!

I also remember the run-up to the official introduction of colour on BBC-1 and ITV (the months immediately preceding 15/11/69). These channels were broadcasting on 625 lines already, although not all programmes were on this system until the official opening (only those already in colour). But I do recall seeing things like "Please Sir" at this time (which was another of those series being made in colour in advance of November - possibly for partly this very reason). BBC-1 on 625 lines was screening trade films on a Sunday lunchtime at this point too.

[helpful Hartley]

my favourite was ' the home made car ' . This fellow builds a car and confidently paint sprays it with a vacuum cleaner attachment . Has help from little girl and little dog.
No dialogue just very nice.

I see from the list it was directed by James 'Avengers' Hill

[Allen Dace]

I wish they'd broadcast 'Guiseppina' again - its another James ("Avengers" and 'Born Free') Hill film and what's more it won him a Live Action Short Oscar.

[helpful Hartley]

Allen if you cant wait. You can order BP films from BP but as it a bespoke service it could be regarded as expensive, compared to going to HMV for titanic for example. The going rate a couple of years ago was two films of your choice on VHS for about £35.

[William Martin]

www.tvhistory.btinternet.co.uk/html/itv_colour.html

also there were colour experiments in the 1920s and 30s (low def Baird mechanical tv) and in the 1940s(high def 600lines + also 3D on Baird electronic tvs)

[Jez]

To complicate matters, there were a number of programmes on BBC1 and ITV that were publicised as being available in colour from October 1969.

The first such programme on BBC1 was an edition of Star Trek and on ITV Please Sir. Hence ITV had an 'official' colour programme one day before BBC1.

Mony Python was another in this category, so quite possibly was never shown in B&W only.

The BBC decided to publish these details although there had been an agreement not to refer to programmes being available in colour prior to the official starting date. The IBA, somewhat annoyed then allowed ITV to do the same.

Early tests of BBC1 colour consisted of BBC2 with a BBC1 caption added.

[David Brunt]

Guest-Jez said:

To complicate matters, there were a number of programmes on BBC1 and ITV that were publicised as being available in colour from October 1969.
Mony Python was another in this category, so quite possibly was never shown in B&W only.

RT notes the colour tests from 18 October on. Python ep 1 & 2 had slipped through before then...

Interestingly, Dad's Army was one of the few regular shows billed for colour every one of the four weeks leading up to the official start date.

[Jez]

The BBC issued information to the press on 2 or 3 October - can't remeber which without looking it up. Newspapers carried the info plus the row it caused with the IBA.

[Laurence Piper]

I recall those pre-launch colour tests of BBC-1 / ITV in the London area. ITV used to show selected items at various times during the evening and possibly afternoon too (the ones that were being made in colour already) and then cut straight to the test card afterwards. The ads and continuity were still b/w at this point and on 405 lines only.

I recall it was difficult identifying which channel you were watching at first if you tuned in while the test card was on (it had no ident at this stage, I seem to remember) - in those days, our 625 line channel tuning dial was one you turned in the same way as on a radio, with no assigned numbers with channel store facility. Just thought i'd throw that bit in as I can see a few puzzled looks from anyone under about 25!!

[john g]

Guest-Laurence said:

I recall those pre-launch colour tests of BBC-1 / ITV in the London area. ITV used to show selected items at various times during the evening and possibly afternoon too (the ones that were being made in colour already) and then cut straight to the test card afterwards. The ads and continuity were still b/w at this point and on 405 lines only.

I recall it was difficult identifying which channel you were watching at first if you tuned in while the test card was on (it had no ident at this stage, I seem to remember) - in those days, our 625 line channel tuning dial was one you turned in the same way as on a radio, with no assigned numbers with channel store facility. Just thought i'd throw that bit in as I can see a few puzzled looks from anyone under about 25!!

yes VHF was a real clunker, it was a long trek between CH1 and CH9 ie strange noises, taxis , the police , by the time you got there the programme was probably half over ;-)