The Magic Rays of Light

When the ‘Fools on the Hill’, the Hill in question being Muswell Hill, kicked off the first regular high-definition television service on 2 November 1936 what, I wondered, did BBC radio have to say about this major event? Well, actually, nothing really.  

Seven miles away from Alexandra Palace down at Broadcasting House it was very much business as usual. The day started at 10.15 am, yes no breakfast time listening in those days, with the Daily Service on both the available stations, the National Programme and the Regional Programme. Daytime listening on the National Programme consisted of music programmes either live – two different organ recitals and the likes of the BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra – or on ‘gramophone record’, interspersed with Schools programmes. There was a chance to hear again wildlife author Henry Williamson’s talk on otters. The evening entertainment offered a variety show at 7.20 pm, Entertainment Parade, and later at 9.35 pm a Miracle Play in four scenes The Eve of All Souls featuring the St Hilary Players. There were, however, elections going on. In the States the Presidential election would take place the following day and American reporter Raymond Gram Swing informed listeners of the latest news in World Affairs in a live broadcast from New York. Back at home there were Municipal Elections and the National Programme provided the results of those wither side of midnight.

On the Regional Programme it was pretty much music all day from the BBC’s Scottish and Midland Orchestras, Haydn Heard and his Band, Arthur Salisbury and his Orchestra live from the Savoy Hotel and the Hotel Victoria Orchestra. Children’s Hour had songs and a story plus the results of an Essay Competition followed by Henry Hall (“Hello everyone, this is Henry Hall speaking”) and the BBC Dance Orchestra. The main evening programmes were the first ever London performance by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and an adaptation of the stage musical Princess Caprice. The day rounded off with a visit to the Piccadilly Hotel for music from Billy Gerhardi and his Band and A Programme of Gramophone Records. Of course, whether the day’s news bulletins mentioned events at Ally Pally I can’t say. There were just five bulletins across the two stations starting at 6.00 pm through to a last summary at 11.30 pm.

I don’t want to give the impression that radio ignored television at this time, it didn’t. Television was seen as a luxury, an estimated 400 lookers-in witnessed the opening programme, and it was a small part of the BBC’s operations. The following day’s Control Board only says that ‘the programmes of the opening day...were discussed’ and minutes of the Board of Governors around this time make no mention of the new-fangled technology. 

In August 1936 the BBC had organised a Radio Show at Olympia and for the first time television was demonstrated with a 30-minute variety show Here’s Looking at You being broadcast twice a day on the two competing systems: Baird and Marconi EMI. On the opening day John Hilton presented a 15-minute Radiolympia report on the National Programme during which engineer Noel Ashbridge talked about television and described it “as an adventure upon which the BBC and the public are entering together...”      

What was probably the first programme to consider the history and the potential of television was a radio one, broadcast on the National Programme on the evening of Thursday 29 October 1936, just four days before the official launch of the service. Billed as Television: The past the present, the future it was compiled and produced by Laurence Gilliam and actor and writer Felix Felton, both members of the Features Department.

The programme information goes on to explain:

Not many years ago sound broadcasting appeared as an incredible novelty. In this programme the accepted medium of sound broadcasting is to be used to introduce the new medium of television. Listeners will hear how, from the first ideas of the early pioneers there has gradually developed the high definition television service which is to be opened from Alexandra Palace on Monday next, November 2.

Although retained in the BBC Sound Archives the programme hasn’t been repeated since other than a narrative repeat on the Regional Programme on 31 October.

However, some television programmes are being repeated this Wednesday (4 November) as BBC Four marks the 90^th anniversary of the start of the BBC television service with five programmes:

Television’s Opening Night: How the Box Was Born

First broadcast on 2 November 2016 it’s a recreation of the opening night with Dallas Campbell, Professor Danielle George and Dr Hugh Hunt.      

The Fools on the Hill

This is Jack Rosenthal’s dramatisation of the events in the days leading up to the opening night. Some of the real life characters portrayed are producer Cecil Madden, head of service Gerald Cock, producer Dallas Bower, John Logie Baird, announcers Leslie Mitchell and Jasmine Bligh and singers Helen McKay and Adele Dixon. It was originally broadcast on BBC Two on 27 October 1986 as part of the TV50 Season.

Television Come to London

A short minute documentary film that was first shown on the opening day. Most of it was shot by Bill Barbrook, the head and only permanent member of the BBC Film Unit. The final sequences were directed by Dallas Bower and filmed by James Carr. The commentary was written by another member of the production staff, Cecil Lewis and spoken by Leslie Mitchell. The film was repeated further five times in November 1936 and again in February 1937. Whilst it hasn’t been seen in its entirely on the BBC since it was apparently shown on Talking Pictures TV a couple of times in the last year. Even if you haven’t seen the fill thing before you’ll likely recognise the sequence that starts with the ‘Vision On/Sound On’ warning light and the white-coated technician blowing a whistle and Adela Dixon’s rendition of The Magic Rays of Light.  

JLB: The Man Who Saw the Future

A profile of John Logie Baird by his son Malcolm and is based on the book John Logie Baird: a life by Antony Kamm and Malcolm Baird. It concentrates on both Baird’s television experiments and his personal life with footage shot in the UK, Germany and the United States. First broadcast on BBC Four on 22 January 2003.

For more about John Logie Baird see my November 2016 blog post Seeing By Wireless

Also check out the Baird Television website

The Birth of Television

From the studio at Alexandra Palace Leslie Mitchell traces the origins of television up to the Coronation of King George VI in 1937. As it was first broadcast on BBC1 on 1 November 1976 it has the benefit of being able to include some of the performers and announcers that were there are the start. This includes Gracie Fields, Arthur Askey, Dinah Sheridan, Cyril Fletcher, Jasmine Bligh, Elizabeth Cowell and Joan Miller. It was written and produced by Bruce Norman who wrote Here’s Looking at You: The Story of British Television 1908-1939.

And finally from May 2025 comes this potted audio tribute to Alexandra Palace and the early television service. Musician Kate Garner visits the original BBC studios and talks to Alexandra Palace curator Kirsten Forrest. This was broadcast on Radio 2 during the interval of VE Day 80 - A Swinging Celebration.