ITV is celebrating 70 years since the launch of commercial television in the United Kingdom on 22 September in 1955. ITV is offering an online collection of programmes covering its history, reflecting the changes in television and society over that period. It is fascinating to see how the technology and presentation of television have changed over the decades, yet in many ways the elements were there at the time. As television faces its future on the internet, it is fitting that these tributes can now be seen online.
The foundation of independent television in the United Kingdom was laid in the Television Act 1954, breaking the monopoly on television held by the BBC. The legislation created the Independent Television Authority to regulate the industry and award regional franchises.
The first commercial television broadcast in the United Kingdom was from Associated-Rediffusion, which had the weekday franchise, with Associated Television or ATV covering the weekends.
The first programme was an outside broadcast from the Guildhall in London, featuring an opening night dinner to celebrate the launch. Only around 100,000 households in London and the South-East of England were able to watch.
The first televised advertisement was a promotion for Gibbs SR toothpaste for Unilever, broadcast at 8.12pm. They had booked a lot of spots for the first night, but the order was drawn out of a hat from among 23 other commercials.
When Christopher Chataway read the first ITN news bulletin at 10pm on the opening night it marked a change from the traditional BBC news, introducing live reports and interviews. The following day, Barbara Mandell became the first woman newsreader in Britian.
Take Your Pick was the first British television quiz to offer a cash prize and quiz shows were soon aired over six nights a week.
Saturday Night at the London Palladium was first seen in the launch week and became a weekly hit.
A few days after the launch, The Adventures of Robin Hood first aired and soon topped the ratings. It was the first ITV show sold to a network in the United States, where it was shown on CBS.
In 1956, ITV expanded regionally with the launch of ATV and ABC in the Midlands and Granada Television in the North. Further franchises were awarded until the country was covered by fourteen regional stations by 1962.
For decades, ITV was a network of separate companies that provided regional television services and shared programmes across the network.
After several mergers, the fifteen regional franchises are now held by two companies, ITV plc, which holds the Channel 3 licences for every region except central and northern Scotland, which are held by STV Group.
To celebrate seven decades, ITV is offering a collection of classic programmes by decade and genre on the ITVX online service, including a pop-up channel that reimagines a classic ITV schedule.
It will include a remastered version of a broadcast of Saturday Night at the Palladium from 1961, featuring Bruce Forsyth and Norman Wisdom.
There is a documentary ITV News at 70: The stories that shaped our nation and a curated collection of clips ITV 70: Around the regions showing the development of regional news, including the opening nights of many ITV regional news programmes.
There will be full coverage and highlights of historic news events, from the funeral of Churchill, the Royal Wedding of Charles and Diana, election specials, the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of King Charles.