The First Six Years

Abstract

The Gala Opening on Thursday 22 September 1955 is better remembered as an occasion rather than as a series of programmes: the ceremonious welcome of the new channel in the heart of London, a triumph over many tribulations, the first showing of advertisements on the small screen in this country. Nevertheless, many beginnings were modestly made in those programmes, and certain promises were implied in them. For example, Bill Ward’s Channel Nine displayed the talents of many variety artistes like Shirley Abicair, Reg Dixon and Leslie Welch who were already well known on BBC TV. But Channel Nine also introduced new personalities to the television audience — Hughie Green, Michael Miles and others who were to become identified with ITV. From the very beginning the new channel gave notice that it was going to develop its own characters and also that its approach to the viewing public was to be different from that of the BBC.