You are in : Home » Results & submissions » Select UOA » 34 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory » View submission: Birkbeck College » Outputs » Detail

Output details

34 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory

Birkbeck College

Return to search Previous output Next output

Output 32 of 78 in the submission

Chapter title

La télévision expérimentale à l'Alexandra Palace: la BBC et sa programmation de variétés

Type

C - Chapter in book

DOI

Publisher of book

Éditions Apogée

Book title

Télévision, le Moment Expérimental: De l’Invention à l’Institution (1935-1955)

ISBN of book

9782843983771

Year of publication

2011

URL

http://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/5454/

Number of additional authors

Additional information

Interdisciplinary

Cross-referral requested

Research group

None

Proposed double-weighted

Double-weighted statement

Reserve for a double-weighted output

Non-English

Yes

English abstract

This paper explores the development of light entertainment television programming in British television between 1936 and 1955. Many accounts suggest that the BBC lost its audiences to ITV in 1955 because commercial television catered to popular entertainment. This paper argues that while the BBC did develop ‘serious’ television formats of talks, news, current affairs and drama, it also pioneered the live programming of variety, classical and popular music, ballet, opera, dance and comedy. Through experimenting, both in the innovation of television styles and in the invention of television engineering technologies, the BBC established light entertainment as a staple of television.