1964: BBC TWO will START SHORTLY | BBC News Special | Iconic Moments | BBC Archive

A major power cut across large parts of London meant that the launch of new channel BBC Two (or BBC2 as it was then styled) didn’t go quite as planned.
Presenter Gerald Priestland bravely took to the air, reading (and re-reading) a news bulletin from the BBC Two studio at Alexandra Palace. This was the only programme broadcast on the channel that day, with 'normal' transmissions beginning in earnest the morning after.
Clip taken from BBC News Special, originally broadcast on BBC Two, Monday 20 April, 1964
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[@hilaryepstein6013]

Is it me or did this really feel like a Monty Python sketch. I even think he bore an uncanny resemblance to a young John Cleese. Happy 60th birthday BBC Two.

[@MrThecarebear]

Exactly! The anchorman here being Gerald Priestland. A man who many remarked at the time was a dead ringer for John Cleese, even Cleese himself! So is it any wonder then that the "And Now For Something Completely Different...." section of Monty Python's Flying Circus was wholly inspired by what you are watching now.

[@hilaryepstein6013]

@@MrThecarebear It's possible he saw this too in 1964, highly likely.

[@whophd]

@@MrThecarebearBloomin’ eck. It’s like uncovering a missing piece of lore of Monty Python.

[@TimmyTickle]

Has anyone seen John Cleese and Gerald Priestland in the same room?

[@walkingtheboogie]

My former surgeon was a dead ringer for John Clease, too. He's now retired, unlike Mr Cleese. Good job he didn't behave like some of Mr Cleese's characters, e.g. Basel Fawlty.

[@donaldlush2822]

This is magical - I wish television news was still like this.

[@ritaroad]

Tell me about it. The news today lies like a rug.

[@JasmineSurrealVideos]

I like the way the bloke at the back on the left with the specs looks round and smiles when the announcer reads out the report he handed him, like he's proud, that's his work lol. It's oh so formal the whole thing and old school British, but casual at the same time, which I like.

[@HughTVDX]

Mr Cholmondley Warner lurking.

[@CricketEngland]

The first full programme to go out on BBC Two was Play School, transmitted at 11am the following morning. The opening night line-up was eventually shown that evening, featuring a performance of Kiss Me Kate - starring Howard Keel and Patricia Morrison.

[@alexfletcher5192]

What is glorious about it is the sheer 'Keep calm and carry on' spirit of it. But I think people relied on the collective notion of 'They're doing their best' back then.

[@TimmyTickle]

Most (if not all) of these people had lived through WWII

[@snoballuk]

This guy gets interrupted by the phone at work more often than I do.

[@scottpeacock5492]

Are you a tv newsreader??

[@snoballuk]

@@scottpeacock5492 something almost as stressful - IT support tech

[@TimmyTickle]

Earpieces didn’t become common at ITN or the BBC until the 70s

[@s.mcgowan8969]

This channel is brilliant, great historical record.

[@ellielarkin8414]

HAPPY 60th BIRTHDAY TO BBC 2

[@roygoad2870]

That’s John Cleese older brother 😊

[@Gloryzuki]

We all know what happened that day. The Battersea Power Station went off and BBC2 was not launched properly...

[@jojojo8835]

Ok, but why did Battersea fail?

[@Gloryzuki]

@@jojojo8835 Power failure, as the video said at the end. The release of BBC2 had to be delayed by the following day.

[@stickytapenrust6869]

@@jojojo8835it was a short circuit on the feed between Battersea Power Station and Lombard Road Power Station, which caused an overload to the circuit and thus a breakdown in the feeder station at Iver.

[@MarkPentler]

@@Gloryzukiyou're being asked WHY it failed. Is there an English language parsing issue here?

[@BeatUpRecordsCDs]

I’m still reading on Sundays. 😊

[@clavichord]

I hope those are serious books which encourage deep contemplation on the sabbath

[@lesleymartin2682]

Keep calm and carry on. Britain at its best.

[@TimmyTickle]

Most (if not all) of the people involved here had lived through WWII

[@DaveParr]

BBC 2: The channel that answers phones live, but doesn't tell the audience what has been said, just because that's what BBC 1ndoes

[@thekinglav1925]

Happy 60th Anniversary to BBC Two.

[@stevenbaker7696]

Many Happy Returns BBC2!🎂✌

[@michaelturner4457]

It's like a Monty Python skit

[@BrianOh-uc3gm]

Fascinating history snapshot

[@MartySulls]

Happy 60th birthday BBC2 (and BBC1).

[@David.L291]

and yet we still are forced to have a tv pathetic licence nonsense after all these years

[@videooblivion]

Hugs and kisses to the BBC from the USA this evening.

[@hopebgood]

This Sunday it's "serious thought and reading" all the way for me then.

[@wisteela]

Interesting bit of history

[@MrACOUSTICPETE]

Love the " situation normal all ' loused ' up ! " BBC interpretation of SNAFU !!😅

[@GothGuy885]

1:21 picturing this as a skit in Monty Pythons flying circus with John Cleese. the third time the phone rings John Cleese picks up the phone and yells "Piss Off!" and throws the phone across the room which hits someone on the head, and goes on with the broadcast

[@johnking5174]

Ear pieces which linked the news studio to the news production gallery were not brought into the BBC and indeed ITN until well into the 1970s. Communication between the two areas was either by telephone or by the floor manager.

[@DBIVUK]

I see the story about the Yorkshire bus conductress, whose commentary on some of her passengers provided the unfortunate first actual words ever spoken on BBC Two, has been discreetly edited out.

[@TimmyTickle]

The story was about her getting her job back… if she hadn’t been re-employed, the story probably would have been included here

[@DBIVUK]

@@TimmyTickle Oh, no. I think it is because in 1964 it was essential to quote the actual words she used to explain the story, but in 2024 the quoting of them is massively offensive even when not directed at anyone in particular (and rightly so).

[@nknguyen2877]

It was rather chilling to see this thing in smooth motion, again. I've since heard a lot of fun stories behind this day while researching for this launch and it was just as chilling and interesting.

[@whatamalike]

Chilling in what way? It was a power failure, not a declaration of war 😅

[@TinLeadHammer]

The BBC Archive deinterlaces to 50p presently to capture smooth motion of interlaced TV.

[@2001JamesTV]

@@TinLeadHammer The BBC being one of the very few who actually do this properly... most streamers presenting 50/60i content as 25/30p is INCREDIBLY frustrating, especially when it's the only way to see a lot of stuff these days, and there's not really an excuse for it any more, 50/60fps should be standard on streaming at this point. Why the BBC can do it but the like of ITV, Channel 4, Netflix, Amazon, Disney etc. seemingly can't is ridiculous.

[@nknguyen2877]

@@whatamalike not too sure anyway, but I do find it interesting that part of this tape's audio was featured on the channel's 25 years anniversary (1989) that was recently released online. I found it really intriguing cause the tape wasn't even found until 2003.

[@nknguyen2877]

@@2001JamesTV I think this one was probably due to lack of interest towards improving the image, but also due to limitation as most older broadcast-made tapes and interlaced television presets were still only showcasing 25/30 as showed frames, instead of proper 50/60.

[@MediaCentUK]

Things didn't go entirely go to plan on that day. Electric failure at the Television Centre and BBC2 got delayed til the next day

[@MrMann0123]

So many mannerisms John Cleese stole for various characters

[@soapflakes]

And now for something completely different

[@TimmyTickle]

Are you sure that this isn’t John Cleese himself?

[@2001JamesTV]

I notice they edited out the portion about the bus conductress who was fired for saying certain unsavoury things....

[@TimmyTickle]

Because she got her job back - if she hadn’t been re-employed, it wouldn’t have been edited out

[@Family50325]

Happy birthday BBC 2

[@syedalamgir5838]

News never stop

[@user-id5er4hz8d]

Thou shalt not exercise on Sundaye - thou shalt reade in steade.

[@CrashOrganism]

Ffs, even then people were playing around with their phones and not staying engaged with who they were talking too

[@dwho19951]

Hopefully we can have some special idents on tonight?

[@ChristopherHaslettPhotography]

Just like Monty Python but with less violence.

[@MichaelBosley]

This would be like some kind of stress nightmare. "You've got to present to the whole nation with no preparation, and you also have to answer this phone for some reason, and also people will be handing you notes whilst you're presenting that you also have to read out articulately."

[@TimmyTickle]

BBC2 was only available in the Greater London area at the time

[@brianmmacu]

Jacob Rees Mogg's nightly routine with his children, a light news summary

[@76ToneCrome]

Comment of the day...and there's still 16 hours left. Bravo.

[@ianrosie4431]

So Pythonesque 😅.

[@TimmyTickle]

Have you ever seen Gerald Priestland and John Cleese in the same room?

[@ianrosie4431]

@@TimmyTickle Now there's a thought 🤔.

[@tachikomakusanagi3744]

And now for something completely different...

[@walkingtheboogie]

There is a fade to a blank screen. At one point, so what was cut from this broadcast upload, I wonder? It also starts with once again, so I wonder what was before this? Anyone who says Play School launched BBC Two is wrong. It was the News if I have this correct. Or would it be the announcement of a power failure?

[@johnking5174]

Thankfully BBC Television News was still based at their Alexandra Palace studios, otherwise BBC Television wouldn't have had an emergency service ready to go on air.

[@simonsimon325]

It's almost hard to believe it used to be like this. All you're allowed to do on Sunday is reading and serious thought, and hang on a minute while I just anser the phone. there's no one there, anyway where was I... oh yeah, the news... phone goes again. Can you hear me now.

[@neilbriscombe]

I wish they'd answer the phone on the news now perhaps a way to get more current and salient broadcasting

[@handsoffmycactus2958]

That’s what ear pieces are for.

[@handsoffmycactus2958]

How do you not know about ear pieces ?

[@neilbriscombe]

@handsoffmycactus2958 the implication was we could phone and ask something. For instance: what is causing excess deaths and what is being done about it? Questions in Parliament 18th April this week after private MP questions to the Minster of Health a year ago, and lame response considering the seriousness of the numbers involved. If it was in the news it passed me by, if not it's shameful of the TV broadcasters.

[@neilbriscombe]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2XEgGWqpq6cfc0si=ubb3-YthGj_U9jzH for the recording of the debate. BBC if your reading this please do a report on seems like it fits your duty as described in your statute

[@Rust_in_Time]

I’d like to see Fiona Bruce pick up a rotary telephone whilst reading the news…except these days she’d have to say “one of our experts has just suggested this ‘phone would fetch £60-80 at auction..."

[@mikemainer3009]

The Church of Scotland calls for no professional football on Sundays.... ....guess who ended up winning that battle?

[@TimmyTickle]

To be fair, Sky Sports didn’t exist yet

[@edwardburek1717]

Fancy that - an impromptu rolling news service. It's a very early prototype of BBC News 24.

[@duckofearl]

A wee bit of projection, before the real thing?

[@goodiesguy]

Where's the news item about the Yorkshire bus conductress calling people 'Stinking Wogs'?

[@dean1100110]

You think they fixed it yet

[@bardo0007]

I hope The Beatles boys survived the burglary 😁 Help!

[@bardo0007]

And now to something completely different... 🤣🤣.

[@stephengraham5099]

A strange pronunciation of Mandela.

[@whophd]

That’s the Neilson Mandolin Effect

[@Take_Me_Back_To_The_1980s]

It's hard to believe how good the Beeb was in the 20th century; Great, varied, programming across TV & radio with no adverts. Now it's just far woke propaganda

[@whophd]

It’s hard to believe it wasn’t just people like me who liked the BBC. Once upon a time it was also enjoyed by the anti-woke mob and conservatives didn’t try to shut it down.

[@Take_Me_Back_To_The_1980s]

@@whophd Conservatives are not trying to shut it down. They just want to free people from the obligation to pay for it as it has become propaganda for narrow far Left cultural marxists. If the Leftoids like it let them continue to support it if they want to - but we know there aren't enough people who do like it, and that's the issue

[@matthewmartin6755]

Happy 60th Birthday BBCTWO(2)🎉🎉xx Kind regards diehardbritneyfan. Kind request to some Britney Spears stuff to add to BBC2 this year and in the future years to come xx