40 YEARS OF BREAKFAST TV | BBC VS. ITV | Breakfast Time & TV-am

BREAKFAST TV IS TURNING 40!
Back in early 1983, both the BBC & ITV decided to throw themselves head first into the then relatively new avenue of breakfast television. The BBC had BREAKFAST TIME and ITV had TV-AM and so, the battle began for Britain's breakfast... but now, 40 years on, these once revolutionary strands are celebrating 40 YEARS on the air!
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[@EssexResident2000]

I think ITV's breakfast TV birthday won't be as high profile as the BBC's. Considering the fiasco over Daybreak and the way some people were treated, I can't see ITV getting as many people back as the BBC has managed.

[@1701Wren]

Don't forget also TVAM was a separate company that used ch3's airwaves from 06:00-09:15 in 1983. It's not an itv company nor was GMTV originally. Until the deregulation act of 1990, the IBA owned & operated all transmitters for Ch3 & 4.

[@cazharris5581]

To be honest, the BBC struggled with a few (inc. Selina Scott). It wasn’t as happy behind the scenes as we were led to believe. I still enjoyed watching it though.

[@krisstarring]

I'm trying to imagine that gleeful retrospective. "Remember that time Bruce Gyngell told us all to bugger off and tried to run the entire operation of 'Good Morning Britain' by himself?" 😂 Also, is it just me, or is the name "Daybreak" cursed in breakfast television? I doubt a third ITV programme will ever bear that title.

[@alloria]

You could do a whole video about TV-AM easily. I still remember the theme music all these years later.

[@debbiemckeown7626]

TV Am definitely had a lot of drama

[@80ssynthfan48]

The Good Morning Britain theme in full is a masterpiece.

[@arthurvasey]

An early example of breakfast television occurred in 1977 on both Tyne Tees and Yorkshire - they did a breakfast version of their respective news programmes (Good Morning North on Tyne Tees and a breakfast version of Calendar on Yorkshire) at 8:30 and they got together at 9 for a brief run of Peyton Place!

[@robertwilloughby8050]

Wasn't there a similar experiment, just after the 1977 one, that had cartoons for us kiddiewinks, supported by a couple of news bulletins and a magazine offering detailing what was on for that day? 1978-1979, killed by the ITV Strike?

[@krisstarring]

The fact that ITV's breakfast programme is "Good Morning Britain" once again, to me it would be down right ridiculous to not mention that of TV-am. Even if the contracted company that put it on crossed the rainbow bridge at the end of 1992, it is still part of ITV's history and heritage. The Roland Rat character has even gone on to have a life of his own outside of the confines of TV-am. Also to note, even if the BBC did technically beat ITV to the punch with breakfast television by two weeks, it was still an ITV station created the first breakfast TV programme in all of the UK, "Good Morning Calendar." In 1977, Yorkshire Television experimented by starting up earlier than their other ITV counterparts with a morning edition of "Calendar," an experiment that only lasted two months but nonetheless was the first attempt at breakfast TV.

[@jonathanlumb1733]

Seeing the old blue clock reminds of something I'd completely forgotten. When I was ready for school I'd go into the living room and put the telly on so I could watch a bit of news and keep a close eye on the time so I knew when to leave. Back then I was a bit obsessed with knowing the exact time and I felt the blue clock was the ultimate in accuracy lol.

[@adamholiday3450]

Jeff Wayne composed the theme tune for TVAM. When you listen to his musical version of War of the Worlds, it actually shows.

[@5340robert]

There might be issues with ITV celebrating in the same way as TV-AM and GMTV were originally franchises so it could depends who owns the image rights to previous breakfast incarnations on ITV.

[@keda1981]

GMTV is easy - it was taken over by ITV plc around 2009-10. Parts of TVam's identity are currently owned by Ian White and parts by Moving Image so that might be more difficult.

[@5340robert]

@@keda1981 Ian White is now a presenter on Calendar news in Yorkshire so they may have permission from him to use any footage.

[@thethinkingcatakaneonormie3527]

I was always a TV-AM fan as a child and in my teens I switched to Channel 4 which was just more fun with the Big Breakfast.

[@RebeccaPhythian]

The little analog clock is so cute 🥰 We do like it in our house ❤️

[@dominewimbury2039]

Tv am was mine. Same birthday as me but they are two years older lol

[@titanictotired]

Happy 40 years to BBC Breakfast! (Soon) and of course it has its place in British TV history.

[@danellis-jones1591]

As someone who was there, it was very exciting as a young kid. And it was hot off the heels of Channel 4 starting. The country was in a bit of a hole (not as bad as now, mind you!) And this was modernism! I did go back to Radio 1 pretty quickly tho. And then 10 years later The Big Breakfast on Channel 4 changed it all again.

[@jbtv7955]

Happy 40th to Breakfast tv Times fly by a lot yes the days I’d say in the 70s when tv shows apart from Schools & Colleges were on at 4pm and the 9pm watershed. Those great days just had to fly by.

[@kennedyhopkins19]

Awesome video Adam if itv did the 40 years show it would be nice to see

[@ArianesDrawingPH]

4:53 wait, is that a cake?

[@KyleJBAwesomeness-OfficialChan]

You didn't mention GMTV and Daybreak those were the other two ITV breakfast channels services that replaced TV AM when it shut down on 1/1/1993 The ITV Breakfast program was actually more of a three-hour television block network rather than a news program because several of the children's programs like Barney & Friends, The Wiggles, Boohbah, NiNi's Treehouse, Rockabye Bubble, The Big Garage and several of the Disney, Nickelodeon and PBS children's shows were broadcasted on the ITV Breakfast series. They also put programming blocks on the ITV Breakfast service including Disney-based Wake Up in the Wild Room (with Dave Benson Phillips), Saturday Disney UK (not to be confused with the longer-running Australian version on Seven Network that continued well into the 21st Century), The Disney Club on Sunday mornings, Diggin'It (with CBBC's Liam Dolan) from 7.00am-9.25am, Up on the Roof with Jamie Rickers on Sunday mornings at 8.25am (which was basically the hub for action/adventure superhero series and Japanese anime), The Fluffy Gardens Club, Action Stations! and Toonattik at 7.25am.

[@andresbravo2003]

Early in the morning something we like to see Breakfast TV for morning news.

[@garybryant5946]

1960s Batman was introduced to a new generation thanks to industrial action with the sometimes very nasty TV AM strike battle

[@80schick]

I was 9 at the time so was definitely more of a TV AM fan, with Roland Rat and The Wide Awake Club. Hope you do do a video about that.

[@System_Sega]

I was a Big Breakfast fan myself. I used to love Zig and Zag as a kid.

[@daviniarobbins9298]

Am old enough to remember pre breakfast television. I remember getting up for school in the morning and there be no television at all. We would listen to the radio while eating breakfast and getting dressed for school. Before 1983 BBC1 weekdays would start at 9am for school educational programming and ITV didn't start until 9.25am. Channel 4 only started 2 or 3 months before breakfast tv and didn't start until 4.30pm weekdays. BBC2 didn't start until about 11.25am. People these days especially those younger than 40 don't realise how little actual TV broadcasting there used to be.

[@davidread604]

I loved Tv_am. It was always on in a morning when I was growing up and getting ready for school. Personally I think it was a big mistake to take TV am off air.

[@garyhunt8067]

True. On that day when breakfast time was broadcast, I forgot it was on.

[@daviniarobbins9298]

I used to love TV-AM on Sunday mornings. It was all kids cartoons and stuff.

[@thomasstevens2746]

Great video

[@philipmurphy2]

I know what the analogue clock is, However I don't really use it as a digital clock saves space. The TV broadcasters might hold the same view as that.

[@MarkGenner-xz4zu]

Happy 40th Birthday From 2023.

[@harryelliott4310]

BBC Breakfast Years 40

[@JamesLaverty08]

Can vouch about the clocks. I work in university exams, and we’ve had students asking for the digital clocks to be put up on the projector because they couldn’t read an analogue clock 😮

[@rogerdarthwell5393]

Loving this video Adam!

[@AdamMartyn]

Thanks Roger!

[@rogerdarthwell5393]

@@AdamMartyn No worries!

[@chucklefun487]

Great video you allways make great videos.

[@AdamMartyn]

Thank you!

[@j0hnf_uk]

I remember waking up very early on the 17th January 1983 to see the beginning of the very first, 'Breakfast Time', on BBC1, on my little black and white portable next to my bed. I believe it started at 6.30am, so set my alarm for 6.00 and watched/listened to half an hour of Ceefax before the, 'big', event. I guess it was the novelty of having television on at such an hour that drew me to the idea. It was a bit of a disappointment, it had to be said, though. Other than the initial start to the programme, the rest was nothing more than the news. I soon went back to sleep and woke up again at the usual time, went downstairs and watched a bit more, getting ready for school, as per usual. Until then, the radio was the choice of having on before having to leave the house to go to school. Using the TV instead took a little while to get used to, but eventually, it because the norm. TV am followed, but again, there wasn't much to it other than news. I preferred the BBC initially, but that would change once the summer months came along.

[@cazharris5581]

I remember watching Breakfast Tv in the seventies (on Yorkshire Television). I believe it was just for a few weeks trial and was mainly a newsreader reading headlines but they were the first to try it in the country.

[@THELEICESTERFOX]

They did. Good morning Calendar hosted by Bob Warman.

[@Ese96Agoaye]

Please talk about Freshly Squeezed also.

[@PhirePhlame]

I know some of my early years in elementary school involved being taught how to read analogue clocks, with graded worksheets and everything. Idk how it works in the UK though, as I'm US, and specifically was in Louisiana.

[@jackjackum]

People get taught early on about analogue clocks in the UK too but somehow a lot of people still don’t know about them.

[@chetapace79]

I’m still waiting for ITV’s celebration

[@CulturePhilter]

As a dad of an 8 year old I can confirm that they still teach analogue clocks in primary school.

[@AdamMartyn]

Thank goodness for that! 😂

[@Connie_TinuityError]

"a child of an 8 year old"??? what do you mean by that

[@CulturePhilter]

@@Connie_TinuityError meant “dad” of an 8 year old. Have edited.

[@buggymama2201]

happy birthday breakfast tv

[@SushiSunshine2000]

5:28 "Ronald McDonald - Director of Education". Was that actually his name or was somebody messing about at the time? :P I don't remember watching BBC Breakfast Time as a kid but I'd say TV-am was the best because... Timmy Mallett, Michaela Strachan, Wacaday, TV Mayhem (the lesser known kids show presented by Chris Evans) and Cartoon World. Well I was a kid at the time. Then later we had the Power Rangers on GMTV, and there was also the Big Breakfast. I don't really watch breakfast television anymore. I'll just say it doesn't appeal to me anymore but back then it was fun.

[@harryelliott4310]

ITV Breakfast Years 40

[@nigelmathewsnrm]

I have number blindness and I have a analogue and digital watch, but I still have trouble telling the time, but I would have known what it was, even though I didn't actually watch daytime TV as much as I used to. Personally I have fond memories of Tv-Am and Wac-a-day, and Roland Rat and Anne Diamond.

[@MrKpsuk84]

6:51 intentional or unintentional rhyming? 😀

[@videonut1988]

40 years of BREAKFAST and Good Morning Britain next month...

[@kevinrobles3203]

Today from NBC vs GMA from ABC

[@lja8857]

I prefer Breakfast radio but happy birthday to Breakfast TV

[@rtc9063]

If there was one thing that you couldn’t fault TV-am on was that set. It was stunning until Gyngell ruined it before they went off air in 1992. In the end it look as if the plasterers were in and never finished the job

[@adamhenley8295]

It was pronounced MORE-an for the green goddess I well remember watching that first episode hour before heading to school

[@jaydaksy4094]

Hey Adam would it be possible to do a cover on the Channel 4 Schools Ident?…………. was one of my favourite idents and one of the reasons I’d sometimes pretend to be sick in primary school to go home and watch it 😂😂. Would much appreciate it 🥰.

[@debbiemckeown7626]

Out of the 2 I’d say BBC is what I’d watch now, though I don’t tend to have tv on in the morning now. Haven’t watched itv in the morning since GMTV was on.

[@OfficialTomMason]

CITV did nothing for there 40th birthday

[@TheChipmunk2008]

itv is just an acronym, not a company.,.....doesn't need caps. It's those companies licensed by the IBA

[@TheChipmunk2008]

and if any child does''n;t know how to read a clock, euthenize them

[@matthewpayton]

I hope that GMB/Loraine Horner TVAM'S 40TH a week on Wednesday.

[@1peter1180]

i prefer they analog clock

[@Sophiebryson510]

BBC. End of

[@Grahammont721]

i do not think we need this on the the bbcc or itv

[@areasquirrel]

That clock quip annoys me, because, yeah, many people say it in jest, so often that it becomes dull, but also many actually believe it. Young people aren't stupid, they can look things up, be curious, and there's a little thing called retro. It becomes just another example of smug superiority amongst older generations. And that includes millenials, now. Just as some boomers sneer at us, some of us sneer at Gen Z, which just winds me up. Who cares? Just live and let live. The BBC Breakfast News, as it had become known by then, is one of my earliest memories. I can picture right now the fanfare theme tune ringing through the house on a dark winter morning as porridge is being made. Carol was around at the beginning? Gosh, guess that makes her the Beeb's Lorraine... Speaking of which, on other days, we'd be tuned to TV-am, seeing the real thing in action. And unfortunately for the grown ups, Timmy Mallett and Wacaday. I was more interested in Pinky Punky than the man himself, but still... Why do they go to the effort? Well, as Donny Osmond said when asked why he did The Masked Singer: "Because it's fun!" Stock answer to the question Why? Good Morning Britain acknowledging the anniversary then getting straight on with news, was unintentionally on brand with the original incarnation of the name on TV-am 40 years earlier. This is a news programme, and the news you shall get. Indeed, it's closer to the BBC Breakfast News I remember from those cold winter mornings in style, being straight desk-based news. The BBC doing a whole show in contrast is also in keeping with what they did at the time. The fact that the two styles were the 'wrong way round', as it were, at launch in 1983 must have given people a sort of ephemeral whiplash, when they were already trying to get their heads round the fact that they're watching TV at 6 in the morning... I did get a chuckle at Richard Madeley remarking on how suspiciously new looking the TV-am mugs on the desk were. I'm in the ITV camp, generally. If I'm up that early, and I'm not listening to Marty Whelan on RTE Lyric FM, I'll stick on Good Morning Britain. I was with the original in its final years, and have fond memories of GMTV and Mr. Motivator, both doing his exercises and watching him introduce the kids shows including the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. And of course, marking 40 years of her own next year, is Lorraine Kelly. It will be truly sad when she is no longer there. Raise a mug to breakfast telly!

[@jamesdelboy]

I liked TV-am I didn't really see it until 1988 GMTV didn't much as they thought it was incredibly important to keep faith with TV-am viewers after all they didn't ask for the change and they wanted them to feel happy with the programming they were providing I hated Daybreak I don't even like the new GMB

[@mickontherock1]

I don’t mind bbc breakfast but I can’t stand Charlie stadt! He’s far too fond of his own voice and doesn’t give his guests a chance 9:50 to answer without butting in. Dreadful presenter. Great video as always Adam thank you . All the best Mick

[@jamiesworld1690]

Most of these people working in the job for 40yrs is disgusting people move on and do Other things plus why do yoga on a train station everyone knows thst time flies fast and people are rushing about so people have no time to do yoga at a train station as time moves on life moved effin move

[@jamiesworld1690]

Bbc have toomany old people working for them like Hugh Edwards, John humphreys and other old people tv is sll digital and social media fir young people and can't keep up so need to retire