BBC1 1971 Closedown

Early 1971 and Peter Bolgar closes down BBC1 for the night.
The extremely slow nation anthem was used for years

[@homemediaandcoinsgalore]

Very Unique Find! Congratulations, David!!!

[@barbaraannecortina7899]

Unique find my fucking arse...this is from a documentary called 'Inside Television Centre'!

[@archibaldchuff3557]

Besides being a great announcer, Peter Bolgar is also a thoroughly decent chap. I remember in the early 80s writing to him at the Television Centre asking him if he would mind sending me his autograph along with a couple of the other announcers. Weeks went by and nothing happened and I assumed he had forgotten about me. Then, one afternoon as I returned home from school, I found a thick envelope had arrived containing the signatures of the entire BBC tv announcing team, along with a letter apologising for the delay caused by the complicated rota system they had in place. A lovely man and still going strong I believe, though long-since retired.

[@edueirdo]

Mas que honra! 😮 Uma oportunidade unica na vida e uma experiência de causar orgulho. Deve ter sido uma surpresa incrível. 👏👏👏

[@fisherpeter695]

If you lived in the 70s it was often looked at as a huge change from the post-war years. Yet this marvellous window into early 1971 shows how orderly society was back then, TV close down, at midnight: pubs closed at 11pm. three shifts for many workers, with pay differentials. And was the UK a healthy and happier place than it is today ?

[@judet5426]

"Goodnight from all of us at television centre. Don't forget to switch your TV off." BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

[@johnking5174]

Looking at the clock, British television went to bed very early back then at 12.05am. In the states, ABC, CBS and NBC were all on air until at least 1am. Each had their own late night talk show - NBC had Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, CBS had Merv Griffin and ABC had Dick Cavett each on air until 1am.

[@mickeydodds1]

After all those years, I always thought that the 'globe' sequence was a loop of animation!

[@G6JPG]

Assorted electronic versions _were_ created later, but that was the first one! (I think globes had been used before as well, not sure whether moving though.)

[@CowmanUK]

Good to see the man behind the voice!

[@bdavebaldwin]

Plus a rare sight of the Noddy camera and symbols

[@jamesmartin2063]

​​@@bdavebaldwinwhere did you find this video from is from a behind the scenes video

[@bdavebaldwin]

@@jamesmartin2063 it’s 50 odd years ago but, from memory children’s programmes were few and far between in the summer months and this ‘factual’ programme went out in the children’s slot as if it may be a forerunner of a series. The summer of ‘71 was a particularly warm one and I doubt many saw it. There definitely wasn’t a series.

[@gordonbeattie4864]

Fascinating to see the set up of all the captuons they had and just had to point the camera too. They had one exactly the same for all the football scores on Grandstand.

[@bdavebaldwin]

The difference with Grandstand was that someone was behind the camera moving from caption to caption. The noddy camera was motorised and responded to the announcers switches. The captions needed a light whereas the globe was Internally lit and this was included in the operation. If you see the BBC 1980s clock confusion video you can see an example.

[@bdavebaldwin]

I’ve put the Grandstand 1983 tour up now - you can see the set up of the results boards.

[@jamesmartin2063]

@@bdavebaldwin where was this from

[@bdavebaldwin]

@@jamesmartin2063 I’ve no longer kept the older tapes and DVDs so what you see is all that’s left.

[@EuropaSman]

I just realised that at 1.11 there are two mirror globes in shot, one for colour and the other for black & white.

[@deanhall4064]

This is great video and does show how the studios camera was filming the mechanical globe (The Globe known i believe as the "Noddy Symbol" symbol, always wondered why, does anybody know). The BBC always use to use caption boards if there was a problem with the programme being broadcast and interrupt the transmission and show the captions instead with music and it was damed annoying at times especially if you liked a favourite programme or film, everybody use to moan and groan about it. Now-a-days the BBC very rarely breakdown during transmissions as everything is digital. The BBC had a certain class all of there own back then, not anymore sadly. The Mechanical Globes, Christmas or otherwise were a work of art i reckon. I've often wondered what company made them for the Beeb, it's a pity that no film was made showing how the Globes wee produced that would be very interesting to see.

[@johnr6168]

Noddy (generally called Nodd by staff) was the name given to single pan and tilt camera arrangement, not the globe machine. The ability to tilt down (or up) looked a bit like someone nodding. The various captions were cleverly angled so that the alignment of camera and viewed caption didn't cause image distortion.

[@grapespear]

With the exception of the 1991 globe onwards (that was Lambie Nairn) they were all produced inhouse.

[@WindowsGG]

oh my freaking gosh never expected the headquaters bro...this is idk how rare

[@mothball5425]

It was annoying when it said COLOUR and we still had a black and white TV till about 1979

[@judet5426]

When I watch really old programmes it makes me smile that "Colour" was the big hi-tech thing then.

[@PC-lu3zf]

Fun to see the room where they said night

[@bdavebaldwin]

You used to see that desk from the other side of it on CBBC. Place they do it from now looks like NASA.

[@DBIVUK]

Good view of the NOD-D at the end

[@bdavebaldwin]

Plus the globe used for b/w films and there’s the Apollo 14 card in the corner

[@neilfitzgerald712]

@@bdavebaldwin REQUEST FOR MR NEIL FITZGERALD PLEASE GRANADA ITV IN VISION FOR MR NEIL FITZGERALD PLEASE

[@bdavebaldwin]

@@neilfitzgerald712 unfortunately we received Yorkshire TV from 1968 So no Granada recordings

[@jamesmartin2063]

​@@bdavebaldwinif bbc 1 closes down in America it will play the America anthem

[@dunebasher1971]

It was "Noddy", not "NODD" or "NODD-D". It never stood for "Nexus Orthicon Display Device" - that was just made up by someone on a presentation forum.

[@arnesaknussemm2427]

The matching shirt and tie are outstanding.There no need to drop acid by this time as the visuals on display here were more than enough.

[@alantorr4761]

Love the majestic hand movement within the first few seconds... Class!

[@PatGleeson123]

At 1:18 there appears to be a logo for the Apollo 14 mission - bottom right of centre.

[@bdavebaldwin]

They used to give mission updates occasionally between programmes. Apollo 14 was between 31/1/71 & 9/2/71. I think this recording is Tuesday 9th Feb. 1971

[@Timothy-San]

This version of the anthem was reused on Radio 4 recently.

[@peterwilliamskelhorn6675]

+Timothy Roberts when the Queen died. And radio 4 closes down at 01.00am

[@Glamking1]

@@peterwilliamskelhorn6675 the date to remember was early hours of the 9th of September 2022. Every other radio station showed a News special and whilst the Bauer and Global network played a light music mix of ballads.

[@robertwhelan9132]

EPIC. Thank you for this

[@JoseDaDinoShorts]

Wait, WHAAAT!!!!!? The Signoff stage with the globe ball is actually at the studio and it still airs!!!!!???!!!😮😮😮😮😮

[@gpo746]

Nice to see the sets . I wonder what has happened to the revolving world set and the other displays like the revolving Christmas idents ? Have they been saved or have they been binned ??

[@fraserkatie]

Now in the hands of the BBC archive and different museums I think!

[@robalexander8065]

Continuity announcer is Peter Bolgar

[@mickeydodds1]

Lays to rest that myth that BBC announcers wore full evening dress!

[@johnking5174]

No, you got that mixed up with BBC Radio, it was there that the announcers had to wear dinner jackets and bow ties during the 1920s and 1930s.

[@johnr6168]

@@johnking5174Yes. That was in the days when workmen would turn up at building sites with a jacket and tie, - perhaps not their Sunday best but something no far off.

[@GruIsBaldandBlueySucks69]

Really rare

[@gordonbeattie4864]

They played the slow National Anthem on the morning that it was announce that Princess Diana had died.

[@JacksonRaceLovesRonaldo]

Thanks very much everybody, Thank you bt 13 goodbye.

[@PC-lu3zf]

Closedown last happened 25 years ago

[@tortysoft]

VT13 could have been me ! it often was, not alway VT13 though. Beep was all we could say - Beep Beep was a bad thing :-)

[@stephenholmes1036]

A very professional man Peter Bolgar

[@jamiedoyle3147]

Shame it couldn’t be closed down forever

[@sanchoodell6789]

Nice to see the 🇬🇧 *GREAT BRITISH NATIONAL ANTHEM!* 🇬🇧 being played.

[@MrThecarebear]

Yawn.

[@davidtownson1476]

Prefer the version from later in the 70s (still used at closedown on Radio 4 at 12.59am)

[@jamesmartin2063]

@@davidtownson1476 if it shuts down in different countries they will play different country anthems

[@findertv1193]

Now all we need left is footage of the "Noddy" camera moving

[@user-dl5rw7sr2x]

(And the music comes up on bbc1) :)

[@VIP-rp3oq]

amazing i was 4

[@EvanTubeFan]

Epic!

[@alessandrodorsi9800]

Molto bello 😊

[@dirapranadipraja856]

BBC1 1926 Closedown

[@dirapranadipraja856]

Early 1926 and Peter Bolgar closes down BBC1 for the night. The extremely slow nation anthem was used for years

[@DB-ji5bq]

I bet all that equipment was smashed up and dumbed in a skip when they upgraded 😢😢😢

[@alastairhopkins245]

When we got to the "duh duh duh duh", I used to put in "and Prince Philip"!!!

[@user-nf7dr1un9j]

colour happy and grolius

[@user-dl5rw7sr2x]

On bbc 1 i whis you all a vevy good nignt.

[@frederickmaverick3622]

Wow!

[@user-ky3wc7kc1m]

I wish god save the queen was my first night shutting off like on bbc 1

[@Metalman8713]

This version of the national anthem being played slowly, out of curiosity, how long did they use this version? then the slightly faster version thereabouts?

[@bdavebaldwin]

This version was definitely on the 1979 Christmas closedown. So 1980 must be the changeover year. Some of the regions were still using this recording later.

[@Metalman8713]

@@bdavebaldwin Ah ok then, that's interesting, thanks for that bit of info. Closedowns on tv in general its amazing to think that the bbc1, Itv and channel 4 used to do this prior to the late 80s and 1997 for bbc1 and channel 4 when they did for instance showing the programmes next day, weather, showing a clock , the announcements and then playing the national anthem or some music or station theme.

[@Metalman8713]

There was also some BBC2 closedowns that I came across from around the 70s/early 80s and on some of those they had a piece of music which played before the screen faded to black and then some after the early to mid 80s I wonder if that was possibly to get the channel closed down as quick as possible then?

[@bdavebaldwin]

@@Metalman8713 BBC1 seems to try and follow the schedule timings to the minute BBC2 seemed to amble on as it chose. The goblin type ident Christmas 1993 got played out in full as if someone forgot to turn it off. There are several examples of classical music being played over still images for no obvious reason

[@Glamking1]

@@bdavebaldwin I had a mock closedown from 1968 and I’d put the slower version of the anthem in there and put it up on Dailymotion at the time when I was 18. Good times as it was a flash recreation.

[@joshuagalka3526]

Nice!

[@glennpearson3056]

As one of those damn Colonial rebels, I hear this as, "My country tis' of thee... " etc. ;o)

[@arthurvasey]

My worst nightmare as a TV announcer would be to play Deutschland, Deutschland, Über Alles because I accidentally played the wrong track from the CD of National Anthems - or the Japanese or Korean national anthem!

[@SadAnorak]

Sure that happened on an episode of Dads Army!

[@arthurvasey]

@@SadAnorak Something similar - Sgt Wilson played an LP of national anthems in an episode - and the first track was the German one!

[@stevenburgess2856]

When was the italicised 'Colour' ident introduced?

[@bdavebaldwin]

Early 1972 (to match BBC 2 - which had italics since 1969)

[@user-dl5rw7sr2x]

Uk national anthem music :)

[@halloeverybodypeeps]

That's a rather slow national anthem!

[@nigelfreeman6192]

Could our national anthem be played any slower?

[@tomthx5804]

God Save the Queen

[@markofsaltburn]

This is fake. David Allan told me that they used to do it naked.

[@SadAnorak]

always

[@sofialadune9351]

It must be 1981 not 1971...

[@johnking5174]

No, look at the BBC One ident at 0:20 - this was not used in 1981, this was most certainly the first colour BBC One ident, this is 1971.

[@alexlee6487]

Where is the footage from?

[@anthonyperkins7556]

I don't like 24h TV and still don't like it now. It's just a cheap dumping ground for gambling teleshopping all night news etc and I don't see the point of it, if people want anything through the night, why don't they get it through an on-demand or streaming service, or record something on a PVR unit for later viewing? What a lazy society we have become with this unnecessary behemoth of broadcasting....

[@bdavebaldwin]

In the last 2 weeks… a giant tv screen fell on a dancer in Hong Kong, a volcanic eruption is trying to tear Iceland in half and Putin had a face to face meeting with the president of Turkey. I haven’t heard any of this on what are supposed to be ‘News Channels’ - or is it my fault for missing it as my BBC attention span goes beyond knitting at the commonwealth games.

[@anthonyperkins7556]

@@bdavebaldwin The BBC didn't cover world events on it's national terrestrial TV channels as it does today, amalgamating BBC World and BBC News together overnight to share resources and save on costs, opting out at 5.55am to split the feeds so BBC World doesn't carry BBC Breakfast from the UK, which overseas viewers outside the UK who don't pay the BBC licence fee aren't officially entitled to receive due to broadcast copyright issues, except with an historic agreement to carry BBC programming on cable to subscribers in the Benelux countries close to the UK, which have been carrying BBC 1 (London) and BBC-2 (National) for years, and they still do today. Some viewers of a very restricted area to North West Europe, from the Astra 2 satellites via 28.2 degrees East on the heavily restricted UK only spotbeam, can, with a suitable sized dish and FTA satellite receiver, pick up UK TV services, which unofficially, they aren't entitled to receive. As you go further across the continent, away from North West Europe, the UK TV channels delivered via Astra 2 @ 28.2 degrees East through the UK spotbeam rapidly disappear. This prevents broadcast rights having to be paid for the whole of Europe, which is what would happen, if the BBC used Astra 2 European beam capacity, to illicitly transmit it's UK only programmes to the whole of Europe. Programme makers, movie studios, and film catalogue / archive programme back catalogue owners make money from international film and programme sales / distribution and wouldn't be happy for their output to be broadcast to Europe unrestricted, but I think this is sour grapes, because Talking Pictures TV, That's TV UK and the defunct Forces TV did just that, and the former two still on air, still do this along with Challenge TV (old gameshows). Older re-run programming apparently, doesn't attract as higher royalty fees, as much more modern programming and films demand, or do require.

[@Kythyria]

It made more sense before digital TV, as well. ITV were criticised for having different stations operating at the weekends, back when they did that. The alternatives are 24h operation or leaving radio spectrum simply unused some of the time, which would be rather wasteful. Besides, no PVRs back when 24h was being established as the norm (and VCRs were not as simple to use). Streaming might even kill rerun farms eventually, though.

[@oscarcrane1790]

How many years did they use the national anthem?

[@bdavebaldwin]

Every day until October 1997 BBC1 closed with it every night. When they went “24 hours” the anthem vanished. It was carried over from the cinemas (where the public used to hurtle out to avoid it).

[@oscarcrane1790]

So you can find the christmas closedown from 1977 and 1978 and 1979 with the clock

[@bdavebaldwin]

@@oscarcrane1790 they only used the normal clock for those year’s anyway. I didn’t get a VHS recorder until 1980 but, I did film the closedown’s from 1977 and they didn’t use the ident just a picture of the Queen. They seem to be very touchy about clocks (even though they don’t use them now) there was a matching clock on the 1st of the 60 BBC years celebration… never seen again.

[@oscarcrane1790]

Did 1978 show the Queen?

[@bdavebaldwin]

@@oscarcrane1790 I’m pretty sure they actually used the santa ident. I remember thinking it was odd not to show the pudding and then go and use a not very pretty revolving head.

[@alejandrokudo5463]

What day was this?

[@KatnqnsJessica]

How did you find this???

[@bdavebaldwin]

It was filmed in early February 1971 for a programme shown on Wednesday 18 August 1971 at 16:55. That day was a baking hot day in the UK and knowing sensible children would be outside at this time the BBC shovelled out as many repeats and cheap programmes they could find.

[@AntarcticaTelevision]

An unusuality of a baking hot day during the otherwise rather undistinguised August of that year (after an OK-ish July).

[@bdavebaldwin]

@@AntarcticaTelevision BBC 1 woke up again at 16:20 which left just a hour and thirty minutes (minus Play School, Jackanory and the Adventures of Parsley) just room to squeeze in two other programmes…. Those were the days.

[@bdavebaldwin]

@Antonio Costa although you can hear the announcer saying it’s a wonderful arrangement, by 1980 it must have been decided it was just too slow.

[@cleverhardy5230]

@@bdavebaldwin They may have used the faster anthem for better sound and tonsave time. The slow version may have been considered sombre, and may have been used for royal deaths. I remember coming across a closedown recorded on the day of Walis the Dutchess of Windsor's death in 1986; they used the slow anthem that day.

[@CaptainX2012]

Why the slow anthem?

[@bdavebaldwin]

Probably because way back in time people actually used to sing to it. Trying to sing to the later version might sound a bit rushed. (and if I tried it …. Terrible)

[@johnking5174]

@@bdavebaldwin I have read that people used to stand up to attention in their living rooms when it was played.

[@bdavebaldwin]

@@johnking5174 there used to be a public information film and short weather forecast before closedown so most people would have already turned the tv off.