BBC1 Engineering Test 1987

14th / 15th April 1987 - A few minutes after closedown comes this unexpected treat for sharp-eyed viewers. I'm not entirely sure what's being tested here; Nigel Havers' smoothness perhaps or the blandness of the script. In any case, Don't Wait Up seems an appropriate choice for an engineering test in the early hours. Frustratingly this is all I have of the test as the tape ends there.

[@russty_russ]

Quite an apt programme title for a late night test transmission.... Don't Wait Up 🙂

[@fraserkatie]

And maybe the sound and cameras? And maybe the sets?

[@fraserkatie]

Testing the microphones and sound on Dont Wait Up?

[@aidanlunn7441]

You won't need to test the sound or the cameras or even a particular programme when the tests for those are done as standard before every recording and every transmission and are also done more thoroughly routinely every few weeks. No, this will be the BBC R&D team transmitting something experimentally to test something out. This was 1987 so the earliest test transmissions of NICAM stereo were taking place, Don't Wait Up remained mono throughout its entire run. Maybe testing how NICAM stereo would handle a mono programme? They may even have been testing transmitters and needed actual programme material instead of just a testcard. A testcard is an excellent tool for testing television equipment but as it's stationary it's somewhat useless for when you need moving images as part of the test.

[@djjaseuk]

Stereo testing?