BBC One - Closedown - 26th January 1979

[@ravenhill_down_yonder-1968]

loved peter brook, he had a wonderful traditional english accent, something you don't hear now.

[@domwigley62]

"Jimmy Saville fixes it for some lucky children" has a dodgy meaning

[@david_g_barron]

It does now.

[@johnking5174]

Dom Wigley Yes, but the public back then had no idea what was happening. He pulled in huge ratings and was liked by many. Just shows you how such a vile person can put up a public persona to fool everyone.

[@marthamccamley9570]

Dom Wigley I

[@colinfaragher5373]

Maybe the announcer knew exactly what was happening and wanted to send out a covert message to warn those in the know. There is a hint of sarcasm in the announcement and that is as far as he dared go.

[@jalaneperry7643]

Dom Wrigley+ No that is just your wind working overtime

[@jalaneperry7643]

I remember seeing this when i was living in England When u was 15 years old we were living at 6 Colebrook Avenue in upper Shirley Southampton i remember Seeing all those programs listed i wish you had that complete viewing schedule all on video tape for 1979 Is love to see all those programs listed again I love how calm and gentry that English tv announcer So different from our brash American announcers No disrespect to american anoncers. I loved English tv back in the day Thank you for uploading this

[@jimsimpson1006]

“But don’t forget, of course, that Radio 2 will be staying on the air till 2 O’clock with Brian Matthews show, Round Midnight”. I was living in a bedsit then and loved listening to that show. Brian’s soothing voice was always a great comfort to me somehow.

[@northyorkshirechris5735]

How I miss the BBC globe and the closedown with the national anthem. Those were the days...

[@judet5426]

...and that voice instructing you, "Don't forget to turn your television off." Followed by the continuous high pitched whistle that made you 1) jump out of your skin and 2) ensured you wouldn't forget! 🤣

[@cameronfranklin984]

Well, the BBC and other British TV channels just really don't do anything like that anymore as they remain on the air around the clock, 24/7.

[@garrysimpson1395]

I believe in those days this closedown was only broadcast in London and The South East. The 12 English BBC Regions had thier OWN Counnity Announcers including a Regional News Buillitan before closedown. The Regional Counnity Announcers were axed in the Early 1980s. one of which was Kate Adie,who went on to be a reporter for BBC Network News Prograames. GOD BLESS

[@davetaylor3196]

i used to panic and scream my house down when i was a young kid n ever heard this on tv late at night BUT ATV version of god save the queen was more creepy n still brings hairs at back of my neck standing up if i hear it today on youtube

[@BILLTHORPE]

dave taylor glad I am not the only one who finds it creepy the silence after and the long beeping noise is what gets me!

[@alisongordon3620]

Think I will give Saville a miss!

[@johnking5174]

I wonder what anyone in America thinks of our closedowns from the past. I know the big stations in the US would "sign off" as they called it in the early hours, but I know they would have stayed on the air longer than 12.05am. Also remember that UK television had no breakfast television at all until 1983 with television commencing again the next day aroubd 9.00am if there was schools or open university learning shows on.

[@bb3ca201]

I'm actually in Canada, but I think these are awesome. I know I would see these when we would go to see family in Scotland in the early 90s. What a flashback; I wish these could come back

[@po2313]

From the U.S. here...fascinating and very cool. This was much like television here before cable. I enjoy these close downs very much.

[@johnking5174]

British television closed down very early sometimes, but Irish television was the worst. Their state broadcaster RTE in the 1980s used to go on the air at 3.00pm and would be off air by 11.30pm on their main channel. Their second channel would normally come on the air at 5.45pm and be off by 11.45pm. Have you seen any of their close downs?

[@RickinBaltimore]

John King We didn't have a run down of the next day's programs like you did in the UK, but there would be transmitter and FCC information given prior to the National Anthem and shut down.

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

There wasn't much in the way of "Presentation" as it was mostly a pre-recorded message stating this info. Prior to the 1980's some stations did "Sign-off News" readings where an off-camera announcer went over the events of the day while a slide stating what this was was shown for how many minutes the sequence may last. Other times it was a religious message or a "Thought for the day" type deal that would be run for a few minutes before the final sign-off and anthem would be played.

[@TheTVRoom]

Nice find! Always amuses me hearing clips of Peter Brook back then - he changed his "annoucing voice" quite a bit over the years. This looks like one of those occasions where the BBC One symbol was played out "live" for the anthem, rather than from tape (suggested by the few seconds of black between the clock and symbol, allowing the NODDY camera to re-position). An awful judder on the second hand on that clock. Was there more than one version of the BBC One clock at the time - there are many examples from this period with a much smoother second hand movement?

[@tv68uk]

Three different versions of BBC1 logo/typeface in this clip - desperately in need of an identity tidy-up!

[@robinvanags912]

September 1981 brought 'Twin-Stripe' BBC1 to the revolving globe.

[@robalexander8065]

It was always the case that until 1985, BBC1 used a real mixture of graphic styles in continuity. The twin-striped BBC1 logo was seen on trails, menus and presentation slides from 1975. The Futura typeface (seen here beneath the globe) was used on some continuity from early 1973 onwards, the BBC1 logotype eventually adopting the face, when updated as part of the revamp of the ident in December 1974. The twin-striped BBC1 logotype, was eventually adopted as the BBC1 main ident logo in September 1981, when the globe symbol was revamped once more. In February 1985, the previous typefaces were abandoned and the Computer Originated World or "COW" transparent globe was introduced, along with a more stylish BBC1 logotype in gold on black, which was immediately adopted on all the refreshed continuity slides, menus and trails.

[@daleleggett1215]

looked better back then

[@mikmac220]

Early to bed early to Rise

[@PC-lu3zf]

Nobody knew then how evil Savile loved fixing over kids horrible pervert he was.