BBC Genome

Opened a new thread for BBC Genome updates as the old one was archived a few years back!

Thanks to BBC Genome, more issues (the 1940s) have now been added to view. The site just keeps getting better and better.

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/page/35eae9eabc2e49529cccb54c59f131fa (7-13 Dec 1947 issue)

Wait, they have scans now, not just the TV and radio listings? Since when?

Is that issue missing the last page? It only has BBC Television listings for Sunday 7th to Wednesday 10th (on page 31 of 31) - Thursday to Saturday isn't there. And I wonder, why was it Sunday to Saturday instead of Saturday to Friday?

I heard once for those working at the BBC that they have access to the library as complete magazines to read pre 2009 on their internal staff intranet. I don't know how true that is mind you!

Inside the BBC, you get a slightly different version of Genome with extra copyrighted content that can't be put on the public version. I can't remember what extra you get though, definitely the front covers of the issues are.


I don't know if full copies of the magazine are available elsewhere, if they are I've not found them (and if they are then someone could give me a link that would be great)

And what a snapshot of our history it is. Children's Hour (page 26) is well... shocking at the very least to think of in this day and age.

We can ignore the picture and just pretend it's a show about multicoloured raccoons

Just ignore the description, too then... "Children's Darkie Minstrel Show".

I admit I didn't look at that bit, I was just drawn to the picture, I didn't read the full listing.

Don't forget the BBC were still putting out the Black & White minstrel show 30 years after this! But they probably weren't using such racist terms to describe it.