Just added to BritBox is the ITV coverage of the royal wedding in 198. Only a couple of minutes in so far but it appears to be a ITN/Thames tv joint production. Presented by Andrew Scott and Selina Scott in the studio and Judith Charmers, Carol Barnes, Martin Lewis along the route.
Just added to BritBox is the ITV coverage of the royal wedding in 198. Only a couple of minutes in so far but it appears to be a ITN/Thames tv joint production. Presented by Andrew Scott and Selina Scott in the studio and Judith Charmers, Carol Barnes, Martin Lewis along the route.
Will watch it fully tomorrow!
Andrew Gardner. Also features a young Alastair Stewart reporting from a helicopter.
Andrew Gardner. Also features a young Alastair Stewart reporting from a helicopter.
Alastair Stewart got that gig in the Goodyear blimp because he was ITN's shortest reporter and hence the only one who could fit in it.
At the time, ITN's coverage was considered to be by all regards better than the Beeb's, it was considered warmer and friendlier and cheerfully vulgar, as opposed to the Beeb which was incredibly formal and stilted. During the eighties and nineties, ITV were always miles ahead of the Beeb when it came to royal events, I know Alastair Burnet had a reputation for being unctuous ("Sir Arselicker Burnet") but they did embrace them and they were things the heartland ITV audience were interested in.
Alastair Stewart got that gig in the Goodyear blimp because he was ITN's shortest reporter and hence the only one who could fit in it.
At the time, ITN's coverage was considered to be by all regards better than the Beeb's, it was considered warmer and friendlier and cheerfully vulgar, as opposed to the Beeb which was incredibly formal and stilted. During the eighties and nineties, ITV were always miles ahead of the Beeb when it came to royal events, I know Alastair Burnet had a reputation for being unctuous ("Sir Arselicker Burnet") but they did embrace them and they were things the heartland ITV audience were interested in.
Yes. I remember it very well, and it was (for our family) a better watch than the Beeb. The commentary position was in a studio at Thames Euston, as was the final mix of pictures in a gallery there, and not at any of the venues.
I seem to remember the Royal Wedding coverage on the BBC was on again and again ad nauseum. It started with a terribly lousy fireworks display (the night before?) which was hyped up and then turned out to be a load of coloured smoke, followed by the coverage itself which was just incredibly dull. Now, bearing in mind I was 7 in 1981 and all 7 year olds imagine weddings are very exciting before hand and are then bored witless on the day itself, maybe my experience of it was just what any 7 year old might think. But I remember the BBC being fixated on ridiculous things like how many bars of the national anthem each carriage of minor royals was entitled to as it passed each military band. I also seem to recall the whole thing being repeated that evening and the next day too, though maybe I’m imagining that.
I seem to remember the Royal Wedding coverage on the BBC was on again and again ad nauseum. It started with a terribly lousy fireworks display (the night before?) which was hyped up and then turned out to be a load of coloured smoke, followed by the coverage itself which was just incredibly dull. Now, bearing in mind I was 7 in 1981 and all 7 year olds imagine weddings are very exciting before hand and are then bored witless on the day itself, maybe my experience of it was just what any 7 year old might think. But I remember the BBC being fixated on ridiculous things like how many bars of the national anthem each carriage of minor royals was entitled to as it passed each military band. I also seem to recall the whole thing being repeated that evening and the next day too, though maybe I’m imagining that.
The firework display happened during News at Ten, and ITN gave very fleeting live coverage of it, just a few seconds.
ITV showed the then blockbuster movie The Omen (perhaps not the most appropriate choice for a royal wedding! ) I can't remember whether that was the night before, or the night of the wedding. There was also Jack Rosthental's made for TV film The Knowledge, again I can't remember which night? Whatever, ITV seemed far more 'in tune' with the bank holiday mood
The firework display happened during News at Ten, and ITN gave very fleeting live coverage of it, just a few seconds.
ITV showed the then blockbuster movie The Omen (perhaps not the most appropriate choice for a royal wedding! ) I can't remember whether that was the night before, or the night of the wedding. There was also Jack Rosthental's made for TV film The Knowledge, again I can't remember which night? Whatever, ITV seemed far more 'in tune' with the bank holiday mood
ITV appear to have given the fireworks extensive coverage, under the brilliantly fussy title of The Royal Fireworks And News -
TV📺28/7/81 ITV 4.20:Razzmatazz 4.45:Heaven's Above 5.15:Mork and Mindy 5.45:News 6.30:Crossroads 7.0:Film - The Return of the Pink Panther 9.0:The Royal Fireworks and News 11.0:The Diana Ross Special pic.twitter.com/TmAQqbiXIw
ITV appear to have given the fireworks extensive coverage, under the brilliantly fussy title of The Royal Fireworks And News -
Not The Omen on wedding day, but The Knowledge was indeed on.
And no The Omen the night before either. Perhaps it was only on Southern, but looking at the regional variations listing on that screenshot, it looks as if the Diana Ross programme at 11pm was probably networked ?
The Honeymoon Departure coverage from Waterloo jogs a memory, a few of my friends rushed off to stand over a railway bridge later that afternoon to try and spot the royal train (Girls mostly, and none were train spotters as such !)
