Accident and Opportunity
- Episode aired Oct 22, 2022
- 1h 29m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
8
YOUR RATING
Photos
Mary Adams
- Self
- (archive footage)
Santos Casani
- Self
- (archive sound)
Neville Chamberlain
- Self
- (archive sound)
Winston Churchill
- Self
- (archive footage)
Gerald Cock
- Self
- (archive footage)
Alec Douglas-Home
- Self
- (archive footage)
- (as Sir Alec Douglas-Home)
Anthony Eden
- Self
- (archive footage)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- ConnectionsFeatures Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child (1963)
Featured review
How the BBC Began Part 1
How the BBC Began is a two part series celebrating 100 years of the BBC.
A warts and all story that zig zags through the history of the BBC. It begins with footage from the 50th year celebrations with then Prime Minister Ted Heath recalling listening to the radio on a crystal set.
The BBC began as a radio service under Sir John Reith. On radio it was at the centre of events such as when King Edward VIII abdicated and made an announcement on radio.
During World War 2 it was involved in propaganda, although listeners would not had known it at the time. The correspondents did. Their reports put a more positive spin on the British war effort.
The television service had issues when dealing with rolling news events. The Kennedy assassination took place at a time when the main newscasters were at an awards ceremony.
Getting confirmation of what happened was not easy. Getting pictures was even more difficult with the Telstar satellite. This was rolling news in its infancy. At one point the BBC put on the Harry Worth comedy show after announcing that Kennedy had been shot.
A similar kind of chaos occurred when transmitting the American mission to the other side of the moon. At one point there was break with Jackanory being shown instead. It went back to the space mission after an angry phone call from Buckingham Palace.
The footage of Heath was also instrumental that throughout its 100 years. The government and the BBC seem to always be in some kind of conflict.
This was demonstrated on the docudrama The War Game which was meant to be shown in 1966. It was controversially pulled after pressure from the government. The satirical show That Was The Week That Was also got discarded after two series and at the height of its popularity.
The useful bit about this documentary were the interviews the BBC has conducted throughout the years with key personnel who have worked for them. They were meant to be internal interviews but it has allowed the BBC to document key stories about its own history. So you have secretaries talking rather candidly about the various Director Generals.
Former Head of Drama Sydney Newman discussed in 1985 how he wanted Doctor Who not to have bug eyed monsters but realised later that would had meant no Daleks!
A warts and all story that zig zags through the history of the BBC. It begins with footage from the 50th year celebrations with then Prime Minister Ted Heath recalling listening to the radio on a crystal set.
The BBC began as a radio service under Sir John Reith. On radio it was at the centre of events such as when King Edward VIII abdicated and made an announcement on radio.
During World War 2 it was involved in propaganda, although listeners would not had known it at the time. The correspondents did. Their reports put a more positive spin on the British war effort.
The television service had issues when dealing with rolling news events. The Kennedy assassination took place at a time when the main newscasters were at an awards ceremony.
Getting confirmation of what happened was not easy. Getting pictures was even more difficult with the Telstar satellite. This was rolling news in its infancy. At one point the BBC put on the Harry Worth comedy show after announcing that Kennedy had been shot.
A similar kind of chaos occurred when transmitting the American mission to the other side of the moon. At one point there was break with Jackanory being shown instead. It went back to the space mission after an angry phone call from Buckingham Palace.
The footage of Heath was also instrumental that throughout its 100 years. The government and the BBC seem to always be in some kind of conflict.
This was demonstrated on the docudrama The War Game which was meant to be shown in 1966. It was controversially pulled after pressure from the government. The satirical show That Was The Week That Was also got discarded after two series and at the height of its popularity.
The useful bit about this documentary were the interviews the BBC has conducted throughout the years with key personnel who have worked for them. They were meant to be internal interviews but it has allowed the BBC to document key stories about its own history. So you have secretaries talking rather candidly about the various Director Generals.
Former Head of Drama Sydney Newman discussed in 1985 how he wanted Doctor Who not to have bug eyed monsters but realised later that would had meant no Daleks!
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- Prismark10
- Oct 31, 2022
Details
- Runtime1 hour 29 minutes
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