The most severe of A.T.V.’s critics have found it difficult to say hard words about the plays. Whether ‘live’ or filmed they have maintained a very high standard throughout. The parade of stars has been most impressive and varied. Actors and actresses of the calibre of Eric Portman, Flora Robson, Dame Edith Evans, Roger Livesey, Barbara Kelly, Bernard Braden, Helen Haye [sic – Hayes], James Donald, Nora Swinburne, Dorothy Tutin, and Elisabeth Welch, have appeared in the A.T.V. drama series.

The plays have included many which have run successfully in London and, in some instances on Broadway too.

The best plays, the best actors, the best producers — that is the aim of A.T.V. when presenting drama, with the intention that a high level will always be achieved and maintained.

The post Drama for everyone! appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

WHEN tackling a fresh event the Producer must work out the mechanical framework necessary to achieve the best results. This requires a broad outline knowledge of the event, and a visit to the venue with the Unit planner, who must obtain and cope with, the right equipment — the lighting engineer, who must ensure perfect lighting, and the communications engineer. The tricky planning to get the programme on to the television screen in the best possible way.

Tackling an O.B. programme is quite different from filming an event. The O.B. Producer has the difficult task of editing the show as it happens, unlike the film man who can edit the film after the event. The success of the venture also depends on the adaptability of all the crew. It is important that each member of the production staff slip into the mood of the programme and be at one with it. Recently, for example, the A.T.V. crew covered a religious programme and followed it after a short interval with an “All-In Wrestling” event. For the first O.B. it was necessary to feel the solemnity of the occasion and adjust the speed of presentation to fit, so that all the solemn atmosphere was portrayed to the viewing audience. Then, shortly afterwards, came the brash excitement of the Wrestling match.

The idea that the O.B. people are a leisurely crowd who point their cameras at cricket matches and get sun-burnt or weatherbeaten at leisure is a fallacy. It takes initiative, a liking for hard work, planning and split second timing and as one O.B. Producer said, “Above all a liking for the challenge of the unexpected, for Outside Broadcasts are not rehearsed, and one never knows quite what is likely to crop up at the last minute.”

The post Outside Broadcasts appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

Wood Green Empire, first built in 1912 as a twice-nightly variety theatre, took on a new lease of life in 1955 when Associated Television converted it into one of the busiest of the television studios.

Since September 1955, thousands of people have stepped through the Empire’s doors to watch some of the most popular A.T.V. programmes presented at Wood Green. “Val Parnell’s Saturday Spectacular,” “Free Speech,” “The Carroll Levis Show,” “Val Parnell’s Startime,” are just a few of the programmes originating from the old Empire.

The Theatre has always had a busy, bustling show-business life. In 1930 it changed over to films, but was converted back to variety in 1936. Then, in January 1955, the Empire was closed as a live Theatre, and taken over by Associated Television in May 1955. On to the empty stage marched an army of carpenters, builders, painters, fitters and electricians. By September, their jobs were completed and the Empire was ready for “Channel 9”, the first programme on the air for Independent Television which was transmitted on September 23rd 1955, from this studio. [This sentence appears to be completely inaccurate in every regard – Ed]

The Theatre still has its bevy of “stage door johnnies,” but now they are in the modern garb of the autograph hunters and fan club leaders.

The post Wood Green Studio appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.