Web Page No 2728

 

1^st November 2020

 

1^st Picture: Cliff Michelmore

2^nd Picture: Fyfe Robertson

3rd Picture: Robin Hall and Jimmy McGregor

4^th Picture: Cy Grant

 

 

Tonight with Cliff Michelmore

 

Tonight was a mainstay current affairs television programme, which, for most of life was presented by Cliff Michelmore. It was broadcast on BBC live on weekday evenings from 18^th  February 1957 to 18^th  June 1965 and achieved an audience of seven million viewers.

Tonight was, like the Six-Five Special, created by the BBC to fill in what was known as the "Toddlers' Truce" period between 6.00pm and 7.00pm, incidently the 'Truce' was officially abolished only a few days before Tonight was first broadcast. Tonight began broadcasting from the Viking studio in Kensington, known by the BBC as "studio M". It eventually transferred to one of the main studios in Lime Grove, Shepherd's Bush.

So at 6.05pm on Monday 18th February 1957, sandwiched between all the other programmes, Grace Wyndham Goldie launched Tonight. The early evening news was still only ten minutes long and Tonight was the equivalent of a daily newspaper's middle pages. It broke the mould of the conventions of the early '50s. Tonight believed in respect for its audience; in less respect for its interviewees.

Its infuence on television since cannot be ignored

Tonight went on the air from 6:05 to 6:45 every weekday evening, with the pop programme Six Five Special filling the space on Saturdays and quickly established itself a regular audience.

The programme covered the arts and sciences as well as topical matters and current affairs. There was a mixture of incisive and light-hearted items: unscripted studio interviews by Derek Hart, Geoffrey Johnson-Smith and Cliff  Michelmore himself; and filmed reports. Reporters included Alan Whicker, Fyfe Robertson, Kenneth Allsop, Chris Brasher, Julian Pettifer, Brian Redhead and Polly Elwes. The programme received the Guild of Television Producers and Directors award for best factual programme in 1957 and 1958.

The style was informal with no attempt to hide studio equipment. Cliff Michelmore gave a very relaxed performance, sometimes perching on the edge of his desk, seemingly unfazed by the ringing of his desk telephone letting him know about technical problems. There were regular appearances by Rory McEwen, Cy Grant, singing a "topical calypso", and folk singers Robin Hall and Jimmie Macgregor. Over the years Cliff Michelmore became known for his catchphrase when closing the show, "That's all for tonight, the next 'Tonight' will be tomorrow night. Until then, good night!"

A world changing report.

It was during an edition of Tonight broadcast on the evening of Friday 22 nd November 1963 that BBC television broke the news of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, although Granada Television had already broadcast the news in its northern ITV region.

One of the highlights came in 1964, when Bob Dylan appeared on the programme and sang With God on Our Side.

Ten Years after the end of the original programme the BBC started a new programme under the same name,. This was presented by Sue Lawley, Denis Tuohy and Donald MacCormick and was launched on BBC1 in September 1975, in a late evening slot. When SueLawley left to have a baby, Valerie Singleton replaced her on the show, which continued until 1979. 

Peter

 

gsseditor@gmail.com

 

RAY DOPSON RIP

 

Ray Dopson passed away peacefully at home on Saturday 17th October, aged 90. Formerly our English Teacher and Head of Sixth Form at Manor Court School and City of Portsmouth Girls School.
Much loved and loving husband, father, grandad and friend.

 The picture below is of June and Ray on the boat on a visit to the sle of Wight about 1959-60.

 

Maureen Writes:

Liked the blog, brought back many happy memories. As a Guide we would post slips of paper through peoples doors asking for Jumble and stating we would be back on a particular day to collect. Complete with hand cart we would trundle the streets of Drayton and East Cosham and be amazed at the generosity of the locals, especially the Welsh Avenues. The traders were part of the experience and we tried to keep an eye on them. At the end of the day we would sort out anything that was really good and clean and keep it for the next sale or take it to the second hand shops, there were several in Southsea. Called 50/50 shops, they sold your unwanted items and gave you half of the profit.

 

On this day 1^st November 1960 – 1965

 

On 01/11/1960 the number one single was It's Now Or Never - Elvis Presley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Bootsie & Snudge (Granada) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

 

On 01/11/1961 the number one single was Walkin' Back to Happiness - Helen Shapiro and the number one album was Twenty One Today - Cliff Richard. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Severe flooding in SE England

 

On 01/11/1962 the number one single was Telstar - The Tornadoes and the number one album was Out of the Shadows - Shadows. The top rated TV show was The Royal Variety Performance (BBC) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

 

On 01/11/1963 the number one single was You'll Never Walk Alone - Gerry & the Pacemakers and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was The Royal Variety Performance (ATV) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Beatles perform at Royal Variety Show.

 

On 01/11/1964 the number one single was (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me - Sandy Shaw and the number one album was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

 

On 01/11/1965 the number one single was Get Off Of My Cloud - Rolling Stones and the number one album was The Sound of Music Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.