Breakfast television began 30 years ago

mikedublin

For those who lived in multi-channel land , does anyone else remember the start of Breakfast Television (on BBC) - it was 30 years ago this month. I remember being about 12 and getting up at six o'clock in the morning to watch the start of it. The excitement and novelty of being able to watch television before going to school :pac:

It was a very different style of television to anything that else, and seen as a very American invention. There was the green goddess doing keep fit exercises, and a zany astrologer and the weather was done in a pretty high-tech way using computer maps rather than boards and symbols. Also loads of good and useful stuff like newspaper reviews and reports.

Then a few months later TV-AM started on ITV/Ulster TV and I think it had a giant egg-cup as its station symbol and after a while it ended up with some kind of strike and the presenters were replaced for a while by a puppet (Roland Rat ?)

Of course now a days everyone has 200 channels 24 hours a day, but I still remember the excitement of being able to watch TV at 7 in the morning for the first time

roanoke

I don't remember it's advent as it was a few years before me. But interestingly if you get the Secret Diary of Adrian Mole I think he has an entry talking about it and for some reason I remember it that way. Moley was very excited like it was the dawn of a new era or something.

I was a watcher of breakfast tv as it was usually the lead-in to cartoons during the summer. It would also the only be on in the morning before we headed out to school. I'd imagine RTE didn't even have programming in the morning back then.

Skerries

mikedublin wrote: »

Then a few months later TV-AM started on ITV/Ulster TV and I think it had a giant egg-cup as its station symbol

and every year they added an additional egg cup to the end of the credits for at least the first 5 years

The Big Breakfast was always my favourite with Chris Evans and later Kelly Brook and Zig and Zag

Lucena

Yeah great. Just the first step to having bland shhit e beamed into your brain 24/7.

oldyouth

Favourite moment on breakfast TV was a chap reviewing the Superbowl final, which had just taken place and he commented on how many Brits had stayed up until 4 in the morning to watch it.

Anne Diamond, the host, asked "If it is so popular, why do they play it so late at night"

Ann22

I remember it being new and it making getting up for school that bit more bearable. I remember dark winter mornings watching Ann Diamond and Nick Owen over coco pops with hot milk:).

roanoke

roanoke wrote: »

I'd imagine RTE didn't even have programming in the morning back then.

Nope, not for a while longer anyway. Telifis Eireann as it was, because there was only one station, didn't come on 'til about three in the afternoon or so. When RTE2 eventually started up, they went on air even later at six in the evening. Both were closed for the night around 11.30 or so, but maybe an hour later at the weekend.

The only morning programs were on weekends too, with some kids programs on Saturday, and "public service" ones (adult literacy, disabled interests, mass, etc) coming on Sunday morning. Monday was back to normal service with Bunny "Stop The Lights" Carr and Anne Dwyer presenting "Going Strong" as the first program of the day, every weekday at three (sort of a chat show for old folks).

Nope. Chances are that RTE wouldn't have even had their transmitters on at that time of the morning in 1983. If they did, you'd see this:

D-FENS

roanoke wrote: »

I don't remember it's advent as it was a few years before me. But interestingly if you get the Secret Diary of Adrian Mole I think he has an entry talking about it and for some reason I remember it that way. Moley was very excited like it was the dawn of a new era or something.

I think he was more excited by the sight of Selena Scott

L1011

Deleted User wrote: »

Nope, not for a while longer anyway. Telifis Eireann as it was, because there was only one station

RTE2 significatly predates UK breakfast TV, 4 years or so.

MYOB

MYOB wrote: »

RTE2 significatly predates UK breakfast TV, 4 years or so.

Yeah, I know that. Was just referring to any kind of broadcasting before noon in general.

spokesman

I remember your man that used to be on with Ann Diamond, he had bottleneck shoulders, very peculiar to see:D

L1011

Deleted User wrote: »

Yeah, I know that. Was just referring to any kind of broadcasting before noon in general.

You quoted a post that was very specifically referring to 1983, then claimed there was only one RTE station then.