This might be a question too complicated to answer in a short post. But I'm very, very curious in how film was broadcasted. Obviously, it was not put through equipment that we use to enjoy our films. And how were the commercials added at just the right moment? Were they already edited into the film, or did someone have to be right there to start a commercial when it was time for one? Could the equipment be left unattended? It's all very fascinating to me.

Hi Tim,
I can't answer that question, but I do have a US TV show where in the middle there are instructions 'Insert advert here'. In the 1950s in the UK, programmes went out live, and would be filmed off a TV monitor, they are known as Telecine. The BBC has some in 35mm. I remember one time watching Jimmy Cagney in 'The Strawberry Blonde', and as one reel came to an end the countdown leader of the next reel came on screen. Those of us old enough to remember the 50s and 60s will remember when the projectors developed a fault, and sometimes you would see the film grind to a halt on the screen, and a hasty message appeared 'We apologise for the loss of sound/picture, we are doing all we can to resume normal transmission'

http://tech-ops.co.uk/next/2015/02/bbc-t...e-in-the-1960s/

Thanks so much Robert for the link! I wonder if the old equipment still exists in the television stations? I'd love to see it in person. There is an interesting article on Wikipedia concerning 'kinescope', also known as 'telerecording' in Britain.

Robert I remember those 50s / 60s broadcasts. Some times they would be live and the projectionist would miss a change-over cue. hahaha !

I remember a joke on the Benny Hill Show 'We apologise for the loss of sound and picture during the whole of Coronation Street, and hope it didn't spoil your enjoyment too much'.

I can only recall one time ever seeing a revealing mistake while watching broadcast T.V. Twice, during a syndication airing of "Charlie's Angels" in the very early 80's, a title card popped up that said PLACE COMMERCIAL HERE (or something like that). I never ever saw anything like that before or since.

There's an little insight into the TV broadcast of programmes in the 70's if you look up "Budgie", the TV series that was a precursor to the
likes of "Minder", the cue marks and countdowns are spoken as the titles are shown and music cued. Two themes to the show, one sung by Adam Faith, the main character, a truly beautiful theme. Look on YouTube under "Budgie TV SERIES", On mistakes, I clearly remember back in the '70s, a broadcast of the film "An Inspector Calls", at the end of one of the parts, an actress says "Where are you taking me", a wag at the ITV station replied "Back to my place for a gang bang!", Obviously not meant to be broadcast, but it tickled me
while waiting to pay the milkman.

Growing up in Texas,our main broadcast stations came out of Houston.I remember many times (mostly on the UHF ones) where television shows or movies being shown would act up in the projector.Film breaks,skips,freeze frames,audio issues were always funny to my brothers and I.

Before I left home, there was a good thriller being shown as a "midnight movie", due to problems at "Border TV", a local station serving Cumbria, the last five minutes of the denouement were not shown, they showed then at the end of the local news the following day at six o'clock PM, with an apology to folk that had missed their film, me included, a very nice gesture, it would not happen now in this day and age of take it or leave it, they ruin films with talk overs and screen crunching, sometimes even during dialogue!

I hate the constant reminder in the lower right corner of what station you are watching, plus the things that you mentioned Hugh. It's so obvious (and annoying) to me how channels are constantly pitching junk at you and squeezing as much advertising in as possible.

I miss the kinds of films (and t.v. shows shot on film) that were broadcast back when I was a kid. Classic FILM RULES!