BBC 100: 40 interesting facts about its biggest programmes

1 year ago 59

By Steven McIntosh

Entertainment reporter

From Doctor Who to Desert Island Discs, the BBC has go 1 of the astir recognised and cherished media brands astir the satellite acknowledgment to its programmes.

As the corp gears up to observe its 100th birthday, it's worthy looking backmost connected immoderate of the the contented (and controversy) that has surrounded its biggest brands.

There are far, acold excessively galore BBC programmes to beryllium capable to notation adjacent 1% of them here, truthful delight halt composing your missive of ailment and conscionable bask speechmaking up connected a prime few.

Here are 40 absorbing facts astir immoderate of the BBC's biggest brands.

1. Radio 4's Today

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John Humphrys, pictured with Mishal Husain, was connected aerial successful 1988 erstwhile Margaret Thatcher called into the programme

The BBC's flagship quality programme has been hosted by immoderate of the astir illustrious journalists successful the corporation's history, starting with Jack de Manio, who presented the archetypal variation successful 1957
The broadcast of BBC Radio 4's Today programme is famously 1 of the authoritative measures the Royal Navy uses to beryllium that the UK inactive exists. If it can't beryllium picked up by atomic submarines during their isolated missions for 3 days successful a row, past it could signify Britain's demise, triggering the doomsday protocol.
In 1988, past Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously called the programme from Downing Street aft proceeding a quality bulletin, rather taking presenter John Humphrys by surprise
The airwaves have, connected occasion, turned blue, twice due to the fact that of Jeremy Hunt (although the chancellor has ne'er been the 1 doing the swearing). But possibly the moments listeners genuinely emotion the astir are the times erstwhile the usually straight-faced newsreaders can't halt laughing.

2. Strictly Come Dancing

Launched successful 2004 with a bid lasting conscionable six weeks, Strictly Come Dancing built its assemblage twelvemonth by twelvemonth - yet overtaking The X Factor, which dominated the TV scenery successful the precocious noughties - becoming 1 of the astir watched programmes connected the BBC
Creator Fenia Vardanis dreamt up the idea during a dull commissioning gathering astatine the BBC successful 2003. Then BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey said it wasn't initially fashionable thought with bosses. "There was rather a batch of opposition," she recalled.
Eventually, she said, absorption relented connected the information that the connection "celebrity" wasn't utilized successful the programme rubric successful lawsuit it was seen arsenic dumbing down
The format has since been exported astir the world, astir notably to the US for the hugely palmy Dancing With The Stars. For years, judges Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli flew crossed the Atlantic each week to look connected some panels
Highlights of the British amusement person included Ed Balls' Gangnam Style, Bill Bailey's Rapper's Delight and John Sergeant's Paso Doble. Lowlights person included respective matrimony break-ups owed to the alleged "Strictly Curse" wherever celebrities autumn for their pro partners.

3. Blue Peter

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Some of Blue Peter's astir celebrated presenters reunited for the show's 60th day successful 2018

Blue Peter is the longest-running children's tv amusement successful the world, and has been fronted by 40 presenters since its motorboat successful 1958
The show's celebrated vessel symbol, the Blue Peter Galleon, was designed by TV creator Tony Hart (who received conscionable £100 for his work)
That awesome adorns the celebrated Blue Peter badge, awarded to children who nonstop successful an absorbing letter, poem, representation oregon story, oregon look connected the programme
The apical honour is the golden Blue Peter badge, awarded to children who person shown peculiar bravery oregon expertise. On precise uncommon occasions, adults tin besides beryllium awarded the badge for inspiring children. Famous recipients see Sir David Attenborough, JK Rowling, Tim Peake, Mary Berry and the precocious Queen Elizabeth II

4. Radio 1's meal show

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Chris Moyles, the longest-serving meal host, with Tony Blackburn, the first, pictured connected Radio 1's 40th day successful 2007

Established successful 1967, the BBC poached respective pirate vigor DJs erstwhile it launched its popular euphony station, Radio 1. Until then, determination were nary vigor stations wherever you could perceive popular euphony connected the BBC
The station's flagship meal amusement was considered the astir prestigious slot successful broadcasting - but its young and sometimes arguable hosts person occasionally caused bosses a headache
Chris Evans regularly deed tabloid headlines owed to his partying lifestyle. He erstwhile took his squad connected a 17-hour pub crawl that ended 2 hours earlier they were owed connected air. He yet resigned aft managers refused his request to enactment a four-day week
The archetypal ever big was Tony Blackburn, present 79. Chris Moyles holds the grounds for hosting it the longest, reigning for astir 9 years. During his clip connected the show, helium and his squad also broke the satellite record for the longest idiosyncratic unrecorded vigor show, remaining connected aerial for much than 51 hours successful 2011
The meal show's archetypal pistillate big was Zoe Ball, who yet besides went connected to go the archetypal pistillate meal big connected BBC Radio 2.

5. The quizzes

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Clive Myrie precocious took implicit arsenic the presenter of long-running quiz amusement Mastermind

The BBC's wide assortment of quiz shows person been a staple of the schedules for decades and are a steadfast favourite with viewers - arsenic overmuch for the colourful characters who look connected them arsenic for the formats
One contestant connected Pointless famously won the jackpot aft her fellow advised her to reply "Henrik Larsson" to immoderate questions astir football
A much caller contestant connected Mastermind was little fortunate, going viral by answering a question astir a Swedish clime activistic by randomly choosing the sanction "Sharon" alternatively of Greta Thunberg
One of the longest-running quiz shows connected the BBC is University Challenge, which has lone had 2 presenters since its motorboat successful 1962 (although it's astir to get its third). The revolving doorway of somewhat eccentric contestants, however, helps marque the amusement a deed adjacent with viewers who conflict with the fiendishly hard questions.

6. Top Gear

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Clarkson (centre) was forced to permission the amusement aft punching a shaper - he, Richard Hammond and James May moved to Amazon Prime Video

Top Gear is 1 of the BBC's astir palmy exports, and yet is besides possibly the astir controversial
The amusement launched successful 1977, but it was the Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May epoch (2002-2015) that was the astir fashionable - and notorious
One of galore controversies came erstwhile their car was attacked successful Argentina aft some locals mistakenly thought the FKL successful their fig sheet was a deliberate notation to the 1982 Falklands War
Clarkson yet had to exit the amusement aft helium punched a shaper (the trio were past snapped up by Amazon). A tumultuous clip for Top Gear followed, including a poorly received epoch hosted by Chris Evans, which had its ain stock of media storms, earlier the amusement settled down with a caller presenting squad led by Paddy McGuinness.

7. Desert Island Discs

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David Beckham with presenter Kirsty Young connected Desert Island Discs' 75th anniversary

Radio 4 has fixed the satellite immoderate of the BBC's astir recognised programmes, but the distinguished impermanent database of Desert Island Discs makes it possibly the astir prestigious of all
Former premier ministers specified arsenic Margaret Thatcher, David Cameron, Gordon Brown and Theresa May person each been formed distant connected the celebrated godforsaken land (although successful astir each lawsuit they appeared earlier becoming PM), arsenic person nationalist treasures specified arsenic Dame Judi Dench, Sir Billy Connolly and Adele
Dame Moura Lympany remains the lone castaway to person chosen wholly her ain recordings to beryllium marooned with. But to beryllium fair, that was her 2nd quality connected the programme. She told presenter Roy Plomley she didn't privation to repetition her selections from her archetypal quality successful 22 years earlier, and that'd she "enjoy reminiscing" with her ain records connected a godforsaken island.

8. Doctor Who

The longest moving sci-fi amusement successful the world, Doctor Who archetypal aired from 1963 -1989, and became known for prompting its young viewers to fell down their sofas. It was rebooted successful 2005 with Christopher Eccleston
The archetypal doc was William Hartnell, portion the astir precocious appointed is Sex Education prima Ncuti Gatwa, who volition instrumentality implicit arsenic the 14th doc from adjacent year
In the 1960s and 70s, erstwhile programmes were stored connected tape, the BBC would often destruct parts of their archive to escaped up space, which resulted successful 253 episodes of Doctor Who being deleted. However, galore person luckily been recovered acknowledgment to overseas broadcasters oregon fans uncovering aged recordings successful their attics, and present lone 97 of the 253 mislaid episodes stay unaccounted for.

9. Fawlty Towers

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Connie Booth and John Cleese wrote Fawlty Towers together, but got divorced betwixt the archetypal play successful 1975 and the 2nd successful 1979

The jewel successful the BBC's drama crown, Fawlty Towers has often topped lists of top sitcoms of each time, and yet lone 12 episodes of it were ever made
Writer and prima John Cleese based the amusement connected a existent Torquay edifice helium erstwhile stayed at. He recovered the rude proprietors specified fascinating characters that helium had the thought for the TV series, which helium wrote with his then-wife Connie Booth, who played Polly connected screen
It was not an contiguous hit, but it grew its fanbase gradually partially acknowledgment to repeats, yet starring to a 2nd batch of six episodes being commissioned
The gathering utilized for the hotel's exterior was really a play nine successful Buckinghamshire, the remains of which were demolished successful 1991 pursuing a fire.

10. David Attenborough documentaries

It is frankly intolerable to prime conscionable 1 programme to correspond Sir David, arsenic helium has narrated a immense fig of quality documentaries crossed his legendary broadcasting career, which has included not conscionable presenting but absorption roles - helium was the controller of BBC Two for 4 years
But his vocation astatine the corp didn't get disconnected to the strongest commencement - helium was rejected from the archetypal occupation helium applied for, the presumption of a vigor speech producer. When helium yet got his archetypal occupation successful television, helium didn't adjacent ain a TV
His 1979 bid Life connected Earth inspired a procreation of documentary-makers and acceptable him connected the way to decades of world-renowned series, from Planet Earth, Life, Blue Planet and Frozen Planet
Sir David adjacent had a polar probe vessel named aft him successful 2016. The British nationalist had really voted for the the £200m vessell to beryllium named Boaty McBoatace, but RSS David Attenborough yet won retired (but, successful designation of the nationalist vote, 1 of the ship's remotely operated sub-sea vehicles was named Boaty instead).

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