Just came across this channel and this particular video of the final transmission. Just thought I'd mention that I was a video editor at Thames throughout it's final years and I actually was involved in editing this final piece. The final montage of shots was created on an Ampex ADO DVE by duplicating 3 channels of effects as many times as required. You'll notice that the squares are not all unique but are repeated, to cut down on the actual work required.
@@jasonhawkins4528 Some of Thames' programmes like 'Mr. Bean' continued on ITV, they had to seek an existing ITV franchise holder to put it on the network, so Central Independent Television took the networking rights of Mr. Bean for 'Mr. Bean in Room 426' which was made by Tiger Television in association with Thames Television.
Let's be honest: even if Thames didn't lose its franchise, it would likely go the same way as Carlton and engulf most of the ITV network before merging with Granada. And the fact some of the crap on today's ITV bears the Thames name.
Thames really did have a talent for TV. As did all of the ITV regional broadcasters when the IBA was in charge. Now that talent is gone, even the BBC has a much lower quality output.
Back in 1985, Carlton wanted to buy out Thorn EMI and take control of Thames. The then management and the IBA refused to let that happen. Might have been a better result though because it wouldn't have turned into the on screen car crash that headed for London at midnight 1 January 1993!!!
And i'm not even from England either but from Ireland and i was only 2 years old when Thames went off air, but i feel the vibe 22 years on! I salute you Thames, you are missed!
Half-Icelandic and often described as urbane, charming and diplomatic, Dunn earned himself incredible loyalty among his staff at Thames. Nick Milligan, sales director of Channel 5 and a former head of sales at Thames, recalls the support Dunn received when Thames lost its licence in the early 90s. ’We decided to still go ahead with our sales conference,’ Milligan remembers, ’and Richard came along as a guest of honour. As he walked into dinner, the sales team stood on their chairs cheering and chanting ’there’s only one Dicky Dunn’. ’Richard started crying. Then he put on a T-shirt we’d bought him. It said ’I bid pounds 22.6 million for our licence and all I got was this lousy T-shirt’. He was an extraordinary man with immense stature and presence. God knows we’ll all miss him so much. It really is a tragedy.’
Sad to hear he has passed but just think of how he would feel to learn what Thames has achieved!! Gold etc sold for profit and Thames albeit as a subsidiary of Fremantle producing 2 of itv' biggest shows!! XFactor & BGT!!
+Mike Humble From humble beginnings at Swindon Viewpoint, joined Thames in 1977 as an assistant to Jeremy Isaacs, working his way to becoming Director of Production and finally Chief Executive in 1985 following the resignation of Bryan Cowgill. He stayed at Thames, launched UK Gold and UK Living on satellite and cable, and was made Managing Director of its new owners Pearson Television until 1995 when he was awarded with a CBE. At the same time he got into bed with Rupert Murdoch and became an Executive Director of News International Television until his death in 1998 at the age of just 54. But I think his heart was with Thames.
Great to see a little bit of Big Ben (Benny Hill) in that montage!! He was the super-glue that held Thames TV together as far as I'm concerned! BTW, I'm an American and a lifelong resident of San Diego, California and I'm saying that to prove how far Thames TV's fan base went and still goes! I even have Benny's complete 20-year run of his show on DVD!!
Back When There's Good Shows Such as... Tweenies Boohbah Horrid Henry Pingu Bob the Builder Noddy Postman Pat Big Cook, Little Cook Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom Fifi and the Flowertots Wallace and Gromit Ed, Edd n Eddy Fireman Sam Rubbadubbers Teletubbies ( original ) Peppa Pig Little Robots Danger Mouse Roobarb Fun Song Factory ( 1998 ) Starhill Ponies The Number Crew Steady Eddie Basil Brush ( 2002-2007 ) Engie Benjy The Likeaballs Playdays Yoho Ahoy BB3B The Wombles ( 1973-1975 ) Bill and Ben ( 2001 ) The Foxbusters ChuckleVision Bodger and Badger Philbert Frog Mr. Blobby Kipper Angelina Ballerina Captain Pugwash Merlin the Magical Puppy SuperTed Trumpton Button Moon Rosie and Jim Tots TV Brum Angelmouse Courage the Cowardly Dog My Parents Are Aliens Wind in the Willows ( cosgrove hall ) Thomas and Friends ( model era ) The Koala Brothers Captain Abercromby The Hoobs Bug Alert Roary the Racing Car The Shiny Show Tractor Tom And Many More.
I'm not the first to say it, but this was the beginning of the end for UK television. Today we have something like 50 terrestrial TV stations, yet look at the state of them. The majority just pump out either cheap imports, fly-by-night round the clock shopping, or most ironically re-runs of stuff made in the era of Thames TV. The "real" stations are pretty much the five which spilt over from the days of analogue, but look how dramatically the quality has declined. There is no money put into productions these days. Everything looks so cheap, made in shoebox studios with the lowest production values they can get away with. Thames wasn't the only quality provider of its day, but it stands out for its consistent standards. It's extremely rare to see the Thames name on something below par. When ITV was made up of a dozen or more regional channels, the competition to provide quality programming was fierce. Only the best of the best would be networked. If you didn't produce the goods, the other regions wouldn't air it. Now, any old tat can get on air. And by goodness, it does. Television on the whole is one big barrel scraping these days, but ITV have scraped all the way through the bottom. Put it this way, their biggest show features Ant & Dec giggling at Robert Kilroy Silk struggling to eat a kangaroo's anus.
No Stevie, ITV today is corporate branded nationally networked crap with nothing but tacky talent shows, gameshows, reallity shows, public bating chatshows aka Jeremy Vile, and endless repeats plus thru the night gambling. Hardly great.
@@alexmacleod3728 I haven't owned a TV for about 5 years, didn't watch it very much from around 2005. Last I really saw ITV it was absolute garbage. I am somewhat aware of the programmes it now shows and they look absolutely dreadful. I think I pass, on Vernon Kay eating a kangaroo's testicle.
I Loved working with the Crews of Thames Television, always so friendly, and Fun, and yet still produced very professional, and extremely enjoyable and popular Productions loved by the viewers. No Television Company's these days will ever have the same respect or Viewer loyalty that Thames Television had, or indeed "LWT" another great Company with much loved Shows, and great crews. Times sadly have changed and the loss of these wonderful Company's is not a change for the better. The Thames ident & music always puts a smile on my face, and fills my heart and mind with happy memories of the good old days, working at Teddington Studios, and later the Barby Road Studios, on "The Bill", and various Location Filming over the years, with some of the finest Production staff in the industry.
Thames Television bowed out with grace and dignity with no bitterness to the ITC or their replacement despite how Thames had about 10 times the right to be bitter about their loss of the franchise than Southern Television in 1981 or Television Wales and West in 1968
Thanks for uploading this video, i already have this on DVD but it's always good to see, even if it's very sad. Thank you also for all your other rare and excellent uploads, glad to see a TV company/rights holder actively promoting it's archive, which many others don't.
It's 30 years in October since we learnt of the loss of Thames Television. Amazing to think the loyalty for Thames three decades later and not one good word ever for Carlton. At least that awful name was only around for nine years.
The Greatest Regional ITV London franchise of all times, Thames A Talent for television which product some great programmes Rainbow Strikey Lucky Etc, it was a sad day and the ending with clips of there best programmes play out with Annie Lennox Band The Tourists singing a cover of Dusty Springfield 60's Hit I only want to be with you. RIP Thames.
This makes me feel quite emotional to watch this. I worked for Thames TV between 1974 and 1983. Why on Earth did the Chief Executive, Richard Dunn, (shown in this clip), not bid more money for the franchise? Personally, I think he presumed that Thames would automatically win it because of its astoundingly successful history...but when it came to it, it was a larger bid of money that allowed Carlton to win. ALL those "talented people" Richard Dunn acknowledges in this clip subsequently lost their jobs! (Sadly, just a year or two after the loss of the franchise, Richard Dunn passed away, probably as a result of the stress caused by the loss of Thames TV).
Thames Television made some of the greatest programmes every in the history of both British television and in the history of ITV it was one of the the biggest mistake in the history of ITV and of the ITC to withdraw Thames franchise and give it to Carlton TV has been going down for years
When the likes of Carlton, GM-TV and Yorkshire couldn't pay those yearly millions they promised the ITC, then that should have been breach of contract and the licences readvertised.
Thorn EMI was the majority shareholder in Thames and had no real interest in a high cash bid that would just go to the Government. Carlton's high cash offer resulted in poor programming and the end of ITV as we know it.
I would really loved to have worked at Thames Television in Teddington, Middlesex. There were so many great programmes that were made at the television studios between 1968 and 1992. It was situated right next to The River Thames and so many famous people worked there. The building should have been preserved and turned into a museum, showcasing everything that went on behind the scenes at Teddington Studios and its history. The museum could have educated future generations about television production. It was a shame that Teddington Studios was demolished and turned into houses.
Just think how rich Thames would have been now if it had been allowed to stay...Let's face it we did and still do produce the best tv shows in the world
I live in the Granada tv region but when I was a child I remember the excellent tv programmes that they used to produce. To me, not to renew the thames tv franchise was a very big mistake.
Im greatful i was a child of the 80s. I grew up with this logo and theme. 1983 was a golden era for me tv wise. I remember the switch to Calton. Tv changed after that not for the better. Mabe they can catch a second wind and come back on TH-cam.
Just bought The World at War Restored DVD Box-Set which Thames made in the '70's. This is some classic must-see documentary programming which should be watched by everyone just to remind us of the terrible things which happened during WW2. I firmly believe that ITV worked better as a mix of franchises which served their own region FIRST and also contributed to the ITV network as a whole. The IBA should be resurected in a modern form and have control over proper REGIONAL ITV companies once again with companies being required to earn the privilege of having their programmes aired on networked ITV while each company works to serve thir region. The Big Five basically swallowed all the others up and created the ITV which we have today.
Thames was a quality broadcaster whom turned out some good programmes. The franchise bidding scheme was absolutely ruddy barmy and the ITC stuck two fingers up at Maggie Thatcher's so called 'quality' threshold requirements and there were many casualties as a result. It was a shambles - because if you bid too much you lost, and your quality threshold wasn't high enough you also lost.
Even though Carlton was not up to the same standard as Thames, it was still an improvement on the low quality service that bears the name of ITV nowadays.
They should have all done us a favour and taken the whole flaming ITV network off the air that night. Enter Michael Green and god help us all Charles Allen and it's never recovered since!
@@sillygoose635 No it hasn't. The quality of mainstream television, particularly that of ITV, is now nothing but downmarket garbage of a similar level to US television.
@@CrankCase08 Yes, it has, ITV has vastly improved it's programming, just like US Television, compared to the actual downmarket garbage you pine for to return.
@@sillygoose635 There's no accounting for taste. It's not for nothing that the viewing figures for mainstream television are continually plummeting, despite the proliferation of channels available.
As far as I'm concerned the greatest ITV station of them all. I do think with the independent ITV stations better programmes were produced. Now what do we have on ITV? Repetitive Tv shows such as X Factor, Britain's got Talent. Dec 31st 1992 was definitely the demise of quality tv. It goes to show that looking back at the body of work that Thames produced what a great tv company they were!
I remember Thames TV and still miss it. Linear TV in the UK has been ruined mainly by the BBCs TV tax. There are fewer good programmes and they can only be watched on catch -up unless you pay a £157 fee annually to pay bloated BBC salaries. This has helped You Tube and other streaming services that are tax free to watch to take over as providers.
They bid an annual fee of £2,000 because they discovered there was no competition against them. Same for Scottish Television. Border Television bid £57,000 per annum even though they also went unopposed. Meanwhile, Channel Television won by default with the lowest annual stipend allowed of £1,000, after their rivals, the CI3 Group (comprising, as rival groups tended to do, of former Channel Television staff) annual bid of £102,000 was disqualified after they failed to reach the ITC's "quality threshold".
A sad day for all ITV this marked the end of 1 of the best companies know to man. Made most of my favourite shows eg Rainbow, Minder, Bill, Sooty and The Sweeney and at the end of the video it was a Talent For Television. Carlton ruined it
Carlton wanted to buy Thames in the mid 80's but the IBA wouldn't let them. So they only had to wait a few years later, got the London franchise on a bid they couldn't then pay for. Yet the ITC didn't once go in and threaten to revoke its licence because the network centre had come in. And of course all the Thames shows were still being pumped into the system. So they got away with it for the first few years. They should never have been awarded that contract on quality based on outsourcing their programmes to independent contractors. Richard Dunn was spot on the day he lost the franchise when he said "they had no track record to go upon and the bid was only based on paper promises". Not only was he spot on with his £33 million bid but nobody could foresee the appalling continuity and the programmes made were shoddy to say the least. Londoners must have been in shock as we were when ATV was taken off the air to be replaced the appalling presentation of Central that took three years to get right. But George Russell should be ashamed to see the mess he signed off on and then ITV employed him in a major position years later!!!!! It may have had something to do with the way everyone got fed up and bought a satellite dish and how nobody including those at ITV gives a damn about ITV anymore.
Think I was soooooo upset that was unable to watch it live so was watching Channel 4 and the live Big Breakfast show that was on during the time. Did turned over to see what Carlton was about and was not impressed. Why Thames had to go? Damm you Thatcher!!!!!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
It was Thatcher who caused the downfall of Thames, TVS, TSW & TV-AM. Look up the Broadcasting act 1990. Look up the demise of TV-AM and you will find a letter from Thatcher to Bruce Gyngel
The Broadcasting Act of 1990 just ruined ITV at its core, with all the deregulation and other stuff. I'm totally sure that if Thames and TVS (at least) never would've lost their franchises, at least the line would've changed, and there might've been a hope that ITV wouldn't become what it is today. That damn Broadcasting Act ruined everything good of ITV. And then Granada and Carlton ate for lunch every other franchise and the rest is history. I'd love ITV more if it hadn't ended like that. R.I.P, dear Thames. 1968-1992
Carlton were refused the south and south east on quality grounds so how can it be possible that they were good enough for London? I've never really understood that decision.
because it was never about quality or even cash: Maggie vowed to put Thames out of business, period. They could have bid three times the amount, they were screwed!
@@swannvictor1388 exactly, if they bid over Carlton, the itc would have probably pulled a TVS on them and said "they overbid" Maggie wanted Thames out of business
I would love to see the great Thames TV back on the air... with all the digital channels I wonder if it would be possible to breakaway from freemantle and start again
Nope. You'd have to build the audience from almost scratch. Think X Factor generation. (I know "Thames" do X Factor, but the real Thames wouldn't touch that rubbish with a bargepole!)
I was truly pissed off when Thames Television was scrapped. I had grown up with Thames Television and London Weekend Television (LWT). Even Carlton eventually got to a point where it became a good broadcaster. Look at the garbage we have these days, all one company, ITV no variation and no competition, the television programs are bloody awful with no imagination and no talent. Thames Television was created in the 50's to compete with the BBC, yeah right, that happened. The BBC is still stealing money from your pocket when it should be made to advertise or become subscription based. One of the worst things the Government of Margaret Thatcher ever did was the scrapping of the Thames franchise, the IBA and the introduction of The Broadcasting Act 1990 and the meddling of the bloody E.U in our country following European Council Directive (89/552).
Not long after this and certainly with the decade, Television went rapidly downhill. We started to see the prologue and epilogue format in every programme....and the general feeling programme makes thought we were stupid. Now its all about "entertainment", so much so that the art of television seems to have all but vanished.
Now Zippy, George, Bungle and Geoffrey Are Out on the Streets, Hungry, Thirsty, Cold and Homeless. Eating from the Trash Cans in the Alley, Fending for Themselves, And Sleeping on the Dirty Hard Ground. #BringBackRainbow!
Oh my god!!! I can't believe that Thames Television has its very last transmission & it's going to be replaced by Carlton Television? NO!!! Never EVER!!! I don't want Thames Television to die. I want it to continue its transmissions, FOREVER!!! I'll not let that happen for good. So, from every year, from 1968, Thames Television is a ITV franchise & a weekday franchise from London, England. Also, it teamed up with an another ITV franchise & a weekend franchise which is also from London, England. It's called "LWT", also known as "London Weekend Television". LWT has the same transmissions like Thames Television. Now, let Thames Television continue its transmissions, FOREVER & STOP IT, RIGHT FUCKING STUPID NOW!!!
I think this was quite deliberately orchestrated to change the very sense of agreeability that Thames Television had with its viewing audience, compared to Carlton which came along after. You could watch Thames for hours and not feel repulsed enough to feel like turning over. But Carlton, basically started off as virtually unwatchable. The first time I watched it (New Year's Day 1993) absolutely made me feel ill. The same with Channel 4, and that awful Big Breakfast b*llocks with the ginger git (please don't make me repeat his name). My opinion on all of this has Never changed in almost 30 years. Quite a long time to hold a senseless "grudge", don't you think?
@@george-nu5nr oooh! The ONE character from the old days of Thames I actually could've knocked out. 🤐🤛 Come to think of it, I don't actually remember him "zipping it" any time during the series. 🤔
I think that it was the beginning of the end of proper television from January 1st 1993 on, especially for ITV. In 1993, Thames, TVS and TSW were gone out the window, as well as TV-am. Things were not the best, but by 1998, when most of the independent ITV stations were merged into one basically, I spelled worse years ahead for ITV. 1998 saw the beginning of the end of individuality. By 2004, all ITV stations, except Scottish Television, Grampian Television and Ulster Television (UTV) were completely wiped of their regional identity. 2013 saw the stupid looking new logo come in. In late 2016, it was the end of UTV as a proper independent channel of it's own, as ITV bought out UTV, so even though UTV still has its name, the logo has being turned into the stupid logo that ITV has now, the U instead of an I. STV is the only independent channel left (Grampian and STV were merged together). They too will probably be taken over sometime also. It just goes to show how everything has to be the same these days. I hate nowadays.
At the End of the day, it's all down to money, Richard Dunn bid for what he thought was worth for the franchise whilst having to pay staff and production team. Even if Thames Television had won the franchise, it would have made no differents, We would still have had the Single ITV that was compose up on us in laters years, With Granada buying out Thames LWT, whilst swallowing up Central TVS or Meridian Anglia Channel TSW or Westcountry as it called.
@@scottpeacock5492 It's a real shame to think that television had gone down so bad in the space of 20 years. I live in Ireland and the telly has gotten worse than ever. The main broadcaster RTE gets money from a television licence from everyone and they are getting advertising revenue on top of that (it can be up to 5 to 6 minutes of adverts in between programmes and during programmes), and the only things they put on is lifestyle programmes about health, the environment or how 'great' our government is, violent drama's, and chat shows like the Late Late Show (it was great up until 1999 when Gay Byrne left the programme) with the driest people you will ever meet, talking about the same things as I said for lifestyle programmes. They only have one comedy programme and it's not even funny, because all they do is make a joke out of anyone who lived in Ireland in the 80's and make them out to be complete retards altogether, which is wrong. The only breakfast show on television on TV3 called Ireland AM, is complete rubbish. The newsreaders are angry looking, the presenters now are always talking about their children and how hard done by they are, and even when the news is finished for the hour, the presenters will keep talking about the news, and the bad bits of news at that. TV3 are the same as RTE. They rarely show old programmes, both import UK programmes or even our own old programmes like Glenroe, Hall's Pictorial Weekly and The Riordans, probably because they don't want people to realise how bad their programmes are nowadays. Only for us having SKY television, we would never watch the television, because Irish television is unwatchable.
@@brucedanton3669 Yes. You can get most of the British channels on Sky, free satellite, cable services and overspills from Northern Ireland or Wales (maybe not so much the case now since digital is not as easy to receive as analogue was). Before RTE began television (Ireland's main broadcaster) in 1961, some people were able to receive the BBC and some ITV channels, especially along the east coast of Ireland. Some sources claim that Ireland could receive television as early as 1949 from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter in the British Midlands.
Just came across this channel and this particular video of the final transmission. Just thought I'd mention that I was a video editor at Thames throughout it's final years and I actually was involved in editing this final piece. The final montage of shots was created on an Ampex ADO DVE by duplicating 3 channels of effects as many times as required. You'll notice that the squares are not all unique but are repeated, to cut down on the actual work required.
I cant watch this without it bring a tear to my eye
and for anyone whose going to mock me - thats my entire childhood wrapped up in that 2 minutes
Agree
Definitely. We had thames tv & london weekend television on our screens in the 70’s & 80’s up to new years eve 1992. Miss those times !!
Agree ITV was ruined after Carlton took over. Mr Bean, Timmy Mallet and many good programs went and changed to complete rubbish
@@jasonhawkins4528 Some of Thames' programmes like 'Mr. Bean' continued on ITV, they had to seek an existing ITV franchise holder to put it on the network, so Central Independent Television took the networking rights of Mr. Bean for 'Mr. Bean in Room 426' which was made by Tiger Television in association with Thames Television.
Was never the same when Carlton took over. But now look back at it the current ITV makes Carlton look better
Richard Dunn - a true gentleman. A lovely tribute to to staff of a great company. Richard ensured Thames’ survival post franchise. Truly missed.
It was such a shame he passed away. This is the man they should employed to run ITV had this never happened.
Perhaps the ITV we have today may never been as bad had Thames, TVS etc kept their franchises
When Thames went off the air it really was the end of the golden age of UK television. I still miss it 25 years on.
Thames should never have lost their broadcast licence. Major upset at the time and it still is!
Let's be honest: even if Thames didn't lose its franchise, it would likely go the same way as Carlton and engulf most of the ITV network before merging with Granada. And the fact some of the crap on today's ITV bears the Thames name.
It's just one of the many mishaps the UK has been suffering ever since well...forever!
Different kind of Thames back then...I don't think Ofcom have helped with ITV since they took over from the ITC..
it should've been Anglia not thames
@@chrispearce6024 Ofcom and ITC are useless two of them ruined ITV
Thames really did have a talent for TV. As did all of the ITV regional broadcasters when the IBA was in charge. Now that talent is gone, even the BBC has a much lower quality output.
spot on analysis....
not really.
Yeah, Thames and Central had Mr Bean.
Back in 1985, Carlton wanted to buy out Thorn EMI and take control of Thames. The then management and the IBA refused to let that happen. Might have been a better result though because it wouldn't have turned into the on screen car crash that headed for London at midnight 1 January 1993!!!
You are so right really-alas of course somehow too.
30 years have past and Thames Television is still much loved and missed.
Thank you, Thames Television your shows held a WORLD-wide audience enthralled.
I know I'm 22 years late, and in the wrong part of the country, but...Thames Television, I SALUTE you!
I'm not even in your country I'm in Canada and I didn't exist 22 years ago as I was only born in 1999 however Thames Television, I also SALUTE you!
And i'm not even from England either but from Ireland and i was only 2 years old when Thames went off air, but i feel the vibe 22 years on! I salute you Thames, you are missed!
I'm only 16 but I SALUTE YOU!!
I was born and lived in the Thames region, visited Teddington and I salute them too. Gone but not forgotten.
I was born in 1980 in the *THAMES* region and loved watching ITV until 1993 when Carlton took over. ITV is screwed up now. I SALUTE YOU THAMES!!
I remember seeing this I was only 21 at the time I was crying my eyes out when It ended.
Damn you thatcher
Half-Icelandic and often described as urbane, charming and diplomatic,
Dunn earned himself incredible loyalty among his staff at Thames. Nick
Milligan, sales director of Channel 5 and a former head of sales at
Thames, recalls the support Dunn received when Thames lost its licence
in the early 90s.
’We decided to still go ahead with our sales conference,’ Milligan
remembers, ’and Richard came along as a guest of honour. As he walked
into dinner, the sales team stood on their chairs cheering and chanting
’there’s only one Dicky Dunn’.
’Richard started crying. Then he put on a T-shirt we’d bought him. It
said ’I bid pounds 22.6 million for our licence and all I got was this
lousy T-shirt’. He was an extraordinary man with immense stature and
presence. God knows we’ll all miss him so much. It really is a tragedy.’
Richard Dunn... A man who died of a broken heart!
Literally.
Literally.
Sad to hear he has passed but just think of how he would feel to learn what Thames has achieved!! Gold etc sold for profit and Thames albeit as a subsidiary of Fremantle producing 2 of itv' biggest shows!! XFactor & BGT!!
***** Thames's crowning glory was The World At War.
+Mike Humble From humble beginnings at Swindon Viewpoint, joined Thames in 1977 as an assistant to Jeremy Isaacs, working his way to becoming Director of Production and finally Chief Executive in 1985 following the resignation of Bryan Cowgill. He stayed at Thames, launched UK Gold and UK Living on satellite and cable, and was made Managing Director of its new owners Pearson Television until 1995 when he was awarded with a CBE. At the same time he got into bed with Rupert Murdoch and became an Executive Director of News International Television until his death in 1998 at the age of just 54.
But I think his heart was with Thames.
Great to see a little bit of Big Ben (Benny Hill) in that montage!! He was the super-glue that held Thames TV together as far as I'm concerned! BTW, I'm an American and a lifelong resident of San Diego, California and I'm saying that to prove how far Thames TV's fan base went and still goes! I even have Benny's complete 20-year run of his show on DVD!!
Back When There's Good Shows Such as...
Tweenies
Boohbah
Horrid Henry
Pingu
Bob the Builder
Noddy
Postman Pat
Big Cook, Little Cook
Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom
Fifi and the Flowertots
Wallace and Gromit
Ed, Edd n Eddy
Fireman Sam
Rubbadubbers
Teletubbies ( original )
Peppa Pig
Little Robots
Danger Mouse
Roobarb
Fun Song Factory ( 1998 )
Starhill Ponies
The Number Crew
Steady Eddie
Basil Brush ( 2002-2007 )
Engie Benjy
The Likeaballs
Playdays
Yoho Ahoy
BB3B
The Wombles ( 1973-1975 )
Bill and Ben ( 2001 )
The Foxbusters
ChuckleVision
Bodger and Badger
Philbert Frog
Mr. Blobby
Kipper
Angelina Ballerina
Captain Pugwash
Merlin the Magical Puppy
SuperTed
Trumpton
Button Moon
Rosie and Jim
Tots TV
Brum
Angelmouse
Courage the Cowardly Dog
My Parents Are Aliens
Wind in the Willows ( cosgrove hall )
Thomas and Friends ( model era )
The Koala Brothers
Captain Abercromby
The Hoobs
Bug Alert
Roary the Racing Car
The Shiny Show
Tractor Tom
And Many More.
I'm not the first to say it, but this was the beginning of the end for UK television. Today we have something like 50 terrestrial TV stations, yet look at the state of them. The majority just pump out either cheap imports, fly-by-night round the clock shopping, or most ironically re-runs of stuff made in the era of Thames TV. The "real" stations are pretty much the five which spilt over from the days of analogue, but look how dramatically the quality has declined. There is no money put into productions these days. Everything looks so cheap, made in shoebox studios with the lowest production values they can get away with. Thames wasn't the only quality provider of its day, but it stands out for its consistent standards. It's extremely rare to see the Thames name on something below par. When ITV was made up of a dozen or more regional channels, the competition to provide quality programming was fierce. Only the best of the best would be networked. If you didn't produce the goods, the other regions wouldn't air it. Now, any old tat can get on air. And by goodness, it does. Television on the whole is one big barrel scraping these days, but ITV have scraped all the way through the bottom. Put it this way, their biggest show features Ant & Dec giggling at Robert Kilroy Silk struggling to eat a kangaroo's anus.
Better then the rubbish back then.
No Stevie, ITV today is corporate branded nationally networked crap with nothing but tacky talent shows, gameshows, reallity shows, public bating chatshows aka Jeremy Vile, and endless repeats plus thru the night gambling. Hardly great.
ITV is fuck all with a capital F. at least now thames is in tv heaven with their parents Rediffusion and ABC
@@alexmacleod3728 I haven't owned a TV for about 5 years, didn't watch it very much from around 2005. Last I really saw ITV it was absolute garbage. I am somewhat aware of the programmes it now shows and they look absolutely dreadful. I think I pass, on Vernon Kay eating a kangaroo's testicle.
@@97channel was only 21 (finshed uni that year) when it finished i was in Tears that night
I Loved working with the Crews of Thames Television, always so friendly, and Fun, and yet still produced very professional, and extremely enjoyable and popular Productions loved by the viewers.
No Television Company's these days will ever have the same respect or Viewer loyalty that Thames Television had, or indeed "LWT" another great Company with much loved Shows, and great crews.
Times sadly have changed and the loss of these wonderful Company's is not a change for the better. The Thames ident & music always puts a smile on my face, and fills my heart and mind with happy memories of the good old days, working at Teddington Studios, and later the Barby Road Studios, on "The Bill", and various Location Filming over the years, with some of the finest Production staff in the industry.
Thames Television bowed out with grace and dignity with no bitterness to the ITC or their replacement despite how Thames had about 10 times the right to be bitter about their loss of the franchise than Southern Television in 1981 or Television Wales and West in 1968
Thames staff in the control room did boo the Carlton name when it came on.
Now we have 300 plus channels and nothing to watch
With you on that just rubbish on them
Thanks for uploading this video, i already have this on DVD but it's always good to see, even if it's very sad. Thank you also for all your other rare and excellent uploads, glad to see a TV company/rights holder actively promoting it's archive, which many others don't.
0:45 I Only Want To Be With You by The Tourists
It's 30 years in October since we learnt of the loss of Thames Television. Amazing to think the loyalty for Thames three decades later and not one good word ever for Carlton. At least that awful name was only around for nine years.
What was wrong with Carlton?
@@eightiesmusic1984EVERYTHING.
a very sad day that was back in 1992.....a great way to celebrate a fantastic company
This just make’s me want to go back in time.
The Greatest Regional ITV London franchise of all times, Thames A Talent for television which product some great programmes Rainbow Strikey Lucky Etc, it was a sad day and the ending with clips of there best programmes play out with Annie Lennox Band The Tourists singing a cover of Dusty Springfield 60's Hit I only want to be with you. RIP Thames.
A sad moment for television throughout the anglophone world.
identity politics - well done psyop'd sheeple getting with the program automaton !
This makes me feel quite emotional to watch this. I worked for Thames TV between 1974 and 1983. Why on Earth did the Chief Executive, Richard Dunn, (shown in this clip), not bid more money for the franchise? Personally, I think he presumed that Thames would automatically win it because of its astoundingly successful history...but when it came to it, it was a larger bid of money that allowed Carlton to win. ALL those "talented people" Richard Dunn acknowledges in this clip subsequently lost their jobs! (Sadly, just a year or two after the loss of the franchise, Richard Dunn passed away, probably as a result of the stress caused by the loss of Thames TV).
wait, you worked at Thames? that's wonderful! how was it like working there?
Each day felt like I was going on holiday - it never felt like "work". The people who "worked" there were the best in their field.
Denise Rayner cool. :D
Maybe the government was more interested in the money than quality :(
And I see Teddington studios have been demolished too. The Euston studios went some time ago. There are few tangible remains of TTV now :(
Thames Television made some of the greatest programmes every in the history of both British television and in the history of ITV it was one of the the biggest mistake in the history of ITV and of the ITC to withdraw Thames franchise and give it to Carlton TV has been going down for years
my dad used to watch this back in the 80s especially benny hill
When the likes of Carlton, GM-TV and Yorkshire couldn't pay those yearly millions they promised the ITC, then that should have been breach of contract and the licences readvertised.
Thank You THAMES Tv for 25 years of Television
Thorn EMI was the majority shareholder in Thames and had no real interest in a high cash bid that would just go to the Government. Carlton's high cash offer resulted in poor programming and the end of ITV as we know it.
I would really loved to have worked at Thames Television in Teddington, Middlesex. There were so many great programmes that were made at the television studios between 1968 and 1992. It was situated right next to The River Thames and so many famous people worked there. The building should have been preserved and turned into a museum, showcasing everything that went on behind the scenes at Teddington Studios and its history. The museum could have educated future generations about television production. It was a shame that Teddington Studios was demolished and turned into houses.
Just think how rich Thames would have been now if it had been allowed to stay...Let's face it we did and still do produce the best tv shows in the world
I live in Italy and when I was a child I used to Watch films of Thames.
I miss them
I live in the Granada tv region but when I was a child I remember the excellent tv programmes that they used to produce. To me, not to renew the thames tv franchise was a very big mistake.
This night for me marked the end of real quakity television what arrived in 1993 was cheap down market rubbish
Damm true 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
True, the decline of British TV generally...
"Quakity"
Im greatful i was a child of the 80s. I grew up with this logo and theme. 1983 was a golden era for me tv wise. I remember the switch to Calton. Tv changed after that not for the better. Mabe they can catch a second wind and come back on TH-cam.
The beginning of the end for ITV as a quality broadcaster, if not British television entirely.
Music by The Tourists. So suitable.
Just bought The World at War Restored DVD Box-Set which Thames made in the '70's. This is some classic must-see documentary programming which should be watched by everyone just to remind us of the terrible things which happened during WW2. I firmly believe that ITV worked better as a mix of franchises which served their own region FIRST and also contributed to the ITV network as a whole. The IBA should be resurected in a modern form and have control over proper REGIONAL ITV companies once again with companies being required to earn the privilege of having their programmes aired on networked ITV while each company works to serve thir region. The Big Five basically swallowed all the others up and created the ITV which we have today.
Broadcasting act 1990. Thatchers final act of ruining something.
And where is she today...🤔 (⚰️)
Yet we're still here....👍🏼
A lesson in there some where...
Thames was a quality broadcaster whom turned out some good programmes. The franchise bidding scheme was absolutely ruddy barmy and the ITC stuck two fingers up at Maggie Thatcher's so called 'quality' threshold requirements and there were many casualties as a result. It was a shambles - because if you bid too much you lost, and your quality threshold wasn't high enough you also lost.
25 years ago tonight in 2017!
Do you know what the three landmarks in the Thames Television ident were? I could only recognize two of them (Big Ben and the London Bridge).
@@joeorsini6110 Looks like St Paul's Cathedral.
My aunt Jackie Spreckley was the present of Thames Help.
THAMES Tv I Salute You From The USA
I LOVE the Only Wanna Be With You music video!
Thames, a talent for television. Carlton, a rubbish for television.
LOL
Thames A Talent For Television.
Crapton A Talent For Mindless Shit.
Even though Carlton was not up to the same standard as Thames, it was still an improvement on the low quality service that bears the name of ITV nowadays.
@@DalstonKingsland Back When CBeebies Didn't Exist Yet !
@@anthonyperkins7556A talent for Satan.
After New Year's Eve, 31 December 1992, the Thames Television identity continued on and off-screen, but as an independent production company.
right.
But now its in german hands, by the media giant Bertelsmann from Gunthersloh vía Freemantle Media.
X-Factor, Got Talent...
@Group JW Productions Yeah, and sadly RTL is known for his biggest ammount of rubbish tv, same with Carlton.
A very sad day for British television. 😢
27 years without Thames Television 😥🤧 31.12.1992 - 31.12.2019
They should have all done us a favour and taken the whole flaming ITV network off the air that night. Enter Michael Green and god help us all Charles Allen and it's never recovered since!
um, yeah it has recovered.
@@sillygoose635 No it hasn't. The quality of mainstream television, particularly that of ITV, is now nothing but downmarket garbage of a similar level to US television.
@@CrankCase08 Yes, it has, ITV has vastly improved it's programming, just like US Television, compared to the actual downmarket garbage you pine for to return.
@@sillygoose635 There's no accounting for taste. It's not for nothing that the viewing figures for mainstream television are continually plummeting, despite the proliferation of channels available.
@@CrankCase08 You continue to spew your nonsense.
Rest in Peace Thames
That song is used from TV2 NZ ident as well
As far as I'm concerned the greatest ITV station of them all. I do think with the independent ITV stations better programmes were produced. Now what do we have on ITV? Repetitive Tv shows such as X Factor, Britain's got Talent. Dec 31st 1992 was definitely the demise of quality tv. It goes to show that looking back at the body of work that Thames produced what a great tv company they were!
Have a look who produces X Factor and Britain's got Talent. I think you'll be surprised and upset. It's Thames.
I remember Thames TV and still miss it. Linear TV in the UK has been ruined mainly by the BBCs TV tax. There are fewer good programmes and they can only be watched on catch -up unless you pay a £157 fee annually to pay bloated BBC salaries. This has helped You Tube and other streaming services that are tax free to watch to take over as providers.
@ThamesTv I don't think there could be a more polite or more eloquent way out.
Yet Central TV only bid 2000 pounds and got it's franchise back.
They bid an annual fee of £2,000 because they discovered there was no competition against them. Same for Scottish Television. Border Television bid £57,000 per annum even though they also went unopposed.
Meanwhile, Channel Television won by default with the lowest annual stipend allowed of £1,000, after their rivals, the CI3 Group (comprising, as rival groups tended to do, of former Channel Television staff) annual bid of £102,000 was disqualified after they failed to reach the ITC's "quality threshold".
A sad day for all ITV this marked the end of 1 of the best companies know to man. Made most of my favourite shows eg Rainbow, Minder, Bill, Sooty and The Sweeney and at the end of the video it was a Talent For Television. Carlton ruined it
agree, its not false nostalgia...The strong, if not world class regional element of the broadcasting was clear for all to see...
Carlton wanted to buy Thames in the mid 80's but the IBA wouldn't let them. So they only had to wait a few years later, got the London franchise on a bid they couldn't then pay for. Yet the ITC didn't once go in and threaten to revoke its licence because the network centre had come in. And of course all the Thames shows were still being pumped into the system. So they got away with it for the first few years. They should never have been awarded that contract on quality based on outsourcing their programmes to independent contractors. Richard Dunn was spot on the day he lost the franchise when he said "they had no track record to go upon and the bid was only based on paper promises". Not only was he spot on with his £33 million bid but nobody could foresee the appalling continuity and the programmes made were shoddy to say the least. Londoners must have been in shock as we were when ATV was taken off the air to be replaced the appalling presentation of Central that took three years to get right. But George Russell should be ashamed to see the mess he signed off on and then ITV employed him in a major position years later!!!!! It may have had something to do with the way everyone got fed up and bought a satellite dish and how nobody including those at ITV gives a damn about ITV anymore.
Robert Comer that's sad words but true..I grew.up in the late 1970s and 1980s..Thames was beyond superb...
Don’t forget Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends too!
Sounds like the 2nd half of 20th century fox sounder used in Fox World
Think I was soooooo upset that was unable to watch it live so was watching Channel 4 and the live Big Breakfast show that was on during the time. Did turned over to see what Carlton was about and was not impressed. Why Thames had to go? Damm you Thatcher!!!!!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Thatcher? The Prime Minister in 1992, was John Major.
It was Thatcher who caused the downfall of Thames, TVS, TSW & TV-AM. Look up the Broadcasting act 1990. Look up the demise of TV-AM and you will find a letter from Thatcher to Bruce Gyngel
The Broadcasting Act of 1990 just ruined ITV at its core, with all the deregulation and other stuff. I'm totally sure that if Thames and TVS (at least) never would've lost their franchises, at least the line would've changed, and there might've been a hope that ITV wouldn't become what it is today.
That damn Broadcasting Act ruined everything good of ITV. And then Granada and Carlton ate for lunch every other franchise and the rest is history. I'd love ITV more if it hadn't ended like that.
R.I.P, dear Thames. 1968-1992
Thatcher fucks up it again.
Thanks
Amazing to stil have this
Carlton were refused the south and south east on quality grounds so how can it be possible that they were good enough for London? I've never really understood that decision.
because it was never about quality or even cash: Maggie vowed to put Thames out of business, period. They could have bid three times the amount, they were screwed!
@@swannvictor1388 exactly, if they bid over Carlton, the itc would have probably pulled a TVS on them and said "they overbid"
Maggie wanted Thames out of business
Does anyone have the full Best of Thames 1992 film in its entirety including the ending?
A shocking lack of toons in this clip assemblage. Where are the Cosgrove Hall productions?
That's the sort of programming people don't remember Thames for
I was thinking the same thing too.Didn’t Thames distributed Danger Mouse?
Cosgrove Hall moved to Anglia.
I would love to see the great Thames TV back on the air... with all the digital channels I wonder if it would be possible to breakaway from freemantle and start again
Nope. You'd have to build the audience from almost scratch. Think X Factor generation. (I know "Thames" do X Factor, but the real Thames wouldn't touch that rubbish with a bargepole!)
RTL was the founder of Channel 5 in 1997 particularly since Thames was involved in this
...And this caused due a "Prime Minister" was questioned on a subject that was broadcasted in the current affairs programme THIS WEEK.
1:26 what show is that?
What peice of music is that at 0:01?
The Death On The Rock documentary was the final straw for the Tory Government and just the ammo they needed to get rid of Thames Television.
Now, THAT'S what I call pre-Carlton!
Classic British Television
Thanks to Carlton and ITC, Thames died and still continued on as a Production Company eventually becoming an Archive of the Television Network
Is that Patricia Hodge at 0:56?
Did they ever show Selwyn froggitt
I think that was made by Yorkshire TV.
Where was the clip from 1:41 from
What’s the name of the song?
The 1979 cover by The Tourists of Dusty Springfield's 1963 song "I Only Want To Be With You".
So sad. Can anyone remind me about Carlton and the so-called 'quality threshold' ?
I was truly pissed off when Thames Television was scrapped. I had grown up with Thames Television and London Weekend Television (LWT).
Even Carlton eventually got to a point where it became a good broadcaster. Look at the garbage we have these days, all one company, ITV no variation and no competition, the television programs are bloody awful with no imagination and no talent.
Thames Television was created in the 50's to compete with the BBC, yeah right, that happened. The BBC is still stealing money from your pocket when it should be made to advertise or become subscription based.
One of the worst things the Government of Margaret Thatcher ever did was the scrapping of the Thames franchise, the IBA and the introduction of The Broadcasting Act 1990 and the meddling of the bloody E.U in our country following European Council Directive (89/552).
Not long after this and certainly with the decade, Television went rapidly downhill. We started to see the prologue and epilogue format in every programme....and the general feeling programme makes thought we were stupid. Now its all about "entertainment", so much so that the art of television seems to have all but vanished.
They finished? Oh that passed me by
1:35 Mr. Bean!!!
No more Zippy Bungle and George after Thames went off air
Now Zippy, George, Bungle and Geoffrey Are Out on the Streets, Hungry, Thirsty, Cold and Homeless.
Eating from the Trash Cans in the Alley, Fending for Themselves, And Sleeping on the Dirty Hard Ground.
#BringBackRainbow!
Bungle and George maybe...
That Zippy was a bit of a pain in the a**!
Yes - I STILL don't like him 😤
Oh my god!!! I can't believe that Thames Television has its very last transmission & it's going to be replaced by Carlton Television? NO!!! Never EVER!!! I don't want Thames Television to die. I want it to continue its transmissions, FOREVER!!! I'll not let that happen for good.
So, from every year, from 1968, Thames Television is a ITV franchise & a weekday franchise from London, England. Also, it teamed up with an another ITV franchise & a weekend franchise which is also from London, England. It's called "LWT", also known as "London Weekend Television". LWT has the same transmissions like Thames Television.
Now, let Thames Television continue its transmissions, FOREVER & STOP IT, RIGHT FUCKING STUPID NOW!!!
F. Let's Start #MakeITVGreatAgain shall we?
Better TV back then.
From 25 years of quality television to pure trash, in the short time it took to perform the TX switch at Midnight!!
Bring back all itv regions except carlton
When British TV had Benny. Au revoir
Maggie "Milksnatcher" Thatcher hated the Death On The Rock documentary that Thames made as part of 'This Week' and she wanted to get rid of Thames.
😭💔😭💔😭💔
#ThamesTelevisionShallReturn
Thames Still exists as a production company
I was hoping the guy would end with So up yours Carlton.😂
I think this was quite deliberately orchestrated to change the very sense of agreeability that Thames Television had with its viewing audience, compared to Carlton which came along after.
You could watch Thames for hours and not feel repulsed enough to feel like turning over.
But Carlton, basically started off as virtually unwatchable.
The first time I watched it (New Year's Day 1993) absolutely made me feel ill.
The same with Channel 4, and that awful Big Breakfast b*llocks with the ginger git (please don't make me repeat his name).
My opinion on all of this has Never changed in almost 30 years.
Quite a long time to hold a senseless "grudge", don't you think?
IKR ? BTW, what did Zippy ever do to you ?
@@george-nu5nr oooh!
The ONE character from the old days of Thames I actually could've knocked out. 🤐🤛
Come to think of it, I don't actually remember him "zipping it" any time during the series. 🤔
A very sad day when this company lost its franchise. Carlton TV proved far worse a creator of programming.
I think that it was the beginning of the end of proper television from January 1st 1993 on, especially for ITV. In 1993, Thames, TVS and TSW were gone out the window, as well as TV-am. Things were not the best, but by 1998, when most of the independent ITV stations were merged into one basically, I spelled worse years ahead for ITV. 1998 saw the beginning of the end of individuality. By 2004, all ITV stations, except Scottish Television, Grampian Television and Ulster Television (UTV) were completely wiped of their regional identity. 2013 saw the stupid looking new logo come in. In late 2016, it was the end of UTV as a proper independent channel of it's own, as ITV bought out UTV, so even though UTV still has its name, the logo has being turned into the stupid logo that ITV has now, the U instead of an I. STV is the only independent channel left (Grampian and STV were merged together). They too will probably be taken over sometime also. It just goes to show how everything has to be the same these days. I hate nowadays.
At the End of the day, it's all down to money, Richard Dunn bid for what he thought was worth for the franchise whilst having to pay staff and production team. Even if Thames Television had won the franchise, it would have made no differents, We would still have had the Single ITV that was compose up on us in laters years, With Granada buying out Thames LWT, whilst swallowing up Central TVS or Meridian Anglia Channel TSW or Westcountry as it called.
@@scottpeacock5492 It's a real shame to think that television had gone down so bad in the space of 20 years. I live in Ireland and the telly has gotten worse than ever. The main broadcaster RTE gets money from a television licence from everyone and they are getting advertising revenue on top of that (it can be up to 5 to 6 minutes of adverts in between programmes and during programmes), and the only things they put on is lifestyle programmes about health, the environment or how 'great' our government is, violent drama's, and chat shows like the Late Late Show (it was great up until 1999 when Gay Byrne left the programme) with the driest people you will ever meet, talking about the same things as I said for lifestyle programmes. They only have one comedy programme and it's not even funny, because all they do is make a joke out of anyone who lived in Ireland in the 80's and make them out to be complete retards altogether, which is wrong. The only breakfast show on television on TV3 called Ireland AM, is complete rubbish. The newsreaders are angry looking, the presenters now are always talking about their children and how hard done by they are, and even when the news is finished for the hour, the presenters will keep talking about the news, and the bad bits of news at that. TV3 are the same as RTE. They rarely show old programmes, both import UK programmes or even our own old programmes like Glenroe, Hall's Pictorial Weekly and The Riordans, probably because they don't want people to realise how bad their programmes are nowadays. Only for us having SKY television, we would never watch the television, because Irish television is unwatchable.
@@europa2000man Can you see British television in Ireland I wonder?? I have not been there at all, but I have often wondered if that is the case??
@@brucedanton3669 Yes. You can get most of the British channels on Sky, free satellite, cable services and overspills from Northern Ireland or Wales (maybe not so much the case now since digital is not as easy to receive as analogue was). Before RTE began television (Ireland's main broadcaster) in 1961, some people were able to receive the BBC and some ITV channels, especially along the east coast of Ireland. Some sources claim that Ireland could receive television as early as 1949 from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter in the British Midlands.
thames should've never losts its life and maybe I will time travel to 1991 to prevent them.
great tv... just so much better than todays offer of tripe and biased crap
Only down voted it cos Thames had to finish 🤬 one of the worst decisions ever