ABC Weekend Television.

[rambo1152]

The Rediffusion name and Adastral Star logo were associated (see what I did there?) with aircraft pilot training simulators for a while.

[G6Tanuki]

Yes, Rediffusion's parent business [BET - British Electric Traction - who also made/operated trams!] owned a company which made flight-simulators and a whole range of aviation/land-mobile-radio gear sold under the "Redifon" brand-name.

https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Redifon

I've got an ex-military Redifon HF antenna-tuner here.

[Junk Box Nick]

Originally Posted by red16v

ABC ... ... also made ‘The Avengers’ - originally from Didsbury. ABC and ATV shared a local transmission centre at Aston in Birmingham.

Coincidences! My copy of The Oldie dropped through my letterbox this week and in the opening notes it reminds readers that 'Sixty years ago on 7th January 1961, ABC Television premiered their latest drama show.' Apparently, The Avengers was devised for 'up-and-coming' actor Ian Hendry who played a doctor pursuing his wife's murderers. Patrick Macnee was introduced as a CIA type man - so initially Steed wasn't the central character and only became leading man in 1962 to be partnered by Honor Blackman. According to the piece only three complete episodes of the original series survive.

All outside of my experience - we still had just a single channel BBC set at that time. I only remember the Diana Rigg era.

Originally Posted by red16v

I think I’m right in saying Public Eye was initially produced in and around Birmingham as ABC had an OB unit(s) based there together with studio facilities at Aston. Post 1968 when Thames was producing the programme it was based in Brighton, then the Windsor area - again for practical production reasons.

I don't remember the Brighton location at all but certainly the Windsor one. I seem to remember Marker operating out of a shop type office featuring shelves with lines of telephone directories.

[red16v]

Originally Posted by Junk Box Nick

Coincidences! My copy of The Oldie dropped through my letterbox this week and in the opening notes it reminds readers that 'Sixty years ago on 7th January 1961, ABC Television premiered their latest drama show.' Apparently, The Avengers was devised for 'up-and-coming' actor Ian Hendry who played a doctor pursuing his wife's murderers. Patrick Macnee was introduced as a CIA type man - so initially Steed wasn't the central character and only became leading man in 1962 to be partnered by Honor Blackman. According to the piece only three complete episodes of the original series survive.

All outside of my experience - we still had just a single channel BBC set at that time. I only remember the Diana Rigg era.

I don't remember the Brighton location at all but certainly the Windsor one. I seem to remember Marker operating out of a shop type office featuring shelves with lines of telephone directories.

I believe the Avengers was originally titled ‘Police Surgeon’ and was transmitted as a live studio transmission from ABC’s studio centre at Didsbury. This may explain why so few episodes of that series exist. Ian Hendry decided not to go forward with the programme and so its central casting was altered along the popular lines we know as ‘The Avengers’ with the Steed character brought to the fore.

Thames’ first series of Marker was set in Brighton after he has been released from a local prison and where his landlady (Mrs Mortimer) was introduced. Subsequent series were set in the Windsor area and indeed his office there was a somewhat threadbare shabby affair sparsely furnished. A series well worth catching on TPTV some time in the future.

[Junk Box Nick]

Originally Posted by red16v

Thames’ first series of Marker was set in Brighton after he has been released from a local prison and where his landlady (Mrs Mortimer) was introduced. Subsequent series were set in the Windsor area and indeed his office there was a somewhat threadbare shabby affair sparsely furnished. A series well worth catching on TPTV some time in the future.

Thanks! Falling into place. I remember the storyline (or at least I remember my dad, who was a fan, filling me in) about him ending up in jail, some sort of frame-up I think, when a new series started. The Avengers wasn't popular in our house – the more gritty dramas were preferred. Callan was another one favoured.

I always remember Didsbury (or Diddlesbury as he sometimes referred to it) from Hughie Green’s Opportunity Knocks so I guess this was ABC too though I know it originated on Radio Luxembourg.

[rambo1152]

"Op Knocks" started on the Light Programme in 1949 before transferring to Luxy, according to Wikipedia.

Its TV debut was by Associated Rediffusion before going to ABC.

[red16v]

Originally Posted by Junk Box Nick

Thanks! Falling into place. I remember the storyline (or at least I remember my dad, who was a fan, filling me in) about him ending up in jail, some sort of frame-up I think, when a new series started. The Avengers wasn't popular in our house – the more gritty dramas were preferred. Callan was another one favoured.

I always remember Didsbury (or Diddlesbury as he sometimes referred to it) from Hughie Green’s Opportunity Knocks so I guess this was ABC too though I know it originated on Radio Luxembourg.

Ken Dodd frequented ABC’s studios in Didsbury, would it be too much to suggest he may well have started calling it Diddlesbury? He certainly became friends with David Hamilton who was one of the in-vision continuity announcers at Didsbury and coined DH’s well known moniker - ‘Diddie’ David Hamilton.

[ms660]

I don't think Diddlesbury is credited to TV celebs. it had long been called that so far as I can recall, my abiding memory of Didsbury is Palatine Road, Barlow Moor Road and the Swinging Door cafe where we sometimes used to hang out.

Lawrence.

[Andrew2]

This is the one I remember.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0xjTvZ4C-w

1 min 10 secs in.

[raditechman]

ABC television was also part of ABC cinemas and as studio space was scarce they used some of their closed down cinemas for studio space. I remember the old Regal (ABC) cinema in Twickenham having a board in the foyer with rehearsal times for Armchair Theatre.

John

[rambo1152]

Just watching "Midsomer Murders" on ITV 2 now.

The episode is called "Judgement Day". It begins with a flashback to the early 1960s and in establishing that, we see a console B&W TV showing the ABC animated ident with sound, followed by the beginning of what I am sure was "No Hiding Place" (mute) but had the title graphic "Casebook" overlaid.
(No Hiding Place was a Rediffusion production)

[rambo1152]

I found the show on dailymotion
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6ms1ij
The police show titles weren't mute as I stated, I now think the footage and music were intended to be in the style of No Hiding Place, but were not from the actual show.
Also I think it's supposed to be the 50s not the 60s.

TV CRT looks far too modern!

[bobsterkent]

The picture looks more like the start of the film 'the long arm' with Jack Hawkins. meanwhile for anyone interested in the whole ITV 'Network (Including WWN which lasted 2 years) might like to look at Transdiffusion. Its frequently updated https://www.transdiffusion.org