The Evolution of Television

Television had launched in competition between two rival systems in adjoining studios, the Baird Company and Marconi-EMI. Intrinsic flaws in the complicated Baird system appeared early on.

Marconi-EMI continued to refine their electric Emitron camera system and by February 1937 they had won the competition. Flexibility from the light weight cameras allowed for programming experiments.

Ballet was an early success as visual performance had not worked on radio. Margot Fonteyn regularly danced at the Alexandra Palace studios. The Vic Wells and De Basil Ballet companies also appeared.

Producers experimented with what worked on the new medium and scouted for talent across London. Cabaret shows from the West End were often brought up to the Palace studios.

Experimenting with and refining the cameras began to create a visual language for television which was distinct from the theatrical stage or film.

A huge range of artists and performances were tried out in the studios.

Next wire trailed across the terrace took cameras outside. After golf and racing, an early success was the gardening programme, presented by Mr Middleton from a dedicated garden in the grounds.

The potential of television had been proven and already the BBC began looking for ways to expand the studio space. Plans were drawn up to turn the former Theatre into a third television studio.

The studios were closed and the staff reallocated. Alexandra Palace once again became a site for refugees arriving from the continent, and in 1940 a staging area for troops returning from Dunkirk.

Many television engineers were reassigned to work on radar, with its similar technology. The transmitter mast itself was used to jam the Luftwaffe navigation signal during the Blitz.

As the Second World War drew men to wartime posts, women were able to take on greater roles. From June 1941 eight hundred women trained as BBC engineers with many based at Alexandra Palace post-war.

Following opening speeches the first programme was the Mickey Mouse cartoon shown as television closed. Programming restarted in the cabaret and variety format as pre-war but quickly developed.

In 1948 telerecording was able to record the television image onto film successfully for the first time. It allowed live television programmes to be repeated without having to restage the production.

Britain had pioneered television but the technology had spread around the world, and in 1950 the first successful cross-channel broadcast was achieved with Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF).

An early devotee of television, pioneering producer Grace Wyndham Goldie revolutionised the electoral process in 1950 by broadcasting results in real time, as they came in. The public learned the results at the same time as the politicians: "The privilege of the few had once again been extended to the many.” A hugely influential producer, she went on to create the current affairs television programme. Her thoughts on witnessing early tests in 1936 proved accurate: "the whole thing was terrible, the reception was awful and I was convinced this was going to become one of the most influential things that had ever been created”..

The 1950 election broadcast ran until 2:13 am. The large maps, panel of experts and 'swingometer' for showing results are still used in election broadcasts today.

In the studio, presenter Sylvia Peters followed the route of the Coronation procession. On location commentary was provided by Richard Dimbleby, and cameras were allowed into Westminster Abbey.

The invention of the zoom lens allowed for close-up images of the ceremony. At Alexandra Palace the event was filmed from three television screens.

The footage was then flown by helicopter from the Park to Heathrow, where a specially adapted plane processed the footage en route for broadcast in Canada and the United States.

By 1954 the television service had outgrown the studios at Alexandra Palace. Journey's End was the last drama before production moved out to Lime Grove and still under construction Television Centre.

Kenneth Kendell became the first onscreen news reporter in 1955. Development of remote control cameras allowed greater control over programmes and paved the way for crew less news studios used today.

Breaking news came in from around the world. Images and reports were faxed to the studios and a fleet of outside broadcast vehicles were poised for local current events.

Breaking news stories were called in to the studios by correspondents, including the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963.

Having experimented for over a decade, colour television finally launched in the UK at Wimbledon in 1967. Advancing from early trials it opened on the new higher definition system, PAL.

Every major world event passed through the studios. Footage was sent to labs at Alexandra Palace for developing and viewing. Here staff are preparing to view footage direct from conflict in Vietnam.

When the BBC News service moved to Television Centre in 1969 it looked like the television service from Alexandra Palace was over, however a pioneering new use of the medium was conceived...

The first students enrolled in 1971 and the studios were reopened to create course content. Lecturers and experts were brought in to discuss a wide range of subjects.

Programmes accompanied course materials sent through the post, allowing students to study at home. The invention of home video recording allowed students to record programmes for later viewing.

The first graduation ceremony was held in the Great Hall at Alexandra Palace. The partnership between the BBC and OU rethought how television as a medium could be used.

Alexandra Palace continues to broadcast live sporting events, hosting the annual PDC World Darts Championships and the Masters Snooker.

And television has paved the way for streaming, with content hosted on YouTube. In 2016 Alexandra Palace worked with Apple Music to live stream Skepta, continuing the evolution of what television is.