The history of television

To celebrate television through the decades ADS Digital brings us a history of the highlights from 1950 through to present day. It's a journey that takes us from early black and white images to the vibrant high definition shows we watch today.

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The Fifties

1953 saw the birth of a show which is still going strong as 'Panorama' is the longest running current affairs programme in the world. Two of its most renowned presenters were Richard Dimbleby in the 1950s and 60s and his son David, who followed from the 1970s onwards. 'Panorama' has entertained, informed and even fooled us with its spaghetti trees in April 1957.

A new channel also came into being in the same decade with the launch of ITV. In 1958 we all stocked up on supplies of sticky-back plastic as 'Blue Peter' first appeared and would go on to be the longest running kids' programme in the world. The grandchildren of the very first viewers now watch it every week, quite an achievement.

The Sixties

The swinging sixties brought with it a new soap opera, 'Coronation Street', which has carried on tackling a diverse range of issues right up to present day.

1967 saw the first edition of ITV's 'News at 10'. It was only meant to run for 13 weeks but it went on to become a national institution, featuring many of the most well-known newsreaders including Alastair Burnet, Anna Ford and Trevor McDonald.

The 1960s also saw a change in the advertising laws when a ban came into force on cigarette advertising. 1969 saw Neil Armstrong walk on the moon, and the whole world was captivated by the coverage for 9 days in July. It truly did seem like the future had arrived.

The Seventies

Michael Parkinson launched his eponymous chat show in 1971 and over the years he would interview many of the most famous people in the world. Unfortunately, despite all the star guests, the most repeated clip remains to this day the battle he had with a certain emu.

Basil, Sybil, Manuel and Polly were instantly recognisable characters from a fictional hotel in Torquay, when John Cleese brought his eccentric and highly charged hotel manager to life in 1975. There would only ever be 12 episodes aired of 'Fawlty Towers', but it still remains one of the most loved British comedies.

The Eighties

1981 saw a royal wedding when Prince Charles and Lady Diana married in St. Paul's Cathedral. The wedding dress was one of the most highly anticipated ever, and over 750 million people around the world tuned in to catch their first glimpse of the bride.

Richard Whiteley fronted the first every programme on Channel 4 in 1982 and continued to host 'Countdown' for over 20 years, ably assisted by Carol Vorderman.

The first series of 'Blackadder' appeared in 1983 and was set in the 15th Century. Edmund Blackadder then went through three more iterations ending his days in the First World War, when Blackadder went forth.

The Nineties

Chris Evans exploded onto our screens, with his boundless energy, launching 'The Big Breakfast', alongside Gaby Roslin, in 1992. The same decade saw Chris Tarrant invite us to try to become millionaires. We were all captivated by the show and it reached its highest viewing figures in 1999, when 19 million people tuned in, an astounding third of the viewing population.

The 21st Century

Reality TV brought 'Big Brother' to the UK in 2000 and it has continued to be popular, even launching its own celebrity spin-off. In 2001 we were transported to Wernham Hogg Paper Company in Slough and we watched in mock horror as the mockumentary about David Brent and his team in 'The Office' unfolded before us.

2006 saw the launch of HD broadcasts in the UK with increasing numbers of programmes broadcast in this format year on year.

2010 Onwards

The present decade has seen a change in the way we now view television. We no longer gather around the television, watching a programme as a family, at a set time. Increasing numbers of people now watch from digital devices, including mobiles and tablets and in 2012, TV on demand was introduced when Netflix was launched.

The next few years will be an interesting time for television and while many of our favourite programmes will remain, it's a sure thing that they will be watched in a very different way.