New UTV Series Celebrates Broadcaster’s 50th Anniversary
27 Oct 2009 :
Tweet This Halloween marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of UTV. The station began broadcasting at 4.45pm on 31 October 1959 and was introduced to the Northern Ireland viewing public by Sir Laurence Olivier saying: “It is my privilege, my rare privilege; in fact it is my unique privilege to be the first person to appear before you on Ulster Television.” In a series of six half hour programmes personalities who have appeared on UTV over the past 50 years will look back at the events and experiences that helped to shape their careers with UTV and beyond. In addition audiences will hear from two prominent viewers and occasional participants in UTV programmes, Rev Dr. Ian Paisley and President Mary McAleese. Michael Wilson, Managing Director of UTV Television says; “The past 50 years have seen a lot of changes within the television industry which has seen UTV grow from television to radio, new media and beyond. I am delighted that we continue to entertain and inform our audiences and remain by far the most watched channel in Northern Ireland. This special series demonstrates just how far television has changed from the black and white days. In this series we will see many familiar faces that started out at UTV and have gone on to national fame. This promises to be a nostalgic look back at the last five decades in Northern Ireland which has something for viewers of all ages.” The series will feature musings from familiar faces such as Eamonn Holmes, Gloria Hunniford, Gerry Kelly, Jackie Fullerton, Gordon Burns, Leslie Dawes, David Dunseith, Helen Madden amongst others alongside two of the original six presenters from 1959, Adrienne Catherwood and James Greene. Archive footage from the past 50 years is used alongside present day interviews with the people both in front of camera and behind the scenes that helped make UTV the most watched channel in Northern Ireland. The series, narrated by Denis Tuohy (Killinaskully), will tell the story of UTV from A to Z including C for Commercials, E for Early Days, G for Good Evening Ulster, K for the Kelly Show, O for Opening Night and T for The Troubles will start on Saturday, October 31st. The ‘UTV at 50’ series will start on UTV on Saturday 31 October at 7pm and the first programme will travel from A to D explaining how the six young faces who fronted the station’s first programmes were chosen, how one of those six became ‘Miss Adrienne’ of ‘Romper Room’ and how a future Lord of the theatre world introduced the station to the viewing public. Free Industry Newsletter Subscribe to IFTN's industry newsletter - it's free and e-mailed directly to your inbox every week. Click here to sign up.

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