TV resources at the bfi National Library

The bfi National Library has been collecting materials relating to television at least since the 1960s, and as is also the case with film, the Library acquires retrospectively as well as currently. Thus, there are extensive resources in the collections that encompass the full range of British TV history. In addition, particularly as so many of our TV programmes are imported, there is substantial coverage of other TV, particularly American.

Here you will find everything from an academic critical study of The Avengers to a tie-in souvenir of Thank Your Lucky Stars, from an exhaustive inventory of the locations used in Doctor Who episodes to the published script of Cathy Come Home. The earliest TV related journal in the Library dates from 1928 (well before the earliest official broadcasts under any system), and is titled simply Television. The Radio Times is complete from 1937 (it was already well-established by then, but covered only radio) on microfilm or microfiche, and the TV Times from 1955. So is the celebrated US listings magazine, TV Guide from 1953 (not to be confused with several other periodicals with the same name, also in stock, including a Scottish ITV paper which ran in the late 1950s, or a more modern British magazine from the late 1980s). There are television journals in other languages, with substantial runs of the German Film und fernsehen and the French Telerama.

Cultural diversity in television literature is perhaps as thin on the ground as it is in broadcast television itself, but Black Film Bulletin covers television as well as film and Black Media Journal has joined it since last year. Also in stock, with significant coverage in this area are The Voice and Eastern Eye, while Asian Age is clipped for inclusion in our title and personality microfiche series.

On the subject of microfiche, there is a range of lesser known, but potentially immensely valuable resources, such as: BBC Drama Catalogue 1936-1975: a set of microfiche with author and title listings of transmitted drama and features, with a chronological list of transmitted plays; BBC Programme Index 1976-1981: a comprehensive index to broadcast programmes (including radio), with a range of indexes, including title, contributor and subject; Granada TV Drama Index 1956-1976: a detailed index, providing dates, cast and credits.

The BID database indexes British TV output (which, of course, means including plenty of American and, increasingly, Australian content). Although the Library didn't begin to index television seriously until the 1970s, the retrospective policy has ensured that there is at least selective coverage of output before this date, even including entries for magazine programmes and dramas from the 1930s.

In short, the bfi National Library offers resources for all television information needs from A-level study to industry research queries.

A Level/16+ source guides

These guides provide starting points for individual research, focussing on both written and audiovisual materials. Topics covered include tv soaps and Eastenders. Some are available to download in Acrobat PDF format.

Bibliographies

These annotated bibliographies concentrate on materials available through the bfi National Library. Topics covered include Women in tv and the mass media, and Black representation in cinema and television. Most are available to download in Acrobat PDF format.

Information services

The Information telephone service can be used to find the answers to short enquiries about both television and film.