The Birth of Channel Four

To celebrate Channel 4’s quarter century of innovation and controversy, the Mediatheque went back to Day 1 – Tuesday 2nd November 1982 - to see how things got started. So, join us in our time machine to an era before Big Brother.

4.45pm - Opening Montage + Countdown
5.15pm - Preview 4
5.30pm - The Body Show
6pm - People's Court (not available)
6.30pm - Book Four
7pm - Channel Four News (not available)
8pm - Brookside
8.30pm - The Paul Hogan Show (not available)
9pm - Film on Four: Walter
10.15pm - The Comic Strip Presents... Five Go Mad in Dorset
10.45pm - In the Pink

NB Due to a strike by the actors' union, Channel Four was unable to include any commercials during its first day of broadcast.

Steve Bryant
Senior Curator (Television), BFI National Archive

View All collections.