BBC Election Night (lost coverage of British general elections; 1950-1951)

The studio during the 1951 coverage.

Status: Lost

Since 1950, the BBC's live television coverage of election results have been a staple of British political coverage. Beginning with the 1950 general election, held on February 23rd, the BBC has provided live coverage of all general elections, announcing results as they have come in and providing commentary.

Prior to 1950, the BBC had provided coverage of elections over the radio, beginning with the 1922 general election. In 1950, four years after the BBC had resumed television coverage after the war, Head of Talks and Current Affairs Grace Wyndham Goldie convinced the BBC to provide television coverage of the upcoming general election, the first to be held since the resumption of television in Britain. The programme, aired after the close of polls, was hosted by Chester Wilmot (an Australian broadcaster then working at the BBC) with analysis provided by David Butler (a psephologist who would contribute to the BBC's election results programmes until 1979), assisted by Creighton Burns and Harry Field. In contrast to slicker modern election results programmes, the programme was "cobbled together in barely a month" - however, it drew acclaim from contemporary critics. The success of the experiment led the BBC to host another programme when an election was called the next year on October 25th. Commentary was provided in studio by Butler, Graham Hutton, and psephologist H.G. Nicholas, with live coverage provided in three locations (Birmingham, Salford and Fulham) - the commentator for Salford, Richard Dimbleby, would later host the programme until 1964.

The BBC holds full copies of its elections coverage from 1955 onwards, occasionally re-airing them on BBC Parliament. However, no copies of the 1950 and 1951 election programmes exist. Visual impressions of the set can be found in newsreel footage and images taken on set, however, it is highly unlikely that full copies were ever recorded by the BBC or by home viewers.

See Also

Early BBC Television

• Alexandra Palace's wartime television demonstrations (lost footage of private television transmissions; 1943, 1945)
• An Inspector Calls (lost television adaptation of play; 1948)
• Ann and Harold (lost early BBC drama television series; 1938)
• The Care of Your Car (lost early BBC motoring show; 1947)
• Cook's Night Out (lost early BBC cooking show; 1937)
• Craftsmen at Work (lost early BBC documentary show; 1938, 1946)
• Dish of the Month (lost early BBC cooking show; 1937)
• First Aid (lost early BBC medical show; 1937)
• Foundations of Cookery (lost early BBC cooking show; 1939)
• Marcel Boulestin television shorts (lost early BBC programs; 1937-1939)
• Masks through the Ages (lost early BBC history talk show; 1937)
• Opening of the BBC Television Service (partially found coverage of inaugural day of high-definition television service; 1936)
• The Orchestra and its Instruments (lost early BBC music talk show; 1937)
• RCA recording of BBC Television Service (found footage of pre-Second World War BBC television broadcast; 1938)
• Sea Stories (lost early BBC talk show; 1936-1937)
• Spelling Bee (lost early BBC game show; 1938)
• Telecrime (lost early BBC crime drama; 1938-1939; 1946)
• The Wasp's Nest (lost early BBC television adaptation of Agatha Christie short story; 1937)
• Weaponless Self-Defence (lost early ju-jitsu television program; 1936-1937)
• The World of Women (lost early BBC talk show; 1937)

Early BBC Sports Television

• 1931 Epsom Derby (lost televised footage of horse racing event; 1931)
• 1937 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1937)
• 1937 International Imperial Trophy Race (lost footage of motor race; 1937)
• 1937 Wimbledon Championships (partially found footage of tennis tournament; 1937)
• 1938 Ashes Series (partially found footage of international test cricket match; 1938)
• 1938 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1938)
• 1939 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1939)
• 1947 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1947)
• 1953 British Grand Prix (partially found footage of Formula One race; 1953)
• 1955 Scottish Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1955)
• Archery (lost early televised toxophily; 1937-1938)
• Arsenal 7-1 Hibernian (lost footage of charity football match; 1952)
• Arsenal vs Arsenal Reserves (lost footage of early BBC televised football match; 1937)
• Barnet 3-2 Wealdstone (lost footage of Athenian League football match; 1946)
• The Boat Race 1938 (partially found footage of rowing race; 1938)
• Catch-As-Catch-Can Wrestling (lost early BBC televised professional wrestling matches; 1938-1939; 1946-1947)
• Charlton Athletic 1-0 Blackburn Rovers (lost footage of FA Cup match; 1947)
• Darts and Shove Ha'penny (lost early BBC televised darts matches; 1936-1939)
• England 0-1 Scotland (partially found international football match; 1938)
• England 1-1 Scotland (partially found footage of international football match; 1947)
• England 16-21 Scotland (partially found footage of rugby match; 1938)
• England 3-0 France (partially found footage of international football match; 1947)
• England 3-0 Rest of Europe (partially found footage of international football match; 1938)
• Falkirk 3-2 Newcastle United (lost footage of football match; 1953)
• Horace Lindrum vs Willie Smith (lost footage of televised snooker; 1937)
• Scottish Universities 1-1 English Universities (lost footage of international football match; 1952)
• Woods and Jack (lost early televised lawn bowls; 1937; 1946)