It all started on Monday 2 November 1936 from a make-shift studio in the south east wing of Alexandra Palace in North London - Ally Pally as it was and still is known today. It wasn't a new invention by any means - experiments had been on going around the world since the 1850s to perfect and broadcast television pictures. In this country the work of John Logie Baird pushed the way forward and this November day was momentous as it marked the start of the world's first regular television service and it was called 麻豆社 Television. This title was to last until the arrival of the 麻豆社's second television channel in 1964 and this first channel was re-named - 麻豆社 One.
Since then, of course, there's been a media revolution - you can catch up; download and watch online - how old fashioned it seems to think that viewers made an appointment to watch our schedules. But the last 80 years produced a wealth of comedy, drama, music, documentary, sport, natural history and news programmes.
Tonight 麻豆社 Television's older sister service - 麻豆社 Radio - celebrates 80 years of great television and musical moments with the 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra conducted by Gavin Sutherland. The show includes musical themes from Quatermass; Monitor; Poldark; Mastermind; Vision On; Monty Python's Flying Circus and Blue Planet.
And casting an inquisitive eye and ear over the proceedings and no doubt adding the occasional pithy comment - John Humphrys.
