ABC TV’s First Day in SA

It is the evening of Friday 11 March 1960. It’s been a fine and mild day with a maximum of 74 degrees Fahrenheit in Adelaide[1] (that’s 23 degrees C to we children of the metric age) and as the evening grows cool after dinner why not settle in front of the television to watch the opening broadcast of ABS 2. Television is barely six months old in South Australia and the arrival of ABC TV brings the capital city’s number of channels to an astounding three! But what can ABS 2 offer to lure viewers from its commercial competitors?

At 7pm the official launch of the channel begins with the Vice-Chairman of the ABC, Mr Dawes, introducing the Post-Master General, Mr Davidson. Then Sir Thomas Playford, the Premier of South Australia, and the Leader of the Opposition, Mr O’Halloran, put all political rivalries aside to usher in a new exciting era for SA television. At 7.20 it’s the News and Weather before the real fun starts at 7.32 with The Phil Silvers Show – New Recruits! Referred to in The Chronicle as ‘one of the most popular TV programmes on Australian TV’ this was the premiere episode of the long running American army sit-com that most people will remember as Sgt Bilko.

Next up at 8pm, in a whiplash inducing change of pace, came Portraits of Power – Khruschev. Portraits of Power was a BBC produced documentary series that ran for 2 seasons from 1957 with 9 episodes in total.[2] This episode on the then Russian leader was first broadcast in the UK in 1958 and was hosted by writer and actor Robert McKensie.

At 8.30 it’s back to fun with the Western adventure series, Tales of Wells Fargo, and an episode titled ‘Alder Gulch’. Cowboy shows were the prime audience pullers in Australia in the late 1950s and early 60s. Between the two commercial channels no less than six different Western themed shows were broadcast on that same Friday night. Before the launch of the channel, ABC General Manager Charles Moses stated that “although the ABC does not follow the prevailing enthusiasm for Westerns, we do have a programme of that type, Wells Fargo. According to reliable New York ratings Wells Fargo is one of the best.[3]”

A half hour of music and dance followed at 9pm with Make Ours Music. Produced in the ABC’s Sydney studios this variety show ran from 1958 to 1961[4]. Tonight’s episode featured a number of vocalists, the ABC Augmented String Orchestra, the ABC Streamline Band, and let’s not forget the Channel 2 Dancers!

Drama started at 9.30pm with an episode of the popular BBC courtroom series, Boyd QC[5]. Starring Michael Denison as Richard Boyd, the first episode ever aired in SA was listed in The Chronicle as ‘Late Night Alibi’. More than likely this was in fact ‘The Final Night Alibi’, the fifth episode of the first season of the show. This particular outing for Boyd, along with the vast majority of Boyd QC’s 84 produced episodes, is sadly believed to be lost.

A live broadcast concert began at 10pm with Music Room. The host, Alan Hodgson, introduced seven short pieces performed by a baritone singer, a violin and piano. All wrapped up in just 20 minutes Music Room ended and was followed by a presumably locally produced ten-minute piece on the history of South Australia’s capital and its architecture, Adelaide Advances.

The night ended with the Australian entry into the prestigious Italia Prize. The Prix Italia[6] was established by RAI international in 1948 for international radio productions but by 1960 had been expanded to include international television documentaries. The half hour program produced by filmmaker Maslyn Williams[7] dealt with progress in New Guinea towards self-government. Sadly, The Chronicle listing chose to describe Growing up with Guba as ‘the story of the primitive man in New Guinea…’ – for modern readers a somewhat inauspicious way to conclude the catalogue of SA’s very first evening of ABC television.

Close of transmission came at 11pm on ABC TV’s first day. And ‘Yes’, you young whipper snappers, back in the day TV channels actually closed down overnight! Shocking, I know.

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