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England and the
English Midlands and was one of the so-called "Big Four" companies that between them produced most of the ITV networked programmes. Thomas invited Tesler to become ABC's Supervisor of Features and Light Entertainment. Thomas offered him a "free hand" answerable only to him. Tesler was wary of becoming a programme executive at this point in his career, feeling that for the time being he wanted to stay as a producer. "I would miss the sheer fun of it," he wrote later, "the thrilling danger of a live production; the exhilaration of seeing something come off ... live, on air." Thomas persisted, however, and Tesler, having been shown ABC's state-of-the-art new production studios at
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700:. Tesler was given the task of devising a television version of Cotton's long-running Sunday lunchtime BBC Radio show. As a music hall devotee and avid radio listener, Tesler knew Cotton's act well and knew what would work. He brought in a comedy scriptwriter, engaged guest artistes for comedy routines with Cotton and the band, and even persuaded the portly 60-year-old Cotton to join in dance routines with a line of female dancers,
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721:(ATV), that Tesler, "one of television's top producers", would join the staff of ATV on 1 January 1957. As Tesler's BBC contract was drawing to a close at the end of 1956 he was offered a further two years, but the BBC refused to increase his pay, saying, as later reported by Tesler, "working for the BBC is reward enough". Discovering that a disappointed Tesler might be available, Parnell and his deputy,
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815:'s premier variety theatre. It was first broadcast in September 1955 so had been running for two seasons by the time Tesler took it over and in that time only 4 editions had failed to make the Top 10 of British television's most popular programmes. In its heyday 28-million viewers watched it, at that time nearly half the population of the United Kingdom. The comedian
725:, offered Tesler double his BBC salary for three years with an annual expenses-paid trip to New York to study US television thrown in. His views on commercial television expressed two years previously had changed. "Personally I think that this is the right time for me, having enjoyed the privileges of BBC television," he told
857:, who caught Parnell’s attention. Tesler and Parnell knew immediately that in Forsyth they had found their new Palladium compère. After a couple of successful tryouts on the Sunday shows Forsyth was engaged full-time to replace Trinder for the 1958-59 season. Within weeks audience figures rose to over 14 million households.
319:(born 19 February 1929) is a retired British television entertainment producer and senior executive. His career encompassed British television's post-war evolution from a single-channel BBC to the arrival of multiple terrestrial, satellite and cable channels in the 1990s. After experience in radio presentation with the
525:. This, however, was "a resounding flop", as Tesler wrote later. It was cancelled after only three shows. Despite this failure Tesler was put in charge of the Light Entertainment Department's output of panel games, both finding and producing or supervising them, which he proceeded to do by introducing
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degree in
English was something to which he could aspire. Another teacher, responsible for the school’s drama projects, encouraged Tesler’s growing interest in the theatre by casting him prominently and successfully in school plays. Tesler won a scholarship for a university place to be taken up after
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to star in it. Parnell tried to veto the choice as he and
Henderson had fallen out. Tesler, however, had a clause in his contract that allowed him the power to cast his own programmes. He insisted on Henderson being the star and Parnell was forced to allow it. The show was so popular and Henderson's
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Resolving to become a freelance producer, Tesler lined up contracts with both ATV and the BBC at the beginning of 1960, but before they could begin he was approached by Howard Thomas, the managing director of ABC Weekend TV. ABC held the commercial television franchises for weekends in the North of
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In
January 1955, after two years under contract to BBC Television, Tesler signed with the BBC for a further two years. His new contract barred him from working for any of the new commercial television stations being set up to launch Independent Television (ITV) in Britain. Tesler later wrote in his
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in Autumn 1949 to read
English Literature and Language. After three years during which there was some concern from his tutors that he was spending more time with show business activities than his studies, he graduated in 1952 with a First Class Honours Degree, with the highest marks in his year, in
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had always been the compère of the show, but Tesler considered him "old hat" and wanted to replace him. Despite the viewing figures, Tesler also thought the show "had become routine, its novelty and glamour ... fading". To enliven the show
Parnell agreed to let Tesler bring in the precision dance
591:, a series also written by Muir and Nordern, featuring the Australian comic actor Dick Bentley with Peter Sellers and Bill Fraser, was regarded as a flop, but showed Tesler had increasing confidence in comedy direction and confirmed to him the value of a live studio audience.
800:. This series of entertainment specials, which ran from November 1956 to March 1961 (though in the last year or so without Tesler as he left ATV at the end of 1959) performed well for audience appreciation, occasionally making it into that week's ten most-watched programmes.
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Tesler quickly gained in experience and while continuing to produce panel games he worked his way upwards at the BBC, developing and producing larger and more significant shows. He produced a pilot show for a possible new series written by the radio writers
636:'s light music orchestra was of symphonic size but Tesler was able to use all the television techniques then at his disposal to convert what would otherwise be essentially a radio programme into a television show spectacular. The television spectacle of
669:, Tesler invented British television's first "sentimental" request show in which viewers could have their wishes come true. Pickles wanted to expand into television and to do that Tesler devised a new show. "Wilfred Pickles invites you to
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autobiography that "the idea of working in the cut-throat commercial world was repugnant," and that he felt his future at the BBC held plenty of attractive production prospects. At the time he was in the middle of the first season of
729:, "to go out into the cut-and-thrust of commercial tv." ATV held the major ITV contracts for the weekends in London and weekdays in the English Midlands and was eager to transmit a lot of light entertainment, Tesler's speciality.
831:. Tesler took the opportunity to engage various compères to take his place temporarily in order to pick the best of them to take over in autumn 1958 when Trinder’s contract would not be renewed. He tried out Dickie Henderson,
1098:, published in 2016, is an in-depth account of his professional career as a producer of light entertainment in the 1950s and 1960s and then as a senior executive in independent television from the 1970s until 1994.
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was a studio-based revue with a regular team of young all-round entertainers who could gain television experience and possibly be moulded into star material. Tesler chose wisely. Among them, including
Forsyth, were
928:. Tesler brought in outside broadcast cameras to cover live a floorshow in the first half of the programme and a big name cabaret act in the second. Tesler also composed the music for the opening titles.
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in West London. As well as its academic excellence and absence of antisemitism Tesler found the extra-curricular activities there, including its drama opportunities, to be to his liking. Tesler loved the
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in west London accompanied by Thomas' further persuasive efforts, accepted and joined ABC in
February 1960 to be in charge of everything ABC transmitted other than drama and outside broadcasts.
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and asked him to find a way to replace
Trinder, who had rattled Tesler already and had offended Parnell and Grade so much they had decided not renew his contract for the 1958-59 season.
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before gaining experience and working his way upwards to producing larger and more significant programmes. He moved to
Britain's fledgling independent commercial television service
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in one studio and her music hall performing sequences in the other, while Pat Kirkwood as Tilley in a live production was forced to rush backwards and forwards between the two.
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as a trainee Light Entertainment producer in 1952, recruited on a six-months trial. His first television production, which he also directed, was a musical show called
1752:"The Invisible Institution? Reconstructing the History of BAFTA and the 1958 Merger of the British Film Academy with the Guild of Television Producers and Directors"
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Tesler was mustered in the Royal Artillery in the summer of 1947 but after auditioning was posted to the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) radio station in
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In December 2019 he was presented by Lord Michael Grade with the Television and Radio Industries Club's Special Award for his contribution to British television.
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became the most popular show on television, scoring appreciation ratings in the 90s. Tesler won the first ever Light Entertainment (Production) Award from the
364:. Tesler was promoted to be ABC's Programme Controller in 1962 and two years later Director of Programmes. In 1968 he became Director of Programmes at
1094:, published in 2006, described his family life, growing up in London's East End Jewish community before and during the Second World War. The second,
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375:(LWT) and in 1976 he became LWT's Chief Executive. He resigned in 1990, remaining Deputy Chairman until his retirement from television in 1994.
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and was a regular visitor to the major entertainment theatres in London. In later life he credited his youthful enjoyment of all aspects of
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transmitted in July 1953 and was well-received by the critics, though the series did not appear for another two years, and was then titled
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was completed Lew Grade also asked Tesler to come up with an idea to feature the West End's latest showplace, a theatre-restaurant named
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Tesler started at Associated Television in London on 1 January 1957. He was to produce his initial show for the company, an edition of
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at the end of his ATV contract so that he could have freedom to pick the shows he wanted to produce. He left ATV on 31 December 1959.
764:. In 1957, Tesler's first year at ATV, he produced Saturday night specials with some of the top British comedy stars of the time like
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became a long-running light entertainment success for BBC Television for some twelve years, Tesler producing it for its first season.
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Tesler was a founder-director of both Thames Television and Channel 4; managing director and then chairman and managing director of
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performance judged so impressive that Parnell encouraged Tesler to bring him back four more times for the Saturday show.
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For the first few months of the 1957-58 season Trinder was taking time off from the Palladium for an extended tour of
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In 1960 Tesler moved into executive management by becoming Supervisor of Features and Light Entertainment at
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successively as his Directors of Programmes at LWT. In the 1990s he served on the Board of Governors of the
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505:'s orchestra. It was transmitted on 2 January 1953. Tesler followed this with similar programmes starring
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Max North, "A Poser for the Golden Boy", Manchester Evening News, Manchester, England, 20 May 1955, p55.
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was only possible by Tesler organising a two-studio production utilising studios D and E at the BBC's
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One of the teachers at his school encouraged Tesler’s interest in reading, turning it into a love of
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Tesler's musical talents encouraged him to develop music shows was well as comedy. Among them was
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Peter Black, "A Generation Ago - Peter Black on the rise of television in the early Fifties",
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in West London, staging dramatic sequences about the life and times of the male impersonator
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1014:(based on the American original) with Bob Monkhouse. Programmes he commissioned included
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Tesler retired in 1994, and has written two books about his life and career. The first,
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as a valuable self-education which prepared him for his career in light entertainment.
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in East London on 19 February 1929. His Jewish father, David, came to England from
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as "a miscellany of music, dance and illusion", which featured illusionists like
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and Bruce Forsyth. The series ended with a gala edition on New Year's Eve 1959.
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during the 1960s and 1970s, he oversaw the first British television shows of
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and initiated and produced the first two programmes of a new series starring
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in the autumn of 1957. This show was transmitted 39 weeks a year from the
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Another radio star who wanted to break into television was the bandleader
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Tesler continued a heavy production schedule at ATV, making at least one
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together with some technical trickery. Tesler broke some boundaries with
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2291:"The memoirs of Brian Tesler: the man who put Bruce Forsyth on the box"
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was Tesler's last production for ATV. He had decided he would become a
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Towards the end of that first season with Cotton, it was announced by
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The Best of Times: A personal history of British television 1952-1994
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The Best Of Times: A Personal History of British Television 1952-1994
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997:. He introduced ITV's first weekly series dedicated to the arts with
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a month and sometimes more often, featuring artistes of the like of
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361:
2267:"Written Answers to Questions - National Heritage - Public Bodies"
1881:"The Duce of Entertainment: Comedy, commercial TV and Val Parnell"
2271:
2042:"This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us: Comedy Rivalries"
443:
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In 1974 Tesler was invited to become Deputy Managing Director of
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Max North, "Biggest Break Yet For Brian, The Bright Young Man",
551:, as well as having overall responsibility for the long-running
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Turned Out Nice Again: The Story of British Light Entertainment
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2006:, Jeremy Mills Publishing, Huddersfield, England, 2009, p181,
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from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially
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business. His mother, Esther Hyman, also Jewish, was born in
2004:
The London Palladium: The Story of the Theatre and its Stars
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for the things you would like to see and hear," announced
1718:, London, England, vol82, no2110, 4 September 1969, p308.
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2145:
2143:
2275:. House of Commons. 8 February 1994. col. 125–126.
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1001:; British television's first late night chat show with
1938:, Allison & Busby Limited, London, England, 2007,
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June Roberts, "Brian Tesler, Director of programmes",
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1151:, Thames Television, London, England, September 1969.
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2017:
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Kenneth Ullyett, "I'm getting three years is hard",
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English. While at Oxford Tesler was a member of the
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807:, Tesler was asked by Parnell to take over running
2079:The Stage, London, England, 11 September 1958, p6.
1406:L.Marsland Gander, "TV To Try Out 8 Panel Games",
658:, a popular television vehicle for the radio star
399:in East London, her parents having emigrated from
1936:The Encyclopaedia of Classic Saturday Night Telly
1686:Our Radio Correspondent, "BBC Sign TV Producer",
1380:Clifford Davis, "Quiz Kid with the crazy touch",
2563:
2061:, Pan Books, London, England, 2002, pp114, 115,
1990:"Sunday Night at the London Palladium (1955-74)"
595:was another comedy series, this time written by
450:. He stayed in the BFBS in Trieste until he was
760:Tesler became Parnell's favoured producer for
368:which provided weekday programmes in London.
2592:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
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1918:, BBC Worldwide Ltd, London, England, 1998,
1786:, Fourth Estate Limited, London, 2000, p45,
932:had a short run in December 1959. Hosted by
569:for the husband and wife light comedy team,
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1255:, Manchester, England, 22 January 1960, p3.
687:British Academy of Film and Television Arts
683:Guild of Television Producers and Directors
53:Learn how and when to remove these messages
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889:. When Parnell saw Castle in the pilot of
515:Tesler then rescued a failing panel-game,
97:about living persons that is unsourced or
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2213:sfn error: no target: CITEREFThomas1977 (
2156:sfn error: no target: CITEREFThomas1977 (
2094:sfn error: no target: CITEREFTesler2026 (
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1953:
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1841:, London, England, 22 November 1956, p12.
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1071:as his Controller of Features at Thames;
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732:Tesler completed the first season of the
356:which provided commercial television for
323:in the 1940s he began in television as a
299:Learn how and when to remove this message
230:Learn how and when to remove this message
168:Learn how and when to remove this message
2053:
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1901:
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1690:, London, England, 23 February 1955, p8.
1520:, Leicester, England, 8 August 1953, p5.
1397:, Birmingham, England, 30 July 1954, p7.
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1280:, London, England, 9 December 1967, p21.
792:, and old-time entertainment idols like
193:This article includes a list of general
2602:Governors of the British Film Institute
2390:. Birmingham: Kaleidoscope Publishing.
2371:. Bridport, England: Mind Advertising.
2253:"The World at War | History Today"
1870:
1837:"Brian Tesler to Join ATV in January",
1475:"Brian Tesler to Join ATV in January",
1384:, London, England, 3 December 1953, p2.
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403:in about 1893. Her father was a baker.
16:British television producer (born 1929)
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1973:"Sunday Night At The London Palladium"
1959:"Sunday Night at the London Palladium"
1948:
1934:Jack Kibble-White and Steve Williams,
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1784:Double Bill: 80 Years of Entertainment
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1231:Richard Last, "A profitable Weekend",
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1660:"Frank Chacksfield and his Orchestra"
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893:he immediately put him into the 1958
466:(OUDS), joined the reporting team on
2448:"Billy Cotton: A life less ordinary"
2320:Television and Radio Industries Club
2288:
1764:from the original on 16 October 2022
1749:
1621:, London, England, 6 April 1956, p40
1393:Edward Bishop, "Television Topics",
1238:
1235:, London, England, 14 June 1976, p9.
809:Sunday Night at the London Palladium
501:singing and dancing to the music of
346:Sunday Night at the London Palladium
241:
179:
59:
18:
2164:
2110:"Delfont, Lord Bernard (1909-1994)"
1979:
1819:The Greatest Billy Cotton Band Show
1731:, London, England, 21 May 1954, p44
1547:The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
1410:, London, England. 28 May 1954, p9.
1298:, London, England, 22 December 1956
1214:
321:British Forces Broadcasting Service
13:
2538:. Kelly Publications. p. 83.
1895:"The Dickie Henderson Show (1957)"
1111:Before I Forget: A Personal Memoir
750:Val Parnell's Saturday Spectacular
464:Oxford University Dramatic Society
199:it lacks sufficient corresponding
14:
2613:
2406:
1821:, Jupiter London, England, 1976,
1008:and its first hidden camera show
484:
457:Tesler’s scholarship took him to
34:This section has multiple issues.
2535:Armchair Theatre: The Lost Years
2369:Before I Forget: A Family Memoir
1727:"Friday Television Programmes",
246:
184:
64:
23:
2330:
2308:
2289:Dyke, Greg (17 November 2016).
2272:Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
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408:Chiswick County School for Boys
42:or discuss these issues on the
1916:Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy
1516:Joan Purdon, "Point of View",
1323:"Teddy Johnson and Pearl Carr"
803:While he continued to produce
702:The Leslie Roberts Silhouettes
1:
2489:. Atlantic Books. p. 1.
1121:
969:As Director of Programmes at
378:
1805:"The Billy Cotton Band Show"
511:Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson
391:in 1916, setting up his own
75:biography of a living person
7:
2316:"Membership (Brian Tesler)"
430:, and persuaded him that a
406:Tesler was educated at the
102:must be removed immediately
10:
2618:
2436:"Brian Tesler (born 1929)"
2359:
952:Live from Talk of the Town
930:Live from Talk of the Town
331:in 1952, producing mainly
327:producer and director for
255:This biographical article
1992:. British Film Institute.
1674:"The Great Little Tilley"
1049:London Weekend Television
936:it starred among others,
895:Royal Variety Performance
717:, the chief executive of
630:Leslie "Hutch" Hutchinson
479:
373:London Weekend Television
2582:BBC television producers
2510:. Routledge. p. 5.
2295:Royal Television Society
2059:Bruce: The Autobiography
1531:"Bath-Night with Braden"
2507:The Making of Channel 4
2414:"Members. Brian Tesler"
2077:"'Break' for Forsyth".
2044:. British Comedy Guide.
1975:. British Comedy Guide.
1897:. British Comedy Guide.
1883:. British Comedy Guide.
1864:"The Petula Clark Show"
1253:Manchester Evening News
638:The Great Little Tilley
446:in Northern Italy as a
214:more precise citations.
2504:Catterall, P. (2013).
2472:televisionheaven.co.uk
2431:somethingjewish.co.uk
2429:Brian Tesler Interview
2386:Tesler, Brian (2016).
2367:Tesler, Brian (2006).
1550:. Arrow. p. 292.
1395:Birmingham Weekly Post
1085:British Film Institute
1017:Thank Your Lucky Stars
744:Independent Television
734:Billy Cotton Band Show
707:Billy Cotton Band Show
583:Bath-Night With Braden
459:Exeter College, Oxford
89:Please help by adding
1617:"Friday Television",
1544:Lewis, Roger (1995).
1504:"Barbara with Braden"
1463:"The Name's the Same"
719:Associated Television
341:Associated Television
268:by revising it to be
2174:. BFI screen online.
1961:. Television Heaven.
926:The Talk of the Town
902:Saturday Spectacular
805:Saturday Spectacular
762:Saturday Spectacular
620:and performers like
509:and the singing duo
432:University of Oxford
358:the North of England
95:Contentious material
2338:"The Best of Times"
2112:. BFI screenonline.
1757:. UEA. p. 19.
1579:"And So to Bentley"
1518:Leicester Chronicle
1449:"One of the Family"
1029:The Benny Hill Show
579:Barbara with Braden
548:The Name's the Same
454:in September 1949.
383:Tesler was born in
325:light entertainment
2532:White, L. (2003).
2483:Barfe, L. (2013).
2454:. 23 December 2014
1276:"Pooter: Oxford",
1175:, pp. 10, 13.
1163:, pp. 11, 12.
693:in December 1957.
642:Lime Grove Studios
428:English literature
2545:978-1-903053-18-8
2517:978-1-135-01887-0
2496:978-1-84887-757-3
2478:on 15 April 2015.
2424:on 15 April 2015.
2397:978-1-900203-63-0
2378:978-0-9554515-0-8
2326:on 15 April 2015.
1632:"Music and Magic"
1557:978-0-09-974700-0
1490:"What's My Line?"
1435:"Tall Story Club"
1096:The Best Of Times
975:Thames Television
780:, Americans like
634:Frank Chacksfield
588:And So to Bentley
543:One of the Family
469:The Isis Magazine
366:Thames Television
339:in 1957, joining
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78:needs additional
57:
2609:
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2479:
2474:. Archived from
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2420:. Archived from
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1750:Pett, E (2020).
1747:
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1605:"Fast and Loose"
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1309:"Joyce Grenfell"
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1041:The World at War
1006:Live from London
910:Bernard Bresslaw
873:and her brother
782:Rosemary Clooney
754:Dickie Henderson
437:National Service
318:
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210:this article by
201:inline citations
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1646:"We Got Rhythm"
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1092:Before I Forget
746:
660:Wilfred Pickles
622:Frankie Vaughan
610:, described by
608:Music and Magic
554:What's My Line?
539:Tall Story Club
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2468:"Billy Cotton"
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2407:External links
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1342:
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1337:"Down you Go!"
1328:
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1003:Eamonn Andrews
987:Sammy Davis Jr
879:Ronnie Stevens
860:Tesler's show
770:Frankie Howerd
745:
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601:Dennis Goodwin
593:Fast and Loose
571:Bernard Braden
528:Guess My Story
507:Joyce Grenfell
491:BBC Television
489:Tesler joined
486:
485:BBC Television
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329:BBC Television
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2012:9781906600396
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1011:Candid Camera
1007:
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979:Frank Sinatra
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833:Bob Monkhouse
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817:Tommy Trinder
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626:We Got Rhythm
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534:Find the Link
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503:Eric Robinson
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439:in the Army.
438:
435:his two year
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2597:English Jews
2553:Brian Tesler
2534:
2521:. Retrieved
2506:
2485:
2476:the original
2471:
2456:. Retrieved
2451:
2439:
2422:the original
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2345:. Retrieved
2341:
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2324:the original
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2298:. Retrieved
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1766:. Retrieved
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1716:The Listener
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1561:. Retrieved
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1105:Bibliography
1100:
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1065:John Freeman
1046:
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942:John Bentley
934:Noele Gordon
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918:Arthur Askey
901:
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883:Jeremy Lloyd
875:Lionel Blair
867:Jack Douglas
861:
859:
848:
841:Alfred Marks
837:Hughie Green
829:South Africa
826:
822:Tiller Girls
808:
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802:
766:Max Bygraves
761:
759:
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738:Petula Clark
733:
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698:Billy Cotton
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567:Denis Norden
559:
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518:Down You Go!
516:
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499:Pat Kirkwood
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370:
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312:Brian Tesler
311:
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282:January 2019
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2572:1929 births
2440:78rpm.co.uk
2418:tric.org.uk
2240:Tesler 2016
2228:Tesler 2016
2209:Thomas 1977
2197:Tesler 2016
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2024:Tesler 2016
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675:Radio Times
671:Ask Pickles
667:Ask Pickles
655:Ask Pickles
618:David Nixon
613:Radio Times
452:demobilised
333:panel shows
257:is written
212:introducing
2566:Categories
2523:23 January
2458:23 January
2347:23 January
2300:23 January
2067:0330488767
1924:0563369779
1792:1841153273
1122:References
1035:Public Eye
983:Jack Benny
964:Teddington
956:freelancer
946:Beryl Reid
938:Diana Dors
887:Roy Castle
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774:Benny Hill
563:Frank Muir
413:music hall
379:Early life
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128:newspapers
39:improve it
1839:The Stage
1477:The Stage
1296:TV Mirror
1081:Greg Dyke
1077:John Birt
1057:Lew Grade
991:Peggy Lee
914:Dave King
727:TV Mirror
723:Lew Grade
685:(now the
497:starring
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448:presenter
393:hatmaking
80:citations
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2452:BBC News
1768:5 August
1759:Archived
1563:4 August
922:New Look
891:New Look
862:New Look
850:New Look
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362:Midlands
360:and the
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999:Tempo
665:With
149:JSTOR
135:books
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2557:IMDb
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2302:2024
2215:help
2158:help
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