Recent from talks
Nothing was collected or created yet.
ITV Telethon
View on WikipediaThis article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2023) |
| ITV Telethon | |
|---|---|
Logo for the 1990 event. | |
| Also known as | Thames Telethon |
| Presented by | Michael Aspel |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 5 telethons |
| Production | |
| Running time | 10 hours (1980) 24 hours (1985) 27 hours (1988 &1990) 28 hours (1992) |
| Production company | ITV Studios |
| Original release | |
| Network | Thames Television (1980, 1985) ITV Network (1988, 1990 & 1992) |
| Release | 2 October 1980 – 19 July 1992 |
| Related | |
| Text Santa From the Heart STV Children's Appeal | |
The ITV Telethons were three charity telethons organised and televised in the United Kingdom by the ITV network. They took place in 1988, 1990 and 1992. Each lasted for 27 hours (28 in 1992) and all were hosted by Michael Aspel.
Thames Telethon (1980 & 1985)
[edit]The ITV Telethon originated from the 10-hour Thames Telethon, which ran in the Thames/London ITV region only, on 2 October 1980 and raised more than £1 million,[1] one month before the BBC's Children in Need appeal the same year
Thames broadcast another Telethon on 29–30 October 1985, which raised more than £2.5 million[2]
ITV Telethon (1988–1992)
[edit]Thames Telethon was considered such a success that a 27-hour marathon was broadcast across the entire network over 29 and 30 May 1988 (a Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday), involving participation and input from all of the regional broadcasters around the country. It had the aim of raising money for disability charities across the United Kingdom.
Telethon helped thousands of charities in the UK. Many local ITV companies like Tyne Tees Television and Television South West contributed from company profits. In the TVS region alone, TVS donated £1 million from its own charity, the TVS Trust in late May 1990. Like the telethons in the US, the ITV Telethons also offered regional cut-ins by ITV companies all over the country, featuring personalities and local celebrities from that region such as Richard Whiteley for Yorkshire Television, Bob Warman for Central, Fred Dinenage for TVS or Ruth Madoc for HTV Wales.
One regional cut-in for the 1992 Telethon took place in the grounds outside Granada TV's Quay Street studio, and a non-stop 27-hour live stage presentation 'The Blackpool Roadshow' was gifted and coordinated by brother and sister Shirley Pearson and Johnnie Doolan. Amongst the many stage appearances was reportedly the first ever live set from the later famous band Oasis with guest appearances from chart topping artists, and choreographed sets from Blackpool show Mystique.
- 1988: Held across Sunday 29 May and Monday 30 May 1988, and raised £20 million on the night, and more than £23 million overall.[3]
- 1990: Held across Sunday 27 May and Monday 28 May 1990, and raised £24,127,917 on the night.[4]
- 1992: Held across Saturday 18 July and Sunday 19 July 1992 and raised £15,012,989.
Protests and closure
[edit]The 1990[5] and 1992 ITV Telethons were subject to protests organised by Block Telethon, an informal protest group of disabled people that believed that the telethons reinforced negative stereotypes of disabled people.[6][7] The 1990 protest was modestly attended, whereas the 1992 protest with more than 1000 disabled people outside the LWT studios on the South Bank was credited with ending the Telethon series, and indirectly leading to developments such as Comic Relief, though in reality this had begun earlier, following the Live Aid concerts for a similar cause in 1985. This protest group Block Telethon formally became the Disabled People's Direct Action Network in 1993, which campaigned with other organisations against discrimination and for civil rights, leading up to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
After the 1992 Telethon raised a considerably smaller total compared to its two predecessors, it was branded a "flop" by the contemporary media. As well as the Block Telethon campaign, some of the blame was directed at the decision to hold the event in mid summer, compared to the 1988 and 1990 Telethons which were held in late spring. Another factor was the ongoing recession of the period; with the BBC's Children in Need appeal of the same year also experiencing a significant downturn in donations compared to previous years.
In June 1993 ITV decided to scrap the 1994 Telethon saying "viewers have grown tired of being asked to donate money to Television charity Appeals" and the "telethon format is tired and people no longer respond well to things that are old".[8]
References
[edit]- ^ Telethon' raises more than £1m for charity Author: Kenneth Gosling Saturday 4 Oct 1980 P2
- ^ News in Brief Date: Thursday, Oct. 31, 1985 The Times P4
- ^ Telethon pledges rush past £3m Jenny Knight Monday, May 28, 1990 P3: "The last Telethon held in 1988 raised over £23 million."
- ^ Telethon record Tuesday, May 29, 1990 The times. P1.
- ^ "Telethon raises more than £24m for local charities". The Herald (Scotland). 29 May 1990.
- ^ "Another Telethon? What help is that if you're disabled?". The Independent. London. 7 July 1992. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- ^ Rose, Damon (7 November 2015). "When disabled people took to the streets to change the law". BBC News. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- ^ TV charity fatigue kills off Telethon Author: Alexandra Frean Wednesday, June 16, 1993 The Times newspaper: P3
External links
[edit]- ITV Telethon at IMDb.
ITV Telethon
View on GrokipediaOrigins
Thames Telethon Events
The Thames Telethon originated as a regional charity broadcast on October 2, 1980, limited to the Thames Television area covering London and surrounding regions, lasting 10 hours from evening into the night. This event featured continuous programming with celebrity appearances, live appeals, and viewer pledges, serving as an initial test of the extended fundraising format within ITV's fragmented regional structure. It raised over £1 million for charitable causes, primarily supporting disabled individuals and local aid organizations, demonstrating the viability of sustained viewer engagement for philanthropy despite the absence of national coordination.[8] Building on this precedent, Thames organized a second, more ambitious 24-hour Telethon on October 23, 1985, again confined to its regional footprint but extending through the full day and night to maximize donation windows. Logistical hurdles included preempting standard ITV network programming and navigating the breakfast television slot held by TV-AM from 6:00 a.m. to 9:25 a.m., requiring special agreements to maintain continuity without disrupting the national feed elsewhere. The broadcast incorporated live outside broadcasts from local venues, performances, and direct pleas, yielding substantial funds directed toward disability support and community charities, though exact totals reflected the era's pledge verification processes. These events empirically validated the telethon model's potential for high-yield regional fundraising, influencing subsequent ITV-wide expansions by proving audience responsiveness to prolonged, content-driven appeals.[9][8]National Expansion
1988 Telethon
The 1988 ITV Telethon represented the first nationwide iteration of the fundraising event, expanding from prior regional efforts like Thames Television's 1980 and 1985 telethons to encompass coordinated broadcasts across all ITV franchises. Airing continuously for 27 hours from 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 29, to 10:00 p.m. on Monday, May 30, it originated primarily from London Weekend Television studios in London, with regional contributions integrated throughout. Michael Aspel served as the principal host, linking segments featuring celebrity performances, auctions, and appeals directed toward UK charities supporting children, the disabled, and the elderly.[8][10] This expansion leveraged the decentralized structure of ITV's independent regional companies, allowing localized programming—such as talent shows and pledge drives in areas like Ulster Television's car park events—while maintaining a unified national feed for maximum reach. The event capitalized on Bank Holiday weekend timing to capture peak audience availability, fostering an atmosphere of collective enthusiasm evidenced by on-air pledges and volunteer phone lines overwhelmed early in the broadcast. High-profile contributions underscored the initial momentum, including singer Michael Jackson's donation of 4,000 tickets to his upcoming British concert dates for auction, which alone generated £200,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital.[11][12] Early indicators of national appeal included robust participation from diverse ITV regions, with no reported technical disruptions in linking feeds despite the marathon format. The telethon's structure emphasized direct viewer engagement through real-time auctions and stories of beneficiaries, setting a template for subsequent events while highlighting the logistical challenges of synchronizing 15 independent broadcasters for a shared cause.[13]1990 Telethon
The 1990 ITV Telethon, the second national edition, aired from 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 27, 1990, through to 10:00 p.m. on the following day, spanning 27 hours with provisions for regional opt-outs.[14][15] Hosted primarily by Michael Aspel, the event retained the marathon format established in 1988, featuring continuous programming of performances, appeals, and live segments coordinated across ITV regions to solicit donations for charities, particularly those aiding the disabled and disadvantaged.[16] This telethon marked the emergence of organized opposition from disability activists under the Block Telethon banner, who gathered outside ITV studios to protest the event's reliance on celebrity-hosted appeals that they viewed as perpetuating pity-based narratives rather than promoting self-representation and systemic rights for disabled individuals.[4] Approximately 300 activists participated in the initial demonstration, highlighting tensions between traditional charity models and demands for greater autonomy in how disability was portrayed and funded.[17] Fundraising efforts yielded £20 million, directed toward disabled people's groups and other beneficiaries, representing a performance comparable to the 1988 event's overall total after accounting for inflation and viewer fatigue factors, though exact comparative pledges were not publicly detailed beyond on-air collections.[18] A portion—about one-quarter—was allocated to disability organizations, underscoring the telethon's focus amid growing scrutiny of its efficacy and approach.[18]1992 Telethon
The ITV Telethon '92 aired over 28 hours from 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 18, 1992, to 11:35 p.m. on Sunday, July 19, 1992, marking a departure from the bank holiday weekends of prior events.[19] This scheduling shift occurred amid growing criticism of the format, though it did not avert intensified opposition from disability rights activists.[7] The event, hosted primarily by Michael Aspel, featured continuous programming across ITV regions aimed at fundraising for charities supporting disabled people and other causes.[20] Pledges totaled £15,120,989 by the event's close, the lowest amount in the national series and significantly below the £24 million recorded at a similar stage in 1990, reflecting economic pressures from the early 1990s recession alongside protest disruptions.[19] Disability activists, organized under the Block Telethon campaign, escalated their actions compared to 1990, with hundreds assembling outside London Weekend Television studios in South Bank, London, to block entrances, deploy a public address system for chants and performances, and denounce the telethon's reliance on "pity-based" depictions of disabled individuals as patronizing and disempowering.[4] Protesters accosted arriving celebrities, demanding self-representation over mediated narratives that reinforced dependency stereotypes, framing the event as perpetuating harm through spectacle rather than addressing systemic barriers.[7] These demonstrations, including symbolic acts aligned with the "Piss on Pity" slogan, highlighted activist arguments that such charity models prioritized emotional appeals over independent living rights, drawing from direct experiences of disabled participants rather than institutional viewpoints. In response, ITV implemented enhanced logistical measures, including bolstered security to manage access amid the blockades and ensure uninterrupted broadcasting, though these did little to quell external disruptions or public perception of chaos.[5] Immediate post-event assessments labeled the telethon a flop, with executives noting the shortfall in funds and heightened controversy as indicators of waning viability, prompting internal discussions on the format's sustainability despite its charitable intent.[20] Critics within disability advocacy circles, unswayed by mainstream media defenses of the event's benevolence, cited the protests' visibility as evidence that viewer fatigue and ethical objections to pity-driven fundraising had eroded support.[18]Format and Programming
Broadcast Structure
The ITV Telethons employed a continuous broadcast format spanning 24 to 27 hours, typically initiating on Saturday evening and extending into Sunday evening, which preempted standard ITV network schedules to maintain uninterrupted fundraising focus.[8] This prolonged structure was designed to capitalize on weekend viewership peaks and build cumulative donor momentum through sustained exposure, rather than fragmented short-form appeals.[8] Organizationally, the broadcasts originated from a central national hub, enabling cohesive oversight, while leveraging ITV's regional franchise model for decentralized execution. Each of the network's regional companies—such as those in the North West, Yorkshire, and South—operated local studios or outside broadcast units as secondary hubs, inserting tailored content via scheduled opt-outs from the main feed.[8][21] These opt-outs highlighted area-specific events, performer showcases, and beneficiary stories, ensuring relevance to local demographics and directing funds regionally to address causal disparities in community needs.[8] National-regional integration relied on satellite technology for real-time links, allowing seamless transitions between centralized segments and peripheral feeds without perceptible delays.[8] This technical framework mitigated logistical challenges inherent to coordinating multiple autonomous broadcasters, fostering a unified national narrative while preserving regional autonomy essential to ITV's federal structure. Viewer interaction centered on dedicated telephone pledge lines, where callers committed donations that were periodically selected for on-air acknowledgment and verification.[8] Such mechanics promoted transparency by publicly validating contributions—often displaying donor names, amounts, and purposes—reinforcing trust and incentivizing emulation among audiences, as real-time feedback loops amplified participatory causality in fundraising totals.[8]Key Features and Contributors
The ITV Telethons employed a marathon broadcasting format spanning 27 hours of continuous live content, integrating variety show-style entertainment with direct appeals to foster sustained viewer engagement and prompt donations through emotional resonance. Segments alternated between musical performances, comedy sketches, and interviews with beneficiaries, designed to balance diversion with calls to action that highlighted individual needs supported by recipient charities.[8] Michael Aspel served as the principal national host for all three events in 1988, 1990, and 1992, leveraging his established television persona to guide transitions between segments and maintain narrative flow across the extended duration.[22] Regional co-hosts, including figures like Mike Morris and Lorraine Kelly from TV-am, supplemented the core presentation by incorporating localized appeals during opt-out broadcasts, thereby tailoring content to diverse audiences while preserving a unified national effort.[23] Key performers encompassed ITV staples such as Coronation Street actors Thelma Barlow, Julie Goodyear, and Elizabeth Dawn, whose appearances in 1988 and 1990 episodes capitalized on their fanbases to amplify visibility and encourage contributions.[24] This celebrity involvement extended to musicians and other entertainers, with the format's emphasis on unscripted, real-time interactions—such as phone-in pledges and on-air endorsements—aimed to cultivate immediacy and personal connection, potentially heightening donor responsiveness via direct association with familiar faces. Corporate elements, including promotional tie-ins like Barclays Bank's participation in 1988 segments, further supported the appeals by aligning business sponsorships with on-screen narratives.[21]Fundraising Outcomes
Amounts Raised and Distribution
The 1988 ITV Telethon raised approximately £21 million for charitable causes.[3] This figure was surpassed by the 1990 event, which collected £24,127,917 on the broadcast night alone, marking the series' fundraising peak.[3] The 1992 Telethon saw a significant decline, generating £15 million, attributed in part to shifts in scheduling and external factors like protests.[8]| Year | Amount Raised |
|---|---|
| 1988 | £21 million |
| 1990 | £24.1 million |
| 1992 | £15 million |
