NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
The date was 2 November 1982. The time 4.45pm.
As spiralling colourful fragments jumped into action to light up our screens, tumbling together to create a now iconic number four, a voice said: ‘Good afternoon. It’s a pleasure to be able to say to you, welcome to Channel 4.’
This was a moment a new era of TV was launched with the promise of interesting and boundary-pushing programming, with viewers soon introduced to the unforgettable tick tock of the Countdown them tune, and Richard Whiteley’s loveable smiling face beaming into sitting rooms across the nation to welcome this brand new audience to a brand new channel.
Later, Channel 4 News ran for very the first time, fronted by Peter Sissons and Trevor McDonald, while the now defunct drama Brookside made it’s debut as part of the launch night line-up.