Until 1955 television services in the United Kingdom were provided only by the state-owned British Broadcasting Corporation, but that year saw the launch of the first services provided by privately owned companies with services funded by advertising or 'commercials' - and hence 'commercial television'.
Royal Mail celebrates the 50th anniversary of Independent Television with a set of 6 stamps and a Smilers Sheet. The stamps feature six TV genres where ITV has made an impact.
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2nd class - Inspector Morse (Drama) Official Carlton TV site | 1st class - Emmerdale (Soaps) ITV Emmerdale page |
42p - Rising Damp (Comedy) Rigbsy Online site |
47p - The Avengers (Cult TV) Avengers Forever website | 60p - South Bank Show [Arts show] (Factual) ITV South Bank page | 68p - Who wants to be a millionaire? (Games
show) Official ITV Millionaire site |
There are many other websites associated with all of these programmes: rather than us providing links here, we suggest you use your favourite search engine and enter the programme title.
Smilers Sheet
This Smilers Sheet will also be issued on the same date, consisting of 20
x 1st class (Emmerdale) stamps. The border is designed in the format of
the original test cards seen in years gone by, before the advent of
24-hour television. The label designs are as follows: 6 show the front
covers of listings magazine TV Times from 1965 to 2004; 4 labels
below some of those images describe some of ITV's longest-running soaps,
but with dates not related to the magazine cover images; and 2 or 3 labels
in each column have programme listings, again from years other than those
shown on the covers or write-up labels. Click on the
image for a larger view - and then use the 'back' button to get back to
this page.
Technical details:
The stamps were designed by Kate Stephens and are printed in litho by De
La Rue Security Print.
All stamp and postmark images are Copyright 2005 by Royal
Mail.
The limited edition Norvic First Day Covers will show a vintage
television captioned in 50's and modern style. Two postmarks will be
used - N9770 & M9768 - price £8.95 each.
To order stamps or FDCs please visit
our online shop
Also available:
Post Office FDC with a full set and any postmark in stock - £5.00
Set of stamps unused or VFU - £3.95 (blocks pro rata)
Set of unused postcards reproducing the stamps (PHQ cards) - £2.75
Set of PHQ cards with stamp on the picture side and relevant postmark - £6.75
a. Cover with a single stamp and label, postmark N9773 - price £3.50
each
b. Cover with a split strip of 5 stamps and labels, postmark N9770 - price
£5.50 each
c. Set of 4 covers with 4 split strips of 5 stamps & labels, postmark
N9773 - price £17.50
Mint sheet - £7.85 : Any single stamp £0.55
Note: while set (c) is for all 20 stamps on the sheet, cover (a) will
be a single from any position, and cover (b) may be from any vertical
column on the sheet.
Special postmarks available on the Day of Issue are shown below:
Ref FD517 Official Bureau postmark ('test-card') |
Ref FD518 Official London SE19 postmark (transmitter) |
Ref FD518N Official London non-pictorial postmark |
Ref L9749 Stampex Official FDI postmark Classic ITV |
Ref L9752 50 Years of Classic ITV London SW1 |
Ref M9768 Classic ITV, Broad Street Birmingham |
Ref L9758 Oxford (Morse) |
Ref L9760 Upper Ground, London SE1 (South Bank Show) |
Ref L9761 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1 (Millionaire) |
Ref L9759 Elstree, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire (The Avengers) | Ref N9773 Harewood, Leeds (Emmerdale) |
Ref N9774 Burley Road, Leeds (Rising Damp) |
Ref L9753 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1 |
Ref L9754 50th Birthday TVTimes, London SE1 |
Ref L9750 Police Station Lane, Bushey, Herts |
Ref L9755 Cooper Road, London NW10 |
Ref L9751 The Sweeney, Charlton, Pewsey |
Ref N9770 50th Anniv Commercial Television, Manchester |
<<<< Ref W9778 Classic ITV - Watchet |
<<<< Ref N9794 National Museum of Photography Film & Television Bradford |
Also available on this date were the standard Stampex postmark, one showing HMS Warspite, and two commemorating the Liverpool & Manchester Railway. |
This page updated 17 September 2005
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January 11 Farm Animals |
February 8 British Journey - South West England 24 Jane Eyre & Brontes prestige book |
March 15 Magic Circle Centenary 22 Wilding Castles Miniature Sheet |
April 5 New definitives 8 Royal Wedding 21 World Heritage Sites 26 Definitive reprints provisional date |
May 10 Definitive reprints provisional date |
June 7 Trooping the Colour 21 Smilers sheet - Flag stamp, White Ensign 21 Definitive reprints provisional date |
July 5 End of World War II 19 British Motorcycles |
August 5 London 2012 Olympics 23 Europa - Gastronomy |
September 22 Independent Television 50th Anniversary |
October 4 Small greetings definitives & Smilers 18 Battle of Trafalgar |
November 1 Christmas Christmas Robins Smilers Sheet |
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