IIRC correctly, wasn't BBC One still showing the scheduled programme during this pause? They cut rather smoothly at the same point on this clip when Peter Sissons says "This is BBC Television News."
I remember this, watching BBC2, and thought it really odd. it took ages, and BBC 1 was just showing normal programmes, so nothing was known. I did think a nuclear strike, or something.
If this happened nowadays with something as equally important but with this long of a pause i'd be crappign my pants thinking of all sort of satuff Like a asteroid about to hit earth or a nuclear war.
I have to admit I was crapping myself during this bit, and when a picture of the queen mother came on I was more than a little relieved that the world wasn't ending.
"This is BBC 2. . .we will be joining BBC 1 shortly with an important announcement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .the world could be ending right outside your door, but you'll have to wait until we join BBC 1 to find out. We will join BBC 1 for the announcement shortly (when we're bloody well ready to!)
I was on my way to my grandmas house with the rest of the family when this happpened. I think we arrived about 15 minutes after this. The channel what we were on was BBC2 as well.
The following week, many of the programmes I was looking forward to on some of the channels were replaced by programmes about the Queen Mother.
Also, I was 8, few weeks after my birthday, and, to be honest, I did not care what was going on.
Had I been 15 at the time, I definatly would have took more notice.
I actually remember this myself. I had waited for this episode to be eventually repeated, then they cut out for four minutes of static imagery. I just thought at the time 'Can't be very important if they're keeping us waiting all this long!'
I can forgive Peter Sissons for his 'no black tie' bit. The BBC news on BBC one had only finnished about 5 minutes before this news was announced by the palace. This would not really have given him time to get the black tie, change and get back in the seat before he went live again. I think the BBC now have a black tie on 'stand by' just in case.
I remember watching this Steptoe and Son and it was interrupted and said they were going to be joining BBC1 for a special announcement! My dad just turned it over to channel 4 and there was a picture of the Queen mum and he straight away just blurted out "SHE'S DEAD!".
Wow. Speaking as someone conditioned from almost birth that the "Emergency Broadcast System" activation would be followed by the death of everyone on the planet, to have such a grave-sounding statement and then NOTHING for minutes ... I bet more than a few people wondered if the sirens were about to sound.
I still have this day impressed on my memory. I have to hand it to the lady doing the announcements, god only knows what was going through her mind, having to make all those messages and not knowing what was going on.
I think I was watching ITV at the time, and they did it far better than this. The programming was cut off, immediately upon a black screen, the Queen Mother appeared alongside the flag and the national anthem.
Far better than this monstrous fiasco.
As for the Monarchy - it's the best bastion against totalitarianism...obtuse as it is, it's true.
The news of her death passed me by some how! TV stations have been rehearsing for a royal death for decades but I don't think they would suspend everything like they used to do in the thirties and forties.
I remember when the news broke - I was watching another channel at the time, and the film I was watching was interrupted with the news of the Queen Mother's death.
Smooth and totally not freaky way to cut the transmission. First, audio only, then a black screen and finally 3 minutes of a still frame. It really looked like the terrorists struck again or something.
I want my four minutes of life back, please. You broke into a programme and piddled about, then when the announcement came on, the vid ended after four seconds. Bad show, really.
Or you could just look at the related vids. :P I just cut it off there, as the coverage from that point on matches BBC One, which is already well covered on Youtube.
Our family had exactly the same reaction, didn't half get a fright when the BBC One ident popped up. But anyway, back to the subject - was a very sad day, I cried that night (was only 10 though) :'(
maybe it wasn't the simulcast with bbc2 that was the problem, broadcasting around the world on bbc international news would have been some logistical feat
Compared to BBC1, BBC2 sure seemed to take an awful long time on this one. If I was in the UK, I would have thought, "Did Tony Blair die? Or is he alive, but about to announce the start of a nuclear war?" As some have mentioned above, it was well known the Queen Mother was going to die eventually but this is something that should have gone on air with less than a minute's notice from Buckingham or 10 Downing.
To everyone who thinks viewers should switch to BBC ONE instead of waiting, BBC ONE was still showing Aunties Bloomers at the time of this. BBC TWO cut too early. The BBC were still getting everything prepared for the breaking news.
Thank God for Youtube. A chance at last to show how bad the BBC now is.
This wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't a well known fact that they'd rehearsed such a situation (considering the Queen Mother's great age) for years. The BBC was incompetent that day and Peter Sissons was completely out of his depth.
I suspect it would have been much smoother as they'd likely just cut to News 24. Events that they *know* are going to happen one day (Queen dying etc) have a rehearsed procedure in place to go to the National Newsroom on BBC1. Those they cant predict tend to default to cutting to News 24.
I missed this cos I had just left to walk to my mother's house and found out when I arrived. The walk was shorter!! My God I thought they practiced for these type of things!!
I remember watching Steptoe, or at least it being on in the corner with me on the computer, and the screen going blank like that. Then with the announcement of "an important announcement", it could be anything. Bear in mind this was only about 6-7 monts after 9/11, all sorts of things go through your mind in those few minutes. War. Terrorism. Plane crash. Train crash. Anything. It was quite freaky, especially as at the time I was on my own in the house.
Remember that aftrenoon very well. I was staying in a hotel and we were downstairs in the bar and suddenely everyone started crowding round the television screen. Someone said Sissons was asking the mosr ridiculous questions to his guests.
What was News 24 showing during this? I'm assuming BBC1, 2 and News 24 simulcast at this time so the announcement wasn't made for another few minutes, so i'm wondering what was showing before they announced the news?
I like how we hear the classic Steptoe and Son episode "Who's that" then the whore on voiceover goes "We break the programme for an important news update" then for ages tells us to wait when we could just turn over to BBC1 or News 24!!
Tell us the news yourself or put Steptoe and Son back on!!!
Bit strong on her. :P It can't be a fun job being dropped in a booth and told to pad for 4 minutes because some channel director cut out too early. As mentioned, I suspect the early cut to join the other channels was just to avoid rather sharply jumping from comedy to serious news!
I remember the long pause between the announcement of "An important announcement" and the going to the news itself, it kinda left you wondering what it could be
Major Royal death. BBC has to break in on all terrestrial TV, local radio, network radio etc. Radio stations make an announcement then switch to Radio 4. It's all in a special folder kept in every beeb newsroom.
Surely by the time they'd 'joined' BBC One, people would already have switched over to the actual BBC One to see what all the fuss was about, instead of waiting a whole 4 minutes for it to appear on BBC Two? Lol!
omg i remember when this happened, i was prety young at the time and the few moments of silence realy frightened me, i was afraid to go back into the room on my own and for the life of me i cant think why i was so scared. its still kinda scary now
I remember having dinner in my living room, I was only about 10 or 11 at the time. It must be very horrible to announce the death of someone that important
I was watching that at the time. We were round my Nans house on her birthday, and my Dad told me I would like Steptoe and Son... Then it cut out half way through which was a shame. There was very little else on for the rest ofthe day. Just news! Pretty boring.
At this time, I was watching a very funny programme on BBC1. When it cut out to tell me the queens mother had died, and the programme did not come back on, I was pissed off to hell. They had got their point across, now get back to the programme and have an hour dedicated to it later!
No there was nothing like this for the POpe because he is not a British his country is the Vatican and this countries offical religion is The Church of England!
SciFiGeek: yes, in almost every country in the world. i know when it happened i was living in phoenix Arizona and the church bells rang for an hour solid at over 100 catholic churches in the diocese.
I was living in Ireland at the time and they refused to give us the day off because we were in a non-denominational school (though 99% were Catholic) so we protested and forced the Governors to give us the day off...but probably not in England..there's about..ohh 500 years of history why...
The queen mother was queen until her husband the ruling king died. then their daughter the princess became the new queen and the old queen became the "queen('s) mother" She wasnt a ruling queen because she wasnt the hereditary heir but called queen anyways out of respect. The ruling queens husband isnt called king because that implies a ruling position, I guess.
The ruling Queen's husband isn't King because he's not British - he is of Greek birth and no foreigner can be King of England - thats why. Queen Mother was consort to King George 5th, then he died n Elizabeth 2nd took over as they did not have a son, it went to the daughter.
I am not an expert, but I don't think that is correct. In the British constitution, when a man becomes king, his wife automaticly becomes queen.
However, when a woman becomes Queen, her husband does not automaticly become king, (weather he is British or not) This can only happen by act of parliment!
Wasn't William of Orange Dutch, and he was King of Enland...
As was well remembered as it showed up the lack of appropriate presentation compared to only 2 days earlier. The 'stills of people cocking their legs' incident pretty much dogged the rest of the lifetime of the dancer package.
It takes no time at all, and it's not an opt-in they would have just cut tothe incoming line with News 24 on it. The problem was that they faded out too early... before News was ready to go with the announcement
the bbc is the only shred of traditionalism this country has left. hats off to them and it upsets me deeply that people cannot respect the royal family and this countries traditions. For that the latter comment I expect you to delete me.
the queen mother is dead long live the queen mother.......
I was actually watching that when this happened. I was eleven. I asked my dad what was wrong and he said "The Queen Mother has probably died" - and he was right. The Queen didn't have a good year that year. Both her sister and mother died within a few months of each other.
Absoultely brilliant! I had just flown back from Washington D C and was watching Steptoe and Son and it was brilliant that BBC2 cut into the programme ages before BBC1 bothered to make the announcement!
That's typical of the Royal Family by interrupting a classic TV comedy like Step To &Son with there own news. I know it was sad that the Queen Mother had died, but they could have waited until the programme had ended to announce the news. Mind you fifty years ago or more, the sycophantic BBC would have closed down the entire station if a Royal had died, which they did after the death of George VI in 1952.
As I wont have this turned into a political rantboard, I'll keep the point brief. The BBC are licence fee funded, and the licence fee is still granted as a Royal Charter. That pretty much obligates them to cover Royal Events. The scale of this was still seriously cut compared to Diana in 1997 however.
Lucky somebody was recording Steptoe and Son, otherwise this historic broadcast would have been lost forever.
DarthJedi2005 1 year ago
PowerMetalKid:
Exactly,they scare the crap outta me :P
hellboy7769 1 year ago
wow even in 2002... slowness was normal
pahoboye 2 years ago
I'd have thought everyone would have given up at this point and just have swiched channel.
fandabidosiful 2 years ago
Is it me, or do news flashes like this just make you as scared as fuck?
PowerMetalKid 2 years ago
steptoe and son :L:L
niall249 2 years ago
That was sad to hear that the Queen Mother died.
Hectorson3 2 years ago
when this happened i thought there was something seriously wrong at the BBC like an extremist group had taken over.
The when they finally switched it over to the newsroom and saw the pic of the queen mother i knew what had happened
ITW84 2 years ago
IIRC correctly, wasn't BBC One still showing the scheduled programme during this pause? They cut rather smoothly at the same point on this clip when Peter Sissons says "This is BBC Television News."
jaychristie909 2 years ago
@jaychristie909 well BBC2 had a difficult time cutting to the newsroom
AsnycnowRadio 1 year ago
I thought that in the day and age that 2002 was the transition to the announcment would have been quicker than this.
panga3a 2 years ago
I remember this, watching BBC2, and thought it really odd. it took ages, and BBC 1 was just showing normal programmes, so nothing was known. I did think a nuclear strike, or something.
rogerskp 2 years ago
hah! Asumed it was just me. Rreally thought it was a 'count the tins of beans' moment.
StevieAch 2 years ago
Bloody Hell! It's a wonder that there wasn't an uprising after this waste of time.
MMACPMcDermott 2 years ago
also I know its double psot much but am I the only one who thinks its funny seeing the 2 logo just standing there frozen?
GFWspacezilla 2 years ago
If this happened nowadays with something as equally important but with this long of a pause i'd be crappign my pants thinking of all sort of satuff Like a asteroid about to hit earth or a nuclear war.
GFWspacezilla 2 years ago
that took forever!
ownage41885 2 years ago
that's was ridiculous making them wait if you were lucky ceefax or teletext was just a click away ,
clwyddruid 2 years ago
I remember this, I just switched to BBC1! I don't understand why they needed to do it on both channels!
poossum12345 2 years ago
why don't you just change channel to bbc1, wouldve been alot lot lot lot quicker and less stressful
andyjon22 2 years ago
Wow, I thought I'd be dead by the time we joined BBC1...
andyc225 2 years ago
3:40 Waffle is tedious; they should've kept broadcasting until they got their act together*
* or put on a Tom & Jerry Cartoon
tellyisrubbish 2 years ago
I pretty much guessed it was her as soon as they faded out.
asterofnu 2 years ago
I have to admit I was crapping myself during this bit, and when a picture of the queen mother came on I was more than a little relieved that the world wasn't ending.
sputano 2 years ago
This is so lame...at least this doesn't happen in the USA!
summerinthecity09 2 years ago
If President Obama was assassinated or something, I'm sure it would.
andyc225 2 years ago
how is it lame? its respectful. When princess diana dies we had no TV for the day.
Rmg12 2 years ago
What a total cock-up they made of this announcement! Farcical pause.
uvote4me 2 years ago
Why not just say "Please Turn your attention to BBC1"?!!
They treat BBC2 as a joke it's not fair lol
Nice though of them to cut of just as Steptoe says there's someone at the door! priceless lol
BillStanley2008 2 years ago
"This is BBC 2. . .we will be joining BBC 1 shortly with an important announcement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .the world could be ending right outside your door, but you'll have to wait until we join BBC 1 to find out. We will join BBC 1 for the announcement shortly (when we're bloody well ready to!)
ChrisFrenchComedy 2 years ago
I was on my way to my grandmas house with the rest of the family when this happpened. I think we arrived about 15 minutes after this. The channel what we were on was BBC2 as well.
The following week, many of the programmes I was looking forward to on some of the channels were replaced by programmes about the Queen Mother.
Also, I was 8, few weeks after my birthday, and, to be honest, I did not care what was going on.
Had I been 15 at the time, I definatly would have took more notice.
QIVIDS1138 2 years ago
I actually remember this myself. I had waited for this episode to be eventually repeated, then they cut out for four minutes of static imagery. I just thought at the time 'Can't be very important if they're keeping us waiting all this long!'
ShadowLugiaHemos 2 years ago
I can forgive Peter Sissons for his 'no black tie' bit. The BBC news on BBC one had only finnished about 5 minutes before this news was announced by the palace. This would not really have given him time to get the black tie, change and get back in the seat before he went live again. I think the BBC now have a black tie on 'stand by' just in case.
madabbafan 2 years ago
They have one under the desk.
CHANNELMICHAEL 2 years ago
thats a bit of a grizly thaught
flupmakintosh 2 years ago
I remember watching this Steptoe and Son and it was interrupted and said they were going to be joining BBC1 for a special announcement! My dad just turned it over to channel 4 and there was a picture of the Queen mum and he straight away just blurted out "SHE'S DEAD!".
Rascasseman 2 years ago
I wish your dad had been the announcer. He'd have been quicker!
sunkat76 2 years ago
Wow. Speaking as someone conditioned from almost birth that the "Emergency Broadcast System" activation would be followed by the death of everyone on the planet, to have such a grave-sounding statement and then NOTHING for minutes ... I bet more than a few people wondered if the sirens were about to sound.
saskabush2006 2 years ago
yeh. you'd think that when they say something majorly serious like that, they'd get it right......
iamthestig1 2 years ago
saskabush, I remember this happening while watching BBC2 and finding the lack of info quite frightening.
Of course I could have switched to another channel but dreaded what I would hear...
BillyIsATwat23 2 years ago
Totally agree - "Brown trouser time" or what!
That long delay would be enough to put the frightner's on anybody.
Duck'n'cover!
benkid77 2 years ago
I still have this day impressed on my memory. I have to hand it to the lady doing the announcements, god only knows what was going through her mind, having to make all those messages and not knowing what was going on.
Joshuadrooney 2 years ago
I think I was watching ITV at the time, and they did it far better than this. The programming was cut off, immediately upon a black screen, the Queen Mother appeared alongside the flag and the national anthem.
Far better than this monstrous fiasco.
As for the Monarchy - it's the best bastion against totalitarianism...obtuse as it is, it's true.
apcak 2 years ago
At least the Americans would have gotten it right....jeez, how amateurish!
summerinthecity09 2 years ago
I doubt American TV would pay the respect.
All the majority channels are commericial, and an announcement like that wouldn't make them money, so they wouldn't bother.
CCowell125 2 years ago
The news of her death passed me by some how! TV stations have been rehearsing for a royal death for decades but I don't think they would suspend everything like they used to do in the thirties and forties.
ChokingHorror 2 years ago
I remember when the news broke - I was watching another channel at the time, and the film I was watching was interrupted with the news of the Queen Mother's death.
Still missed today - R.I.P
coolcattigger 2 years ago
a pretty sad day. still she was very old, and she did drink a few...
i got my reports from the radio on the car journey back from buying my PS2...
rorrt 2 years ago
i remember this, i seriously got scared cos all they showed was tat for 4 mins, i thought something very awful happened.
R.I.P Queen Mother
birrman2008 2 years ago
Smooth and totally not freaky way to cut the transmission. First, audio only, then a black screen and finally 3 minutes of a still frame. It really looked like the terrorists struck again or something.
Commanderraf 2 years ago
they may as well have just kept the programme on for that bit longer, then go straight onto bbc 1 when they are ready
andyyyy12 2 years ago
I thought initially that terrorists had struck again!
DJgaZman 2 years ago
i thought that we were all going to die!
logom0 2 years ago
the delay was for the 1:30 at chepstow to finish, the way she'd have wanted it.
jimw1234 2 years ago
no,it was 5.45 pm
scorpiofootiemad 2 years ago
I remember watching kidstv when it stopped and went straight through to BBC
Megavids3 2 years ago
were you watching CBBC when this happened?
guy2008rules 2 years ago
Same, I got REALLY annoyed and didn't see how this was important at all, did they really need to simulcast all morning on both channels?
danny999911 2 years ago
got bored waiting.....
foxyjohnuk 2 years ago
I want my four minutes of life back, please. You broke into a programme and piddled about, then when the announcement came on, the vid ended after four seconds. Bad show, really.
BearyHairy 3 years ago
Or you could just look at the related vids. :P I just cut it off there, as the coverage from that point on matches BBC One, which is already well covered on Youtube.
tesandco 2 years ago
I remember watching aunties bloomers and it cutting out!
joshthorpeuk 3 years ago
Ha ha, they should have kept Steptoe on, even the Queen Mother would agree. She had a great sense of humour!
spelqueka 3 years ago
The announcer was Jumoke Fashola
Ketsai1 3 years ago
i remember sitting at my nans house and thinking the tele had broken when this happened..god bless the queen mum xxx
JadieStarr 3 years ago
Our family had exactly the same reaction, didn't half get a fright when the BBC One ident popped up. But anyway, back to the subject - was a very sad day, I cried that night (was only 10 though) :'(
Emsybean 2 years ago
maybe it wasn't the simulcast with bbc2 that was the problem, broadcasting around the world on bbc international news would have been some logistical feat
billabongodrum 3 years ago
Compared to BBC1, BBC2 sure seemed to take an awful long time on this one. If I was in the UK, I would have thought, "Did Tony Blair die? Or is he alive, but about to announce the start of a nuclear war?" As some have mentioned above, it was well known the Queen Mother was going to die eventually but this is something that should have gone on air with less than a minute's notice from Buckingham or 10 Downing.
BlastFurnaceCanada 3 years ago
that would scare me shitless ,id think it was a nuclear war announcement . the massive pause wouldnt of helped
eysofthewest 3 years ago
BBC 1 of this would fit a lot better because they would have used their ident designed for funerals/terrorist attacks
tango602 3 years ago
To everyone who thinks viewers should switch to BBC ONE instead of waiting, BBC ONE was still showing Aunties Bloomers at the time of this. BBC TWO cut too early. The BBC were still getting everything prepared for the breaking news.
racrmimbpsvc 3 years ago
LOL - "This is BBC2 please do us a favour and change to BBC One yourself, while we hunt for the remote."
kereama 3 years ago
Yawn..........
AlansVlogs 3 years ago
Oh dear....that was painful to watch!
GroovyBlackCat 3 years ago
What a royal balls up
syrett76 3 years ago
I bet loads of people thought a nuclear war had started when this announcement came up!
JamesBCS 3 years ago
Thank God for Youtube. A chance at last to show how bad the BBC now is.
This wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't a well known fact that they'd rehearsed such a situation (considering the Queen Mother's great age) for years. The BBC was incompetent that day and Peter Sissons was completely out of his depth.
tracyhodgkins 3 years ago
Thats why i watch Sky News nowadays. I prefer they're broadcasting style. BBC News always looks so plain and depressing
pothead27 3 years ago
Do you know how BBC Two reacted on the 7/7 bombings?
digichris02 3 years ago
I suspect it would have been much smoother as they'd likely just cut to News 24. Events that they *know* are going to happen one day (Queen dying etc) have a rehearsed procedure in place to go to the National Newsroom on BBC1. Those they cant predict tend to default to cutting to News 24.
tesandco 3 years ago
someone just running around trying to plug the right cable in to get bbc one.
head technician- "oh shit let me just rescan the freeview box, wait a sec, ah balls wheres the intructions!"
djdave321 3 years ago
I missed this cos I had just left to walk to my mother's house and found out when I arrived. The walk was shorter!! My God I thought they practiced for these type of things!!
LindiLu 3 years ago
Appalling lack of professionalism; Peter Sissons seemed rattled when he had to announce it. BBC is nowhere near as good as it used to be.
rabengeraun 3 years ago
I remember watching that, and remember thinking 'whats going on?' :|
Melaflog 3 years ago
They really held people at the torture bench!
Wonder if they'd waisted this much time if the nuclear warheads were on their way?
FabulezII 3 years ago
they could have interrupted the program 4 minutes later! >=0
xXEllie1212121Xx 3 years ago
Man talk about waiting on "pin & needles" for that report to air! Possibly a lot of folks thought the THE END was coming & was freaking out!
bigg3469 3 years ago
Yea the BBC got that one just perfect!
SeanPhuket 3 years ago
Where's the remote.?? I'm sick of waiting...!!
lankyluty 3 years ago
I remember watching Steptoe, or at least it being on in the corner with me on the computer, and the screen going blank like that. Then with the announcement of "an important announcement", it could be anything. Bear in mind this was only about 6-7 monts after 9/11, all sorts of things go through your mind in those few minutes. War. Terrorism. Plane crash. Train crash. Anything. It was quite freaky, especially as at the time I was on my own in the house.
bluebellnutter 3 years ago
Remember that aftrenoon very well. I was staying in a hotel and we were downstairs in the bar and suddenely everyone started crowding round the television screen. Someone said Sissons was asking the mosr ridiculous questions to his guests.
lelvish1 3 years ago
Not one of Peter Sisson's finest broadcasting moments. I think Martin Lewis did the Diana one much better.
PaulRoberts 3 years ago
What the hell were BBC trying to do? Panic the nation with the long wait?
corruptmadam 3 years ago
What was News 24 showing during this? I'm assuming BBC1, 2 and News 24 simulcast at this time so the announcement wasn't made for another few minutes, so i'm wondering what was showing before they announced the news?
jaychristie909 3 years ago
I remember watching this and during the long wait I thought the 'important announcement'was nuclear hollocaust or something!
parkhamno1 3 years ago
i thuagh the exact same thing lol
neilam6 3 years ago
Holy nora, I remember this. My nan started crying.
JemTheWolf 3 years ago
I'm a "Yank" and our stations act that way too, so I'm used to it. Sad news, though.
LuvvyDuck 3 years ago
I like how we hear the classic Steptoe and Son episode "Who's that" then the whore on voiceover goes "We break the programme for an important news update" then for ages tells us to wait when we could just turn over to BBC1 or News 24!!
Tell us the news yourself or put Steptoe and Son back on!!!
BillStanley2008 3 years ago
Bit strong on her. :P It can't be a fun job being dropped in a booth and told to pad for 4 minutes because some channel director cut out too early. As mentioned, I suspect the early cut to join the other channels was just to avoid rather sharply jumping from comedy to serious news!
tesandco 3 years ago
Having said that, tesandco, BBC1 cut directly from Aunties Bloomers, if I recall correctly.
jaychristie909 3 years ago
that took a while, mabye some people just turned over to BBC ONE
Torchwood001 3 years ago
I like how the woman doing the voiceover repeated herself, and added "shortly" to the end :p
larenegUK 3 years ago
lets wait 4 damn minutes to hear 10 seconds of sad news..
RJB61012 3 years ago
Naive editorial stance...you cannot divorce content from context.
groeslon 3 years ago
Watch me! :P
tesandco 3 years ago
If I'd be watching BBC2 that day I would have thought there had been a nuclear strike with all the silence! :(
jemmarocks2006 3 years ago
BTW 4.5 minutes of filler isn't good news. I should come to London and do the news. YAY!! And watch out Camilla. JK
KINGDOMoftheORION 3 years ago
I remember the long pause between the announcement of "An important announcement" and the going to the news itself, it kinda left you wondering what it could be
bluebellnutter 3 years ago
I remember this. My family and I who were enjoying "Steptoe and son" were not best pleased.
numpty1972 3 years ago 3
Particularly as it was the one with Leonard Rossiter in it. Tsk.
nishlord 3 years ago 3
If its already on BBC 1, why show it on BBC 2 =/?
joeydoo3 3 years ago
to inform the viewers on BBC2
AidanLunn 3 years ago
Major Royal death. BBC has to break in on all terrestrial TV, local radio, network radio etc. Radio stations make an announcement then switch to Radio 4. It's all in a special folder kept in every beeb newsroom.
thomasdgreen 3 years ago
I hate when they do this, I always expect to hear "We are now at war with... everyone."
skellious 3 years ago 17
this is very funny....sorry your madge...but waiting 4 mins...oh just enough time for a wee, a tea and a wan...
ScareMeSexy71 3 years ago 3
Surely by the time they'd 'joined' BBC One, people would already have switched over to the actual BBC One to see what all the fuss was about, instead of waiting a whole 4 minutes for it to appear on BBC Two? Lol!
richiesherman 3 years ago 7
BBC1 and BBC2 started at the same time, so there was on point in turning to BBC1.
tomc1989 3 years ago
Arrrrolld the Queen mum is dead, feed the orse..cough,cough..
britbasherno1 3 years ago 4
It was on two channels because it was big news
jsam93 3 years ago 3
mayb they didnt have chance to get peter sissons a blac tie, news is changing all the time, not always going to know whats happening and when.
teresawoolies 3 years ago
it took long enough for bbc2 to join bbc1
Best part of 4 minutes
johnnoC8 3 years ago
maybe BBC1 wasn't ready yet?
VideyoJunkei 3 years ago
i was scared of the scilent moments 2 lol
professionalmoron 4 years ago 2
i suppose people where scared of a blank screen because they were thinking of the inevitable...nuclear war!
mandtrott 4 years ago 4
omg i remember when this happened, i was prety young at the time and the few moments of silence realy frightened me, i was afraid to go back into the room on my own and for the life of me i cant think why i was so scared. its still kinda scary now
ThePoomed 4 years ago
Why would you be scared of a black screen....O.o
I remember having dinner in my living room, I was only about 10 or 11 at the time. It must be very horrible to announce the death of someone that important
Kazamitsu07 4 years ago
You really need to get out more.
Go to the pub, have a pint. By the time you get back, the interesting bit of the video might bo on!
lawsonrob 4 years ago
ath beginning i thought i was watching prince charles with prince philip
rubys200777 4 years ago
Does anyone know who was at the door. I was watching that!
gizged 4 years ago 4
It was the Vicar, calling to ask for contributions to the parish magazine. He nearly stumbled upon Albert's risqué Scrabble answers :D
YKW2 3 years ago
Why not just press Channel Down and actually GO TO BBC 1 ??!
Jackus2008 4 years ago 3
i was watching SKY,the Simpsons and it came up.
Alienmad462 4 years ago 4
I was watching that at the time. We were round my Nans house on her birthday, and my Dad told me I would like Steptoe and Son... Then it cut out half way through which was a shame. There was very little else on for the rest ofthe day. Just news! Pretty boring.
helzy89 4 years ago
At this time, I was watching a very funny programme on BBC1. When it cut out to tell me the queens mother had died, and the programme did not come back on, I was pissed off to hell. They had got their point across, now get back to the programme and have an hour dedicated to it later!
Slay33D 4 years ago
Whoa, calm down people, I was a little younger back when it happened, alright?
Slay33D 4 years ago
No there was nothing like this for the POpe because he is not a British his country is the Vatican and this countries offical religion is The Church of England!
LordBraxfield 4 years ago
Was there anything like this when the Pope died?
SciFiGeekinArmani 4 years ago
SciFiGeek: yes, in almost every country in the world. i know when it happened i was living in phoenix Arizona and the church bells rang for an hour solid at over 100 catholic churches in the diocese.
MercoAmer 4 years ago
I was living in Ireland at the time and they refused to give us the day off because we were in a non-denominational school (though 99% were Catholic) so we protested and forced the Governors to give us the day off...but probably not in England..there's about..ohh 500 years of history why...
hannahmwalsh 4 years ago
why did you expect to get the day off school?
unclenelvis 4 years ago
from the steptoe and son episode men of letters
knicksfan89 4 years ago
Grampian tv and Scottish tv stayed there for
4 minutes with the Speacil news report on the
programe before ITV news speacil on 30th
March 2002.
shirleygibson 4 years ago
This is so damn Zen...
akiracohen 4 years ago
Can anyone help me whats with the royal family whose the mother queen
and the queen
why isint she queen and whys isint here a king what ewhat
josenoscati 4 years ago
The queen mother was queen until her husband the ruling king died. then their daughter the princess became the new queen and the old queen became the "queen('s) mother" She wasnt a ruling queen because she wasnt the hereditary heir but called queen anyways out of respect. The ruling queens husband isnt called king because that implies a ruling position, I guess.
dmail9 4 years ago
The ruling Queen's husband isn't King because he's not British - he is of Greek birth and no foreigner can be King of England - thats why. Queen Mother was consort to King George 5th, then he died n Elizabeth 2nd took over as they did not have a son, it went to the daughter.
ventnorfilms 4 years ago
So why was Victoria's husband called Prince Albert and not King?
dmail9 4 years ago
For the same reason as Prince Philip. Victoria inherited the crown, not Albert. Albert was merely her husband.
wftjet 4 years ago
My history is crap, but I'd assume it's because he was a German Prince (i'm probably wrong...)
hannahmwalsh 4 years ago
I am not an expert, but I don't think that is correct. In the British constitution, when a man becomes king, his wife automaticly becomes queen.
However, when a woman becomes Queen, her husband does not automaticly become king, (weather he is British or not) This can only happen by act of parliment!
Wasn't William of Orange Dutch, and he was King of Enland...
RickyUK100 4 years ago
Foreigners can be King of England. In fact historically most of them have been French or German.
Gibbo118 4 years ago
there is no king because the monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, a king is higher then a Queen so her husband is instead a Prince...
Everybody know this..
anchorman87 4 years ago
I think I was watching BBC One at the time. I don't remember waiting that long.
Perranporth 4 years ago
Yep, the announcement on BBC One cut straight over to the news, unlike on two. It's in the related links on the side.
tesandco 4 years ago
I remember seeing this fpr ages then some random announcement. I thought it was a pirate transmission.
The6thSimpson 4 years ago
I was enjoying that clip of Steptoe and Son. :-(
dumbassesanonymous 4 years ago 5
important announcemet? more like silent nonsence!
jmajesty79 4 years ago 3
i think im gonna die of old age before the news room is ready!
Burwellington 4 years ago 3
LOL
Onlyjasonhere 4 years ago
Peter Sissons tie is shameful
thekingofcarryon 4 years ago
this is from saturday 30th march 2002. (the day after the bbc1 balloon was removed
devongasman 4 years ago
As was well remembered as it showed up the lack of appropriate presentation compared to only 2 days earlier. The 'stills of people cocking their legs' incident pretty much dogged the rest of the lifetime of the dancer package.
tesandco 4 years ago
Thanks for posting. I'd not seen this before. What a mess, eh? It's not as though the news they had would have changed since they first heard it.
Durbs75 4 years ago
The BBC had years to prepare for this. IDIOTS
davidchipping 4 years ago 7
I've got a feeling that the queen mum died whilst waiting for the news to come on!
mattwoodbudbud 4 years ago
How long dose it take to opt in!
JGHGFF 4 years ago
It takes no time at all, and it's not an opt-in they would have just cut tothe incoming line with News 24 on it. The problem was that they faded out too early... before News was ready to go with the announcement
LuthansaTerminal 4 years ago
yea i remeber this just when i got home from work
jimbos2002 4 years ago
in your own time!!!!!!!!
farmerboy287 4 years ago
It's terible how long it too for them to announce Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother's death!!
huwwilson650 4 years ago 2
That announcer is great, isn't she? Anytime you're ready love; no hurry...
LostProphet1776 4 years ago 4
it take forever
happyninjagirl 4 years ago
the bbc is the only shred of traditionalism this country has left. hats off to them and it upsets me deeply that people cannot respect the royal family and this countries traditions. For that the latter comment I expect you to delete me.
the queen mother is dead long live the queen mother.......
ps steptoe and son are also the best IMHO
bonniepapabob 4 years ago
You only had to switch to teletext to find out what had happened(though it was obvious anyway).
natterbox 4 years ago
If I were her I would have said, Oh i might as well tell you, the Queen mum's dead.
ta400 4 years ago 3
I was actually watching that when this happened. I was eleven. I asked my dad what was wrong and he said "The Queen Mother has probably died" - and he was right. The Queen didn't have a good year that year. Both her sister and mother died within a few months of each other.
cardwitch91 4 years ago
Absoultely brilliant! I had just flown back from Washington D C and was watching Steptoe and Son and it was brilliant that BBC2 cut into the programme ages before BBC1 bothered to make the announcement!
emmetalk21 4 years ago
a bit less than several minutes i think...
BattyBoyKilla 4 years ago
That's typical of the Royal Family by interrupting a classic TV comedy like Step To &Son with there own news. I know it was sad that the Queen Mother had died, but they could have waited until the programme had ended to announce the news. Mind you fifty years ago or more, the sycophantic BBC would have closed down the entire station if a Royal had died, which they did after the death of George VI in 1952.
Gayunderweather 4 years ago
As I wont have this turned into a political rantboard, I'll keep the point brief. The BBC are licence fee funded, and the licence fee is still granted as a Royal Charter. That pretty much obligates them to cover Royal Events. The scale of this was still seriously cut compared to Diana in 1997 however.
tesandco 4 years ago