I understand this was Britain's first television serial when it debuted in 1957, running twice a week until 1966, when it became a self-contained hour.
Ha....I wonder if the producers of the show realised they had so many 'uber-fans'? - (risking fire and halting childbirth...) I would love to know the actual episode that aired on that fateful night....Friday Sept 13th 1963 - it must have been a cliffhanger for sure!
So THIS is the programme the inmates of Prisoner Cell Block H was always watching every time there was a scene shown of them all sat there in the recreation room - this theme tune would nearly always be playing.. Cheers for this.
The mind is a strange thing. I watched the show as a small boy - remember Charles 'Bud' Tingwell and a nurse called Brown who was gorgeous (even at 8, I knew that!) But while the music is FAMILIAR - in my mind, I cannot link it with the series. Perhaps it was on early episodes I did not see?
I'm too young to remember this - BUT (from Dad) - Friday Sept 13th 1963, and my mother's waters broke - (her first child). Dad was called home from work, ambulance arrived, but my mother wouldn't go until the end of that evenings episode of Emergency Ward 10...she clung to the back of the sofa apparently. At 2am on Sat Sept 14th - I was born. That's how I learned of this show... (;
I can remember my mum and I being addicted to the programme. In those days they didn't have video/DVD recorders like now.
One night we started watching and the picture went off on our TV but we sat LISTENING to the programme in sound only because we didn't want to miss it. When the repair man came out to our TV and we told him what we did, he was horrified. He said that it was a dangerous thing to do because the TV could have overheated and burst into flames!!
What a great segment! brought back so many memories. One of the characters was nurse Carol Young (I think), amazing what comes back to you, I was only about nine or ten at the time! thanks, brilliant.....The "doctor" standing in front of the ATV camera is Desmond Carrington who had a popular show on radio 2 for years.
What a great segment! brought back so many memories. One of the characters was nurse Carol Young (I think), amazing what comes back to you, I was only about nine or ten at the time! thanks, brilliant.....
@Soapking1965 Possibly, although you must realise that in the UK in the 60s we hadn't seen much US tv! Until 1955 we only had one channel, until 1964 we had just the two!!!
@gabbysbuddy Uh Emergency Ward 10 first appeared on the Beeb in 1954. When did the Doctors and General Hospital debut? Well lets see. General Hospital and The Doctors first appeared in 1963 so, historically speaking, EW10 cannot be Britain's answer to either. With the cyber world at your fingertips you actually could have answered this question on your own. But I know historical literacy, particularly in the US, is low.
Heavens to Clara Barton! What a delightful video! Looks like it was a fascinating show....of course over here in the US doctor shows were extremely popular in the 60's too....the biggest hits being "Ben Casey" and "Dr Kildaire". What an exceptionally lush theme song. And interacial kiss would definitely not have been shown on US televsion either in the 60's. WAY too controversial for the times. THANKS for sharing this fascinating footage! :)
How cool, O' Buddy of Gabby! I knew many American TV shows were shown in the UK back then but had no idea that they included shows like Ben Casey & Dr Kildaire. I know as a kid in the 60's I enjoyed many British shows shown here, such as "The Avengers", "The Saint", "Secret Agent Man", "The Prisoner" & "Man in a Suitcase" (among others). Many thanks for your delightful comment! :)
Actually, the doctor with the frizzy hair & foreign accent was Dr Zorba (played by veteran character actor Sam Jaffee). Ben Casey was played by handsome & rugged Vince Edwards. You're right about it being Dr Zorba's voice that did the "Man..Woman..Birth..Death..Infinity" symbols on the blackboard at the opening of each episode. Wonderful memories...thanks for your interesting & informative posts! :)
@JubalCalif We had Dr Kildaire as well in the UK.... have you seen what happened to Richard Chamberlain's face since then? He was in Brothers and Sisters and looks very weird!
THANKS for the comment! Glad the UK viewers were able to watch Dr Kildaire too! No, I haven't seen Richard Chamberlain lately. He may have had cosmetic surgery. So many celebrities are having "tucks and nips"...and some look better...but (sadly) it makes some of them look WORSE!
A Classic series. Although now gone it will never forgotten where I'm concerned. It was part of my growing up period in the 60s, I even remember the so called "controversal" mixed race kiss. How times have changed
My Uncle Ian's company Oxygenaire manufactured and provide the incubators (natal ward) for the series. He and his works colleagues were allowed to watch the filming. The studio was a big warehouse in London somewhere. He had a crush on one of the nurses at the time. Carol or Jo, I think. It is funny what uniforms can do to people.
I'm old enough to remember seeing that on TV and all the silly controversy that followed, but I was too young understand about interracial matters back then.
Always remember this programme was on when Kennedy got shot & they put an announcement up. Then it was announced he was dead and they had silent credits at the end !!
That was the end title theme. The opening theme was very morse-code like.
supernumery 2 months ago
I understand this was Britain's first television serial when it debuted in 1957, running twice a week until 1966, when it became a self-contained hour.
tomservo56954 4 months ago
Those were the days! Great music too.
405liner 5 months ago
Ha....I wonder if the producers of the show realised they had so many 'uber-fans'? - (risking fire and halting childbirth...) I would love to know the actual episode that aired on that fateful night....Friday Sept 13th 1963 - it must have been a cliffhanger for sure!
stingfan1000 6 months ago
@stingfan1000 Dunno about that, sorry....
gabbysbuddy 6 months ago
I remember the episode where a patient gets, ' Cat Scratch Fever. '
Nukethelotofthem1 6 months ago
This theme music couldn't have done it much justice. It's abysmal.
phil1958uk 7 months ago
@phil1958uk If the theme music had been better, the series might've carried on for longer. (Perish the thought).
phil1958uk 6 months ago
This was my favourite show growing up!
sandhaninc 8 months ago
So THIS is the programme the inmates of Prisoner Cell Block H was always watching every time there was a scene shown of them all sat there in the recreation room - this theme tune would nearly always be playing.. Cheers for this.
jiggarypokery 10 months ago
The mind is a strange thing. I watched the show as a small boy - remember Charles 'Bud' Tingwell and a nurse called Brown who was gorgeous (even at 8, I knew that!) But while the music is FAMILIAR - in my mind, I cannot link it with the series. Perhaps it was on early episodes I did not see?
RJBinghamesq 11 months ago
I have always liked Charles 'Bud' Tingwell, a great Aussie actor who only died recently.
soniaman1 1 year ago
the late jill brown as staff nurse carol young stole the glamour side of the show without a doubt - what a figure.
flashjak 1 year ago
@flashjak
I never knew she died.
she was married to the Please Sir star John Alderton
Catherineone 11 months ago
Such a sweet pic of Richard Thorp (Alan Turner, Emmerdale) Oh happy days! Thanks so much for posting!
20callenderslady 1 year ago
I'm too young to remember this - BUT (from Dad) - Friday Sept 13th 1963, and my mother's waters broke - (her first child). Dad was called home from work, ambulance arrived, but my mother wouldn't go until the end of that evenings episode of Emergency Ward 10...she clung to the back of the sofa apparently. At 2am on Sat Sept 14th - I was born. That's how I learned of this show... (;
stingfan1000 1 year ago
@stingfan1000 That is quite a story! Doubt if Eastenders would get that reaction nowadays!!
gabbysbuddy 1 year ago
@gabbysbuddy Too right.. I'm sure women these days would only be to willing to go through child birth to get away from depressing Eastenders.
jiggarypokery 10 months ago
@stingfan1000
I can remember my mum and I being addicted to the programme. In those days they didn't have video/DVD recorders like now.
One night we started watching and the picture went off on our TV but we sat LISTENING to the programme in sound only because we didn't want to miss it. When the repair man came out to our TV and we told him what we did, he was horrified. He said that it was a dangerous thing to do because the TV could have overheated and burst into flames!!
Valeriepres 6 months ago
A good nice show I hope there all dead.
michaelwright999 1 year ago
Britains answer to Ben Casey and Dr.Kildare
PaulSAUK 1 year ago
What a great segment! brought back so many memories. One of the characters was nurse Carol Young (I think), amazing what comes back to you, I was only about nine or ten at the time! thanks, brilliant.....The "doctor" standing in front of the ATV camera is Desmond Carrington who had a popular show on radio 2 for years.
LadyGmarilyn 1 year ago
What a great segment! brought back so many memories. One of the characters was nurse Carol Young (I think), amazing what comes back to you, I was only about nine or ten at the time! thanks, brilliant.....
LadyGmarilyn 1 year ago
Was this Britain's answer to America's medical soaps THE DOCTORS and GENERAL HOSPITAL?
Soapking1965 1 year ago
@Soapking1965 Possibly, although you must realise that in the UK in the 60s we hadn't seen much US tv! Until 1955 we only had one channel, until 1964 we had just the two!!!
gabbysbuddy 1 year ago 2
@gabbysbuddy Uh Emergency Ward 10 first appeared on the Beeb in 1954. When did the Doctors and General Hospital debut? Well lets see. General Hospital and The Doctors first appeared in 1963 so, historically speaking, EW10 cannot be Britain's answer to either. With the cyber world at your fingertips you actually could have answered this question on your own. But I know historical literacy, particularly in the US, is low.
ronhelf 2 months ago
@ronhelf oops that should be 1957 for the EW10 debut...
ronhelf 2 months ago
Brilliant series
penninefilms 1 year ago
Heavens to Clara Barton! What a delightful video! Looks like it was a fascinating show....of course over here in the US doctor shows were extremely popular in the 60's too....the biggest hits being "Ben Casey" and "Dr Kildaire". What an exceptionally lush theme song. And interacial kiss would definitely not have been shown on US televsion either in the 60's. WAY too controversial for the times. THANKS for sharing this fascinating footage! :)
JubalCalif 1 year ago
@JubalCalif
We got Ben Casey and Dr Kildare as well in the UK.!
gabbysbuddy 1 year ago
@gabbysbuddy
How cool, O' Buddy of Gabby! I knew many American TV shows were shown in the UK back then but had no idea that they included shows like Ben Casey & Dr Kildaire. I know as a kid in the 60's I enjoyed many British shows shown here, such as "The Avengers", "The Saint", "Secret Agent Man", "The Prisoner" & "Man in a Suitcase" (among others). Many thanks for your delightful comment! :)
JubalCalif 1 year ago
@JubalCalif
Ben Casey - the guy with the crazy accent and haircut!!
"Man...Woman...Birth...Death...Infinity! Every time on the opening titles!
gabbysbuddy 1 year ago
@gabbysbuddy
Actually, the doctor with the frizzy hair & foreign accent was Dr Zorba (played by veteran character actor Sam Jaffee). Ben Casey was played by handsome & rugged Vince Edwards. You're right about it being Dr Zorba's voice that did the "Man..Woman..Birth..Death..Infinity" symbols on the blackboard at the opening of each episode. Wonderful memories...thanks for your interesting & informative posts! :)
JubalCalif 1 year ago
@JubalCalif We had Dr Kildaire as well in the UK.... have you seen what happened to Richard Chamberlain's face since then? He was in Brothers and Sisters and looks very weird!
sandhaninc 8 months ago
@sandhaninc
THANKS for the comment! Glad the UK viewers were able to watch Dr Kildaire too! No, I haven't seen Richard Chamberlain lately. He may have had cosmetic surgery. So many celebrities are having "tucks and nips"...and some look better...but (sadly) it makes some of them look WORSE!
JubalCalif 8 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I remember theme-tune, the hot-blonde [though not her-name], clunky cameras-&-lights too :)
40-years later easily-superior to Casualty...
Twilight Zone [Mr Denton On Doomsday, Escape Clause, Ring-A-Ding Girl...] b/w; brilliant.
CashOnTheNail1955 1 year ago
I remember theme-tune, the hot-blonde [though not her-name], clunky cameras-&-lights too :)
40-years later easily-superior to Casualty...
Twilight Zone [Mr Denton On Doomsday, Escape Clause, Ring-A-Ding Girl...] b/w; brilliant.
CashOnTheNail1955 1 year ago
I remember theme-tune & the hot-blonde too :)
CashOnTheNail1955 1 year ago
A Classic series. Although now gone it will never forgotten where I'm concerned. It was part of my growing up period in the 60s, I even remember the so called "controversal" mixed race kiss. How times have changed
MrNaughtyflirt 1 year ago
Staff Nurse Young...actress Jill Browne was the "love" interest. All seems a long time ago now!
TheWhitehall 2 years ago
Dunno about love...lust more like!!
gabbysbuddy 2 years ago
Yeah! You`re right!
TheWhitehall 2 years ago
What was the one that used the sabre dance as a theme?
Seal00754 2 years ago
Very nostalgic to watch. It was one of my favourite TV programmes as a child.
barbara3722 2 years ago
My Uncle Ian's company Oxygenaire manufactured and provide the incubators (natal ward) for the series. He and his works colleagues were allowed to watch the filming. The studio was a big warehouse in London somewhere. He had a crush on one of the nurses at the time. Carol or Jo, I think. It is funny what uniforms can do to people.
thegoufather 2 years ago
The first interracial kiss on British television was in Emergency Ward 10 in 1964
RememberToday4ever 2 years ago 3
I'm old enough to remember seeing that on TV and all the silly controversy that followed, but I was too young understand about interracial matters back then.
MrNaughtyflirt 1 year ago
The theme music is from the Francis Day and Hunter mood music department. Its called Silks and Satins.
eastend1391 2 years ago
Yep! Seemingly he played Dr John Rennie in seven episodes 1959-60!
Real name Richard Thorp! Well spotted!
gabbysbuddy 2 years ago
It could be -I'll have to check IMDB!
gabbysbuddy 2 years ago
Great great theme music !
Always remember this programme was on when Kennedy got shot & they put an announcement up. Then it was announced he was dead and they had silent credits at the end !!
bootsamou 2 years ago
Great stuff
Thanx for posting
gillyjim1959 2 years ago