The Birth of Television: A Forgotten History

100 years ago, inventor John Logie Baird demonstrated his new 'televisor' to the public for the first time. In this special edition of Front Row, Samira Ahmed and guests explore the origins of television in the UK, charting how those early experimental days set a template for this exciting new medium.

Guests:

TV producer and historian Professor John Wyver, whose new book Magic Rays of Light tells the story of the early days of TV

Lisa Kerrigan, senior curator of TV at the BFI

Francis Spufford, whose new novel Nonesuch is partly set in the BBC studio at Alexandra Palace in 1939

Joy Whitby, TV producer and creator of iconic programmes including Play School and Jackanory

Presenter: Samira Ahmed

Producer: Tim Bano