It's a Knockout, the inter-town contest of skill and strength, began on 7 August 1966. The first series was between Lancashire and Yorkshire, with 8 towns competing for the Tip-Top-Town-Trophy. The signature tune - Bean Bag, played by Herb Alpert - set the tone for the games, which were played despite the British weather, and frequently featured water, grease, and silly costumes.
The format of the gameshow was adapted from the French series Intervilles, but also owed a debt to the BBC's earlier Top Town, created by It's a Knockout director Barney Colehan MBE. British winners of It's a Knockout joined Jeux Sans Frontieres, the European version, and the competing countries ensured the props and costumes became more elaborate.
It's a Knockout ran on the BBC until 1982, but returned in 1987 with the charity special Grand Knockout Tournament, featuring members of the Royal family and a host of celebrity contestants. In its heyday It's a Knockout showcased regional and international co-operation in an entertaining format.
August anniversaries
Family Favourites
1 August 1945
Sailor
5 August 1976
It's a Knockout
7 August 1966
First BBC Promenade Concert
13 August 1927
The Weakest Link
14 August 2000
Junior Masterchef
14 August 1994
Launch of 1Xtra
16 August 2002
Dr Finlay's Casebook
16 August 1962
The Marriage Lines
16 August 1963
Observer reveals MI5 vetting of BBC staff
18 August 1985
Why Don't You...?
20 August 1973
The Moral Maze
20 August 1990
First experimental BBC TV Programme
22 August 1932
Match of the Day begins
22 August 1964
BBC Monitoring
26 August 1939
Radio 5 launches
27 August 1990
First live TV from the continent
27 August 1950
Start of experimental stereo broadcasting
28 August 1962
Elizabeth Cowell first female TV announcer
31 Aug 1936
The Monocled Mutineer
31 August 1986
Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow
31 August 2002
The Battle of Britain
Summer 1940
