In Town Tonight

"Once more we stop the mighty roar of London's traffic and, from the great crowds, we bring you some of the interesting people who have come by land, sea and air to be

In Town Tonight"

Some of the interesting people......

In Town Tonight was a national institution which started on the BBC Home Service on 18 November 1933 and lasted right through until 1960 on Saturday nights at 7:30pm. The programme was a skilful blend of outside and studio broadcasting in the form of a topical magazine programme. Interviews were carried out with well known personalities on a variety of subjects and also with ordinary people who may have done something particularly interesting. It also transferred to BBC television in 1954( it was simultaneously broadcast) but only lasted for two years because it was unable to compete with the offerings from the new ITV on Saturday evenings.

After it's demise, the programme was replaced by In Town Today, which was broadcast at lunchtime and ran until 1965.

The movement Knightsbridge March from Eric Coates' London Suite, with its traffic noises, street cries and fanfares, was chosen to introduce the programme. Thousands of listeners rang the BBC to request the title of the few tantalising bars they had just heard. Twenty thousand letters descended on the BBC asking the composers name. Gramophone records of the march could not be made fast enough. Like his favourite poet, Byron, Eric Coates woke up one morning to find himself famous.

In Town Tonight ran for 27 years on radio and Eic Coates became one of England's best known composers at home and abroad. His melodies were whistled in the streets as well as sung in the concert halls.

The programme was edited and produced

by Peter Duncan.

'Carry on London!'

End Theme. In Town Tonight