Christianity and television

Bedford Studios

In May 1959, ABC Television founded the world’s first Religious Training Scheme for Churchmen and women.

The Company felt that few Churchmen understood the workings of television and the exciting opportunities it offers them to influence people, so, with the co-operation of the Archbishops of Canterbury and Westminster and Church leaders, ABC now presents three Courses each year for the various denominations, on each of which twelve people are trained by the Company’s staff.

Above, the Bishop of Manchester inaugurates the first Course, flanked left to right by Mr Howard Thomas, managing director of ABC Television, Dr E. G. M. Fletcher, MP, deputy chairman of the Associated British Picture Corporation and the Rev L. G. Tyler, Anglican adviser to ABC Television.

Stanley Allen

ABC’s monthly Sunday evening religious programme Living Your Life presents many controversial aspects of religious thought.

‘The Challenge of Communication: Television’ is discussed above by a distinguished panel comprising left to right
Trevor Williams, Religious Correspondent of the Daily Herald
Canon Roy McKay, Head  of Religious Programmes for the BBC,
Michae Redington, Producer of Religious Programmes for ATV,
John Bachman, Professor of Theology at the Union Seminary in New York

The Rt Rev Dr J. C. Heenan, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool, is one of many notable churchmen of the North and Midlands who have appeared on Living Your Life

Baldpates and blondes

The television camera is no respecter of persons.

Whether you are a leading churchman, a distinguished man of letters or a blonde bombshell of the movies, the make-up girl will still have to take the shine off that Yul Brynner head and advise little grains of powder, little dabs of paint for the pretty face

Left, above the Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney gets a make-up lesson on ABC’s Religious Training Course;
below Sir Charles Snow is made up for The Book Man;
lower Jayne Mansfield prepares for her guest spot in After Hours;
bottom Diana Dors shows how it’s done to Deborah Buchan, granddaughter of the famous novelist, who made her TV debut with Miss Dors in Armchair Theatre

 

Stanley Allen
1960 // THIS IS TRANSDIFFUSION