Illuminations
@illuminations.bsky.social
Media producer of arts docs, screen performance; posts by John Wyver, Professor of the Arts on Screen, Univ of Westminster; broadcasting history, esp early TV, theatre, film, visual art
Images: Man w the Flower, ‘30 / de Stael, Le Saladier (detail), ‘54
Images: Man w the Flower, ‘30 / de Stael, Le Saladier (detail), ‘54
Pinned
Illuminations
@illuminations.bsky.social
· Jul 31
Magic Rays of Light
Magic Rays of Light is an original and ambitious history of the largely unknown early years of television in Britain. A detailed cultural study of the first dem…
www.bloomsbury.com
My book 'Magic Rays of Light: The Early Years of Television in Britain' can be pre-ordered from Bloomsbury here, currently with discounts on the hardback, paperback and e-book versions.
Publication 8 January, just ahead of the centenary of television in Britain.
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/magic-ray...
Publication 8 January, just ahead of the centenary of television in Britain.
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/magic-ray...
Reposted by Illuminations
OTD in early British television
25 November 1937 saw short OBs from the Elstree film studios. This was day 3 of a 4-day visit, after outings to Pinewood and Denham.
For more on these visits and on the relationship between film and television then, go to:
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/otd-in-early...
25 November 1937 saw short OBs from the Elstree film studios. This was day 3 of a 4-day visit, after outings to Pinewood and Denham.
For more on these visits and on the relationship between film and television then, go to:
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/otd-in-early...
OTD in early British television: 25 November 1937 - Illuminations
John Wyver writes: After a lengthy hiatus and posts concerned with other matters, we need to return our attention to the pre-war television schedules. So let’s look back 88 years to Thursday 25 Novemb...
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 2:39 PM
OTD in early British television
25 November 1937 saw short OBs from the Elstree film studios. This was day 3 of a 4-day visit, after outings to Pinewood and Denham.
For more on these visits and on the relationship between film and television then, go to:
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/otd-in-early...
25 November 1937 saw short OBs from the Elstree film studios. This was day 3 of a 4-day visit, after outings to Pinewood and Denham.
For more on these visits and on the relationship between film and television then, go to:
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/otd-in-early...
OTD in early British television
25 November 1937 saw short OBs from the Elstree film studios. This was day 3 of a 4-day visit, after outings to Pinewood and Denham.
For more on these visits and on the relationship between film and television then, go to:
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/otd-in-early...
25 November 1937 saw short OBs from the Elstree film studios. This was day 3 of a 4-day visit, after outings to Pinewood and Denham.
For more on these visits and on the relationship between film and television then, go to:
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/otd-in-early...
OTD in early British television: 25 November 1937 - Illuminations
John Wyver writes: After a lengthy hiatus and posts concerned with other matters, we need to return our attention to the pre-war television schedules. So let’s look back 88 years to Thursday 25 Novemb...
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 2:39 PM
OTD in early British television
25 November 1937 saw short OBs from the Elstree film studios. This was day 3 of a 4-day visit, after outings to Pinewood and Denham.
For more on these visits and on the relationship between film and television then, go to:
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/otd-in-early...
25 November 1937 saw short OBs from the Elstree film studios. This was day 3 of a 4-day visit, after outings to Pinewood and Denham.
For more on these visits and on the relationship between film and television then, go to:
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/otd-in-early...
At last! Our glorious recordings of Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker! and Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty are finally available for streaming and digital download worldwide.
For Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker!, go here (and see comments for further links):
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/product/matt...
For Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker!, go here (and see comments for further links):
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/product/matt...
Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker! NEW - Illuminations
With family-sized helpings of Matthew Bourne’s wit, pathos and magical fantasy, Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker! follows Clara’s bittersweet journey from Christmas Eve at Dr. Dross's Orphanage, through a ...
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 12:11 PM
At last! Our glorious recordings of Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker! and Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty are finally available for streaming and digital download worldwide.
For Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker!, go here (and see comments for further links):
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/product/matt...
For Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker!, go here (and see comments for further links):
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/product/matt...
An appalling decision.
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 11:11 AM
An appalling decision.
Reposted by Illuminations
Exciting news: throughout January BFI Southbank has a season of documentaries and early feature films linked to the publication on 8 January of Magic Rays of Light: The Early Years of Television in Britain.
First details here...
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/magic-rays-o...
First details here...
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/magic-rays-o...
Magic Rays of Light: the BFI season - Illuminations
John Wyver writes: Exciting news just released by the British Film Institute: throughout January BFI Southbank has a season of documentaries and early feature films linked to the publication of my mon...
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Exciting news: throughout January BFI Southbank has a season of documentaries and early feature films linked to the publication on 8 January of Magic Rays of Light: The Early Years of Television in Britain.
First details here...
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/magic-rays-o...
First details here...
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/magic-rays-o...
Exciting news: throughout January BFI Southbank has a season of documentaries and early feature films linked to the publication on 8 January of Magic Rays of Light: The Early Years of Television in Britain.
First details here...
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/magic-rays-o...
First details here...
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/magic-rays-o...
Magic Rays of Light: the BFI season - Illuminations
John Wyver writes: Exciting news just released by the British Film Institute: throughout January BFI Southbank has a season of documentaries and early feature films linked to the publication of my mon...
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Exciting news: throughout January BFI Southbank has a season of documentaries and early feature films linked to the publication on 8 January of Magic Rays of Light: The Early Years of Television in Britain.
First details here...
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/magic-rays-o...
First details here...
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/magic-rays-o...
Spike Lee at excellent q&a after screening of Highest2Lowest this morning - and just before he went to the derby. Loved the film (apart from maybe the final 15 minutes), which is a quintessential NYC movie, and a movie about NYC movies: Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, French Coonection are its forbears.
November 23, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Spike Lee at excellent q&a after screening of Highest2Lowest this morning - and just before he went to the derby. Loved the film (apart from maybe the final 15 minutes), which is a quintessential NYC movie, and a movie about NYC movies: Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, French Coonection are its forbears.
Reposted by Illuminations
Today's Sunday dozen.
The BBC and André Bazin, Penda's Fen and Blossoms Shanghai, Hilma af Klint and Echo Delay Reverb, pity and fear, Gertrude Stein and Iris Murdoch.
And Joan Baez.
With a detail of a painting I wanted to steal from the Courtauld.
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/the-sunday-d...
The BBC and André Bazin, Penda's Fen and Blossoms Shanghai, Hilma af Klint and Echo Delay Reverb, pity and fear, Gertrude Stein and Iris Murdoch.
And Joan Baez.
With a detail of a painting I wanted to steal from the Courtauld.
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/the-sunday-d...
The Sunday dozen - Illuminations
John Wyver writes: Welcome to a selection of writing on television, film, visual art, the politics of images, dance and poems that I found stimulating over the past week. The image above is a detail o...
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk
November 23, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Today's Sunday dozen.
The BBC and André Bazin, Penda's Fen and Blossoms Shanghai, Hilma af Klint and Echo Delay Reverb, pity and fear, Gertrude Stein and Iris Murdoch.
And Joan Baez.
With a detail of a painting I wanted to steal from the Courtauld.
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/the-sunday-d...
The BBC and André Bazin, Penda's Fen and Blossoms Shanghai, Hilma af Klint and Echo Delay Reverb, pity and fear, Gertrude Stein and Iris Murdoch.
And Joan Baez.
With a detail of a painting I wanted to steal from the Courtauld.
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/the-sunday-d...
Today's Sunday dozen.
The BBC and André Bazin, Penda's Fen and Blossoms Shanghai, Hilma af Klint and Echo Delay Reverb, pity and fear, Gertrude Stein and Iris Murdoch.
And Joan Baez.
With a detail of a painting I wanted to steal from the Courtauld.
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/the-sunday-d...
The BBC and André Bazin, Penda's Fen and Blossoms Shanghai, Hilma af Klint and Echo Delay Reverb, pity and fear, Gertrude Stein and Iris Murdoch.
And Joan Baez.
With a detail of a painting I wanted to steal from the Courtauld.
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/the-sunday-d...
The Sunday dozen - Illuminations
John Wyver writes: Welcome to a selection of writing on television, film, visual art, the politics of images, dance and poems that I found stimulating over the past week. The image above is a detail o...
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk
November 23, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Today's Sunday dozen.
The BBC and André Bazin, Penda's Fen and Blossoms Shanghai, Hilma af Klint and Echo Delay Reverb, pity and fear, Gertrude Stein and Iris Murdoch.
And Joan Baez.
With a detail of a painting I wanted to steal from the Courtauld.
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/the-sunday-d...
The BBC and André Bazin, Penda's Fen and Blossoms Shanghai, Hilma af Klint and Echo Delay Reverb, pity and fear, Gertrude Stein and Iris Murdoch.
And Joan Baez.
With a detail of a painting I wanted to steal from the Courtauld.
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/the-sunday-d...
Terrific from @paul-hayes.bsky.social - and do click through the main post as well.
It was 62 years ago #OnThisDay in 1963 that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
Here's a piece I wrote for the History of the BBC website a couple of years ago about how the BBC covered the news.
I'm quite pleased with this one...
www.bbc.com/historyofthe...
Here's a piece I wrote for the History of the BBC website a couple of years ago about how the BBC covered the news.
I'm quite pleased with this one...
www.bbc.com/historyofthe...
Breaking news - November 1963
BBC History recalls one of the first truly global news stories of the modern multi-media age
www.bbc.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Terrific from @paul-hayes.bsky.social - and do click through the main post as well.
Well this spectacular England collapse was well worth getting up for!
November 22, 2025 at 5:26 AM
Well this spectacular England collapse was well worth getting up for!
'By the end the key takeaway from TNT’s coverage of the Ashes was: here we have a bunch of people making the best of a frankly shonky production.'
@barneyronay.bsky.social absolutely on the money re Day One.
Good job the cricket itself was so compelling.
www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/n...
@barneyronay.bsky.social absolutely on the money re Day One.
Good job the cricket itself was so compelling.
www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/n...
Alastair Cook and Becky Ives make best of TNT Sports’ shonky Ashes production | Barney Ronay
Presenter Becky Ives was breezy, while Alastair Cook was pushed to the front like the last ceremonial horse of some dying cavalry unit
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:09 PM
'By the end the key takeaway from TNT’s coverage of the Ashes was: here we have a bunch of people making the best of a frankly shonky production.'
@barneyronay.bsky.social absolutely on the money re Day One.
Good job the cricket itself was so compelling.
www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/n...
@barneyronay.bsky.social absolutely on the money re Day One.
Good job the cricket itself was so compelling.
www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/n...
November 21, 2025 at 8:39 AM
Australia 28 for 2 - is that you, Hope, that I can hear?
November 21, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Australia 28 for 2 - is that you, Hope, that I can hear?
First hour done. Was it worth it? Is it all over? Ashes.
November 21, 2025 at 3:18 AM
First hour done. Was it worth it? Is it all over? Ashes.
“I can take the despair. It’s the hope I can’t stand.” Three down. Ashes. What else?
November 21, 2025 at 3:14 AM
“I can take the despair. It’s the hope I can’t stand.” Three down. Ashes. What else?
Here’s that side shot with three brands. Not the BBC is it?
November 21, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Here’s that side shot with three brands. Not the BBC is it?
Neat new tech at TNT Sports
November 21, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Neat new tech at TNT Sports
… and three more (!) brands, electronically imposed, in the less-often-used side shot @TNT Sports.
November 21, 2025 at 2:52 AM
… and three more (!) brands, electronically imposed, in the less-often-used side shot @TNT Sports.
Four (!) on-field brands in the wide shots at TNT Sports coverage…
November 21, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Four (!) on-field brands in the wide shots at TNT Sports coverage…
