1953: POTTER'S WHEEL Interlude | BBC Television Interludes | BBC Archive

Sit back, relax and watch five minutes and fifty seconds of a potter at work.
This is probably the best known of the many interlude films made for the post-war BBC Television service. The films were made to cover for the many intervals in programming, to allow for changes between studios, or for the frequent technical breakdowns.
The potter's wheel film shows the hands of Georges Aubertin as he throws a pot, accompanied by music. It was typical of interlude films, in that it was mildly engaging, but not so much so that the viewer would miss anything if they looked away. Alert viewers noted that Aubertin never finished the pot, but just kept remodelling it.
Originally broadcast 16 November, 1953.
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[@WoW-JojoVlog]

It’s somewhat comforting to know previous generations had as much pleasure watching oddly satisfying stuff like this as we do.

[@SanderAnderon]

fantastic...imagine 6 minutes of this splendid TV today instead of muting and/or clicking around to avoid the 3 or 4 vapid commercials between programming, ahhhh.

[@Bobbyandmog]

Despite Being A Young Autistic Lad of 14 Years,Stuff from the BBC From the 1930's-1960's Fascinates Me,I don't know why,but it just does.
It must of been a amazing time during the 50's.

[@WedgePee]

In many ways, absolutely not. In some, yes. (My grandparents were young then.)

[@pauldavies6037]

Mum and Dad had bought a new 17 inch KB console tv in about 1955 and used love watching the interval films this one the windmill, cats playing and others it was a much pleasanter world then along with the test card and music

[@daltonbedore8396]

yea, if you were white

[@Asaski09]

@@daltonbedore8396 manufactured outrage, no-one knew colour back then

[@depniff]

So as not to miss out on the usual comment on these films, that pot would be 69 years old today. I wonder where it is now.

[@garryleeks4848]

In my kitchen, above the horrible family portrait 🙄🙄

[@fidelcatsro6948]

my cat broke it into pieces in 2001

[@SteveInScotland]

It’s under my bed in case I get caught short

[@garryleeks4848]

@@SteveInScotland you never know 👍

[@metal-gods]

Nice.

[@lewis7515]

Vintage ASMR.

[@jdm65]

To recreate that 1953 authentic feeling, covering your speakers with dishcloths and downscale from 1080p to 405 lines.

[@jillmckeefry685]

This was my great uncle on my mum’s side.💜💜💜

[@PeterFraser-hp3rs]

First time I've seen the potter's wheel interlude with such picture quality, without any static. Last time before this, I must have watched it on a DER rented TV.

[@davidencill4957]

The magic hands of Dennis Townsend (b.1933) of Iden Pottery, and brother to the artist Kenneth Townsend.

[@johnking5174]

BBC Television in 1953 were very limited in the amount of television aired per day. A typical weekday had television on air from 3.15 - 4.15pm, 5.00 - 6.00pm and 8.00 - 10.30pm. So around 4.5 hours per day. Saturdays usually had some afternoon sport from 2.30 - 4.30pm then regular television from 5.00 - 6.00pm and 7.15 - 10.30pm. Sundays was the most limited, on air from 5.00 - 6.00pm and 8.00 - 10.30pm. A world away from TV in the USA of 1953, whith NBC, CBS, ABC and DuMont on air from 7.00am with their TV day ending around midnight.

[@johnking5174]

Intervals on the BBC Television Service was down to the fact that the BBC were limited to a maximum of 5 hours per day of television. To ensure they never breached that limit, the interludes were used as an exempted way to fill the gaps.

[@debbiecarter6430]

In bed poorly - now feel old too! Thanks 😂

[@garryleeks4848]

Hope u get better 👍🙄

[@snowdog9954]

Often had an interlude or testcard between programmes. Of course it was not on all day, there was closedown at about 11 with the national anthem and in the morning there may be schools programmes on or cartoons in the holidays and at weekends but that was it

[@PjD-pk1fg]

It's more entertaining than most stuff on TV nowadays.

[@jamesmitchell8922]

Spitting Image spoofed it on the Bumbledown special by making a phallus!

[@davidpanton3192]

Thing is, this wasn't broadcast once, but again and again. For good or ill, people were more easily amused in the past...

[@traceya9615]

I don't agree with your second sentence. I know the interludes were broadcast repeatedly - why was that, do you think? 1953, post-war, fewer tvs, rationing still in place, one tv channel, etc.... You make "people...in the past" sound moronic.

[@sarahlouise7163]

nowhere near as easily amused as these days, brain rot tv for the brain dead

[@Doctor180185]

More entertaining than the woke nonsense we get on television nowadays

[@pureboxofscartcables]

That's boring.

[@garryleeks4848]

I’m in a trance 🙄

[@petergivenbless900]

No, it's pottery; throwing, to be specific.

[@daltonbedore8396]

you couldn't do it