First episode date October 1949 | ||
Similar All Our Saturdays, Queenie's Castle, Armchair Theatre, Heroes of Comedy, Dixon of Dock Green | ||
How Do You View? was the first comedy series on British television. The programme was based on an on-screen persona of Terry-Thomas as "a glamorous, mischievous and discreetly cash-strapped man-about-town", introducing a series of sketches in which he also appeared, alongside Peter Butterworth as his chauffeur; Janet Brown (Butterworth's real life wife); Avril Angers; H.C. Walton as the family retainer, Moulting and Diana Dors. The programme was broadcast live and often included Terry-Thomas walking through control rooms and corridors of the BBC's Lime Grove and Alexandra Palace studios.
The series is described by the author and historian Mark Lewisohn as being "inventive ... truly televisual and not just a radio programme in costume".
Series history
Series one: 26 October – 21 December 1949
Series two: 5 April – 17 May 1950
Series three: 8 November 1950 – 28 February 51
Series four: 19 September – 28 November 1951
Series five: 2 April – 11 June 1952
Special: 9 September 1953