Manuscript for the song 'Here's Looking at You'

Manuscript for the song 'Here's Looking at You', written by Ronnie Hill. Written for experimental broadcasts ahead of the launch of the BBC Television Service in 1936.

'Here’s Looking at You' was a variety programme conceived by Programme Planner Cecil Madden to test the television systems installed by the Baird Company Ltd. and Marconi-EMI at Alexandra Palace ahead of the launch of the BBC’s ‘high definition’ television service. The show was broadcast to the RadiOlympia trade show for the first time on 26 August 1936.

The song ‘Here’s Looking at You’ was specially composed by Ronnie Hill and sung by Helen McKay. It was first performed from the small Baird spotlight studio from a static position focused on McKay, then later as part of a fully realised programme from the Marconi-EMI studio, which featured three stages of action the mobile cameras could move through.

The success of these trials enabled the public launch of the BBC’s television service on 2 November 1936.