As part of its first night in 1956, Granada Television broadcast a Tribute to the BBC. In the week that Granada begins its new franchise, the BBC belatedly returns the favour by transmitting an evening of programmes devoted to the oldest surviving independent TV company.
Executive producer John Whiston
DOCUMENTARIES: page 33
Coronation Street
A classic episode of Britain's longest-running TV serial.
Devised by Tony Warren, Coronation Street has boasted some of the finest dramatic writing on British television, words given life by characters such as Elsie Tanner, Ena Sharples, Annie Walker, Ken Barlow and Hilda Ogden.
8.30pm From the North
The story of Granada, the company responsible for Britain's most enduring soap opera Coronation Street, the current affairs series World in Action, and highly praised drama from Brideshead Revisited to Prime Suspect. With contributions from
Jeremy Isaacs, Gus Macdonald, David Plowright, Michael Parkinson, Gerry Robinson and Sir Denis Forman.
Director David Thompson
9.30pm Pro-Celebrity University Challenge
In this special match, quizmaster Bamber Gascoigne pits some of the programme's most celebrated alumni (including comedian Stephen Fry and BBC's Foreign Affairs Editor John Simpson) against a team of current undergraduates.
Director Peter Mullings Producer Sally Angel
10.00pm Roll On Four O'Clock
A classic from Granada's drama archive by one of Britain's foremost playwrights.
Colin Welland 's witty 1970 play reveals life in a savage northern secondary-modern school.
Producer Kenith Trodd
Director Roy Battersey
11.00pm Northern Songs
From the Beatles to the Buzzcocks, from the Bay City Rollers to Joy Division, Granada has always been quick to bring new bands to the screen. This programme plunders the archive.
11.30pm Flat Caps and Ferrets
A celebration of the cultural heritage of the mythical land filled with pigeons, whippets and endless cups of tea. It draws on such Granada classics as Coronation Street, A Family at War and Nearest and Dearest to expose some of the myths about the north of England. Producer Caroline Wright
