The BBC has announced the launch of BBC Rewind – a platform giving the public access to thousands of hours of the broadcaster’s archive content.
BBC Rewind, which has been established to mark 100 years of the BBC, is now the home of “tens of thousands of audio-visual recordings”, reflecting the life and events of the UK throughout the decades, making it the largest release of digital archive content in BBC history.
Over 30,000 pieces of uncovered content will be publicly available on the website, with the oldest footage dating back to the 1940s.
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/07/Paul-McCartney-c702657.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"\"")
“The huge collection provides a unique snapshot of our shared past, from captivating footage of ’60s schoolchildren providing refreshing, funny and uncomplicated observations on marriage, religion and work; to the fascinating story of 500 Polish people who – 20 years after World War Two had ended – were still living in an immigration camp in Devon, mixing little with the outside world,” the BBC has revealed.
The likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Sir David Attenborough, Moira Stuart and Sir Paul McCartney feature in some of the material stored in the archives, which will also boast one of Gloria Hunniford’s first TV jobs as a reporter and footage of Liam Neeson before he became a Hollywood star.
Viewers can also find footage of Sir Tom Jones, Lady Mary Peters and Dame Sian Phillips in the BBC Rewind collection as recordings from the website will appear in the BBC’s national and regional news programmes over the coming months.
James Stirling, the Executive Editor for BBC 100, said in a statement: “As we celebrate 100 years of the BBC, we’re opening up our unique and deeply valuable archive, an important part of the nation’s collective memory.
“By breathing new life into stories which have laid dormant for years, audiences will be able to discover recordings which can help us all learn more about who we are and where we’re from.”
BBC Rewind isn’t the only project to commemorate the BBC’s 100th birthday, with BBC Four recently announcing that it’s adding more titles to its centenary broadcast line-up, including The Singing Detective.
You can access the archive on the BBC Rewind website. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide.
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.