The Radio Times Logos: 1923-2005

Over the years the Radio Times magazine has had many Mastheads, take a look back with me at the Mastheads to have graced the Radio Times over the years beginning with the 1923 Masthead.

British Isles Map Version 1: First seen 23rd September 1923 (no.1). Radio transmitter masts drawn in.

British Isles Map Version 2: First seen 29th August 1924 (no.49). Transmitter masts removed as the number of locations increased.

British Isles Map Version 3: First seen 6th February 1925 (no.72)

BBC arms: First seen 21st September 1928 (no.260)

Thunderbolt: First seen 10th January 1937 (no.693) ‘THE’ is dropped from the name of the magazine. Printed in red (shown) between 5th November 1939 (no.840) and 9th April 1944 (no.1071)

Squared Condensed: First seen 7th July 1946 (no.1188). Either black or reversed.

Squared Condensed Yellow: First seen 29th March 1959 (no.1846). 'Television' incorporated into the masthead.

Abram Gains (designer): First seen 8th October 1960 (no.1926) Black on yellow, green, blue and purple backgrounds

Clarendon: First seen 4th August 1962 (no.2021) Black on red, green, purple or blue (shown). Red, green, purple or blue on white from 6th October 1962 (no.2030)

Caslon Version 1: First seen 6th September 1969 (no.2391) Font: Caslon Italic with swash capitals. This was an attept to emphasise the R for Radio and T for Television.

Caslon Version 2: First seen 26th August 1972 (no.2546) Black on white background White reversed out of picture from 18th December 1976 (no.2771). This is the longest serving RT logotype, spanning over 22 years.

Caslon Version 3: First seen 3th September 1994 (no.3686) Designed by Martin Wait. Sometimes white reversed out of the picture

Gill Sans Bold: First seen 14th April 2001 (no.4024) often white reversed out of the picture.

Interstate: First seen 1st January 2005 (no.4215) Always white type, with key line and shadow if on a light background.

Radio Times - Wimbledon 1967

With us being in Wimbledon fortnight I thought it would be a good idea to view an edition of the Radio Times from Wimbledon fortnights' past. This particular edition was published back in 1967.

Radio Times - 30th September 1965.

This classic edition of Radio Times is from 30th September 1965 and features a very youthful David Attenborough.T

The F.A. Cup on the Radio Times (1961)

I do love a good Radio Times cover from the past. This particular cover celebrates the 1961 F.A. Cup Final between Tottenham Hotspur & Leicester City.

The Radio Times - Monty Python

Over the years the classic Monty Python and its stars have played more than their part when it comes to featuring on the front covers of the Radio Times. Below is a selection of some of those covers.

You forget that Monty Python wasn't an immediate hit. While it started in 1969, it took until the original series's final run in 1974 for it to earn a Radio Times cover.

Marking the tenth anniversary of the first-ever Monty Python episode was this 1979 Radio Times cover.

Isn't this a gem? John Cleese starred with Sarah Badel in a 1980 production of The Taming of the Shrew, staged by the great Jonathan Miller.

By 1992, Michael Palin was well on his way to becoming as known for epic travels as he was for Monty Python. This was Pole to Pole, a highlight of the autumn/winter season.

Alongside Monty Python star Michael Palin's travel series there were always his bestselling books. For 1997's Full Circle, in which he travelled around the Pacific Rim, his diary was serialised in Radio Times.

Monty Python star John Cleese talked to Radio Times about one of his other long-lasting ventures, The Secret Policeman's Ball, as it reached its quarter-century anniversary in 2004.

Radio Times - Last of the Summer Wine: 1975

A new day and yet another Radio Times front cover from days long gone!

This particular cover features the original stars of, Last of the Summer Wine. Bill Owen, Michael Bates & Peter Sallis. Michael Bates was to leave shortly after this cover, due to ill health and was replaced by Brian Wilde.