Buzby: Gossip

1979
Sound
1m

Buzby's mum gossips with her neighbours over a garden fence in this cartoon ad for BT.

Rumour has it that Buzby the talking bird was once the nation's favourite. The Bernard Cribbins-voiced character was the face of British Telecom for over a decade, helping to "make someone happy with a phone call" as the catchphrase had it. This edition pays gentle homage to over-the-fence gossip, immortalised by soap operas like Coronation Street.

Advertisement for British Telecom. In a pastiche of the opening titles of
Coronation Street, Buzby's mum gossips to her friends over a garden fence.

Commercial Television

The launch of ITV on 22 September 1955 brought advertising to the small screen. Commercial television spread rapidly across the country, inviting the salesperson into every living room.

This collection shows how some advertisers struggled to find the right voice and formats for the new medium, while others hit the ground running. Look out for rare examples of the shortlived 'admags' - banned in 1962 for blurring the distinction between programmes and adverts.