How Do You View?

How Do You View?
Genre	Comedy
Starring	Terry-Thomas Peter Butterworth Janet Brown Avril Angers H.C. Walton Diana Dors
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of seasons	5
Production
Camera setup	Single-camera
Release
Original network	BBC
Picture format	4:3
Audio format	Monaural
Original release	26 October 1949 (1949-10-26) – 9 September 1953 (1953-09-09)

How Do You View? was the first comedy series on British television. The programme was based on an on-screen persona of Terry-Thomas as "a glamorous, mischievous and discreetly cash-strapped man-about-town", introducing a series of sketches in which he also appeared, alongside Peter Butterworth as his chauffeur; Janet Brown (Butterworth's real life wife); Avril Angers; H.C. Walton as the family retainer, Moulting, and Diana Dors, as 'Cuddles', in the six episodes of series four . The programme was broadcast live and often included Terry-Thomas walking through control rooms and corridors of the BBC's Lime Grove and Alexandra Palace studios.

The series is described by the author and historian Mark Lewisohn as being "inventive ... truly televisual and not just a radio programme in costume".

Series history

Series one: 26 October – 21 December 1949
Series two: 5 April – 17 May 1950
Series three: 8 November 1950 – 28 February 1951
Series four: 19 September – 28 November 1951
Series five: 2 April – 11 June 1952
Special: 9 September 1953

Bibliography

• Lewisohn, Mark (1998). Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy. London: BBC Books. ISBN 978-0-5633-6977-6.
• McCann, Graham (2009). Bounder! The Biography of Terry-Thomas. London: Aurum Press. ISBN 978-1-84513-441-9.
• Ross, Robert (2002). The Complete Terry-Thomas. London: Reynolds & Hearn. ISBN 978-1-903111-29-1.