User Reviews

Sketch Club ran periodically for several years 1958-62, introduced by Adrian Hill (the programme's only performer), who occupied the 30 minute programme in the BBC "childrens slot" from 5.30 pm to 6.00 pm by drawing three or four sketches, mainly in charcoal, with some highlights made towards the end with chalk, always referred to as "the white". It was a classic simplistic programme from the earlier days of children's television, introduced by a gentle and benevolent character who also had some skill to impart, a style quite different to the loud and jocular Rolf Harris some years later.

Artistic concepts such as perspective were touched on regularly.

A part of the programme was the display of artwork sent in by viewers. Ronnie Wood, member of the Rolling Stones, was one of a number who repeatedly did so; Wood went on to study at Art College prior to joining the Rolling Stones, and is one of a number who have stated they were inspired into drawing by the programme.

In those early days of TV, the BBC reserved the new Image Orthicon cameras for the adult shows in the evenings. The daytime children's shows used the old Iconoscopes, designed twenty years earlier in the mid 1930s. These overloaded when they saw white paper, so Adrian Hill always had to remind children to send in their drawings on grey paper. If they sent the pictures in on white paper, they could not be shown as the screen would go to white-out then looked as if it was covered in black oil and the camera man would have to cover the lens for a few seconds to let it settle down. For that reason the BBC's Designs Department had to test its video recording techniques in the evenings, so it had better quality images to work on.