Manchester, Television & the City: Ghosts of Winter Hill

4 November 2009 to 27 February 2010

For half a century domestic life in Britain had been dominated by the TV set. On 4 November 2009 our relationship with Television entered a new phase as  the switchover to digital was made, and the Granada region’s Winter Hill transmitter was switched off forever.

Manchester, Television and the City: Ghosts of Winter Hill celebrated the city’s invaluable contribution to Television, examining the way TV has fine-tuned its distinctive voice and identity. The exhibition told the story via a wide variety of programmes, from dramas to documentaries, soaps to sport, comedy and music; from the well-loved and the little known – the quality and quantity of Manchester’s output being quite spectacular. Rare archive material was also presented as well as unique insights from well-known industry figures.

The exhibition also looked forward to the future with its changes in patterns of our viewing habits as well as the arrival of MediaCity UK and BBC North and what this means for Manchester.

Manchester Television and the city on video….

Media Release

Manchester, Television & the City.pdf – click here to download Manchester, Television and the City’s media release

Press Comments

“An excellent exhibition… there were some wonderful and rather touching mock-ups of 1950s and 1960s living rooms with Ekco bakelite television sets and forlorn-looking armchairs”

- Joe Moran

“I am bowled over by this exhibition which trawls through lost images – still and moving – from the history of television in Manchester. I can’t recommend it enough”

- Aidan O’Rourke