Today at Wimbledon

Last updated

Today at Wimbledon
Also known asWimbledon: Match of the Day (1964–1989)
Wimbledon 2day (2015)
Genre Sport highlights
Presented by Clare Balding (2015–present)
Theme music composer Leslie Statham.
Opening theme"Sporting Occasion"
Ending theme"Sporting Occasion"
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
Production locations All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London
Running time60 minutes
Production company BBC Sport
Release
Original network BBC One
BBC Two
Original release23 June 1964 (1964-06-23) –
present

Today at Wimbledon is a BBC TV show, showing highlights and discussion from the day's play at the Wimbledon Championships currently hosted by Clare Balding. The show lasts for 60 minutes and is broadcast on BBC Two at 8:30 pm.

Contents

Origins

The BBC (the UK host broadcaster of the Championships) began broadcasting Wimbledon in 1937. David Coleman hosted the live coverage from 1964 to 1966 and from 1968 to 1969. Harry Carpenter hosted the live coverage in 1967 and from 1970 to 1990 (and in some years also hosted the evening highlights programme). Des Lynam fronted Wimbledon live coverage on BBC television from 1991 to 1997 and in 1999 (Steve Rider hosted the live coverage in 1998). After Wimbledon 1999, Lynam moved to ITV and was replaced from 2000 by Sue Barker who hosted Wimbledon live coverage on BBC television until 2022. [1]

Broadcast history

The evening highlights programme was initially broadcast late evening on BBC2 when the channel launched in 1964 and titled Wimbledon: Match of the Day. It moved to BBC1 in 1984, [2] in the era when Des Lynam hosted with Gerald Williams as a studio guest. It was renamed Today at Wimbledon in 1990 and moved back to BBC2 in 1997 when it was allotted a fixed start time of 9.30 pm before moving again to an 8:30 pm slot in 2005 and the following year to an even earlier start time of 8.00 pm in 2006 as BBC2 schedules non-sports output between 9 pm and 10.30 pm. As a result, if significant matches last beyond that time the programme is usually cut short (and occasionally not shown at all) to allow the live tennis coverage to be shown, which attract regular viewers.

The show is presented either from the BBC's dedicated studio in the Wimbledon media centre, or from the landscaped garden on the building's roof, adjacent to court 18.

The theme music is from "Sporting Occasion" by Leslie Statham. [3] [4]

Hosts

PresenterSeasons [5]
Jack Kramer 1964–1970
Harry Carpenter 1971–1978
David Vine 1979–1982
Des Lynam 1983–1989
Harry Carpenter 1990–1993
Sue Barker 1994–1999
John Inverdale 2000–2014
Clare Balding 2015–2022

Wimbledon 2day

In 2015, the programme was rebranded Wimbledon 2day (a pun on the channel's name). Clare Balding became the new presenter after long-time host John Inverdale left to join the BBC's Wimbledon commentary team. The opening week was presented from The Gatsby Club – a temporary hospitality venue outside the grounds – with stand-up presentation, handheld cameras, various social media features and a small live audience. The changes prompted many complaints, in particular the reduction in highlights. [6] The BBC tweaked the format in the second week, Balding hosting a more traditional show, without an audience, from the upper floor of Centre Court with views across the grounds. [7] [8]

For 2016, the show returned to the Today at Wimbledon name and format.

Related Research Articles

<i>Grandstand</i> (TV programme) Discontinued British sport television programme

Grandstand was a British television sport programme which was broadcast on Saturdays on BBC1 between 1958 and 2007 and its sister programme Sunday Grandstand which was broadcast on Sundays on BBC2 between 1981 and 2007, was one of the BBC's longest running sports shows, alongside BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Des Lynam</span> TV presenter

Desmond Michael Lynam, is an Irish-born television and radio presenter. In a broadcasting career spanning more than forty years, he has hosted television coverage of many of the world's major sporting events, presenting Grandstand, Match of the Day, Wimbledon, the Grand National, Sportsnight, the World Cup and Olympic Games, as well as presenting non-sporting programmes such as Holiday, How Do They Do That? and Countdown.

<i>Match of the Day</i> Television series

Match of the Day is a football highlights programme, typically broadcast on BBC One on Saturday nights, during the Premier League season. The show's current presenter is former England international striker Gary Lineker, with regular analysis from fellow former players Alan Shearer and Ian Wright, with occasional relief analysts such as Micah Richards, Danny Murphy, Jermaine Jenas, Martin Keown and Dion Dublin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Murray</span> British broadcaster

Colin Murray is a Northern Irish radio and television presenter. In 2010, he became host of BBC Television's Match of the Day 2 on BBC Two, while still anchoring shows on BBC Radio 5 Live, including 5 Live Sport and Fighting Talk and was still presenting on BBC Radio Ulster. He has previously hosted regular Channel 5 television and BBC Radio 1 shows. In 2007, he was named 'Music Broadcaster of the Year' at the Sony Radio Academy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clare Balding</span> English broadcaster, journalist, TV presenter and author

Clare Victoria Balding is an English broadcast journalist and author. She currently presents for BBC Sport, Channel 4 and BT Sport and formerly presented the religious programme Good Morning Sunday on BBC Radio 2. Balding was appointed as the 30th president of the Rugby Football League, serving a two-year term until December 2022.

<i>Sportsnight</i> British TV series or program

Sportsnight was a midweek BBC television sports programme that ran from 1968 until 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Sport</span> Sports division of the BBC

BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC, providing national sports coverage for BBC television, radio and online. The BBC holds the television and radio UK broadcasting rights to several sports, broadcasting the sport live or alongside flagship analysis programmes such as Match of the Day, Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Today at Wimbledon and previously Grandstand. Results, analysis and coverage is also added to the BBC Sport website and through the BBC Red Button interactive television service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Inverdale</span> British broadcaster

John Inverdale is an English broadcaster who works for both the BBC and ITV.

ITV Sport is a sport producer for ITV. It was formed following the merger between Granada Sport and Central Sport.

<i>Grand Prix</i> (TV programme) British TV series or program

Grand Prix is a British television programme based on the Formula One World Championship. It had three main presenters during its history: Murray Walker from 1978 to 1996, Jake Humphrey from 2009 to 2012 and Suzi Perry from 2013 to 2015. Among the more occasional hosts were Steve Rider, Des Lynam, Sue Barker and Lee McKenzie.

The Sunday Hour was a long-standing show broadcast on the BBC Light Programme and then BBC Radio 2 in the United Kingdom, broadcast for 78 years between 14 July 1940 and 28 January 2018.

This is a timeline of notable events relating to BBC Radio 1, a British national radio station which began in September 1967.

A timeline of notable events relating to BBC Radio 2, a British national radio station which began broadcasting in September 1967.

A timeline of notable events relating to BBC Radio 4, a British national radio station which began broadcasting in September 1967.

A timeline of notable events relating to BBC Radio 5 Live, and its predecessor BBC Radio 5.

A timeline of notable events relating to BBC Radio 3, a British national radio station which began broadcasting in September 1967.

This is a timeline of the history of BBC Sport.

This is a timeline of the history of television news in the UK.

This is a timeline of the history of tennis on television in the UK.

References

  1. ↑ "Sue Barker to step down as Wimbledon presenter after 2022 tournament". BBC Sport. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  2. ↑ "Wimbledon 84, BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk.
  3. ↑ "What's the music on the BBC's Wimbledon TV coverage?". Classical Music.
  4. ↑ "The top 40 theme tunes in sport". the Guardian. 18 November 2021.
  5. ↑ "BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk.
  6. ↑ "Wimbledon 2day: what Clare Balding will have 2 do 2 save this balls-up". The Guardian . Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  7. ↑ "BBC bows to pressure over Wimbledon 2Day show complaints". BBC. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  8. ↑ "Wimbledon 2Day: BBC admits defeat over format". The Guardian . Retrieved 12 July 2017.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.