The BBC Television Service ceased broadcasting for seven years due to World War II, and its final programme was not a sombre news bulletin but a Disney Mickey Mouse cartoon. On September 1, 1939, at approximately 12:35 PM, the channel aired Mickey's Gala Premiere, a seven-minute short film from 1933, before going off the air until June 7, 1946.
Government Closure Over Fear of Enemy Navigation
Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced Britain's entry into World War II on national radio on September 3, 1939, after Germany failed to withdraw troops from Poland. However, the BBC had already stopped broadcasting in advance of the conflict. The government ordered the sudden closure because it feared the VHF signals from the Alexandra Palace transmitter could be used as a navigational beacon by enemy aircraft targeting London. Additionally, the service's technicians and engineers were needed for war efforts, including radar development.
The Final Broadcast: A Hollywood Parody
The last programme viewers saw was Mickey's Gala Premiere, directed by Burt Gillett. It features Mickey Mouse arriving at the premiere of his latest cartoon at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. The cartoon includes parodies of famous 1930s Hollywood stars such as Wallace Beery, Marie Dressler, Lionel Barrymore, John Barrymore, Ethel Barrymore, Laurel and Hardy, and The Marx Brothers. Also featured are parodies of Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford, Harold Lloyd, Clark Gable, and Edward G. Robinson.
Return of BBC Television in 1946
During the war, Britons relied on BBC radio and cinema newsreels for updates. The BBC Television Service resumed broadcasting on June 7, 1946, with presenter Jasmine Bligh greeting viewers: "Good afternoon, everybody. How are you? Do you remember me?" The first programme after the hiatus was a repeat of Mickey's Gala Premiere, the same cartoon that had been the last before the shutdown.
