The Avengers

Television in the 1960s

1. What three channels were available by 1965?

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2. Describe how television technology was at this time. What were

the main problems with television sets in 1965?

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3. What happened to television broadcasts at midnight during the

1960s? How is that different to today?

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4. What was different about the ITV when compared with the BBC?

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5. Define the key words:

duopoly:

international media conglomerate:

public service broadcasting:

licence fee:

regional:

national:

6. When The Avengers was bought by an American broadcasting

company how did this change the production methods?

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7. Working class viewers tended to watch which channel?

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Complete the gaps based on social contexts of the 1960s:

The mid-1960s saw fierce debates about ‘permissiveness’ in

__________ and on _____________. This was a time of ______ social
change. The older ‘wartime’ _____________ celebrating the values
of duty and _________________ and a younger generation
celebrating values of freedom, spontaneity and________________.

Programmes like The Avengers were part of that debate as they

pushed the ________________ (both social and artistic ones) of their
time.

The glamorous world of the upper middle classes and the world of
_______________ featured in the news.

Sexism was mainstream in the 1960s and The Avengers includes

___________ references.

People were also worried about possible __________ from

international countries as an effect of _____ _________ ______.