Five things you never see on TV any more


1. Show jumping. Once a staple of BBC1 late weekday evenings, with commentator Raymond Brooks-Ward lamenting riders who had “fallen orf”.
2. British professional wrestling. ITV Saturday afternoons weren’t complete without a grunt-and-groan session featuring Giant Haystacks, Masambula and other unlikely sportsmen.
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Hide Ad3. Interlude. In the fifties and early sixties, the sight of the potter’s wheel was a cue to make a cup of tea, while the BBC cued up the next programme.
4. God Save The Queen. BBC transmissions used to end with the national anthem, as did movies in cinemas.
5. The Epilogue. Round-the-clock programming has done away with the need to bring a clergyman into the studio to declare a solemn end to the day’s transmissions.