Grandstand (BBC)

Grandstand
The programme's original opening titles
Created by	Paul Fox Bryan Cowgill
Presented by	Peter Dimmock David Coleman Frank Bough Desmond Lynam Steve Rider
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of episodes	3500 (estimated)
Production
Running time	various
Release
Original network	BBC1 BBC2 (Sunday Grandstand)
Original release	11 October 1958 (1958-10-11) – 28 January 2007 (2007-01-28)
Chronology
Followed by	Saturday Sportsday (2013-)

Grandstand was a British television sport programme. Broadcast between 1958 and 2007, it was one of the BBC's longest running sports shows, alongside BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Its first presenter was Peter Dimmock. There were only five main presenters of the programme during its long history: David Coleman (who took over from Dimmock after just three programmes), Frank Bough, Des Lynam and Steve Rider. Changes in the structure of the programme during its last few years, however, meant it did not have a regular main presenter during this time.

Among the more occasional hosts were Alan Weeks, David Icke, Clare Balding, Hazel Irvine, Bob Wilson, David Vine, Barry Davies, Dougie Donnelly, Harry Carpenter, Harry Gration, John Inverdale, Tony Gubba, Helen Rollason, Ray Stubbs and Sue Barker.

The last editions of Grandstand were broadcast over the weekend of 27–28 January 2007.

During the 1950s sports coverage on television in the United Kingdom gradually expanded. The BBC regularly broadcast sports programmes with an outside studio team, occasionally from two or three separate locations. Production assistant Bryan Cowgill put forward a proposal for a programme lasing three hours; one hour dedicated to major events and two hours showing minor events. Outside Broadcast members held a meeting in April 1958 and Cowgill further detailed his plans taking timing and newer technical facilities into consideration. During the development of the programme, problems arose over the proposed schedule which would result in the programme ending at 4:45pm to allow the recreational programme Children's Hour to broadcast. Paul Fox insisted that the service was broadcast until 5:00pm to ensure a proper results service.