Pebble Mill at One was a popular British lunchtime chat show broadcast live originally on BBC2 before transferring to BBC1. It was produced from the Pebble Mill facilities of BBC Birmingham, and uniquely was hosted from the centre's main reception area rather than a traditional studio. The reason for this was that a planned third studio was never constructed at the site and existing facilities were fully booked for network drama production and local news. The show ran from 1972 to 1986. For most of that period there were few television programmes transmitted in Britain on any channels during the day. For this reason the programme acquired a unique following from those who found themselves at home at lunchtime; housewives, students and those recovering from an illness remember it with fondness for its variety and the problems inherent with live television. Its best remembered theme tune was "As You Please" by the Raymond Lefevre orchestra.
Pebble Mill at One was a rare daytime magazine programme at the time. Presenters during the run included Jan Leeming, Donny MacLeod, Fern Britton, Marian Foster, Debi Jones, Bob Langley, David Seymour, Magnus Magnusson, Alan Titchmarsh, Chris Baines, Josephine Buchan and Paul Coia.
There were several Pebble Mill spin-offs, particularly in the 1970s, such as the late night chat show Saturday Night at the Mill. Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen were the regular house band, and they performed the show's signature tune. In 1981 a kind of early evening version called Six Fifty-five Special surfaced during the Mill's summer break, presented by Donny MacLeod and Marian Foster. In 1986 The Clothes Show presented by Jeff Banks and Selina Scott was created from a strand first shown on "Pebble Mill at One".
One of Pebble Mill At One's more frequently repeated scenes was in 1986 when Marian Foster introduced pop act Owen Paul who was to perform his hit "My Favourite Waste Of Time". He was to mime to a backing track but didn't see his cue to begin, so was seen standing looking into camera while the music played and his recorded voice was heard.
On 20 September 1979, the show was visited by a Sea Harrier aircraft from RNAS Yeovilton (aircraft FRS.1 XZ451 of 700A Squadron) flown by Lieutenant Commander Nigel "Sharkey" Ward, which landed (and later took off) vertically, on the adjacent BBC Social Club's football pitch.[1]
The programme returned the favour in 1986 by transmitting a live programme from the aircraft carrier Ark Royal in the English Channel. This programme, near the end of the programme's life, attracted its highest ever audience. When the decision was taken to end the show to make way for the new One O'clock News over 30,000 viewers wrote to the BBC to complain.
The Pebble Mill format returned in 1987 as Daytime Live, renamed Scene Today and finally Pebble Mill.