TSW

Television South West (TSW), also known as ‘Television Simply Wonderful’, emerged as the winning franchise in 1982, replacing Westward Television. TSW acquired Westward and officially went on air on August 11th, 1981, although they maintained the on-screen identity of Westward until they launched their own brand on New Year’s Day 1982.

In its early years, TSW differentiated itself from other regions by introducing unfamiliar shows, primarily sourced from the United States. One of its most memorable moments was on Christmas Day 1982, when TSW aired the movie ‘The In-Laws’ while the rest of the network showed ‘The Black Hole’ by Disney.

Unfortunately, TSW lost its franchise to Westcountry Television in 1991, due to their bid of £10 per viewer in the region, which was the highest per capita bid of any region in that round. TSW challenged the decision and the matter was taken to the House of Lords, where their appeal was ultimately defeated. The company subsequently sold its studios at Derry’s Cross and donated its entire back catalogue, including the Westward archive, to The South West Film and Television Archive.