The Appleyards

THE APPLEYARDS. British TV soap opera for children, made and transmitted fortnightly by BBC TV from October 1952 to April 1957, from the BBC's Lime Gree Studios. It was produced and directed by Naomi Capon. Transmitted live on a Thursday afternoon from 4:30 to 5 pm with a Sunday repeat (which was not usually a recorded repeat of the first show but the same cast repeating a live performance). The programme told the story of the Home Counties family Mr and Mrs Appleyard and their three children ; John / Margaret and Tommy. They were usually accompanied by their neighbour and best friend Ronnie Grant. The last episode finished with Mrs Appleyard and Tommy sitting on a porter's trolley at the end of a railway platform. It was of its time but also a ground breaking family sitcom, popular with both adults and children.