Mrs Dale's Diary was the first significant BBC radio serial drama. It was first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme on 5 January 1948, and subsequently transferred to the newly formed Radio 2 in 1967, where it ran until 25 April 1969. A new episode was broadcast each weekday afternoon, with a repeat the following morning.
The main scriptwriter for many years was Jonqil Antony, and her first collaborator (under a pseudonym) was Ted Willis, later to originate equally well-known characters for Dixon of Dock Green.
The lead character, Mrs Dale, was played by Ellis Powell until she was sacked in controversial circumstances in 1963 and replaced by Jessie Matthews. An innovative characteristic of the programme was that a brief introductory narrative in each episode was spoken by Mrs Dale as if she were writing her diary.
Read more about Mrs Dale's Diary: Format, Treatment of Homosexuality, Changes To The Format, Scandal, The Dales, Spin-offs, Catchphrase
Famous quotes containing the words dale and/or diary:
“The only difference between a man and woman climbing the ladder of success is that a woman is expected to put it in the closet when she’s finished with it.”
—Barbara Dale (b. 1940)
“The diary is an art form just as much as the novel or the play. The diary simply requires a greater canvas.”
—Henry Miller (1891–1980)