Happy 60th birthday, BBC Two! Celebrations begin from 6.30pm with classic comedies including The Likely Lads and Open All Hours, then at 8.25pm with 60 Songs: BBC Two at 60. Radio Times cover by Victor Reinganum. Which have been your favourite BBC2 shows?

Ray Brooks 🎂
Photographed for Cathy Come Home in 1966 by Radio Times

Happy birthday to Louise Jameson 🎂 Photographed for Radio Times in late 1976: radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doct…

Back to the beginning...
BBC Two is showing the very first episode of The Likely Lads tomorrow at 6.30pm as part of its 60th birthday celebrations. Radio Times photographer Don Smith was there on set, as he was for so many classic series...

The power of three... Susie Blake🎂pictured with Celia Imrie and Victoria Wood during rehearsals for Staying In on 1 October 1989 by Don Smith for Radio Times.

Patrick Stewart starred as Lenin in Fall of Eagles #OTD 50 years ago, in an episode written by the late Trevor Griffiths. Lynn Farleigh, Michael Kitchen and Paul Eddington were among his co-stars. Radio Times

A great day for children's telly on BBC1 #OTD 50 years ago. Derek Griffiths, Julie Stevens and Johnny Ball were back with Cabbages and Kings, there was a new cartoon series, Lassie's Rescue Rangers, and Bernard Cribbins hosted the 2,000th Jackanory. Radio Times

Vanessa Redgrave and Hannah Gordon were the guests of Morecambe and Wise in a repeat of their 1973 Christmas special #OTD 50 years ago. Also that night, The Burke Special, Play for Today (The Reporters by Arthur Hopcraft) and The Pallisers. Photo by Don Smith for Radio Times

It's Shirley MacLaine Night on BBC4 tonight, starting at 9pm with Sweet Charity. Photographed for Desert Island Discs in 1983 by Tim Roney for Radio Times.

Luminous!

🩷 On Sunday 19th May, cyclists of all abilities can ride with Hospices of Hope to celebrate Bagpuss’s 50th birthday and raise funds for children’s hospice care! 🩷

For further details please visit: bit.ly/3Tuhq9Q

Echoes of long ago... although I think the truth is, they looked up to each other.

Starting tonight at 9pm on BBC4. #ShoulderToShoulder #Suffragettes Patrick Mulkern 💙 spoke to to Dame Siân Phillips, Waris Hussein and Moira Armstrong... radiotimes.com/tv/drama/shoul…

Goon... but not forgotten. Spike Milligan, born #OTD in 1918, pictured by Chris Ridley for Radio Times in 1986.

The Comedy Playhouse #OTD 50 years ago was No Strings by Carla Lane, starring Rita Tushingham – who spoke to Radio Times – and Keith Barron.

Bernard Cribbins was back on Jackanory duty for the show's 2,000th edition in this week 50 years ago. He also spoke to Radio Times about the huge success of The Wombles – and how he fished in his spare time.

'They were a very talented and warm, supportive family of artistes...' Derek Griffiths tells Radio Times about his Play School chums, jazzy pop songs and the thuggish cockatoo: radiotimes.com/tv/entertainme… #PlaySchoolat60

There are times when history docs reach out and grip. The first time this happened to me was Michael Wood's In Search of the Dark Ages series, but in particular the Ethelred the Unready instalment in 1981. It was and remains simply thrilling storytelling.

As Play School celebrates its 60th anniversary, Derek Griffiths tells Radio Times about a TV happy place... radiotimes.com/tv/entertainme…

Tom Jones visited Barbados for a musical special #OTD 50 years ago; Alan Plater took a light-hearted look at the seaside in Wish You Were Here; the Fab Four animation Yellow Submarine also took to the sea. Radio Times