Monday Night at Eight

Monday Night at Eight was a weekly BBC radio magazine programme that was on from 8 pm to 9 pm on the Home Service.

It started in April 1937, under the title Monday at Seven from 7 pm 8 pm, but changed to Monday Night at Seven in October 1938. It was shifted to 8 pm in October 1939, with the obvious title change and ran in this timeslot until 1948.

The time change was because of longer working hours during World War II: it was pushed back an hour to enable more people to be able to listen. It was broadcast live with Ronnie Waldman doing the interviews and announcements. It was produced by Harry Pepper.

The formats for both programmes were similar. The first part consisted of interviews of all types of people; then there was a musical break, and the final part was a radio detective play. Initially it was Inspector Hornleigh Investigates, but in 1942 a new series called Dr Morelle was introduced. Another feature that was started in Monday Night at Eight was Puzzle Corner, used in later programs, and the weekly 'Deliberate Mistake'. Popular comedians Arthur Askey and Richard Murdoch contributed "Chestnut Corner". One weekly comedy sketch was "The Dooms". These were a family of witches and warlocks who had various adventures in their home. When all was quiet at the end, Mrs Drusilla Doom (Hermione Gingold) would ask her husband (Alfred Marks) in a sepulchral voice - "Tea, Edmond ?" (pause) "Milluck ?" (i.e. milk).

Several actors and singers had their radio debut on Monday Night at Eight. The singer Anne Shelton had her debut in 1940 and Julie Andrews appeared with her mother and stepfather in 1947.

The lyrics of the signature tune were as follows:

It's Monday night at eight o'clock,

Oh, can't you hear the chimes

They're telling you to take an easy chair

To settle by the fireside

Look at your Radio Times

For Monday Night at Eight is on the air.

The other BBC show of a similar nature was In Town Tonight, which ran in the same period, but was on a Saturday night.