Unraveling BBC’s Past: Accessible Archive Opens, Known as The Genome Project

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has recently launched a test version of an online archive tool, named The Genome Project. This treasure trove is a comprehensive, searchable catalogue of its TV and radio programs aired over the years. The project emerged from the meticulous scanning of Radio Times magazine listings published between 1923 and 2009, highlighting close to a century of UK’s broadcast history. Users can search the catalogue to find a synopsis and cast list for each program, and even offer their edits and additions if they wish.

The primary objective of The Genome Project is to help the BBC identify and track down programs missing from its recorded archive. The entire database comprises a remarkable total of 4,423,654 programs, hailing from 4,469 issues of Radio Times. These programs are lovingly referred to as “tiny pieces of BBC DNA” by the corporation. Once reassembled, they will constitute a rich “data spine” that the BBC will use to flesh out its program history further. To that end, the public now has the opportunity to search through old Radio Times issues and help join the dots in the BBC’s storied past.

It’s important to remember that much of the BBC’s early programming was not recorded and several shows were ironically destroyed over time or recorded over. The Genome Project hopes to reverse some of this damage by finding lost programs, aided by sharp-eyed citizens who may have these soundbites and visuals stowed away in their attics or sheds. Users can engage in tailor-made searches for specific shows or browse the archive by year, even getting a nostalgic glance at old Radio Times covers.

The curators of the project anticipate a surge in searches for vintage treasures such as early Doctor Who episodes. As Hilary Bishop, editor of Archive Development at the BBC, puts it, “Genome is the closest we currently have to a comprehensive broadcast history of the BBC. We are hopeful that fans worldwide who may have recorded and kept missing programs will utilize Genome to restore these gems to the BBC archives.” The next phase for the leaders of the Genome Project is to cross-reference this project’s findings with the corporation’s other records.

You can discover more about The Genome Project on the BBC’s site.

This article was updated in 2025 to reflect modern realities.