Kyle, Redvers

Redvers is regarded as one of ITV’s announcing greats.  He was born in Germiston, South Africa and named after General Sir Redvers Buller, British military commander in the Anglo-Boer War.  He began his broadcasting career as a student at Johannesburg University, where he presented for SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation).

He arrived in the UK in 1952 and spent a year teaching in a south London school before freelancing on radio and television for the BBC.  He co-narrated the Television Puppet Theatre production of Two of Everything (14th April 1955) and St Jerome and the Lion (14th April 1955).  In 1955, with the arrival of Independent Television, Redvers switched to ATV in London, where he presented on a Sunday afternoon programme.  He also worked for ITN, providing commentaries for news film.  In 1956, he joined Associated-Rediffusion (later Rediffusion London) Television in London and in 1964 was promoted to chief announcer.  He presented the first schools programme Looking and Seeing (1957) and various children’s programmes: Puzzle Parade (1959); Book Parade (1959 – 1960); Music Parade (1960); Enquiry Unlimited (1960); Milestone (1961); Ollie’s Follies (1961); Strike a Chord (1962); Tuesday Rendezvous.  On the station’s final day of broadcasting, Monday 29th July 1968, as chief announcer, Kyle opened and closed the station for the last time.  For the final closedown he was joined by Rediffusion weatherman Laurie West and fellow continuity announcer John Kelley.

Redvers then headed straight up the M1 to Leeds, where he took the position as chief announcer at the new franchisee, Yorkshire Television.  He remained at YTV until his retirement in 1993.  During his time there, he also became a familiar voice on the ITV network via advertising voiceovers and his networked voiceovers for YTV-syndicated trailers.  He narrated long-running educational historical drama series How We Used to Live (1968 – 1992) and voiced Giddy, a friendly alien who flew around on a magic pink pencil, in the animated children’s quiz show The Giddy Game Show (1985 – 1987).  He was heard in action on Victor Lewis-Smith’s TV Offal programme and also narrated several audio books.  Kyle’s final YTV junction was at 5.10pm on Friday 26th February 1993 and also featured announcing colleague Graham Roberts; both announcers made a rare in-vision appearance that night on the regional news programme Calendar.

Showreel reader Simon Moss writes in to say: “Redvers Kyle was not only a TV announcer, but also a composer!  I have a 1963 HMV LP (CLP 1672) The Hunting of the Snark and a selection from The Bab Ballads narrated by Kyle.  He is also credited on the cover as having composed the music which accompanies both sections of the narration.  He even co-authored the liner notes!”

Personal information

Clips of Redvers on The TV Room

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Online presence

Acknowledgements