BT Tower's weird history

The history of the BT Tower takes in The Goodies, Doctor Who, Star Wars, Harry Potter and Queen Elizabeth II.

Transcript

00:00 Did you know it used to be an offence to take a photograph of the BT Tower?

00:05 While the structure has been a staple of the London skyline since the 1960s when it opened as the Post Office Tower,

00:11 until the mid-90s it was technically classified as an official secret.

00:15 Over the years the building has appeared in TV and film and even announced a few royal babies.

00:21 In the 70s it was destroyed by a giant kitten on the comedy show The Goodies.

00:26 It's featured in Doctor Who as well as in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,

00:30 as Harry and Ron fly over it in the Weasley family car.

00:34 In 2011 the building's unique architecture became a giant lightsaber to mark a Star Wars Blu-ray release.

00:41 It is also part of royal history having announced the births of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis,

00:47 and it projected the late Queen Elizabeth II's first tweet on its LED screen promoting a Science Museum exhibition.

00:54 More recently, the tower is known for its New Year countdown.