Pot Black

History

The BBC’s move to colour television in 1967 created a need for shows that could show off the new technology. David Attenborough, then controller of BBC2, had the idea of using snooker—still a minor sport at the time—to demonstrate colour broadcasting. The first Pot Black tournament was recorded at BBC Studios in Birmingham and aired on BBC2 on 23 July 1969. Eight players took part: Gary Owen, Jackie Rea, John Pulman, Ray Reardon, Fred Davis, Rex Williams, Kingsley Kennerley, and John Spencer.

Reardon won. The programme ran until 1986, when more televised snooker events made its format feel dated. It returned in 1990 but ended again after 1993. A one-day tournament came back on 29 October 2005, with the final shown live on Grandstand; Matthew Stevens beat Shaun Murphy.

The 2006 event was held at the Royal Automobile Club in Central London on 2 September, where Mark Williams defeated John Higgins with a 119 clearance, the highest break in Pot Black history. The most recent edition aired on 6 October 2007, with Ken Doherty beating Murphy 71–36 in the final. Six century breaks have been made at the tournament. The first was Eddie Charlton’s 110 against Spencer in 1973, a record that stood until Murphy’s 111 against White in 2005 and Williams’s 119 in 2006.

Format

The Pot Black tournament changed its structure many times. The first event had eight players, but later fields ranged from six to sixteen. Initially a knockout, it later switched to a round-robin format. Because total points scored could decide the outcome, every match continued until the black ball was potted.

Most matches were a single frame. The final also started as one frame, then in 1974 an aggregate score over two frames was tested, but that was dropped and the single-frame final returned in 1975. From 1978 to 1986, and again in 1991, the final was played over three frames. A shot clock was introduced in 1991 to limit each player's time at the table.

A Junior Pot Black ran from 1981 to 1983 and returned in 1991, with winners Dean Reynolds, John Parrott (twice), and Ronnie O'Sullivan. It was revived in 2006 as a side event to the World Snooker Championship. A Seniors Pot Black in 1997 was for players over 40, and Joe Johnson won. A one-frame Celebrity Pot Black for Sport Relief took place on 15 July 2006.

Two teams competed: Ronnie O'Sullivan and Bradley Walsh against Steve Davis and Vernon Kay. Davis and Kay won. Michaela Tabb refereed, Dermot O'Leary presented, and John Parrott provided commentary.

Production

The BBC taped each Pot Black event in a single day at Pebble Mill Studios in Birmingham, airing the matches as half-hour episodes on BBC2 throughout the winter. To keep results secret until broadcast, the press agreed not to publish scores early. In 2005 and 2006, the entire tournament was shown in one day. The show’s theme, “Black and White Rag,” was written by George Botsford and played by Winifred Atwell.

Keith Macklin hosted the first series in 1969, followed by Alan Weeks until 1984, then David Icke in 1985 and 1986. Eamonn Holmes took over for 1991 and 1992, with David Vine hosting in 1993 and later presenting Senior Pot Black in 1997. Hazel Irvine anchored the early-2000s revival. A famous line came from commentator Ted Lowe, who, knowing some viewers had black-and-white TVs, said: “Steve is going for the pink ball – and for those of you who are watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green.”