Bid a fond farewell to beards, bad hair and kipper ties on the BBC

A broadcasting era spanning more than 30 years, that began with kipper ties and bearded professors, will come to an end in 2006 when the final Open University coursework programme is scheduled to be broadcast.

The university has revealed that its final programme specifically for students will be aired on BBC Two in 2006 as it aims its future output at the primetime schedule.

The OU will focus in future on its partnership with the BBC on "mainstream" projects such as Leonardo , Rough Science and Child of Our Time .

Instead of having to watch or record television programmes, OU students will receive information over the internet or on DVD and video tape sent through the post with other course material. The university said that this change of approach would ensure that students received all the course information they needed.

Mike Bullivant, presenter of the BBC Two series Rough Science and course manager in the OU chemistry department, said: "There is an awful lot of nostalgia for the old black and white stuff from Alexandra Palace from 25 years ago.

"I think the reason is that these were heroes, the founding fathers and mothers of the OU, who were brave enough in the early days to stick their heads above the parapet.

"They were pioneers, they showed that it could be done."