For a generation growing up with multiple channels and the technology to pause live TV at their fingertips, a world without colour television might seem as alien as life on Mars.

But prior to November, 1969, there was only black and white TV. And even when colour television transmissions were first broadcast, 40 years ago this week, it was several years before many homes made the switch to glorious colour.

Even today, in an age of giant high-definition flatscreens, black and white TV sets are still flickering away in living rooms, according to a survey by TV Licensing. Figures reveal that nearly 200 households in Bradford are among the 28,000 nationwide still enjoying programmes in black and white.

“Despite many developments in new ways of watching TV, and sales of flatscreen sets soaring, figures show black and white sets are not ready for the dump just yet,” says a TV Licensing spokeswoman.

“Big urban areas are the places with the most black and white sets, with more than 190 homes in Bradford owning black and white TV licences, followed by 20 in Keighley.”

TV has come a long way since Scottish inventor John Logie Baird demonstrated the world’s first working television to a group of scientists in 1925.

And while there may still be life in the old black and white telly, statistics show that the way we watch TV is changing.

In September, BBC’s iPlayer attracted more than a million users a day, watching programmes on the internet using computers, smart-phones and games consoles, and on TV using set-top boxes.

Iain Logie Baird, curator of television at the National Media Museum and grandson of John Logie Baird, says the arrival of colour TV had an enormous social impact in the UK.

“The arrival of mass colour television was a technological breakthrough,” he says. “As more viewers made the switch, it gradually altered the effect of TV as a medium, changing both programme styles and viewers’ perceptions.

“The addition of colour gave viewers a greater feeling of being there for live events and an increased sense of involvement in pre-recorded material, which had a major impact on the cultural fabric of the nation.”

Television brings us together; whether we’re gathered around the office water cooler discussing X Factor, or sitting in the pub dissecting a football match, it’s the common ground we share.

In 1953, the Queen’s Coronation attracted more than 82 million viewers worldwide. Since then there have been many iconic moments on TV, captured for eternity in colour.

From Charles and Diana’s wedding day in 1981 to the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001; from Den serving Angie divorce papers on the 1986 EastEnders Christmas Day special; to Will Young beating Gareth Gates to win the Pop Idol final in 2001, TV moments have played a big part in our lives.

Memorable TV moments are captured in the National Media Museum’s Experience TV gallery which looks at the role TV has played in our society, and politics, advertising and programming, over the past 80 years.

Part of the gallery features a showreel of classic TV moments and their viewing figures, highlighting the power of television and its impact on our lives. We remember where we were when we saw these TV moments and how we felt. They speak volumes about the changing nature of television and its powerful effect on us.

The showreel includes the moment ITV’s hit quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? got its first top prize winner. Around 19 million viewers watched Judith Keppel say “final answer” and win £1 million. There’s the Morecambe And Wise Christmas special, watched by more than 20 million viewers, Princess Diana’s funeral, the collapse of the World Trade Centre, and Live Aid.

Other iconic TV moments – not least England winning the 1966 World Cup and man’s first steps on the moon – were brought to us in black and white.

Whether you’re tuning in to I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! in high-definition, or catching up on Corrie on your old black and white portable, the legal requirements of watching TV are the same.

Phil Reed, TV Licensing spokesperson, says: “TV has never been more popular across the spectrum, and with so many ways to watch TV now available it’s important people are aware of their legal responsibilities.

“Whether you have a 40-year-old black and white set, or a new flatscreen TV, you need to be covered by a TV licence if watching or recording programmes as they are broadcast. The same is true if you access programmes via the internet, using a laptop, mobile phone, games console or any other device.”