This article needs additional citations for verification .(May 2012) |
Points of View | |
---|---|
Also known as | POV |
Genre | Factual |
Presented by | Robert Robinson (1961–1964, 1969–1971) Kenneth Robinson (1965–1969) Barry Took (1979–1986) Guest presenters (1986–1987, 1997–1998) Anne Robinson (1987–1997) Carol Vorderman (1998) Des Lynam (1999) Terry Wogan (1999–2007) Jeremy Vine (2008–2018) Tina Daheley (2022–) |
Narrated by | Tina Daheley (2018–2022) Nicki Chapman (2021, stand-in) |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 49 |
Production | |
Production locations | BBC TV Centre, BBC White City (1961–2012) Broadcasting House, London (2013–present) |
Running time | 14–15 mins |
Production companies | BBC Studios (2015–present) BBC Features Northern Ireland (2013–2014) BBC Productions Birmingham (1999–2013) |
Original release | |
Network | BBC One |
Release | 2 October 1961 – present |
Related | |
Junior Points of View (1963–1970) |
Points of View is a long-running British television series broadcast on BBC One. It started on 2 October 1961 and features the letters of viewers offering praise, criticism and observations on BBC television programmes of recent weeks.
Points of View began in 1961 with Robert Robinson presenting viewers' letters to the BBC. It was originally designed as an occasional five-minute "filler" to plug gaps between shows. Kenneth Robinson (1925–1994) took over in 1965, though Robert Robinson returned in 1969 before the show was dropped in 1971. During the 1960s there was also a spin-off, Junior Points of View.
The show returned on 31 August 1979 [1] after a hiatus of eight years, with the dry humour of Barry Took at the helm. Originally only being broadcast in the London area as a five-minute filler whilst other parts of England were broadcasting regional programming, by February 1980 [2] it was broadcast across the whole of the UK and moved to more familiar slot before the Nine O'clock news. Took left in 1986 and was replaced by guest presenters including Tony Robinson, Alan Titchmarsh and Chris Serle, until Anne Robinson took over as presenter in 1987. For many years during this period, the programme held a slot of 20:50 on Wednesday evenings. In 1997 Anne Robinson left the series to concentrate on Watchdog . Following another period with guest presenters, Carol Vorderman became the next regular presenter in April 1998 but was later replaced by Des Lynam in February 1999.
By October 1999, Points of View had moved to a Sunday early evening slot, being presented by Terry Wogan [3] and now included emails in addition to letters and telephone calls. In the 2007 series, Points of View featured diverse films, such as students from Sussex University making a passionate plea for the BBC to keep the soap opera Neighbours , John Leivers interviewing Roly Keating (the controller of BBC Two) on the channel's direction, and Jill Parkinson asking why there aren't more people with disabilities featured in BBC programmes.
In April 2008, Jeremy Vine became the regular presenter of the series. [4] From April 2013, production switched to BBC Northern Ireland. On the last show of the present series on 1 July 2018, Vine announced his retirement from the show. In order to refresh the series, which returned in the autumn, and allow more time for audience feedback the show no longer was presenter-led, instead being narrated by Tina Daheley; however the show returned to the presenter format, whilst retaining Daheley, in 2022. [5] The 2021 series was narrated by Nicki Chapman, a stand-in for Daheley who was absent due to pregnancy.
The show has been seen as representing a certain passive-aggressive aspect of British culture; Victoria Wood once said "When the Russians feel strongly about an issue they form a bloody revolution – the British write a strongly worded letter to Points of View". Although, much less common now, the show has over the decades featured many a letter beginning "Why, oh why, oh why..." and signed "Upset of Uxbridge" or "Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells", or something similar (these days, most, if not all, simply use their real names). Along the way the show has catered for those who wish to see particular parts of programmes again, featuring letters asking "Please, please, please could you show the clip where Vera Lynn sang to the troops on the 50th anniversary of D-Day last week", and the like.
The series has been criticised for featuring too much praise of the BBC and its programmes, and playing down criticism. This tendency has been sent up by many comedians over the years, including memorable skits in Monty Python's Flying Circus and Not the Nine O'Clock News . In the latter, positive letters said such things as "I think the (television licence) fee is far too low. I would willingly sell my house and all its contents to help the BBC."
Further criticism came from comedians Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie in their sketch comedy show A Bit of Fry and Laurie . In a sketch where Fry had supposedly removed Laurie's brain, Laurie said that he was "off to write a letter to Points of View". In a later episode, a woman claims she has had two letters read out on Points of View, and that "they say if you get three, you're automatically sectioned under the Mental Health Act." The programme became (around 1994) the first BBC TV show to invite contributions by email, and at one point, its producer Bernard Newnham [6] - who produced more than five years worth of shows, four of which were with Anne Robinson - had the only Internet connection in BBC Television Centre. [7]
Between 1963 and 1970, Robert Robinson (later replaced by Sarah Ward, and Gaynor Morgan Rees) presented a version designed for children's letters entitled Junior Points of View.
The original theme tune to the programme was the first 13 seconds of Kid Ory's trad jazz piece "Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula", played by the Dutch Swing College Band. When the series returned in 1979 a new piece called "Northern soul" was used before switching in 1982 to adopting the Beatles' "When I'm Sixty-Four" as its theme tune (because of the lyric "Send me a postcard, drop me a line, stating point of view"). This was dropped at the end of 1990.
In 2000, a bespoke acapella theme tune, entitled "Blah Blah" or "Blah Boopity Baya" was introduced, alongside a new title sequence in 2003, featuring members of the public talking to a screen showing BBC programmes and channels, set against a black background with streaks of light flying past. The composers and performers involved in the creation of this theme tune are unknown. In 2009, the theme gained notoriety when it was featured on BBC Radio 6 Music's Adam and Joe radio show, with the presenters mocking the theme tune's upbeat sound compared to the overall serious tone of Points of View at the time (then presented by Jeremy Vine; though the show became more light-hearted across Vine's overall run as presenter), adding that "the BBC's been in some quite serious trouble of late, so this is just a suggestion to our colleagues at the castle [ BBC Television Centre]... you might want to change that music".
In 2011, an alternative mix of the previous theme came into use, with the acapella vocals being swapped for a synthesizer and background strings.
Countdown is a British game show involving word and mathematical tasks that began airing in November 1982. It is broadcast on Channel 4 and is most recently presented by Colin Murray, assisted by Rachel Riley with lexicographer Susie Dent. It was the first programme to be broadcast on Channel 4 and 90 series have been broadcast since its debut on 2 November 1982. With over 8,000 episodes, Countdown is one of Britain's longest-running game shows; the original French version, Des chiffres et des lettres, ran on French television almost continuously from 1965 until 2024.
Sir Michael Terence Wogan was an Irish-British radio and television broadcaster who worked for the BBC in the UK for most of his career. Between 1993 and his semi-retirement in December 2009, his BBC Radio 2 weekday breakfast programme Wake Up to Wogan regularly drew an estimated eight million listeners. He was believed to be the most listened-to radio broadcaster in Europe.
Carol Jean Vorderman, RAFAC HonFIET is a Welsh broadcaster, media personality, and writer. Her media career began when she joined the Channel 4 game show Countdown, appearing with Richard Whiteley from 1982 until his death in 2005, and subsequently with Des Lynam and Des O'Connor, before leaving in 2008.
Blue Peter is a British children's television entertainment programme created by John Hunter Blair. It is the longest-running children's TV show in the world, having been broadcast since October 1958. It was broadcast primarily from BBC Television Centre in London until September 2011, when the programme moved to dock10 studios at MediaCityUK in Salford, Greater Manchester. It is currently shown live on the CBBC television channel on Fridays at 5 p.m. The show is also repeated on Saturdays at 11:30 a.m., Sundays at 9:00 a.m. and a BSL version is shown on Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m.
Tomorrow's World is a British television series about contemporary developments in science and technology. First transmitted on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003. The Tomorrow's World title was revived in 2017 as an umbrella brand for BBC science programming.
John Richard Whiteley was an English presenter and journalist, best known for his twenty-three years as host of the game show Countdown. Countdown was the launch programme for Channel 4 at 4:45 pm on 2 November 1982, and Whiteley was the first person to be seen on the channel. Whiteley enjoyed projecting the image of an absent-minded eccentric. His trademarks were his jolly, avuncular manner, his fondness for puns, and his bold, sometimes garish wardrobe.
Jeremy Guy Vine is an English television and radio presenter and journalist. He is best known as the host of his BBC Radio 2 lunchtime programme which presents news, views, interviews with live guests and popular music, taking over from long-serving host Jimmy Young in 2003.
Watchdog is a British consumer investigative journalism programme that was broadcast on BBC One from 14 July 1985 to 17 October 2019. The programme focused on investigating complaints and concerns made by viewers and consumers over problematic experiences with traders, retailers and other companies around the UK, over customer services, products, security, and possible fraudulent/criminal behaviour. Since it first began, the programme had achieved great success in changing the awareness consumers have of their purchasing rights, as well as pushing forward for changes in company policies and consumer laws, and in some cases helping to close down businesses whose practices have left many people dissatisfied and out of pocket. The show's longstanding slogan was "the programme you cannot afford to miss".
The Wright Stuff is a British television chat show which was hosted by former tabloid journalist Matthew Wright from 2000 until 2018. It aired on Channel 5 on weekday mornings from 9:15 to 11:15am. The series characterised itself as "Britain's brightest daytime show", which gave "ordinary people the chance to talk and comment on everything from the invasion of Iraq to social, emotional and even sexual issues back at home", as well as featuring "showbiz stars and media commentators". The Wright Stuff was nominated as "Best Daytime Programme" at both the Royal Television Society and the National Television Awards.
Jon Holmes is a British comedian, writer, presenter and broadcaster. His work includes The Skewer,The Now Show, Listen Against, along with both music and spoken word radio. He has also appeared on television.
Fighting Talk is a topical sports show broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live during the English football season. The show is broadcast on Saturday mornings for an hour between 1100 and 1200 and is currently presented by Rick Edwards. This show is a similar format to the ESPN show Around the Horn.
Breakfast with Frost is a Sunday morning BBC current affairs programme hosted by Sir David Frost. It covered the main political news of the day, with Frost interviewing key figures in the world of politics, and celebrity guests reviewing the Sunday papers. The programme was broadcast on BBC One from 1993 to 2005.
Howard Griffiths is a British television and radio presenter.
Today at Wimbledon is a BBC TV show, showing highlights and discussion from the day's play at the Wimbledon Championships currently hosted by Clare Balding. The show lasts for 60 minutes and is broadcast on BBC Two at 8:30 pm.
This is a list of events on British radio during 1999.
The Chris Evans Breakfast Show is the name given to two versions of a radio programme hosted by broadcaster Chris Evans in the United Kingdom. The first was the incarnation of The Radio 2 Breakfast Show that aired every weekday morning between 11 January 2010 and 24 December 2018. Evans had taken over from Terry Wogan, who ended his stint as the station's morning presenter on 18 December 2009. On 3 September 2018, it was announced by Evans live on air that he would be leaving the network. The show broadcast its final episode on BBC Radio 2 on 24 December 2018. On 3 October 2018, it was announced by Evans live on air that Zoe Ball would take over the slot, with her first broadcast airing on 14 January 2019. Evans meanwhile started the second incarnation of the show on Virgin Radio that began on 21 January 2019.
Tina Daheley is an English journalist, newsreader and presenter who works for the BBC, both on television and radio. She currently reads the news on The Radio 2 Breakfast Show with Zoe Ball, often contributing to discussions during the show. She is also a relief presenter on the BBC News at Ten and BBC News at Six. In 2018, she became the narrator of Points of View.
BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. The 'About Radio 2' BBC webpage says: "With a repertoire covering more than 60 years, Radio 2 plays the widest selection of music on the radio - from classic and mainstream pop to country, folk, jazz, musical theatre, soul, hip hop, rock 'n' roll, gospel and blues."
Top Gear is a British automotive magazine and currently inactive motoring-themed entertainment television programme. It is a revival devised by Jeremy Clarkson and Andy Wilman of the 1977–2001 show of the same name for the BBC, and premiered on 20 October 2002. The programme focuses on the examination and reviewing of motor vehicles, primarily cars, though this was expanded upon after the broadcast of its earlier series to incorporate films featuring motoring-based challenges, special races, timed laps of notable cars, and celebrity timed laps on a course specially-designed for the relaunched programme. The programme drew acclaim for its visual and presentation style since its launch, which focused on being generally entertaining to viewers, as well as criticism over the controversial nature of its content. The show was also praised for its occasionally controversial humour and lore existing in not just the automotive community but in the form of internet memes and jokes. The programme was aired on BBC Two until it was moved to BBC One for its twenty-ninth series in 2020.
Jeremy Vine and Storm Huntley are two continuation programmes from Channel 5's morning debate show The Wright Stuff, with Vine having his name as the programme title since 2018 and Huntley being listed for her segment of the ITN produced programme since June 2023.