The Cook Report

Last updated

The Cook Report
Cookreport.JPG
Cook report opening credits.
Created by Roger Cook
Starring Roger Cook
Theme music composerDarren S-Pullman
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes118 plus 8 x 60 minute specials
Production
ProducersClive Entwistle, Peter Salkeld, Howard Foster, Tim Tate, David Warren & Steve Warr
EditorMike Townson
Running time25 mins (excluding advertisements)
Production company Central Independent Television
Original release
Network ITV
Release22 July 1987 (1987-07-22) –
24 August 1999 (1999-08-24)

The Cook Report was a British ITV current affairs television programme presented by Roger Cook which was broadcast from 22 July 1987 to 24 August 1999. [1] The series featured Cook investigating corruption, criminals, government social policy failures, and unmasking coverups due to incompetence, negligence and dishonesty. All sixteen series were produced for ITV by Central Television. [2] [3] [4] The series was well known for Cook's reporting style where he would present those being investigated with the evidence that the show had collected; often this would result in Cook being attacked by those he confronted. [5] [6] [7]

Contents

History

Over 12 years, and sixteen series, the programme featured Roger Cook travelling the world to investigate serious criminal activity, injustice and official incompetence. During its ground-breaking undercover 'stings', Cook confronted targets, and he and the film crew sometimes suffered verbal and physical abuse. The Cook Report was by some margin the highest rated current affairs programme on British television, with audiences peaking at more than 12 million. It was credited with helping to achieve numerous criminal convictions and a number of changes in the law.[ citation needed ]

Amongst the many subjects tackled, the programme exposed Northern Ireland protection rackets, [8] baby trading in Brazil and Guatemala, [9] canned hunting in South Africa, [10] loan sharks, the ivory trade, people smuggling, drug dealing, mock auctions, [11] counterfeit consumer goods, [12] manipulation of the UK Singles Chart, [13] war criminals in Bosnia, Clenbuterol in British Beef, friendly fire in the Gulf War, the illegal trading of exotic birds, the rise of triads in Britain, Neo-Nazis in Germany, The Hillsborough disaster, steroid dealing, cot deaths, child & computer pornography, the Russian black market in weapons-grade plutonium and Satanic Ritual Abuse. [14]

In July 1990 the show investigated the Tainted Blood Scandal focusing on how Haemophiliacs had become infected with HIV [15] by using Contaminated Blood Products. In total some 1,243 people in the UK were infected with HIV through using these products. At the time of the show some 100 had died of AIDS, as of 2017 the total number of those who have died who were infected with HIV is closer to 1,000. [16] Since the show aired the scandal has roared on and continues to be debated in British Parliament as victims and their families still fight for justice. [17] [18]

"You Can Do Magic"

In 1997, Debbie Currie, daughter of Edwina Currie, covered a version of Limmie & Family Cookin's "You Can Do Magic", with Sinitta providing her vocals. [19] To promote the single, she toured Scotland with pop band The Mojams, [20] claimed that she had enjoyed group sex and lost her virginity at fifteen, [21] told her mother Edwina about the latter in Tesco, [22] and posed with fried eggs on her breasts. [23] Edwina used an interview after her 1997 United Kingdom general election defeat to promote the song. [20] The song was released on 19 May 1997 [24] on Barry Tomes' Gotham Records and was pulled three days later. [25] Credited to "Mojams featuring Debbie Currie", the song charted at number 86 on the UK singles chart. [26] Later that month, it was revealed that the single had been part of a ruse by The Cook Report to investigate the practice of chart-rigging. [21] Currie was chosen for the ruse because of her tabloid history, [22] and was in fact a trainee journalist. [24] The track was withdrawn because the programme's budget ran out. [25]

Cook Report Specials

The Cook Report ran regularly for two seven-part series each year until 1997, when the programme reached its 122nd edition. It was then replaced by a number of hour-long Cook Report Specials including:

Cancellation

The Cook Report came to an end in 1999 when ITV, which had previously cancelled a number of current affairs programmes made for the channel (including World in Action ) was faced with dwindling budgets and had concentrated on other kinds of programming. The ITV Network Centre decided to concentrate its current affairs efforts on Tonight - which, though it attracted fewer viewers, was said to be significantly less costly to make. Cook went on to work on other projects and is also Emeritus Visiting Professor at the Centre for Broadcasting and Journalism at Nottingham Trent University. He was made an Honorary Doctor of Letters in 2004.

The programme did return for a one-off, 90-minute special, Roger Cook's Greatest Hits, [27] on 30 October 2007. This update episode was produced by ITV Productions and Interesting Films.

News of the World allegations

In February and April 2000, the News of the World published a series of front page allegations claiming that The Cook Report had faked a number of programmes in which crimes were set up for him to solve. [28] Roger Cook and members of the relevant production teams issued writs for libel, against the paper. [29] The newspaper demanded an investigation by the then regulator, the Independent Television Commission, after it sent its dossier of evidence about the programme which, after an eighteen-month investigation, in October 2001 exonerated the programme.

The News of the World initially dismissed the commission's findings as 'a whitewash', but after key witnesses for the defence had voluntarily retracted their paid-for testimony, the News of the World reluctantly had to agree with the ITC's conclusions and made the following statement to that effect in open court:

"The News of the World accepts that neither Mr Cook nor Carlton [TV] nor the editors, producers, legal advisers and researchers were a party to any fakery or deception." It was also accepted that the allegations were false and should never have been published, but the subsequent short correction was printed on page 38. Mr Cook's solicitor, Ian Bloom, described the allegations as "devastating for Mr Cook both professionally and personally, while the News of the World accepts that neither Mr Cook nor Carlton nor the editors, producers, legal advisers or researchers were a party to any fakery or deception. While it is accepted that the NoW believed that it had grounds to look into the matter, the News of the World now acknowledges that the articles contained material inaccuracies which should not have been published," [30] [31]

Awards

The programme and its production team won eleven national and international awards, culminating in a British Academy of Film & Television Arts (BAFTA) special award for its presenter in 1997 'for 25 years of outstanding quality investigative reporting.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITV Digital</span> Former British subscription-based digital terrestrial TV service

ITV Digital was a British digital terrestrial television broadcaster which launched a pay-TV service on the world's first digital terrestrial television network. Its main shareholders were Carlton Communications plc and Granada plc, owners of multiple licences of the ITV network. Starting as ONdigital in 1998, the service was rebranded as ITV Digital in July 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITV Granada</span> Channel 3 regional service for North West England

ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire on weekdays only, as ABC Weekend Television was its weekend counterpart. Granada's parent company Granada plc later bought several other regional ITV stations and, in 2004, merged with Carlton Communications to form ITV plc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITN</span> British-based news and content provider

Independent Television News (ITN) is a UK-based media production and broadcast journalism company. ITN is based in London, with bureaus and offices in Beijing, Brussels, Jerusalem, Johannesburg, New York, Paris, Sydney and Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITV Westcountry</span> Former ITV franchise holder for the south west of England

ITV Westcountry, formerly known as Westcountry Television and Carlton Westcountry, was the ITV franchise holder for the South West of England, covering Cornwall, Devon, Isles of Scilly, southern and western Somerset and western Dorset. The company replaced its predecessor, TSW, from 1 January 1993. The station was owned and operated by ITV plc under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting Limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITV Central</span> Independent Television franchisee for the Midlands

ITV Central, previously known as Central Independent Television, Carlton Central, ITV1 for Central England and commonly referred to as simply Central, is the Independent Television franchisee for the Midlands. It was created following the restructuring of ATV and began broadcasting on 1 January 1982. The service is owned and operated by ITV plc under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting Limited. Historically Central made a major contribution to the ITV network schedule – especially in entertainment and drama – but today its main responsibility is the regional news service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlton Television</span> ITV weekday service for London

Carlton Television was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties from 9.25am every Monday to 5.15pm every Friday. The company is now managed with London Weekend Television as a single entity, but the two companies are still separately licensed. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc under the licensee of "ITV Broadcasting Limited". Carlton has been branded on air as "ITV1" since 28 October 2002. Carlton Television Ltd, the original holder of the licence, has since been dissolved. Carlton UK Television Limited however is now known as ITV Consumer Limited and legally operates ITV plc's websites. As Carlton's name has no relation to its region, its on-screen identity has been completely removed. Other regions have kept their original company name as a region name and in their local news name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edwina Currie</span> Former British politician, broadcaster and writer

Edwina Currie is a British writer, broadcaster and former politician, serving as Conservative Party Member of Parliament for South Derbyshire from 1983 until 1997. She was a Junior Health Minister for two years, resigning in 1988 during the salmonella-in-eggs controversy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UTV (TV channel)</span> Television channel in Northern Ireland

UTV is the ITV region covering Northern Ireland, ITV subsidiary and the former on-air name of the free-to-air public broadcast television channel serving the area. It is run by ITV plc and is responsible for the regional news service and other programmes made principally for the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westward Television</span> Former ITV service for South West England

Westward Television was the first ITV franchise-holder for the South West of England. It held the franchise from 29 April 1961 until 31 December 1981. After a difficult start, Westward Television provided a popular, distinctive and highly regarded service to its region, until heavy competition led to its franchise not being renewed by the IBA. Westward launched the career of many broadcasters who became well known nationally, won numerous awards for its programming, and heavily influenced its successor, TSW.

<i>World in Action</i> British investigative current affairs programme

World in Action was a British investigative current affairs programme made by Granada Television for ITV from 7 January 1963 until 7 December 1998. Its campaigning journalism frequently had a major impact on events of the day. Its production teams often took audacious risks, and the programme gained a solid reputation for its often-unorthodox approach. The series was sold around the world and won numerous awards. In its heyday, World in Action drew audiences of up to 23 million in Britain alone, equivalent to almost half the population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlton Communications</span> Former British media company

Carlton was a British media company. It was led by Michael P. Green and listed on the London Stock Exchange from 1983 until 2 February 2004, when it was bought by Granada plc in a corporate takeover to form ITV plc. Carlton shareholders gained approximately 32% of ITV plc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITV Meridian</span> South & South East England TV region

ITV Meridian is the holder of the ITV franchise for the South and South East of England. The station was launched at 12:00 am on 1 January 1993, replacing previous broadcaster Television South, and is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting Limited. Meridian Broadcasting Ltd was one of several ITV plc-owned regional companies to have its legal name changed on 29 December 2006, when it became ITV Meridian Ltd. This company is, along with most other regional companies owned by ITV plc, listed with Companies House as a "Dormant company".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GMTV</span> Former UK breakfast television franchisee

GMTV, now legally known as ITV Breakfast Broadcasting Limited, was the name of the national ITV breakfast television contractor/licensee, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end. The final edition of GMTV was broadcast on 3 September 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John McCririck</span> English horse racing pundit (1940–2019)

John Michael McCririck was an English horse racing pundit, television personality and journalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CITV</span> British free-to-air TV channel for children

CITV is a British children's morning programming block on ITV2 and formerly a free-to-air channel owned by ITV plc. CITV, then Children's ITV, launched on 3 January 1983 as a late afternoon programming block on the ITV network for children aged 6–12. It replaced the earlier Watch It! branding and introduced networked in-vision continuity links between programmes. These links were originally pre-recorded from a small London studio up until 1987, when Central won the contract to produce live links from their Birmingham studios. In 2004, presentation of CITV was relocated to Granada Television in Manchester, which saw the demise of in-vision continuity. Nine years later, the operations moved to ITV Granada's MediaCityUK studios in Salford.

Central Weekend is a British television debate show which ran from 1986 to 2001. Known for the confrontational nature of its studio audience and topics, it was presented for many years by Nicky Campbell. It was broadcast late on a Friday night in the Central region, and debated various topics and current affairs issues – usually subjects that had been featured in the week's news.

Limmie & Family Cookin' was an American family soul and pop group from Canton, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITV Wales & West</span> Former ITV franchise area in the United Kingdom

ITV Wales and West, previously known as Harlech Television (HTV), was an ITV franchisee in the United Kingdom until 31 December 2013, licensed to broadcast by the regulator Ofcom.

This is a timeline of the history of Carlton Television, and of its former owner Carlton Communications. Carlton Television has provided the ITV service for London on weekdays since 1993, and Carlton Communications took over the services for the Midlands, South West England, the West of England and Wales before merging with Granada plc to form ITV plc.

Deborah Currie is a British former journalist from Findern, Derbyshire, and a daughter of Edwina Currie. She covered "You Can Do Magic" by Limmie & Family Cookin'. The track charted at number 86 on the UK singles chart. Currie later revealed it was part of an investigation into chart-rigging by The Cook Report.

References

  1. ↑ "Cook's reheats | Media". The Guardian . London. 29 August 2000. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  2. ↑ Janine Gibson, Media Correspondent (1 September 2000). "Carlton investigates Cook Report 'set ups' | Media". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  3. ↑ "Entertainment | Cook Report artfully exposes experts". BBC News . 4 August 1998. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  4. ↑ Glenda Cooper (7 December 1995). "'Cook Report' cot-death claim faces dismissal - News". The Independent. London. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  5. ↑ Peter Conchie (4 December 1998). "Television Review - Arts & Entertainment". The Independent . London. Archived from the original on 18 December 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  6. ↑ "Roger Cook on the dangers of investigative journalism". BBC News. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  7. ↑ "Doctoring the evidence | Culture". The Guardian. London. 24 August 1999. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  8. ↑ The Cook Report: Worse Than The Mafia, BFI Database
  9. ↑ The Cook Report: Baby Bandits, BFI Database
  10. ↑ The Cook Report: Making a Killing, BFI Database
  11. ↑ The Cook Report: Bags Of Trouble, BFI Database
  12. ↑ The Cook Report: Only Fools and Fakes, BFI Database
  13. ↑ The Cook Report: Putting the Record Straight Part 1 and The Cook Report: Putting the Record Straight Part 2, BFI Database
  14. ↑ "Television - from the Tablet Archive". Archive.thetablet.co.uk. 29 July 1989. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  15. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : THE COOK REPORT : Profits Before Patients - Part 1 of 3. YouTube .
  16. ↑ "Our Remit". 13 May 2016.
  17. ↑ "Debate in Parliament on Contaminated Blood to take place on 24th November". www.haemophilia.org.uk. Archived from the original on 9 January 2017.
  18. ↑ "Contaminated Blood and Blood Products Backbench Business Debate 24.11.16".
  19. ↑ Robinson, John (14 January 2006). "Notes of surprise". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  20. 1 2 "This lady won't sing the blues". The Herald. 12 May 1997. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  21. 1 2 "Currie's spicy sauce was bait for Cook's confection". The Independent. 29 May 1997. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  22. 1 2 "MUMMY'S GIRL". The Independent. 26 April 1997. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  23. ↑
  24. 1 2 "What's cookin'?". The Independent. 1 June 1997. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  25. 1 2 "Music-Week-1997-06-07.pdf" (PDF). Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  26. ↑ "MOJAMS FEATURING DEBBIE CURRIE". Official Charts. 31 May 1997. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  27. ↑ Walton, James (31 October 2007). "Last night on television: Roger Cook's Greatest Hits (ITV1) - Spooks (BBC1) - Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  28. ↑ Carlton investigates Cook Report 'set ups Janine Gibson, Media CorrespondentThe Guardian, Monday 14 February 2000
  29. ↑ Wells, Matt (8 April 2000). "Roger Cook sues paper | UK news | The Guardian". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  30. ↑ NoW admits Cook Report allegations were false by Ciar ByrneMedia Guardian, Wednesday 31 July 2002
  31. ↑ "Roger Cook beats forgery claims | News | Broadcast". broadcastnow.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.