24 Hours (TV programme)
A confrontational current-affairs magazine that set a new style.
24 Hours (also known as Twenty-Four Hours) was a late-evening, weekdaily news magazine programme on BBC1 that focused on analysis and criticism of current affairs. It launched on 4 October 1965 and featured in-depth short documentary films that set the style for current-affairs magazine programmes. The programme's main presenter was Cliff Michelmore.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- News and Current affairs
- Runtime
- 30 minutes (approx)
- Creator
- BBC
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Presenter
- Cliff Michelmore
- Kenneth Allsop
- Michael Barratt
- Robert McKenzie
- David Dimbleby
- Editor
- Derrick Amoore
- Tony Whitby
- Anthony Smith
- Network
- BBC1
Facts from the source article.
History
The programme combined production teams from two earlier BBC shows: Gallery, a weekly political programme, and Tonight, an early-evening magazine. Its original editors were Tony Whitby from Tonight and Derrick Amoore from Gallery; later Anthony Smith led the programme. Cliff Michelmore served as the first lead anchor, joined in the studio by Kenneth Allsop, Michael Barratt and Robert McKenzie, a professor of politics at the London School of Economics. Towards the end of its run David Dimbleby became the main presenter.
Style
24 Hours was designed to be markedly different from other current-affairs programmes of the time, adopting a confrontational tone that abandoned traditional reverential treatment of politicians. It combined panel discussions and studio debates, often with an invited expert audience, and included filmed packages presented by reporters such as Michael Parkinson, Fyfe Robertson, Michael Aspel, Julian Pettifer, Bernard Falk and David Jessel. The programme helped establish an approach to television current affairs and is considered a forerunner to BBC Two's Newsnight. Its title was listed as "Twenty-Four Hours" in words on production paperwork, Radio Times and BBC Archive library, but the programme's logo used numerals: "24 Hours".
Scheduling
Originally the programme had a fluid start time after 10 pm. In 1967, following the establishment of ITN's News at Ten, it was given a fixed start time of 9:55 pm. However, on Wednesdays it began at 10:20 pm so that The Wednesday Play could run its full 75 minutes. Huw Wheldon, then BBC Controller of Programmes, stated that the programme had become a valuable part of coverage of national and international affairs and needed a regular, predictable placing. He noted that David Attenborough, who wanted to schedule BBC2 programmes to provide real choice for viewers, was frustrated by the programme's previous variable start times. The run of 24 Hours ended on 14 July 1972.
More in 1970s British Documentary Television Series
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