''Monitor'' is a British arts television programme that was launched on 2 February 1958 on BBC and ran until 1965. Huw Wheldon was the editor from 1958 to 1962. He was also the principal interviewer and anchor until 1964. Wheldon set about moulding a team of talents, including W. G. Archer,

Melvyn Bragg Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg, (born 6 October 1939), is an English broadcaster, author and parliamentarian. He is best known for his work with ITV as editor and presenter of '' The South Bank Show'' (1978–2010), and for the BBC Radio 4 documen ...

, Humphrey Burton,

John Berger John Peter Berger (; 5 November 1926 – 2 January 2017) was an English art critic, novelist, painter and poet. His novel '' G.'' won the 1972 Booker Prize, and his essay on art criticism '' Ways of Seeing'', written as an accompaniment to the ...

Patrick Garland Patrick Ewart Garland (10 April 1935 – 19 April 2013) was a British director, writer and actor. Career Garland was educated at St Mary's College, Southampton, and St Edmund Hall, Oxford where he studied English and was Literary Editor of Isi ...

, Peter Newington,

Ken Russell Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films in the main were liberal adaptation ...

John Schlesinger John Richard Schlesinger (; 16 February 1926 – 25 July 2003) was an English film and stage director. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for ''Midnight Cowboy'', and was nominated for the same award for two other films ('' Darling'' an ...

, Nancy Thomas, and

Alan Tyrer Alan Tyrer (8 December 1942 – January 2008) was an English professional footballer who played as a midfielder in the Football League for Everton, Mansfield Town, Bury and Workington, and was on the books of Arsenal An arsenal is a ...

. ''Monitor'' ranged in subject over all the arts. The role as editor of the series was passed to Humphrey Burton in July 1962, lasting a year. He was succeeded by David Jones who had worked on the series since the beginning. The hundredth programme, made in 1962, was a film directed by Ken Russell and written by Wheldon, the celebrated ''

Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

''. The ''Elgar'' film was innovative because it was the first time that an arts programme showed one long film about an artistic figure instead of short items, and it was the first time that re-enactments were used. Before this, only photos or location shots had been used in programmes. Russell, however, still met resistance from Wheldon in allowing actors to play the subjects of his films. The ''Elgar'' film includes sequences of the young composer riding his bicycle on the Malvern Hills accompanied by Elgar's ''Introduction & Allegro for Strings''. Russell had a particular empathy with Elgar's music because, like the composer, he was a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. Wheldon's ''Monitor'' lasted until he had "interviewed everyone e wasinterested in interviewing", and he was succeeded by

Jonathan Miller Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE (21 July 1934 – 27 November 2019) was an English theatre and opera director, actor, author, television presenter, humourist and physician. After training in medicine and specialising in neurology in the late 1 ...

for the series' last season in 1964/65. Miller was both presenter and editor. The theme tune was "Marcia" from ''Serenade for String Orchestra'' (Op. 11, 1937) by

Dag Wirén Dag Ivar Wirén (15 October 1905 – 19 April 1986) was a Swedish composer. Life Wirén was born at Striberg near Nora. His father had a roller blind factory, and there were various musical activities in the family home; he took piano lessons ...

. The book ''Monitor: An Anthology'', edited by Huw Wheldon, was published by Macdonald in 1962.

References

External links

* {{BBC programme
Monitor
on IMDb
Britain in a Box: Art for Art's Sake
BBC television documentaries 1958 British television series debuts 1965 British television series endings 1950s British documentary television series 1960s British documentary television series