24 Hours (TV Programme)
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''24 Hours'' or ''Twenty-Four Hours'' is a long-running, late-evening, weekdaily news magazine programme that aired on
BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...
. It focused on analysis and criticism of current affairs, and featured in-depth short
documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
films that set the style for current-affairs magazine programmes. ''24 Hours'' launched on 4 October 1965 and focused on
investigative journalism Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, racial injustice, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend m ...
. The programme's main presenter was
Cliff Michelmore Arthur Clifford Michelmore (11 December 1919 – 16 March 2016) was an English television presenter and producer. He is best known for the BBC Television programme ''Tonight'', which he presented from 1957 to 1965. He also hosted the BBC's tel ...
.


History

The programme brought together the production teams from two BBC television programmes: ''Gallery'', a weekly political programme, and ''
Tonight Tonight may refer to: Television * ''Tonight'' (1957 TV programme), a 1957–1965 British current events television programme hosted by Cliff Michelmore that was broadcast on BBC * ''Tonight'' (1975 TV programme), a 1975–1979 British current ...
'', an early-evening magazine programme. The original editors were Tony Whitby from ''Tonight'' and Derrick Amoore from ''Gallery'', and it later came to be led by Anthony Smith. Presenter
Cliff Michelmore Arthur Clifford Michelmore (11 December 1919 – 16 March 2016) was an English television presenter and producer. He is best known for the BBC Television programme ''Tonight'', which he presented from 1957 to 1965. He also hosted the BBC's tel ...
was the first lead anchor for ''24 Hours''."Cliff Michelmore, television presenter – obituary", ''The Telegraph'', 18 March 2016
/ref> With him in the studio were Kenneth Allsop, Michael Barratt and Robert McKenzie, a professor of politics at the
London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...
(LSE). Towards the end of its run
David Dimbleby David Dimbleby (born 28 October 1938) is an English journalist and former presenter of current affairs and political programmes, best known for having presented the BBC topical debate programme '' Question Time''. He is the son of broadcaster ...
became the main presenter.


Style

''24 Hours'' was conceived with the intention of being very different from other current affairs programmes at the time. Critical to the point of confrontational, it abandoned the orthodox reverential rules of engagement with politicians and took a tougher, more modern approach to interviews. ''24 Hours'' used a combination of panel discussions and studio debates, usually with an invited "expert" audience. The programme also featured filmed items or "packages" presented by its reporters
Michael Parkinson Sir Michael Parkinson (28 March 1935 – 16 August 2023) was an English television presenter, broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his television talk show '' Parkinson'' from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007, as well as other ta ...
,
Fyfe Robertson James "Fyfe" Robertson (19 August 1902 – 4 February 1987) was a Scottish television journalist and broadcaster. Biography Robertson was born at 8:30am on 19 August 1902 at 35 Shandon Crescent in the District of St. George, in the city o ...
,
Michael Aspel Michael Terence Aspel (born 12 January 1933) is an English retired television presenter and newsreader. He hosted programmes such as '' Crackerjack!'', '' Ask Aspel'', ''Aspel & Company'', '' Give Us a Clue'', '' This Is Your Life'', '' Strange ...
,
Julian Pettifer Julian Pettifer (born 21 July 1935) is an English television and radio journalist. He was president of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and is vice president of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts and the RSPB. He was voted BAFTA ...
,
Bernard Falk Bernard Michael Falk (16 February 1943 – 4 August 1990) was a British television reporter and interviewer perhaps best known for his contributions to the BBC current affairs and magazine programme '' Nationwide'' in the 1970s and the BBC Radi ...
and
David Jessel David Greenhalgh Jessel (born 8 November 1945) is a British former TV and radio news presenter, author, and campaigner against miscarriages of justice. From 2000 to 2010, he was also a commissioner of the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Backgr ...
, among others. It helped establish an approach to television current affairs, and is in many ways the forerunner to
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...
's present-day current affairs flagship ''
Newsnight ''Newsnight'' is the BBC's news and current affairs programme, providing in-depth investigation and analysis of the stories behind the day's headlines. It is broadcast weeknights at 10:30 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel; it is also avail ...
''. Production paperwork, ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...
'' and BBC Archive library all list the title "Twenty-Four Hours" in words, but the programme's logo used numerals: "24 Hours".


Scheduling

The programme originally had a fluid start time somewhere after 10pm. The decision to give it a fixed start time of 9:55pm was taken in 1967 following the establishment of
ITN Independent Television News (ITN) is a UK-based media production and broadcast journalism company. ITN is based in London, with bureaux and offices in Beijing, Brussels, Jerusalem, Johannesburg, New York City, New York, Paris, Sydney and Washin ...
's peak-time '' News at Ten'' programme. However, on Wednesdays ''24 Hours'' would begin at 10:20pm "in order that ''
The Wednesday Play ''The Wednesday Play'' is an anthology series of United Kingdom, British television plays which ran on BBC One, BBC1 for six seasons from October 1964 to May 1970. The plays were usually original works written for television, although dramatic ...
'' may begin ... and run its full 75 minutes."''Radio Times'', 15 June 1967, p.19
Huw Wheldon Sir Huw Pyrs Wheldon, (7 May 1916 – 14 March 1986) was a Welsh broadcaster and BBC executive. Early life Huw Pyrs Wheldon was born on 7 May 1916 in Prestatyn, Flintshire (historic), Flintshire, Wales. He was educated at Friars School, Ban ...
, the then BBC Controller of Programmes, said that ''24 Hours'' "has become such a valuable part of our coverage of national and international affairs, that we feel we must give it a regular and predictable placing.
David Attenborough Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and writer. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the nine nature d ...
... who wants to put his BBC2 programmes on in such a way as to provide real choice for viewers, is driven mad by ''Twenty-Four Hours'' which has had to keep jumping about all over the place. Now we've got ''Twenty-Four Hours'' fixed at five-to-ten, we can handle all that!". The run of ''24 Hours'' ended on 14 July 1972.


Studio presenters

*
Kenneth Allsop Kenneth Allsop (29 January 1920 – 23 May 1973) was a British broadcaster, author and naturalist. Early life Allsop was born on 29 January 1920 in Holbeck, Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire. He was married in St Peter's Church, Ealing, in ...
* Michael Barratt *
David Dimbleby David Dimbleby (born 28 October 1938) is an English journalist and former presenter of current affairs and political programmes, best known for having presented the BBC topical debate programme '' Question Time''. He is the son of broadcaster ...
* Robert McKenzie *
Cliff Michelmore Arthur Clifford Michelmore (11 December 1919 – 16 March 2016) was an English television presenter and producer. He is best known for the BBC Television programme ''Tonight'', which he presented from 1957 to 1965. He also hosted the BBC's tel ...


Reporters

*
Michael Aspel Michael Terence Aspel (born 12 January 1933) is an English retired television presenter and newsreader. He hosted programmes such as '' Crackerjack!'', '' Ask Aspel'', ''Aspel & Company'', '' Give Us a Clue'', '' This Is Your Life'', '' Strange ...
*
Michael Parkinson Sir Michael Parkinson (28 March 1935 – 16 August 2023) was an English television presenter, broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his television talk show '' Parkinson'' from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007, as well as other ta ...
*
Julian Pettifer Julian Pettifer (born 21 July 1935) is an English television and radio journalist. He was president of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and is vice president of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts and the RSPB. He was voted BAFTA ...
*
Fyfe Robertson James "Fyfe" Robertson (19 August 1902 – 4 February 1987) was a Scottish television journalist and broadcaster. Biography Robertson was born at 8:30am on 19 August 1902 at 35 Shandon Crescent in the District of St. George, in the city o ...


Footnotes


External links

* {{BBC News 1965 British television series debuts 1972 British television series endings 1960s British documentary television series 1970s British documentary television series BBC television documentaries British English-language television shows