Vote often

The BBC, many times bitten and still not learning, is proposing a public vote on Icons of The 20th Century. There are 28 to choose from, "carefully selected by a panel of experts and academics.", and yes, Mrs Thatcher is in there.

The case for each will be made by in seven programmes, clustering four in each hour-long show. There's some inevitability about the presenters - Clare Balding for Sport, Sir Trevor MacDonald for 'Leaders', and then Dermot O'Leary for 'Explorers'.

Dermot told the Guardian in 2011 "The explorer Ernest Shackleton is a big hero of mine. I like to think I'm a bit of an expert on him. He was a real leader, but he was never afraid to say he was wrong. I recently found out that one of my great-great uncles is buried on the same island as him in South Georgia. People were made of tougher stuff back then – we complain when our internet server goes down."

There's two shows a week on BBC2, with a vote to select a finalist in each category being facilitated on The One Show. And a grand final on Tuesday 5th February on BBC2.