Not just Today - pt 2

Some notes on John Humphrys' broadcasting career Beyond Today.

1991 saw a first foray on Radio 2, playing "some of his favourite jazz recordings including Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges, Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson." It also brought a sit-down interview with the Duke of Edinburgh for a tv special marking his 70th birthday, and another R4 run of the interview series 'On The Ropes'. Overall, in the Radio Times, it looks like a lean year, but of course, John volunteered for extra shifts on the Radio 4 FM service nicknamed Scud FM in the Gulf War.

In 1992 came another Radio 4 quiz series, The Year In Question, refereeing teams from the UK's regional papers. He also fronted three programmes for BBC2 from the Farnborough Air Show.  Easter 1993 brought "Beyond the Shadows", seven short interviews, conducted while walking, for Holy Week.  In September that year, John's time outside radio was taken up by presenting On The Record, taking over from Jonathan Dimbleby. The gig lasted til 2002.

1995 saw a very Birtian exercise - a day long series of news specials on Europe. John and Peter Jay hosted one bit, edited by a certain Nick Robinson. Odd cover shifts on BBC1 news bulletins tailed off, but Radio 2 beckoned again in 1997, with two cover shifts for Jimmy Young.  There was a short series of late-night debates on BBC1, called You Decide, and more failures were found for R4's On The Ropes as the 90s progressed.

The impending turn of the millenium saw more writing from John, first with Devil's Advocate in 1999, followed by The Great Food Gamble in 2001, Lost for Words, 2004, Beyond Words, 2006, and more.  There were also more thumb-sucking pieces on the great issues of the day for The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.

In 2003, John took over as host of a re-vamped Mastermind, filling the shifts lost at On The Record.

One of the things you note about John is that he's always liked working when there are fewer big bosses around. He's nearly always volunteered for the Saturday edition of Today - shorter, more relaxed, and the same fee. He's often been available to front tv news bulletins on Fridays (bosses leave on Thursday for Norfolk and Devon) and Saturday.