Not just Today

Some broadcasting career notes about John Humphrys.

In 1970 he wrote and fronted a BBC2 series called Made In Britain (producer by Ivor Yorke, who tried to train me in TV News).  Export topics included fish and chips, toys, re-furbished naval vessels, and steel (remember that ?).

In 1975, from his base in North America, he got a BBC1 Sunday special on The Royal Tour of Mexico. "Today Britain does more business with Mexico than any other country outside the United States of America." Can that still be true ?  Why aren't Brexiteers banging on about it ?

In 1981, he started as a regular presenter of tv news bulletins. John Simpson had a go at the same time, but didn't last long.  In 1984, Mr Humphrys narrated Manny at 100, a BBC2 documentary on Manny Shinwell, researched by one Allan Little. In September 1985, he first shared presentation of The Nine O'Clock News with Julia Somerville....on Fridays he got to share with Andrew Harvey.  Frances Coverdale and Philip Hayton were occasional partners in 1986. He packed up TV News on 12 December 1986, and emerged, fully-formed as a radio presenter, on Today on Friday 2 January, 1987, alongside Sue MacGregor.

During his first full week of shows, Jeremy Bowen was covering business news; Cliff Morgan the Saturday sport news, with Garry Richardson on weekday duty; Rosemary Harthill had a run at Thought For The Day. Newsreaders included Charlotte Green, Brian Perkins and Eugene Fraser.

In February 1987 John fronted the Radio 4 Week's Good Cause, for Centrepoint, Soho. In March 1987, tv beckoned again, with John fronting the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards on BBC2 with Pamela Armstrong. By April, he'd front his first Any Questions ? and Any Answers ? for producer Carole Stone.   In October, he presented three editions of Farming, the lunchtime show on BBC1. He also made a guest appearance in a (lost) edition of Alas Smith and Jones.

1988 saw John hosting a typically-convoluted idea, six programmes on the 'deadly sins' (avarice and envy compressed into one show), billed as "Towards 2000 with the Radio 4 Generation", a panel of 250 young voters. The researcher was one Jo Whiley.

1989 brought On The Ropes, starting with David Steel, Eddy Shah, Janet Reger, John Conteh and George Davies.  "The Hot Seat", which followed was supposed to question people at the top of their profession - and featured Andreas Whittam-Smith.

August through to November that year saw a renewed flirtation with tv news, hosting The Six O'Clock News alongside Jill Dando, Moira Stuart and others. There was also a BBC2 series, Talk of the 80s, with John in conversation with Arthur Scargill, John Redwood, Lord Scarman, David Owen, John Hume.

In 1990 John presented a series called Family Matters on BBC1 which explored "the dilemmas facing all of us in our everyday lives. His team of reporters will be meeting the people whose stories of anger, concern, outrage and love could affect you too." It ran from January to April (and got a second series in 1991). There followed three special reports "Business Matters" for BBC2 and another series of On The Ropes for Radio 4.

More to follow....