Nationwide
 This
popular, long-running BBC current affairs program took over the
early evening slot from Tonight in 1969 and was presented by
Michael Barratt and Frank Bough (who were later joined by Richard
Dimbleby).
Created by Derrick Amoore, editors on the show included Richard
Tait, John Gau, Tim Gardam, Michael Bunce, Paul Corley, Huw
Williams, Ron Neil, Paul Woolwich and Roger Bolton, supported by a
huge team of researchers and journalists.
In many ways, Nationwide was the Golden Shot of
current affairs - something always seemed to go wrong.
The program ambitiously attempted to link all the BBC regions;
but, when needed, Newcastle would be heard but not seen,
Manchester would be seen but not heard, while Bristol had
disappeared up its own channel.
It needed all the skill of Barratt, Bough and co to keep it
afloat.
Bough was once caught out when a film failure on an allotment
story left him with four minutes to fill until the end of the
program with no standby items. So he waffled on about the cabbages
in his own garden!
Possibly because of its accident-prone nature, viewers took Nationwide
to their hearts.
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