Days That Shook the BBC with David Dimbleby

Tuesday: Days That Shook the BBC with David Dimbleby - (BBC2, 9pm)
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This year marks the 100th anniversary of the BBC – it launched its first radio station back in 1922.

For many people, that’s a cause for celebration, and the Beeb has naturally been bringing us a range of programmes to mark its centenary.

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However, while it’s easy to take the BBC for granted, reaching this milestone has led to questions about whether it will continue to be a part of our lives, especially in the form we now know it. There have recently been questions about the license fee, while the rise of online viewing and streaming giants such as Netflix have left people asking whether we even need a national broadcasting corporation.

David DimblebyDavid Dimbleby
David Dimbleby

So, it might seem like a tricky time for the BBC, yet as David Dimbleby points out in this new series, this is far from the first time the Beeb has been under scrutiny.

His three-part series Days that Shook the BBC looks at how ‘Auntie’, as it is affectionately known, has become a lightning rod for all of Britain’s frustrations and injustices, as well as its success stories and celebrations.

He’ll be exploring the impact of the BBC on British life across recent decades, the role it has played in political and cultural change, and its more recent attempts to represent an increasingly diverse nation.

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To do this, he’s drawing on archive footage, including some long-forgotten broadcasts, as well as first-hand testimony.

Of course, David will also be able to reflect on his own experiences, as his name is uniquely tied to the history of the corporation.

His father, Richard Dimbleby, was the BBC’s first war correspondent – he accompanied the British 11th Armoured Division to the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. When the conflict ended, he went on to become its leading news commentator – he presented coverage of the Queen’s coronation in 1953 and 10 years later covered the funeral of John F Kennedy. He was also the host of the flagship current-affairs programme Panorama.

David has followed in his father’s footsteps – he’s also been at the heart of national events, including the BBC’s Election night coverage from 1979 to 2017, and spent nearly a quarter of a century chairing the political debate on Question Time.

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So, it’s probably understandable that the first episode of the series deals with how the BBC has dealt with power and attempted to maintain its independence over the past 50 years.

He looks at the how the corporation has clashes with key parts of the establishment, from the monarchy to Prime Ministers including Margaret Thatcher and Harold Wilson.

David speaks to current and former BBC staff members, including Emily Maitlis, about their experiences of handling sensitive subjects, and explains why ensuring the BBC remains independent from those in power lies at the very heart of the Corporation’s remit.

Some would argue that the fact that the BBC is often accused of being both biased against in and favour of the government is a good sign, but just how easy is it for the BBC to stay neutral in the face of political pressure?

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