Last Word

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Factual: Life Stories

Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently

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Last Word: Sir Jonathan Miller, Field Marshal Lord Bramall, Clive James AO, CBE

29/11/2019

Sir Jonathan Miller, Field Marshal Lord Bramall, Clive James AO, CBE

BBC Radio 4 - Last Word, Sir Jonathan Miller, Field Marshal Lord Bramall, Clive James AO, CBE

Matthew Bannister on a director, a Field Marshal, a writer

Matthew Bannister on director Sir Jonathan Miller, Field Marshal Lord Bramall, writer and TV presenter Clive James

Pictured: Jonathan Miller

Matthew Bannister on

Sir Jonathan Miller, who hated the term polymath - but undoubtedly was one. He came to fame in the satirical revue Beyond the Fringe, was a celebrated opera and theatre director and sometimes regretted his decision not to concentrate on his first calling as a doctor.

Field Marshal Lord Bramall, the Chief of the Defence Staff who saw action in the D Day landings, predicted the threat of terrorism and was wrongly accused of sexual abuse late in his life.

Clive James, whose memorable turns of phrase made TV criticism an art form. He presented programmes dissecting TV from around the world, but was also a literary critic, essayist and poet who wrote acclaimed memoirs. 

Interviewed guest: William Miller
Interviewed guest: Kate Bassett
Interviewed guest: Lieutenant Colonel Jan-Dirk von Merveldt
Interviewed guest: Lieutenant-General Sir Peter Royson Duffell KCB CBE MC
Interviewed guest: Russell Davies

Producer: Neil George

Archive clips from: Saturday Night Clive, BBC TV 11/11/1989; The Tingle Factor, Radio 4 Extra 02/08/2016; Desert Island Discs, Radio 4 23/01/2005; Arena, BBC Two 31/03/2012; The Complete Beyond the Fringe, Parlophone Records Ltd 21/10/1996; The Body in Question, BBC TV 06/11/1978; D-Day: The Last Heroes, BBC One 08/06/2019; Today, Radio 4 06/06/1994; The Report: Lord Bramall, Radio 4 04/02/2016; Desert Island Discs, Radio 4 16/06/2000; A Point of View, Radio 4 26/04/2009; The Clive James TV Show, ITV 1996; Front Row, Radio 4 03/04/2015.

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Sir Jonathan Miller, Field Marshal Lord Bramall, Clive James AO, CBE

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