How the BBC Began

Original version

BBC Four

Knowledge, arts, music and culture from the UK and the world.

BBC Four reflects arts, music and culture with an ambitious range of intellectually and culturally enriching programmes, taking an expert and in-depth approach to its subjects.

BBC 4

Documentaries

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media: Arts

The often-hilarious stories of the BBC's first 50 years.

The often-hilarious stories of the BBC's first 50 years. The corporation's pioneers describe its evolution – which was often by accident rather than design.

Series 1

BBC Four HD

Joanna Scanlan

John Bridcut

Magnus Temple

The Garden Productions

Crux Productions

How the BBC Began: Series 1: Shooting the Rapids

Shooting the Rapids

BBC Two - How the BBC Began, Series 1, Shooting the Rapids

The story of how the BBC struggled to be impartial at critical moments in British history.

The story of how the BBC struggled to be impartial at critical moments in British history and how it handled social changes in Britain after the Second World War. 

The story of the BBC’s development of impartiality – starting with the General Strike of 1926, when the BBC was only three years old. In this major national crisis, John Reith, as its general manager, judged that his battle to prevent it being taken over by the government as an organ of propaganda was more important than a strict adherence to impartiality.  

But 30 years later, in the Suez crisis, the BBC infuriated Downing Street by allowing the opposition equal time on the airwaves for the first time. Fifteen years further on, a controversial documentary about Harold Wilson’s shadow cabinet, entitled Yesterday’s Men, caused a rupture in relations between the Labour Party and the BBC.  

The programme also describes the way Roman Catholic grievances in Northern Ireland were effectively ignored by the BBC in the years before the Troubles.  

At the same time, Reith’s notion that the BBC should aim its programming 'above the heads' of the audience led to the creation of the Third Programme on radio and the fortnightly arts programme Monitor on television – which set out to make the highbrow popular.  

As the BBC jealously guarded its independence from the state, some producers within the BBC struck out on their own, making programmes which were effectively outside the control of management.  

Presenters and producers of those days reflect with some embarrassment on the way women were treated on and off screen – by contributors, and by top BBC executives. 

Among the participants in this landmark series are Joan Bakewell, David Attenborough, Paul Fox, Denis Tuohy, Martin Bell, Tony Bilbow, Monica Sims, David Dimbleby and Humphrey Burton – and Lord Reith’s secretary, Dorothy Singer.

How the BBC Began: Series 1

BBC Two

Knowledge, drama, comedy and the arts for a broad adult audience.

BBC Two is a lively channel of depth and substance, carrying a range of knowledge-building programming complemented by great drama, comedy and arts.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

How the BBC Began

Series 1

Shooting the Rapids

Contributors

Genres

Formats

Brand

Series

BBC Four

About BBC Four