The BBC Story

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Published: October 2, 2011 at 7:00 am

On 2 October 1961, the first edition of the viewer feedback programme Points of View aired. It was presented by a young Robert Robinson, who asked viewers to send their letters, saying: “I hope they will be highly critical and frightfully disobedient, and so help television from one of its besetting sins, which is complacency.”

The resulting letters were frequently funny and, combined with Robinson’s witty presentation, ensured the programme entertained even as it held the BBC to account. Points of View has been presented by Anne Robinson, Carol Vorderman, and Terry Wogan, among others, and features clips from television shows.

In the days before video recorders, this gave viewers the chance to catch a favourite clip again, or to see an error or funny moment that had been spotted by an eagle-eyed correspondent. Today, programme executives frequently appear on the programme, which is currently presented by Jeremy Vine.