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Evelyn Waugh

The Brideshead Revisited author is questioned about his life and career by an interviewing panel of three. From 1953.

Brideshead Revisited author Evelyn Waugh is grilled about his life and career by a panel of three:

* Charles Wilmot,
* Jack Davies
* Stephen Black

Regarded as one of the most brilliant novelists of his day, Waugh loathed the 91热爆.

His grandson Alexander believes that this interview, along with a cocktail of sleeping draughts, helped to send him "rather mad". The author later turned his experience on Frankly Speaking into a scene in his novel 'The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold' with Stephen Black becoming the character Angel who haunts Pinfold in his hallucinations.

Launched in 1952 on the 91热爆 91热爆 Service, Frankly Speaking was a novel, ground breaking series. Unrehearsed and unscripted, the traditional interviewee/interviewer pairing was initially jettisoned for three interviewers firing direct questions - straight to the point.

Early critics described it as 'unkempt', 'an inquisition' and described the guest as prey being cornered, quarry being pursued - with calls to axe the unscripted interview. But the format won out and eventually won over its detractors.

Unknown or very inexperienced broadcasters were employed as interviewers, notably John Freeman, John Betjeman, Malcolm Muggeridge, Harold Hobson, Penelope Mortimer, Elizabeth Beresford and Katherine Whitehorn.

Only about 40 of the original 100 programmes survive.

First broadcast on the 91热爆 91热爆 Service in November 1953.

30 minutes

Last on

Tue 1 Oct 2024 00:00

Broadcasts

  • Tue 24 Mar 2015 18:30
  • Wed 25 Mar 2015 01:30
  • Sat 29 Apr 2017 14:15
  • Sun 30 Apr 2017 02:15
  • Sat 21 Dec 2019 14:15
  • Sun 22 Dec 2019 02:15
  • Mon 30 Sep 2024 10:00
  • Mon 30 Sep 2024 16:00
  • Tue 1 Oct 2024 00:00