Question Time is a topical debate television programme in the United Kingdom, based on Any Questions?. It is currently shown on BBC One at 22:35 on Thursdays, and typically features politicians from the three major political parties and other public figures who answer questions put to them by the audience. It is sometimes referred to as BBC Television's flagship political programme. Debate is a formalized system of (usually) logical argument. ... Any Questions? is a topical debate radio programme in the United Kingdom. ... BBC One (or BBC1 as it was formerly styled) is the oldest United Kingdom, and indeed, the world. ... A politician is an individual involved in politics, sometimes this may include political scientists. ...

Current titles for Question Time

Download high resolution version (1024x576, 66 KB)Titles for Question Time (Mentorn for BBC). ... Download high resolution version (1024x576, 66 KB)Titles for Question Time (Mentorn for BBC). ...

Origins

Question Time began on September 25, 1979, as a television version of the BBC Radio 4 question programme, Any Questions?. It was originally intended to have only a short run, but the programme became very popular and was duly extended. Veteran newsman Sir Robin Day was the programme's first chairman, presenting it for nearly 10 years until June 1989. After Day retired, Peter Sissons took over and continued until 1993. Since 1994, David Dimbleby has been the programme's presenter. September 25 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of chiefly spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ... Any Questions? is a topical debate radio programme in the United Kingdom. ... Sir Robin Day OBE, MA (Oxon. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Peter George Sissons (born July 1942) is a nationally known television news presenter in the United Kingdom. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... David Dimbleby (born October 28, 1938) is a BBC TV commentator and presenter of current affairs and political programmes. ...

Format

Question Time began with a panel of four guests, usually one member from each of the three major parties (Labour, the Conservatives, and the Liberal Democrats) and another public figure, for example non-governmental organisation directors, newspaper columnists, or religious leaders. In 1999, the panel was enlarged to five, with two non-partisan members. The Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. ... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the centre-right in the United Kingdom. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a social liberal political party based in the United Kingdom. ... A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization which is not a part of a government. ... A columnist is a journalist who produces a specific form of writing for publication called a column. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and the Internet. ... Fishers of men; Oil on panel by Adriaen van de Venne (1614) Religion—sometimes used interchangeably with faith or belief system—is commonly defined as belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the moral codes, practices, values, and institutions associated with such belief. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

The presenter sits in the middle and chairs the debate, deciding who can speak and selecting the questions for the panel to answer. Questions are taken from the audience before the programme goes on air, and the chairman picks some to put to the panel. The panel do not get to see the questions before filming begins, meaning the guests' answers are not prepared. During the programme, the presenter selects a member of the audience to put a question to the panel and gives each member an opportunity to answer the question and each others' points. Usually the first question deals with the major political or news event of the week, and the last with a humorous issue to be answered quickly.

For a brief period in the mid-1990s, the programme used voting keypads to take a poll of the audience, who were stated to have been selected to provide a balanced sample compared with the nation as a whole. // Events and trends The 1990s are generally classified as having moved slightly away from the more conservative 1980s, but otherwise retaining the same mindset. ...

During general election campaigns, the programme has taken a different format, with the party leaders appearing as single guests and fielding questions from the audience. United Kingdom general elections are the elections held when the Members of Parliament (MPs) forming the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom are elected. ...

Location

Under Robin Day, Question Time was almost always made in London, at the Greenwood Theatre on the south side of London Bridge. After his departure the BBC decided to try to widen the programme's appeal by moving it around the country. Currently the programme is presented from a different location each week, usually in the UK, with a local studio audience each time. When the programme goes to locations in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales, the make up of the panel is usually altered to reflect the country. For example, when in Scotland the programme may invite an Scottish National Party MP or MSP onto the panel. St. ... The current London Bridge London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, between the City of London and Southwark. ... In Scotland, the Scottish National Party (SNP) (Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a centre-left political party which favours Scottish independence. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament. ...

Some editions of the programme have been made in locations outside the UK, such as in October 2004 when a U.S. election special was made in Miami, Florida, with an American studio audience and guests including Michael Moore on the panel. On 10 March 2005, another overseas edition of the programme was shown from Shanghai, China, and a programme from Paris, France was broadcast on the 26 May 2005, three days before the French referendum on the EU Constitution. On 7 July 2005, an edition was broadcast from Johannesburg in South Africa, coinciding with the G8 summit in Gleneagles. It just so happened that this edition was broadcast on the same day as the tragic suicide bombings on the London Underground and the London bus in Tavistock Square, therefore diverting the original topic of this QT special somewhat. October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Presidential election results map. ... This article is about the city in Florida. ... State nickname: Sunshine State Other U.S. States Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Governor Jeb Bush (R) Official languages English Area 170,451 km² (22nd)  - Land 137,374 km²  - Water 30,486 km² (17. ... // Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American film director and author. ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (70th in Leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... Shanghai (Chinese: 上海; pinyin: ; Shanghainese IPA: ), situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta, is Chinas largest city. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... May 26 is the 146th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (147th in leap years). ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, commonly referred to as the European Constitution, is an international treaty signed in 2004 and currently awaiting ratification, intended to create a constitution for the European Union. ... July 7 is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 177 days remaining. ... City motto: Unity in Development Province Gauteng Mayor Amos Masondo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... Official G8 2005 Portrait. ... The Gleneagles Hotel is a luxury hotel in Perthshire, Scotland. ... A suicide bombing is a bomb attack on people or property, committed by a person who knows the explosion will cause his or her own death (see suicide, suicide weapons). ... St. ... Underground as an adjective commonly refers to something that is either below the ground or outside of public consciousness. ... St. ... TheBus, established by Mayor Frank Fasi, is Honolulus only public transit system. ... Tavistock Square Tavistock Square is a square in Bloomsbury, London. ...

Famous editions

In early 1981, David Steel declared his support in principle for "a marriage" between the Liberal Party and any party which might be formed by the Gang of Four; David Owen, who was also on the programme, said he could see advantages in an "electoral alliance" between them. This prefigured the period 1983–1987 when Owen and Steel were Leaders of the SDP/Liberal Alliance and tension grew over whether their deal was a prelude to a merger of the parties or merely a temporary electoral pact. 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... David Martin Scott Steel, Baron Steel of Aikwood KT PC KBE (born March 31, 1938) is a British and Scottish politician and a Liberal Democrat member of the UK House of Lords. ... The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the 1920s, and a third party of varying strength and importance up to 1988, when it merged with the Social Democratic Party to form a new party which would become known as... The Gang of Four on trial The Gang of Four (Simplified Chinese: 四人帮; Traditional Chinese: 四人幫; pinyin: ) was a group of Communist Party leaders in the Peoples Republic of China who were arrested and removed from their positions in 1976, following the death of Mao Zedong, and were blamed for the... The Right Honourable David Anthony Llewellyn Owen, Baron Owen, CH , PC , MD (born July 2, 1938), is a British politician. ... 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Social Democratic Party (SDP) was a United Kingdom political party that existed as a national party between 1981 and 1990. ... The SDP-Liberal Alliance was an electoral alliance of the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party in the UK that ran from 1981 to 1988, when the bulk of the two parties merged to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, later referred to as simply the Liberal Democrats. ...

During the 1983 election campaign, Conservative cabinet minister Francis Pym was asked by an A-level student named Andy Davis about the implications of the Conservatives winning the election with a landslide victory. He began by casting doubt on the likelihood of this happening and then observed "I think landslides on the whole don't produce successful governments". This remark was regarded by many as a gaffe and Margaret Thatcher was reported to have been angry at Pym; after the election, she sacked him as Foreign Secretary. United Kingdom general election, 1983 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the centre-right in the United Kingdom. ... Francis Leslie Pym, Baron Pym, PC, (born February 13, 1922) is a UK politician and former member of the Cabinet. ... A gaffe is a mistake said or actioned by a company or individual, usually in a social environment. ... The Right Honourable Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925), is a British stateswoman and was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990, also Leader of the Opposition from 1975, and the only woman to date to hold those positions. ... The title of Foreign Secretary has been traditionally used to refer to the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. ...

Alan Clark, while a junior government Minister, was openly critical of a government decision to buy a foreign-made missile system on Question Time in 1984, prompting guest host Sue Lawley to ask the audience "Is there anyone here who wishes to defend the government on this, because its Minister doesn't?" See also: Alan Clarke, Allan Clarke Alan Kenneth Mackenzie Clark (April 13, 1928 _ September 5, 1999) was a British Conservative politician, historian and diarist. ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sue Lawley (born July 14, 1946) is a well-known and popular English broadcaster. ...

The edition on September 13, 2001, which was devoted to the political implications of September 11, 2001 attacks that had occurred two days before, featured many contributions from the audience taking the view that such attacks had been made inevitable by the course of United States foreign policy. Some of the audience opinions expressed about "reasons the world despises America" seemed to some people to be insensitive so soon after the attacks. Former US ambassador to the UK Philip Lader, who was on the panel facing the BBC television audience, was reported in several publications as being "near tears" during the broadcast. The BBC received over 2,000 complaints about the edition and later apologised to viewers for causing offence, stating that the edition should have been recorded and edited. September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... 2001: A Space Odyssey 2001 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated attacks carried out in the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. ...

In 2002, the Editor of Private Eye Ian Hislop made an open attack on Jeffrey Archer, who had been imprisoned for perjury, when his wife Mary Archer was a fellow panellist. Mary Archer was noticeably angry that the issue had been raised and criticised Hislop after the recording had finished. 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 4, 2005 cover of Private Eye; this is a typical example of the magazines front cover. ... Ian Hislop (born July 13, 1960) is the editor of British satirical magazine Private Eye. ... Jeffrey Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare (born April 15, 1940) is the successful author of a number of popular novels, raised considerable sums for charities, was a former MP and Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party, who was later convicted of perjury. ... Perjury is lying or making verifiably false statements under oath in a court of law. ... Mary Doreen Archer, Baroness Archer of Weston-super-Mare (born Mary Doreen Weeden,on 22nd December 1944) is a British scientist specialising in solar power conversion. ...

The programme celebrated its 25th anniversary on September 16, 2004, with a special programme featuring some of the most famous and memorable moments. September 16 is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years). ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Trivia

• Robin Day's catchphrase on the show, when he had introduced the panel, was "There they are, and here we go."

• Mass murderer Dennis Nilsen was a member of the audience for one of the early editions. He was primed to ask a question, although in the end he was not called.

• There have been famous Freudian slips. David Dimbleby once referred to Robin Cook as "Robin Cock"; Cecil Parkinson referred to a particular feat having been accomplished "without liars" as opposed to without wires, and Harriet Harman confidently started one answer "Since Gordon Brown became Prime Minister ...". In the final edition of Question Time before the 2005 general election a questioner asked about the relationship between the Prime Minister and US President "George Blair".

Dennis Nilsen Dennis Andrew Nilsen (born November 23, 1945) was a British serial killer who lived in London. ... The Freudian slip is named after Sigmund Freud, who described the phenomena he called faulty action (Fehlleistung or parapraxis) in his 1901 book The Psychopathology of Everyday Life. ... Robin Cook, December 1997 [[The Right Honourable] Robert Finlayson Cook ( Robins mother Ina named him Robin NOT Robert - please correct Thanks) usually called Robin Cook (February 28, 1946 – August 6, 2005), was a politician in the British Labour Party. ... Cecil Edward Parkinson, Baron Parkinson, PC (born September 1, 1931), is a British Conservative politician and former Cabinet minister. ... The Right Honourable Harriet Harman (born 1950) is a British barrister and Labour politician. ... This article is about the British Chancellor of the Exchequer. ... In the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister is the head of government, exercising many of the executive functions nominally vested in the Sovereign, who is head of state. ...

Foreign versions

In the Republic of Ireland, Questions and Answers is an RTÉ programme which follows an almost identical format to Question Time. BBC Northern Ireland likewise has a similar format, Let's Talk, though this is only monthly and has greater audience interaction. BBC World produces an Indian version of the programme for its Indian viewers. Questions and Answers is a topical debate television programme in the Republic of Ireland. ... Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ; Irish for Radio and Television of Ireland) is the national publicly-funded broadcaster of Ireland. ... BBC Northern Ireland (sometimes called BBC NI) is a radio and television broadcaster in Northern Ireland. ... BBC World News ident, currently used after relaunch in December 2003. ...

References

• Bailey, Ric (January 26, 2005). "NewsWatch: Question Time for Question Time." BBC News. Retrieved Jul. 9, 2005.
• "The Best of Question Time." BBC News. Retrieved Jul. 9, 2005.
• Guyon, Janet (November 29, 2001). "Fortune: The New Future — The American Way." Mutual of America. Retrieved Jul. 9, 2005.
• Shawcross, William (September 17, 2001). "Stop This Racism." The Guardian. Retrieved Jul. 9, 2005.
• Wendling, Mike (September 17, 2001). "Foreign Bureaus: BBC Apologizes for Anti-American Views Voiced on Program." Cybercast News Service. Retrieved Jul. 9, 2005.

January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... November 29 is the 333rd (in leap years the 334th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey 2001 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ... 2001: A Space Odyssey 2001 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ... 2001: A Space Odyssey 2001 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External link

• BBC Question Time site