Last Word

Sir Michael Parkinson was a journalist, broadcaster, and arguably Britain’s greatest television chat show host. During a TV career than spanned six decades, Parky interviewed hundreds of the world's most famous stars.Sir Michael died on 16th August 2023.For Last Word, John Wilson talks to Sir Michael's son Mike about his father's life and career. Starting with his upbringing in a council house in Cudworth, near Barnsley, discussing his relationship with his parents, and later with his wife Mary.In this revealing special edition, Mike says his father was "constantly questioning himself" after joining the mainstream media and "didn't have as much self-confidence as he appears". He also tells of how despite going on to success at both Granada Television and ITV, Sir Michael harboured "an innate distrust of the establishment.Presented by John Wilson Produced by Ed Prendeville

Kirsty Lang on:Nick Kaiser, an internationally renowned British scientist who reached not just for the stars but the entire cosmos.... A gallerist who championed British contemporary art: Angela Flowers opened her first exhibition space in a Soho attic in 1970 A fixture of Scottish cultural life, the legendary broadcaster Robbie Shepherd, who presented BBC Scotland’s Dance music programme, Take the Floor, for 35 yearsThe actress, Doreen Mantle - best remembered for her role in the popular 1990s sitcom, One Foot in the GraveProducer: Ed PrendevilleArchive used: Robbie Shepherd, Braemar Gathering commentary, BBC Scotland; Take the Floor - Robbie Shepherd Intro, June 2015; Music of Spey–poem, BBC Scotland; Robbie Shepherd interview, BBC Scotland 2016; Wonders of the Solar System (Ep: Dead or Alive), BBCHD, 28/Mar/2010; Midweek, BBC Radio 4, 04/05/2011; One Foot in the Grave: The Futility of the Fly, BBC1, 30/10/2000; One Foot in the Grave: The Beast in the Cage, BBC1, 23/02/1992

Kirsty Lang on: Sir Michael Boyd, the former Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company.Jess Search, the fearless documentary producer who backed award winning but controversial films others feared to touch. Warren Ford, the tea consultant and buyer who devised the well-known Yorkshire blend. Leny Andrade, the Brazilian bossa nova and jazz singer.Producer: Ed Prendeville Archive used: Stark Talk, BBC, 02 Dec 2007; Front Row, BBC, 25 Jul 2002; Charlie Rose, charlierose.com, 29 Nov 2005; Macbeth, part of the 2006 to 2008 Histories Cycle, RSC Shakespeare Learning Zone, YouTube uploaded 8 Jun 2015; Spotlight Conversation with Jess Search | BFI London Film Festival 2021, Youtube Uploaded 17 Nov 2021; Citizenfour Official Trailer 1 (2014) - Edward Snowden Documentary HD, Youtube uploaded 10 Oct 2014; Virunga Trailer – provided by Verdant Communications; Virunga Trailer – provided by Verdant Communications; "Citizenfour" winning Best Documentary Feature, Youtube uploaded 9 March 2015; Yorkshire Tea hard water advert, YouTube uploaded 18 Jul 2007

Kirsty Lang on: Richard Barancik, the last known surviving member of a World War II allied unit - The Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section - known as the Monuments Men and Women. Yvonne Littlewood MBE, the first woman to become a television producer and director in the BBC Light Entertainment unit.Edward Sexton, the Saville Row master tailor. And Dr Christian Carritt who set up her own GP practice in 1950s London. Interviewee: Robert Edsel Interviewee: Cathy Graham Interviewee: Liz McLoughlin Interviewee: Dominic Sebag-Montefiore Interviewee: William CohenProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: Hitler's Stolen Art Collection (1945), British Pathe, War Archives, YouTube published 10/01/2012; EuroVision Song Contest 1962, BBC One, Introduction, 1963; Yvonne Littlewood interview, History of the BBC, 09/01/2015; Yvonne Littlewood interview, The History Project: Film, Television and Radio, historyproject.org.uk, 21/11/1991,; Yvonne Littlewood interview Tape 2, The History Project: Film, Television and Radio, historyproject.org.uk, 28/11/1991; The Val Doonican Show, BBC One, 09/06/1984; Edward Sexton – Master Tailor, Edward Sexton YouTube, uploaded 29/08/2014; Edward Sexton interview, The Rake Presents, The Rake, YouTube uploaded 04/03/2021;Edward Sexton interview, Midweek, BBC Radio 4, 26/11/2014; Edward Sexton – British Style Genius, BBC Four, repeated broadcast date 11/06/2008;

John Wilson onGeorge Alagiah, the BBC Journalist and Presenter is remembered by his colleagues Sophie Raworth and John Simpson. Sinead O’Connor, the Irish singer who won worldwide fame with Nothing Compares 2 U. Ann Clwyd, the former Labour Member of Parliament who held frontbench posts in opposition, and campaigned on behalf of Welsh miners and Iraqi Kurds. Tony Bennett, the consummate crooner who sold 50 million records with hits including I Left My Heart In San Francisco. His son and manager Danny Bennett pays tribute. Trevor Francis, the former England footballer who became Britain’s first £1million player when he joined Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest. Interviewee: Sophie Raworth Interviewee: John Simpson Interviewee: Danny Bennett Interviewee: Jo Stevens MP Interviewee: Linda Christmas Interviewee: Tony WoodcockProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: George Alagiah report on the World Bank, Breakfast Time, BBC One, 27/04/1989; George Alagiah report on 40th Anniversary of Ghana independence, BBC News, 22/11/1997; George Alagiah interview, BBC Radio 5 Live, 27/08/2019; Sinead O Connor interview, MasterTapes (Side A), BBC Radio 4, 15/12/2014; Sinead O’Connor interview, MasterTapes (Side B), BBC Radio 4, 16/12/2014; Ann Clwyd question in House of Commons, PMQ’s, BBC One, 24/01/08; Ann Clwyd interview at Tower Colliery Protest, BBC News Wales, 15/04/94; Ann Clwyd interview, Iraq War 10 Years On, BBC News Wales, 26/03/13; Tony Bennett interview, Front Row, BBC Radio 4, 02/07/2011; Trevor Francis interviews, BBC News, 02/10/1972; Trevor Francis goal, Nottingham Forest v Malmo, BBC Sport, 30/05/1979; Brian Clough interview, BBC News, 30/05/1979.

Matthew Bannister onLady Williams of Elvel, who, as Jane Portal, was personal secretary to Winston Churchill and the mother of the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.Professor John Goodenough, the American materials chemist who won the Nobel prize for his work on developing the rechargeable lithium battery.Christine Baker, the publisher who specialised in making British children’s books available in France. Sir Michael Morpurgo pays tribute.Lord Palmer, the aristocrat who worked in the family biscuit making firm Huntley and Palmer before inheriting the 109 room Manderston House and estate in the Scottish borders.Interviewee: Allen Packwood OBE Interviewee: Marnie Chesterton Interviewee: Sir Michael Morpurgo Interviewee: Robin Baker Interviewee: Hugo PalmerProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used:Interviews with Lady Williams, all courtesy of the Churchill Archives Centre; An Interview with Lady Williams, HTB at Home, HTB.org, YouTube uploaded 18/04/2021; Winston Churchill speech, The Commonwealth Mourns Its King, BBC Radio, 14/04/1952; Warhorse (2011) Trailer, YouTube uploaded 04/10/2011; Huntley and Palmers Factory, Reading in the 1930s, Wessex Film and Sound Archive YouTube channel, uploaded 25/08/2011; Lord Palmer Interview, Front Row, BBC 13/02/2004; Lord Palmer interview, BBC Antiques Roadshow Series 28 Manderston, BBC One, 30/10/2005; Lord Palmer Interview, Posh people: Inside Tatler, BBC Two, 18/12/2014; Lord Palmer speech in House of Lords, Today at Parliament, BBC Radio 4, 24/03/2021;

Matthew Bannister onMalcolm Mowbray, the British film director best known for making “A Private Function” - the comedy about wartime rationing starring Michael Palin and Maggie Smith. The film’s writer Alan Bennett pays tribute. Victoria Amelina, the Ukrainian novelist and war crimes researcher who was killed in a missile strike in Kramatorsk.Roger Lovegrove, the ornithologist who played a leading role in re-introducing red kites to the UK.Mavis Cheek, who wrote humorous novels about middle class marriage and relationships. We’re joined by her friend Helen Lederer.Interviewee: Olha Mukha Interviewee: Alan Bennett Interviewee: Joe Mowbray Interviewee: Roy Dennis Interviewee: Helen LedererProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: Kramatorsk: Russian missile strike hits restaurants in Ukrainian city, Verified Live, BBC World News, 28/06/2023; Victoria Amelina interview recorded 15/05/2023, Copyright Clearance Centre, YouTube uploaded 03/07/2023; Playhouse: Days at the Beach, Director: Malcolm Mowbray, BBC Two, 13/02/1981; Our Winnie, BBC Four, repeated broadcast 10/12/2009; Malcolm Mowbray, London Standard Film Awards, BBC One, 26/01/1986; A Private Function (1984) film promotion, Hand Made Films, YoutTube uploaded 24/05/2019; A Private Function (1984), Hand Made Films, 1984; Roger Lovegrove: Red Kite, The Great British Birdwatch BBC One, 19/06/1989 ; Red Kite sound effects, RSPB, recordist Jens Kirkeby, recorded 17/08/2005; Mavis Cheek interview, Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 04/03/2002; Mavis Cheek reading The Sex Life of My Aunt, Faber and Faber, Arts Archive, Woman’s Hour arts book archive website, BBC Radio 4, uploaded 04/03/2002; Mavis Cheek interview and extract reading, Sixty Minutes, BBC One, 26/10/1983.

Matthew Bannister onDame Ann Leslie, the journalist who reported on some of the most significant events of recent times.Lord Kerslake, who was Head of the Civil Service under the coalition government.Diane Rowe, the table tennis champion who won the world doubles title with her twin sister Rosalind.Tim Blackmore, the radio executive who produced the first Radio 1 breakfast show and pioneered independent production in the industry. Interviewee: Lindsey Hilsum Interviewee: Lord O’Donnell Interviewee: Mary Wright Interviewee: Tony Blackburn Interviewee: Simon Cole Producer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: Dame Ann Leslie, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 12/11/2004; Dame Ann Leslie, Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 07/08/2011; Lord Kerslake interview, BBC Newsnight, 21/02/2020; Bob Kerslake interview Affordable Housing, You and Yours, BBC Radio 4, 09/04/2008; Bob Kerslake interview, How to run a city, BBC Radio 4, 21/10/2009; Sir Gus O' Donnell and Sir Bob Kerslake talk about the Civil Service, Civil Service Mailbox, YouTube uploaded 31/07/2012; Lord Bob Kerslake, National Housing Federation , YouTube uploaded 01/02/2023; Diane Rowe, Table Tennis champions return home (1951), Pathe, uploaded 10/11/2020; Rowe Twins Triumph (London 1954), World Champs Top 10 Moments, World Table Tennis YouTube Channel, uploaded 30/03/2017; A Conversation with Tim Blackmore, Radio Academy, 06/07/2022; Tim Blackmore, Established 1973: 40 years of commercial radio, BBC Radio 4, 27/08/14; Tim Blackmore, Radio Moments - Conversations, David Lloyd Radio, 09/04/2019; The Story of Pop, BBC Radio 1, 26/01/1974;

Matthew Bannister onBaroness McDonagh Margaret McDonagh was the youngest person and the first woman to become General Secretary of the Labour Party. She was a key player in the New Labour project that helped the party win a landslide in 1997 and two subsequent terms in office. Margaret McDonagh was born in Mitcham in South London where her mother worked as a psychiatric nurse and her father was a building worker.Born: 26 June 1961. Died: 24 June 2023. Age: 61Craig Brown Scotland’s longest serving football manager – taking the national team to the Euro 96 finals and the World Cup in 1998. He started his career as a player for Dunkirk and Falkirk before turning to coaching in 1977.Born: 1 July 1940. Died: 26 June 2023. Age: 82Godfrey Merlen Conservationist and author who devoted much of his life to studying the Galapagos Islands. He lived on the archipelago in the Eastern Pacific for fifty years. The area is noted for its large numbers of unique species which were studied by Chares Darwin and gave rise to his theory of evolution by natural selection. Godfrey Merlen was born in the Cotswolds. After leaving university he worked in the fishing industry and first became concerned about the damage humans were doing to nature.Died: May 10th, 2022Winnie Ewing One of most high-profile pioneers of the Scottish Independence movement. In the 1960s, the Glasgow criminal lawyer won an unexpected by-election victory which made her the first Scottish National Party MP at Westminster. Born: 10 July 1929 Aged: 21 June 2023. Age 93Producer: Ed PrendevilleInterviewee: Sir Tony Blair Interviewee: Pat Nevin Interviewee: Noemi d’Ozouville Interviewee: Christine GrahameArchive used: Kinnock takes on Militant - Labour Conference speech 1985 – YouTube 30 October 2020; Winnie Ewing reconvenes Scottish Parliament in 1999, YouTube 12 May 2019. Winnie Ewing interview after winning the Hamilton By-Election 1967 THE HAMILTON BY-ELECTION 1967, TRIUMPHS AND DISASTERS, Radio 4 05 June 2002. World at One, Radio 4 03 November 1967. Winnie Ewing didn’t think they’d win, Before you go 19 December 2001. Madame Ecosse, Scottish Digital Library First Broadcast Mon 13 April 2009; Craig Brown talking about the kilts worn by the Scottish Tartans in 1998, Mr Brown's Boys, BBC Scotland, First Broadcast Sat 11 Feb 2023. Brown talking about the team, Craig Brown's 1998 World Cup Diary | Full Behind The Scenes Documentary Film Posted on YouTube 16 March 2020. Brown on his football career, published 2 Sept 2019, YouTube Channel Open Goal; Margaret on Clause 4, Tx 19.09.2014 ; Radio 4. Margaret on hearing Kinnock's speech, Tx 19 September 2014, Radio 4. Margaret on New Labour's achievement, Tx 19.09.2014 ; Radio 4; Dr. Godfrey Merlen on Scientific Whaling Versus Cultural Whaling. YouTube published: 9 Aug 2013. Galapagos Islands of Change, Natural World, BBC 2 NI, first Broadcast Sun 21 May 2017. In memory of Godfrey Merlen, YouTube, published: 26 May 2023 ; Galapagos Conservation Trust, Galapagos Islands of Change, Natural World, BBC 2 NI, First Broadcast Sun 21 May 2017

Matthew Bannister onDaniel Ellsberg, the whistleblower who leaked the Pentagon Papers, revealing the US government’s secret approach to the Vietnam War.Glenda Jackson, the Oscar winning actor and Labour MPMelanie Phillips, who helped to change embedded racial prejudice in the social work systemSir Ben Helfgott, who survived the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps and went on to become captain of Britain’s Olympic weightlifting teamProducer: Ed Prendeville Interviewee: Robert Ellsberg Interviewee: Maurice Helfgott Interviewee: Ratna Dutt & Jabeer ButtArchive used: SIX FIFTY-FIVE SPECIAL. BBC2 Tue 17 Aug 1982; This Cultural Life. Thu 15 Jun 2023; Clip from Marat Sade published on Youtube on 10 Jun 2010; Clip from Women in Love published on YouTube 7th July 2021; Glenda Jackson winning Best Actress for "Women in Love" published on Youtube 30 Mar 2011; Glenda talking about the news she had won ITN Archive 16 April 1971; Glenda Jackson Remembers... Elizabeth R; Clip from Elizabeth. Broadcast Wed 24 Mar 1971; Glenda winning Hampstead and Highgate constituency. BBC 1 First Broadcast Fri 10 Apr 1992; Glenda talking about her maiden speech. BBC2. First Broadcast Tue 28 May 1996; Glenda Jackson: Housing benefit debate, House of Commons. Glenda Jackson MP speaks in the debate on housing benefit, 9/11/10; Clip from Elizabeth is missing. BBC1, Sun 08 Dec 2019; Conversations with History: Daniel Ellsberg From: University of California Television. Uploaded 08.02.08