A weekday daytime magazine programme from Thames Television, produced for the newly launched Channel 4.
Following the format of its ITV predecessor A Plus, A Plus 4 was a topical magazine show broadcast in the afternoons. The series featured a mixture of studio-based segments and filmed inserts, covering current affairs, lifestyle topics, and items of general interest. It ran for two series, forming a consistent part of Channel 4’s early daytime schedule.
A Plus 4 represents an interesting moment in British broadcasting history, demonstrating how the established ITV companies contributed to the schedule of the new Channel 4. Produced by Thames Television, the programme transplanted the brand and format of its regional ITV magazine show, A Plus, directly onto the fourth channel. This move highlights Channel 4’s initial remit to commission content from a wide array of producers, including the major network players. The series was a straightforward, functional piece of daytime television, part of a family of similar Thames productions like After Noon and After Noon Plus, designed to fill the schedule with reliable, topical content.
Broadcast: Channel 4 – Thames, 15 October 1984 – 30 April 1986
Production Company: Thames Television
