A weekday afternoon magazine programme from Thames Television covering topical news and features.
A Plus was a staple of the Thames Television daytime schedule, broadcast on weekday afternoons. Each 25-minute edition consisted of studio discussions and pre-filmed reports examining a broad range of subjects. Episode topics gave an indication of the programme’s scope, addressing health matters like “Urinary Incontinence” and “Cancer Prevention Clinic”, featuring segments on charities such as the “Prince’s Trust”, and offering interviews with public figures including Baroness Young. Other editions were built around current events, including an “Election Discussion” and a “Preview Of The Year 1983”.
As a regional production for the London area, A Plus was a workmanlike and prolific example of the kind of topical programming that filled ITV’s daytime schedule in the early 1980s. With a consistent daily presence, the format was designed for a high volume of output, serving as a reliable fixture for its audience. The programme was part of a stable of similarly named magazine shows from Thames, which included its direct successor A Plus 4, made for the new Channel 4, as well as After Noon and After Noon Plus. The series illustrates a particular model of public service-adjacent broadcasting within the commercial ITV network prior to the deregulation and transformation of daytime television later in the decade.
Broadcast: ITV – Thames, 5 October 1982 – 28 June 1984
Production Company: Thames Television
