A BBC daytime magazine show featuring a mix of lifestyle topics, celebrity guests, and short story readings.
Presented by Alan Towers and Iris Chapple, this programme offered a varied collection of segments for the afternoon viewer. Recurring features included light exercise with Joanna Lewis, gardening tips from Donny MacLeod in the “Dig This!” strand, and consumer advice in the “Shopping Basket” check on food prices.
A regular highlight was a short story read by a prominent actor, with performers such as Jack Hedley, Robert Powell, and Sheila Hancock participating. The show also included segments like “In the Junk Room” with Tony Hawes, who was joined by guests including Bob Monkhouse, and cookery demonstrations from Delia Smith.
As a staple of the BBC’s mid-1970s daytime schedule, The Afternoon Programme was a quintessential magazine show, providing a gentle miscellany of light entertainment and information. Its modular format, combining everything from cookery and consumer affairs to literary readings, established a durable template for this type of broadcasting. The programme drew on talent from across the UK, with some segments originating from the BBC’s Birmingham studios. The quality of its contributors, from established actors to the authoritative presence of Delia Smith, gave the show a measure of distinction within its afternoon slot.
Broadcast: BBC One, 13 Episodes, 3 April – 31 May 1974
Directors: Martin L. Bell, Philip Chilvers
Producers: Janet Hoenig, Jeremy Pallant, John Longley
Main Cast: Alan Towers (Presenter), Iris Chapple (Presenter), Joanna Lewis (Presenter), Tony Hawes (Presenter), Donny MacLeod (Presenter), Delia Smith (Presenter), Joyce Hopkirk (Presenter)
Guest Performers included: Jack Hedley, Robert Powell, Sheila Hancock, Frank Windsor, Bob Monkhouse
