Leading the way on arts coverage

True to its original 1968 franchise application, LWT has led the way on serious arts programming for ITV. Aquarius was a brave attempt at a weekly arts magazine programme in the early 70s.

The South Bank Show, 1978-2009

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The South Bank Show, which ran fom 1978 until 2009 (and in 2010 is to be re-introduced on the Sky Arts channel), was ITV's flagship arts programme and was screened across the network in the late Sunday night slot. The show focused in-depth on one subject each week. Presented by Melvyn Bragg, it has won a stack of awards.

Weekend World, 1972-1989

Copyright © London Weekend Television/ITVplc

Weekend World is the famous LWT current affairs programme that ran through the 1970s and 1980s, originally presented by Peter Jay and then for a long time by Brian Walden. Weekend World often set the news agenda, and attracted to its interview chair the leading politicians of the day. Weekend World was axed in the late 80s in favour of a series of weekly interviews hosted by Brian Walden. Jonathan Dimbleby took over the role for the 1990s.

Praise for documentaries, features and current affairs

Over on Channel Four, LWT produced Book Four and the annual Arts Review of the Year throughout the 1980s.

LWT's biography of the life and times of Russian leader Josef Stalin, called Stalin, won critical acclaim in the mid-1970s when it was screened in most regions in the Sunday afternoon educational slot.

Beverley Anderson was the host of Black on Black, produced by LWT for Channel Four. Over on ITV, LWT cameras camped out at Luton Airport for a fly-on-the-wall look at the operations of EasyJet in Airline.