That Was the Week That Was

Synopsis

That Was Fifty Years Ago That Was

We are delighted to welcome Sir David Frost to BFI Southbank to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the pioneering satire show, That Was the Week That Was (TW3). When the series first appeared in 1962, it sparked controversy, confronting the establishment head-on and shining a light on the murkier areas of politics, social mores and sexual goings-on. Never before had television dared (or indeed been allowed) to venture so deeply into the satirical hinterland that had been opened up by the ‘angry young men’ of the British stage and the cast of Beyond the Fringe.

Producer Ned Sherrin pulled the strings behind the scenes but on-screen the ringmaster was the young and dynamic David Frost, a fresh-faced talent who seemed unfazed by the pressures of live TV and by the inherent chaos that permeated the studio due to the show’s freewheeling format. He was ably supported by a terrific cast, including Roy Kinnear, Kenneth Cope, Willie Rushton, Lance Percival, David Kernan and the show’s chanteuse Millicent Martin. The series was also graced by the musical talents of Herbert Krezmer, Steven Vinaver and Dave Lee; the artistic flair of cartoonist Timothy Birdsall; plus the intellectual weight of inquisitor Bernard Levin. In every way a tour de force, and one that was to change the face of television forever.