麻豆社

From Leon Trotsky to Morecambe and Wise - Matthew Parris on the rows, revelations and rank incompetence behind 400 editions of Great Lives.

Deep in the summer of 2001, a new programme tiptoed out onto Radio 4. The concept was simple 鈥� book someone famous to talk about someone dead. Except there was a problem; famous people don鈥檛 talk much about someone else. In a world of the celebrity plug, getting voices to commit to a radio programme where they couldn鈥檛 talk about themselves was proving tough. Twelve slots to fill, and nobody signed up.

400 episodes later 鈥�. Barbara Castle, Beryl Bainbridge, Bernard Manning, eventually everyone says yes. David Attenborough chose a man who first drew a flea, George Osborne the king who taxed the non-doms. Then there was Christopher Hitchens, so incensed by the presenter that he walked out. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e a bleeding Tory,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd always have been. Have you done? I have to be somewhere at one.鈥�

Matthew Parris and original series producer Miles Warde go behind the scenes to find out how Great Lives was born. Featuring material never previously played - nominators and experts about their hopes and fears; archive of original presenters Joan Bakewell and Humphrey Carpenter; plus a special selection of the very best of Great Lives.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a joy in judging people by their choice of hero. It鈥檚 one reason Matthew Parris鈥檚 Great Lives series has run for 40 series.鈥� Ben Preston, Radio Times editor, 2016.

Programme extracts also to include: Penelope Keith on Morecambe and Wise; Michael Sheen on Philip K Dick; Grace Dent on Nancy Mitford; Brian Sewell on Mad King Ludwig of Bavaria; Maureen Lipmann on Cicely Saunders.

Produced at 麻豆社 Bristol by Miles Warde.

Made for 麻豆社 Radio 4 Extra and first broadcast in December 2017.