- For other uses, see Brain Trust .
The Brains Trust
was a popular informational BBC radio and later
television programme in the United Kingdom
during the 1940s and 50s.
History
The series was created by BBC producers
Howard Thomas and
Douglas Cleverdon. The first series
started on the
BBC Home Service in
September 1942. It followed a radio programme called
Any Questions first broadcast in January
1941.
The Brains Trust continued for 84 weeks continuously
from its initial broadcast and became one of the most popular
informational programmes ever. Due to its popularity, it was moved
to the peak time on Sunday afternoons. It was typically heard by
around 29% of the UK population and generated four to five thousand
letters each week from the general public.
The radio programme ended in May 1949 and transferred to
BBC television in the 1950s. The soundtrack
was broadcast on the Home Service during the week following the
television broadcast.
Members
The original three members of the broadcasting team were
C. E. M. Joad (a
philosopher and
psychologist),
Julian
Huxley (a
biologist) and Commander
A. B.
Campbell (a retired
naval officer). The chairman was
Donald McCullough. Other participants
included:
Noel Annan,
Alfred Ayer,
Michael Ayrton,
Isaiah Berlin,
Collin
Brooks,
Violet Bonham
Carter,
Kenneth Clark,
Norman Fisher (as chairman), Commander
Rupert Gould,
Will
Hay,
John Maud,
Herbert Hart,
Anna
Neagle, Sir
Malcolm Sargent,
Hannen Swaffer,
Geoffrey Crowther (as
chairman) and
Barbara Ward.
Format
The concept was simple. Viewers would send in questions on subjects
ranging from practical conundrums to moral dilemmas and the panel
members would answer them. The questions chosen for any given show
were precisely that kind of mix and the panellists were chosen for
the unique contributions each could bring to the subject matter -
from the most erudite and serious to the most irreverent and
comedic. One question which has become a classic example of its
kind was 'Where do flies go in winter?'. Although questions on
religion and politics were initially included, these were banned as
the programme progressed, following complaints from the Church and
Government. It appeared that the typical intellectual appearing on
the Brains Trust was likely to be both agnostic and
socialist!
The conversation was free wheeling and totally unscripted or
rehearsed, relying on the skills of the presenters to fashion a
cogent response in the time available. This produced an
'edge-of-the-seat' feel to the performance which did much to add to
its popularity.
American version
An
American version of this programme, devised and produced by then
television producer/director Jeff Smith, aired on WTTW Channel 11,
the PBS television outlet in Chicago in the early sixties with an
original revolving "cast" of Alec
Sutherland, Director of Continuing Education at the University
of Chicago; Paul Haggerty, a former
vaudevillian, musician and raconteur; Robin
Pearce, an artist, film maker, lecturer on the fine arts and a
world traveller; Paul Schilpp, a
professor of philosophy at Northwestern University
; Dick Applegate,
foreign correspondent, TV newsman and commentator; Dan Q Posin, DePaul University
Professor and host of his own television programme
on WTTW, "Dr. Posin’s Universe"; Nathan
Schwartz, philanthropist and
raconteur; Ralph Eisendrath, lawyer
and civic leader; and moderator Don
Bruckner, at that time a labour writer for the Chicago Sun
Times and for many years after that, a theater critic for the New
York Times. Only four panellists plus the moderator appeared
on each programme.
In contrast to the British programme, the questions for the
American spin-off were revealed to the team beforehand so that they
could have some time to think about them.
See also
References
- Thomas, Howard With An Independent Air London:
Weidenfeld & Nicolson 1977 ISBN 0-297-77278-3
External links
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