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ITV introduced Free Speech, political cross-talk between Robert Boothby, W J Brown, Michael Foot and historian and writer A J P Taylor, with Chairman Kenneth Adam.
The programme was similar to the BBC’s In The News, in which the four also appeared – and which, by 1952, was watched by 48% of people with TV sets.
This show had been dropped, however, when the main political parties began to realise that a panel of dissidents was not the ideal vehicle for promoting their party.
When Independent Television started in 1955, producer Edgar Lustgarten took the ‘Famous Four’ to ATV and called the new programme Free Speech.
Sir Robert Boothby
W J Brown
Michael Foot
A J P Taylor
