The clear ancestor of That’s Life, Braden’s Week – which premiered on 9 November 1968 and aired on Saturday evenings on BBC1 – not only humorously reviewed the week’s events but was also an early consumers’ champion, tackling thorny subjects with a light touch.
Canadian Bernard Braden – late of On The Braden Beat – fronted affairs, supported by a team of reporters and researchers who included John Pitman, Esther Rantzen and Harold Williamson. Williamson specialised in interviewing children. Jake Thackray provided a musical interlude.
Rantzen and producer John Lloyd headed off to That’s Life once Braden’s Week reached a controversial end in 1972.
The BBC were furious that Braden had decided to advertise Stork margarine on ITV and dismissed him, claiming it was not viable for the host of a consumer programme to be seen endorsing goods commercially. He told friends that the money was just too good to turn down.
Braden returned to Canadian television before resurfacing on British programmes such as After Noon Plus and a revamped All Our Yesterdaysin 1987.
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