This Week (2003 TV programme)

This Week
Andrew Neil presenting the show
GenreCurrent affairs, politics
Presented byAndrew Neil
StarringMichael Portillo
Alan Johnson
Miranda Green
Alex Salmond
Suzanne Evans
Diane Abbott
Liz Kendall
David Lammy
Theme music composerJim Meacock[1][2]
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producerSamir Shah
EditorPenny
Running time45 minutes
Production companyJuniper TV
Original release
NetworkBBC One
Release16 January 2003 (2003-01-16) –
18 July 2019 (2019-07-18)
Related
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This Week is a British current affairs and politics TV programme. It was screened late on Thursday evenings on BBC One and hosted by former Sunday Times editor Andrew Neil, with a panel of two commentators, one from the right and the other from the left of the political spectrum. The show was introduced on 16 January 2003, as was the Daily Politics, after a major review of BBC political programmes. It replaced the nightly Despatch Box (1998–2002), for which Neil had been the sole presenter in its later years.[3] In February 2019, following Neil's decision to step down as host, the BBC announced that This Week would end in July 2019.[5]

The final episode aired on 18 July 2019, a live broadcast from Westminster Central Hall with an invited audience of political dignitaries and celebrities. Mick Hucknall of pop group Simply Red sang "Nobody Does It Better" to Neil and the 'Final Show' was closed by 'Quiet Man' covering "Make Luv" (sic). After September 2019, Neil went on to host The Andrew Neil Show on Wednesdays. This Week was initially replaced on Thursdays by the TV version of Brexitcast, a podcast about Brexit.

  1. ^ "This Week - the rarely-heard This Week theme tune - BBC Sounds".
  2. ^ "This Week theme music". BBC News. 20 November 2009. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
  3. ^ a b Cozens, Claire; Deans, Jason (20 September 2002). "The BBC: A new manifesto for viewers". The Guardian. London.
  4. ^ Sherwin, Adam (13 June 2019). "BBC Brexitcast podcast to become weekly TV show in place of Andrew Neil's This Week". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  5. ^ Moore, Matthew (14 February 2019). "BBC to axe This Week as Andrew Neil steps down". The Times. Retrieved 15 February 2019.