‘After dark’...late 80’s early 90’s.

[Colin C No.3]

I remember this as a ‘political/social events’ programme aired after midnight on Channel 4.

Billy Bragg was often an invited ‘participant’. The set was a ‘quadrangle’ of comfortable armchairs & sofa’s with soft lighting, drinks (at the time I assumed alcoholic if requested) the participants ranged from government ministers, scientists, musicians, unionist leaders & basically they were given a subject to debate (with some arbitrary questioner/MC) whose sole role appeared to be to stop any fisticuffs, foul language but otherwise to allow the cameras to roll & capture it all, warts & all.

Now given this was just after the miners strike had been quashed by ‘Maggie’s Army’ this late night show my friends...after coming home from the pub as an ‘angry young man’ was grist to my mill.

It was riveting...(“bloody adverts, Billy were on a roll then!”).

It fuelled my political fires. Helped mould my social thinking then & still plays a part in it today. Bl**dy Heck, I’d have stormed Westminster in those days with Billy Bragg leading the way.

I feel I ought now more than ever I ought to be listening to more in depth political debates & have seen glimpses of Andrew Marr as well as reading one of his books but there’s nowt like live debate that gets you on the edge of your chair.

Not watched ‘Question Time’ since the late, great Robin Day was called elsewhere. Am I missing owt?

[Glyn_Wigley]

The thing about After Dark was that it didn't have a set end time, it could and would go on for as long as it wanted into the small hours.

[scawsby steve]

I remember Oliver Reed being on there one night. He was as p*ssed as a fart, and was slobbering all over some feminist writer who was on the show. She was clearly upset, and the other guests asked him to leave.

He obliged and staggered out.

[scawsby steve]

I remember Oliver Reed being on there one night. He was as p*ssed as a fart, and was slobbering all over some feminist writer who was on the show. She was clearly upset, and the other guests asked him to leave.

He obliged and staggered out.

The feminist writer and lesbian was Kate Millett. If you google her on Wikipedia, there's an account of the incident, with a picture of her next to the drunken Ollie on the sofa.

[Bristol Red Rover]

Great TV. Often really interesting with a good spread of people but also a neat touch of drama with it being designed to potentially go off the rails with the drinking. Now we have fake drama and sanitised stuff, arguably like our viruses