The Huw Wheldon Memorial Lecture is given by and for programme makers and people with something to say about the role of television in society. From analyses of fictionalised politics on television to thoughts on the changing role of TV comedy in modern Britain, these lectures aim to explain changes or patterns in TV viewing to a TV and non-TV audience.
The series is named after Huw Wheldon (1916-1986) who was a renowned BBC director as well as a recipient of the RTS Chairman’s Gold Medal (1976) and a former President of the RTS.
(Lectures marked * may be available by application to the RTS archivist. Lectures marked † may be available by application to BBC Arts)
Lord Dobbs. Public Service Broadcasting: A House of Cards?, Mar 2015
Owen Jones. Totally Shameless - How TV portrays the working class, 25 Nov 2013†
Lyse Doucet. #BreakingNews: Can TV Journalism survive the Social Media Revolution?, 28 Sept 2012†
Bettany Hughes. TV: Modern Father of History, 14 Sept 2011†
Professor Brian Cox. Science: A Challenge to TV Orthodoxy, 26 November 2010†
Professor Phil Redmond CBE. The Future of Children's Television, 16 September 2009†
Sue Perkins. Wit's End: British Comedy at the Crossroads, 19 January 2009* (video also available)
Anthony Lilley. The Me in Media: participation, interactivity and the rise of the people formerly known as the audience, 13 Sep 2007*
Simon Shama. Art and the Art of Television, 26 Sep 2006
Paul Abbott. What do you want to watch tomorrow?, 15 Sep 2005*
Dawn Airey. Golden Age – Myth or Reality?, 17 March 2005*
Rageh Omaar. Inside Saddam’s City,18 Sep 2003*
Nicholas Shindler. Once Upon a Time, 12 November 2002*
Peter Bazalgette. Big Brother and Beyond, 13 Sep 2001*
Michael Cockerell. "Trust Me, I’m the Prime Minister” - The TV Premiers 1936-2001, 22 Nov 2000*
Mal Young. Soft Soaping the Critics, 16 Sep 1999* (audio also available)
Andy Hamilton. Brain Surgeons from Hell, 17 Sep 1998* (video also available)
Fergal Keane. The Art of the Reporter, 18 Sep 1997* (video also available)
Will Wyatt, Facing the Public’, 31 Oct 1996*
Paul Fox. Sport for All, or Just a Few?, 14 Sep 1995*
Andrew Davies. Prima Donnas and Job Lots, 1 Dec 1994* (video also available)
John Simpson. Making News, 16 Sep 1993* (video also available)
Sian Phillips. Fast Rewind, 1 Nov 1992* (video also available)
Humphrey Burton. The Editorial Imperative - Huw Wheldon's Monitor 1958-63, 19 Sep 1991* (video also available)
David Rose. Gangsters, Gossip and Grain, 5 Sep 1990*
Bill Cotton. It was funny when it left me, 21 Sep 1989*
Jeremy Isaacs. How to make History, 16 May 1988
David Attenborough. Unnatural History, 27 Apr 1987* (edited and unedited video footage also available)