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Tonight (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Tonight is a British television newsmagazine
, produced by ITV Studios
(formerly Granada Television
) and ITN for the ITV
network. Since 1999, Tonight replaced the long-running investigative series World in Action
. Previously airing twice-weekly, on Monday and Friday evenings at 8.00pm (ITV1 Wales, UTV
and STV would often air the show at different times or different days, to make way for regional programming), the show runs the gamut from human interest-led current affairs
to investigative journalism
. Tonight has conducted interviews with a plethora of political and public figures, including George W. Bush
, Tony Blair
and Hillary Clinton. From 1999-2007, the programme was known as Tonight with Trevor McDonald.
The programme returned on Thursday 7 January 2010 at 7.30pm, with Julie Etchingham
as the new host. (Once again, STV, ITV1 Wales and UTV move the programme to either later that night, or the next day - making way for regional programming.)
Many topics centre on allegations of wrongdoing and corruption on the part of corporations, politicians, and other public officials. The show also features profiles. The profiles are occasionally of celebrities and offer a biography
of the figure, followed by a sit-down interview. Rather than offering a simple publicity
platform, a celebrity
will often feature after a period of intense media scrutiny, such was the case when the model Naomi Campbell
appeared after there were claims she had a substance abuse
problem. Non-celebrity profiles usually feature a person who has accomplished an heroic action.
The programme's format differs significantly to newsmagazine Panorama
, which airs on the BBC
, as it often remains focused upon a sensationalist and human interest-led agenda, rather than political or world affairs. Many of the topics are follow-ups to stories from tabloid newspapers, chosen for their level of public interest.
The show gained greater public attention for its high-profile interviews, such as with the parents of murdered schoolboy Damilola Taylor
, the five suspects in the Stephen Lawrence
murder case and Trevor Rees-Jones, the sole survivor of the crash which killed Princess Diana.
Following the September 11 attacks in New York City
in 2001, the show shifted its focus to more "heavyweight" topics such as the impending war and featured numerous reports from Afghanistan
and Washington
respectively, with Trevor McDonald interviewing U.S. Secretary of State
Colin Powell
in December of the same year.
In an emotionally-charged and highly controversial episode, airing on 30 October 2001, Martin Bashir interviewed the television star Michael Barrymore
for the first time about the events that led to a man dying in the swimming pool at his home. The entertainer said he felt remorse and responsibility, igniting a tabloid backlash. The edition was the most-watched in Tonight's history.
In recent years, the show's ratings have dropped dramatically, a result of airing against the perennially popular EastEnders
on BBC One
.
Currently, ITV News
specials also air under the Tonight banner. These specials often have more of an investigative focus and air in primetime during a major development, such as after the terrorist attacks in London
on 7 July 2005, a broadcast which saw scheduled ITV shows pre-empted.
Living with Michael Jackson
Charles Ingram
The above episodes attracted 15.32 and 16.1 million viewers respectively.
presented links for the programme. During this time the programme was known as Tonight with Trevor McDonald. He left in late 2007, with the return of News at Ten on Monday, 14 January 2008 which McDonald co-presented, along with Julie Etchingham
, until November 2008.
However on 6 November 2008 McDonald presented links again for the programme, though this is thought to be a one-off as it was a high-profile 9pm slot. Trevor will stay with the programme, to report on high-profile stories.
In October 2009, it was announced that Julie Etchingham will present the relaunched programme from early 2010 - with the show airing once a week on Thursday nights.
Newsmagazine
A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published piece of paper, magazine or a radio or television program, usually weekly, featuring articles or segments on current events...
, produced by ITV Studios
ITV Studios
ITV Studios is a television production company owned by the British television network ITV. It not only makes programmes primarily for its parent company, but also for other networks...
(formerly Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
) and ITN for the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network. Since 1999, Tonight replaced the long-running investigative series World in Action
World in Action
World in Action was a British investigative current affairs programme made by Granada Television from 1963 until 1998. Its campaigning journalism frequently had a major impact on events of the day. Its production teams often took audacious risks and gained a solid reputation for its often...
. Previously airing twice-weekly, on Monday and Friday evenings at 8.00pm (ITV1 Wales, UTV
UTV
UTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...
and STV would often air the show at different times or different days, to make way for regional programming), the show runs the gamut from human interest-led current affairs
Current affairs (news format)
Current Affairs is a genre of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or are ongoing at the time of broadcast....
to investigative journalism
Investigative journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism...
. Tonight has conducted interviews with a plethora of political and public figures, including George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
and Hillary Clinton. From 1999-2007, the programme was known as Tonight with Trevor McDonald.
The programme returned on Thursday 7 January 2010 at 7.30pm, with Julie Etchingham
Julie Etchingham
Julie Etchingham is an English television newsreader and journalist. She is currently co-presenter of ITV News at Ten and is the presenter of the current affairs programme Tonight, having replaced Sir Trevor McDonald....
as the new host. (Once again, STV, ITV1 Wales and UTV move the programme to either later that night, or the next day - making way for regional programming.)
Format
The format of Tonight consists of a number of long-form news stories which present an angle on a major development, often following up on an investigation instigated by a national newspaper or news network. The stories are introduced by Julie Etchingham from different locations each week.Many topics centre on allegations of wrongdoing and corruption on the part of corporations, politicians, and other public officials. The show also features profiles. The profiles are occasionally of celebrities and offer a biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of the figure, followed by a sit-down interview. Rather than offering a simple publicity
Publicity
Publicity is the deliberate attempt to manage the public's perception of a subject. The subjects of publicity include people , goods and services, organizations of all kinds, and works of art or entertainment.From a marketing perspective, publicity is one component of promotion which is one...
platform, a celebrity
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
will often feature after a period of intense media scrutiny, such was the case when the model Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell is a British model. Scouted at the age of 15, she established herself among the top three most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and she was one of six models of her generation declared "supermodels" by the fashion world...
appeared after there were claims she had a substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
problem. Non-celebrity profiles usually feature a person who has accomplished an heroic action.
The programme's format differs significantly to newsmagazine Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
, which airs on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, as it often remains focused upon a sensationalist and human interest-led agenda, rather than political or world affairs. Many of the topics are follow-ups to stories from tabloid newspapers, chosen for their level of public interest.
The show gained greater public attention for its high-profile interviews, such as with the parents of murdered schoolboy Damilola Taylor
Damilola Taylor
Damilola Taylor was a ten-year-old Nigerian schoolboy who died in the United Kingdom. Several young boys were cleared of murder charges after a lengthy trial, and later two brothers were convicted of manslaughter....
, the five suspects in the Stephen Lawrence
Stephen Lawrence
Stephen Lawrence was a black British teenager from Eltham, southeast London, who was stabbed to death while waiting for a bus on the evening of 22 April 1993....
murder case and Trevor Rees-Jones, the sole survivor of the crash which killed Princess Diana.
Following the September 11 attacks in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 2001, the show shifted its focus to more "heavyweight" topics such as the impending war and featured numerous reports from Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
respectively, with Trevor McDonald interviewing U.S. Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
in December of the same year.
In an emotionally-charged and highly controversial episode, airing on 30 October 2001, Martin Bashir interviewed the television star Michael Barrymore
Michael Barrymore
Michael Kieron Parker , better known by his stage name Michael Barrymore, is a British comedian who appeared as a presenter of game shows and light entertainment programmes on British television in the 1980s and 1990s. These included Strike It Lucky, My Kind of People, My Kind of Music and Kids Say...
for the first time about the events that led to a man dying in the swimming pool at his home. The entertainer said he felt remorse and responsibility, igniting a tabloid backlash. The edition was the most-watched in Tonight's history.
In recent years, the show's ratings have dropped dramatically, a result of airing against the perennially popular EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
.
Currently, ITV News
ITV News
ITV News is the branding of news programmes on the British television network ITV. Since 1955, ITV's news bulletins have been produced by Independent Television News . The channel's news coverage has won awards from the Royal Television Society, Emmy Awards and BAFTAs. Between 2004 and 2008, the...
specials also air under the Tonight banner. These specials often have more of an investigative focus and air in primetime during a major development, such as after the terrorist attacks in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 7 July 2005, a broadcast which saw scheduled ITV shows pre-empted.
Controversies
While the show often features interviews with global newsmakers, Tonight sometimes makes global headlines itself.Living with Michael Jackson
Living with Michael Jackson
Living with Michael Jackson is a Granada Television documentary, in which British journalist Martin Bashir interviewed Michael Jackson over a span of eight months, from May 2002 to January 2003...
- A 3 February 2003 episode featuring Martin BashirMartin BashirMartin Bashir is a British journalist and media personality, currently with NBC News as a contributor for its Dateline program, and an afternoon anchor for MSNBC, hosting Martin Bashir...
interviewing Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
led to the singer being charged for sexual molestation. An interview with Jackson was very special, for it had been extremely rare for Jackson to allow such access to his personal life, or indeed to talk so freely about his childhood. The special two-hour episode was heavily criticised, with numerous claims that the documentary had presented the singer in a unfavourable light. After the episode aired on U.S.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
networkTelevision networkA television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, a follow-up "rebuttal" interview with Jackson was broadcast, featuring a surplus of material Bashir had omitted from his film.
Charles Ingram
- In the same year (21 April 2003), the magazine aired segments from the 2001 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (UK game show)Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a British television quiz show which offers a maximum cash prize of one million pounds for correctly answering successive multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty...
episode in which Major Charles IngramCharles IngramCharles Ingram is a former British Army major who made headlines worldwide after he was accused of cheating in the game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? in 2001. He was convicted of deception, although he maintains that he did not cheat...
was accused of cheating. It was the first time outside of court that the clips had aired and the edition was heavily promoted throughout the week, airing immediately after a highly-rated episode of Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. Again, the programme was criticised for its bias, with Charles Ingram claiming in an interview with Diane SawyerDiane SawyerLila Diane Sawyer is the current anchor of ABC News' flagship program, ABC World News. Previously, Sawyer had been co-anchor of ABC Newss morning news program, Good Morning America ....
for US network ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
that Tonight refused to allow him to defend the allegations on air.
The above episodes attracted 15.32 and 16.1 million viewers respectively.
Presenters
Sir Trevor McDonaldTrevor McDonald
Sir Trevor McDonald OBE is a Trinidadian-British newsreader and journalist. He had a long career as a news presenter with ITN...
presented links for the programme. During this time the programme was known as Tonight with Trevor McDonald. He left in late 2007, with the return of News at Ten on Monday, 14 January 2008 which McDonald co-presented, along with Julie Etchingham
Julie Etchingham
Julie Etchingham is an English television newsreader and journalist. She is currently co-presenter of ITV News at Ten and is the presenter of the current affairs programme Tonight, having replaced Sir Trevor McDonald....
, until November 2008.
However on 6 November 2008 McDonald presented links again for the programme, though this is thought to be a one-off as it was a high-profile 9pm slot. Trevor will stay with the programme, to report on high-profile stories.
In October 2009, it was announced that Julie Etchingham will present the relaunched programme from early 2010 - with the show airing once a week on Thursday nights.
Correspondents
The programme's correspondents and commentators have included:- Martin BashirMartin BashirMartin Bashir is a British journalist and media personality, currently with NBC News as a contributor for its Dateline program, and an afternoon anchor for MSNBC, hosting Martin Bashir...
- Ginny BuckleyGinny BuckleyGinny Buckley is a British journalist, radio and television presenter.-Early life:Buckley was born and grew up in Rochdale, England, before moving to Australia at the age of 18....
- Vanessa CollingridgeVanessa CollingridgeVanessa Collingridge is an author and broadcaster. She is the youngest of five children born and raised in Woking in Surrey, England. Her father Gordon was half-Irish and her mother Irene half-Scottish....
- Fiona FosterFiona FosterFiona Foster is a British television presenter and journalist with a lively high note voice, who has also spent several years working in the United States. She is currently a presenter on the BBC World travel programme Fast Track....
- Chris Rogers
- Martin LewisMartin Lewis (financial journalist)Martin Steven Lewis is journalist, television presenter, website entrepreneur and author in the United Kingdom, who specialises in ways to save money...
- Jonathan MaitlandJonathan MaitlandJonathan Maitland is a British broadcaster, writer and author.-Early life:He was educated at Epsom College, and holds a law degree from King's College London.-Journalism:...
- Michael NicholsonMichael NicholsonMichael Nicholson OBE is an English journalist and former ITN Senior Foreign Correspondent.- Journalistic career :Born in Romford, Essex, Nicholson attended the University of Leicester. Nicholson was a war reporter for ITN, who reported from wars in Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Vietnam, Cambodia,...
- Melissa PorterMelissa PorterMelissa Porter is an English television presenter, best known for her BBC programmes, To Buy or Not to Buy and Escape to the Country.-Early life:...
- Morland Sanders
- Laura KuenssbergLaura KuenssbergLaura Kuenssberg is a Scottish journalist, currently working as the Business Editor for ITV News.-Early life:The daughter of Scottish businessman Professor Nick Kuenssberg OBE, and his wife Sally Kuenssberg CBE, her paternal grandfather was German-born Dr. Ekke von Kuenssberg, a founder and...
- Geraint VincentGeraint VincentGeraint Vincent is a British journalist, currently employed by ITN as a special correspondent for the ITV News at Ten. Vincent lives in Cardiff.-Early life:...
- Quentin WillsonQuentin WillsonQuentin Willson is a British TV presenter and motoring expert, perhaps most widely known as a presenter of the motoring programmes Britain's Worst Driver, Fifth Gear, and the original incarnation of Top Gear. He lives in Warwickshire with his wife and three children.-Early years:Willson studied...